Peale Tunnel Traditional Cache
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(regular)
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I have obtained permission from SSRTA for Geocachers to WALK IN to the cache. If you are a member of SSRTA, you may travel by ATV. Otherwise, YOU MUST WALK IN.
Once you reach the main parking area at the top of the hill, it is about a 1/2 mile hike to the cache.
The cache is a small ammo container with a log book and a few trade items.
DIRECTIONS
To find out where I’m at,
Go through the town of Grassflat.
Take Peale Road out to the river,
A canoe race here in March… did you shiver?
If you’re not in a 4x4 you better park here,
A car might get damaged so I fear.
Go up the hill to the crossroad,
Park your vehicle here and unload.
Turn to the left and begin your hike,
It’s about a half mile but the view you’ll like.
Bring a flashlight if you want to explore,
It’s cold and dark inside that’s for sure.
If you are traveling in a vehicle with little ground clearance, you should park at the bridge before crossing the Red Moshannon River. Travel beyond this point is only recommended for those with 4 wheel drive and/or good ground clearance. The road up the hill to the main parking area is steep and rutted and it will be about a 1/2 mile.
Parking Coordinates:
N40.59.462 - W078.04.816
REMINDERS
Bring a flashlight and wear waterproof shoes if you want to walk through the tunnel. It is dark and wet inside.
If you are walking, watch out for ATVs.
Watch for snakes.
FYI
The annual Red Moshannon Down River Race for Canoes and Kayaks is held in Peale on the last Saturday in March. The race is held on the Red Moshannon, a remote 7.5 miles of Class II whitewater that runs from the Peale Bridge near Grassflat to the state Route 53 Bridge near the town of Moshannon.
The race is a HUGE EVENT and PARKING IN THE AREA WILL BE VERY LIMITED ON THIS DAY. The race usually starts at noon. I would strongly suggest waiting until the late afternoon to visit the Peale Tunnel cache on this day if you want to avoid the crowds.
HISTORY
You will be traveling to the Peale Tunnel completed in 1884 along what once was the Beech Creek Railroad in Centre County, PA. This area is now a Rails to Trails for ATVs.
The Peale Tunnel is one of only four tunnels in Centre County. The Peale Tunnel is by far the longest of the four at 1,277 feet. The Peale Tunnel's maximum ceiling height is 20 feet at the entrances.
The Peale Tunnel is a classic example of how railroad civil engineers and construction crews successfully conquered the difficult topography of the Allegheny Plateau during the building of the Beech Creek Railroad. The P & T Collins Company, owned by the brothers Phillip and Thomas Collins, was the subcontractor in charge of building the mountainous sections of the Beech Creek for which the Peale Tunnel was a part. Work on the east end heading began on June 30, 1883 and the west heading on July 27. The headings met on the night of October 30. This seems like remarkably quick work since only manual labor, black powder or dynamite and animals were available in those days to cut through and remove the bedrock. Grading of the line through the Peale Tunnel may have been completed as early as April 1884 but track was not laid through the tunnel until July.
The tunnel's portals consist of cut stone. This cut stone continues inside along the walls and ceiling for a short distance, from each end. The ceiling is partially lined with brick with a concrete cap while the remainder is solid rock. With the obvious exceptions of the removal of the track, the tunnel is likely to be essentially as it was when completed in 1884. A possible exception may be the addition of the concrete cap to the brick ceiling portions.
History about tunnel from: (visit link)
Please take the time to visit the other geocache along the Rails to Trails, Viaduct Bridge - Formerly Stoney Lonesome (GCXM0K).
Cache in, Trash Out please.
Enjoy your trip!
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Lbh jvyy rawbl gur ivrj.