ramblinChet
Well-known member
This weekend was spent in the Moshannon State Forest and Quehanna Wild Area in Pennsylvania.
I spent the night near Shaggers Inn Pond and was woken up by woodpeckers pecking.
![2021-11-21_10.15.36.jpeg 2021-11-21_10.15.36.jpeg](https://expeditionportal.com/forum/data/attachments/596/596664-b598d049fa9bb4803113c5f2e03a180f.jpg)
Once packed up and rolling I stopped by the ranger station for a map and dropped back into the woods to make my way up to Benezette to spend time at the Elk County Visitor Center. I met some other outdoors men and learned a bit about the habits of Pennsylvania Elk, how to call turkeys, etc. Did you know that Elk have two ivories in their mouth?
Heading east I took the opportunity to cross Bennett Branch/Sinnemahoning Creek which was around 2.0-2.5 feet deep with a nice rocky bottom.
![2021-11-21_16.47.39.jpeg 2021-11-21_16.47.39.jpeg](https://expeditionportal.com/forum/data/attachments/596/596665-3b985b01f39cb997537b7402dc138933.jpg)
Shortly thereafter I rolled into Driftwood to look around and then headed south-south-west deep into Quehanna Wild Area. The bridge is a three-span skewed Baltimore through truss erected in 1902.
![2021-11-21_16.42.42.jpeg 2021-11-21_16.42.42.jpeg](https://expeditionportal.com/forum/data/attachments/596/596671-70b8a0d94f8865444d46be4bfa6b227e.jpg)
My map showed a RESTRICTED AREA near the end of Reactor Road. Of course I drove to the location to investigate. What I found in the middle of the forest nearby was a secret government test facility used during the cold war to test nuclear-powered jet engines from 1955-1960. This was part of the "Atoms for Peace" program initiated by President Eisenhower in 1953.
![2021-11-21_16.41.28.jpeg 2021-11-21_16.41.28.jpeg](https://expeditionportal.com/forum/data/attachments/596/596673-9576f46998cd1db4ed48d8ef525b3460.jpg)
Here is a massive steel door on the one side of the concrete bunker with some ominous graffiti. Yes, I went inside but it would have been nice to have a Geiger counter.
![2021-11-21_16.40.51.jpeg 2021-11-21_16.40.51.jpeg](https://expeditionportal.com/forum/data/attachments/596/596675-8d5e1989aef89a9e61df1cf0c6946294.jpg)
I spent the night near Shaggers Inn Pond and was woken up by woodpeckers pecking.
![2021-11-21_10.15.36.jpeg 2021-11-21_10.15.36.jpeg](https://expeditionportal.com/forum/data/attachments/596/596664-b598d049fa9bb4803113c5f2e03a180f.jpg)
Once packed up and rolling I stopped by the ranger station for a map and dropped back into the woods to make my way up to Benezette to spend time at the Elk County Visitor Center. I met some other outdoors men and learned a bit about the habits of Pennsylvania Elk, how to call turkeys, etc. Did you know that Elk have two ivories in their mouth?
Heading east I took the opportunity to cross Bennett Branch/Sinnemahoning Creek which was around 2.0-2.5 feet deep with a nice rocky bottom.
![2021-11-21_16.47.39.jpeg 2021-11-21_16.47.39.jpeg](https://expeditionportal.com/forum/data/attachments/596/596665-3b985b01f39cb997537b7402dc138933.jpg)
Shortly thereafter I rolled into Driftwood to look around and then headed south-south-west deep into Quehanna Wild Area. The bridge is a three-span skewed Baltimore through truss erected in 1902.
![2021-11-21_16.42.42.jpeg 2021-11-21_16.42.42.jpeg](https://expeditionportal.com/forum/data/attachments/596/596671-70b8a0d94f8865444d46be4bfa6b227e.jpg)
My map showed a RESTRICTED AREA near the end of Reactor Road. Of course I drove to the location to investigate. What I found in the middle of the forest nearby was a secret government test facility used during the cold war to test nuclear-powered jet engines from 1955-1960. This was part of the "Atoms for Peace" program initiated by President Eisenhower in 1953.
![2021-11-21_16.41.28.jpeg 2021-11-21_16.41.28.jpeg](https://expeditionportal.com/forum/data/attachments/596/596673-9576f46998cd1db4ed48d8ef525b3460.jpg)
Here is a massive steel door on the one side of the concrete bunker with some ominous graffiti. Yes, I went inside but it would have been nice to have a Geiger counter.
![2021-11-21_16.40.51.jpeg 2021-11-21_16.40.51.jpeg](https://expeditionportal.com/forum/data/attachments/596/596675-8d5e1989aef89a9e61df1cf0c6946294.jpg)
Last edited: