RGH 18
State: PA
County: Lackawanna
Quad: Olyphant
Location: N 41° 24.600' W075° 34.973'
Elevation: 490.676 m.
Designation: RGH 18 1997
Setting: Base of tree
Type: Railroad Spike
Year: 1997
Established By: PennDOT
Recovered: 29 June 2005
After finding RGH 17 on this lovely Summer morning, we continued along the trail to RGH 18. We both spotted the twin oak from a distance, and the mark (a railroad spike set in the tree's base) was easy to find. The mark appears to be in good condition, though the tree is dying and was covered with gypsy moth caterpillars. Deciding to save RGH 19 for another day, we continued on a little further along the trail to the east, which then intersected a trail heading southwest. It was this trail that would bring us to RGH 24 and eventually back to our starting point.
PennDOT Official Description, 1997:
To reach bench mark RGH 17 from the Dunmore branch of the Scranton post office, follow Harper Street east for 0.3 km (0.2 mi) to E. Drinker Street (Rt. 435). Proceed on E. Drinker St for 2.4 km (1.5 mi) to Tigue Street. Take Tigue St until it ends, approximately 0.4 km (0.25 mi) at a gravel road. Follow the gravel road up the mountain approximately 0.9 km (0.6 mi) to PADOT waste area 1 and bench mark RGH 17 in a saddle at the end of two trails. Proceed east on the easterly trail up the mountain for 0.8 km (0.5 mi) to the bench mark on the left.
See the Datasheet for RGH 18.[PDF]
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...PennDOT Railroad Spike RGH 18N 41° 24.600' W075° 34.973' This old railroad spike is easily identifiable. |
...Eyelevel view of the railroad spike in the base of the twin oak. It's a very unusual benchmark! |
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...The spike may be hard to spot if the vegetation grows higher, but it's deeply embedded and I doubt it's going anywhere. One problem, though: this tree is infested with gypsy moth caterpillars and is dying. |
...Looking roughly west; twin oak is indicated. The datasheet advises taking the trail on the left, though we came to this point via the trail on the right. (On the way from RGH 17 to RGH 18 the two trails diverge, but as you can see either will bring you to this mark.) |
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...This diagram from the datasheet shows both trails visible in the previous photo. We approached on the so-called dirt trail, though both trails looked similarly rocky to me. |