What type of adventure can one get into on a day where it is pouring down rain in icy torrents? Exploring abandoned tunnels along a section of the old PA Turnpike! Last week we were invited to join in the hunt for a difficult geocache in the abandoned Sidleing Hill tunnel.The history of the area is interesting. When the Pennsylvania Turnpike opened in 1940 the four lanes of traffic narrowed to two lanes at each of seven tunnels. By the 1960’s, four of the seven tunnels on the original Turnpike received a second tube to accommodate heavier traffic: Allegheny Mountain, Tuscarora Mountain, Kittatinny Mountain, and Blue Mountain. The other three tunnels were bypassed and abandoned. This adventure starts near the eastern portal of the abandoned Sideling Hill Tunnel.
The now abandoned section has an unofficial bike trail that goes through it. We used a lot of the information for the Pike to Bike website. Google and Wiki searches will get you more interesting tidbits if you can't get enough.
Our goals for the day were four geocaches; PA Turnpike Cache #1, PA Turnpike Cache #2 "The Cache Down Under", PA Turnpike Cache #3 "The HoJo Cache" and PA Turnpike Cache #4 "The Four Way Stop" . The most difficult one, PA Turnpike Cache #2 "The Cache Down Under", was the one many of us had our sights set on for logging as milestone finds.
RGBisMe and I arrived near the HoJo cache bright and early before meeting up with the good geocachers of the day. We had some letterboxing in mind and didn't want those plans to get in the way of everyone else's.On our way to the tunnel, we stopped and found PA Turnpike Cache #3 "The HoJo Cache" leaving a surprise for Redtailforester when he stopped by later. It was very rainy on and off all morning but we were able to log into this cache during a dry moment.
Back onto our bikes, we went off to take a peek into the tunnel before meeting up with the rest. This is when we planted our new letterbox, Holey Turnpike. Now you might recognize that name, and it's not just because it's cute. Jbzfarm had an awesome letterbox planted along the turnpike called Holy Turnpike! We need to give them proper credit for doing a little spin off of the name and make sure to mention that in the clue. Gotta give credit where credit is do, no? Might there be soon to come, a series along the entire thoroughfare called "Wholly Turnpike"?
The whole crew of adventurers included 2GuysNamedMoe, Redtailforester, feralgyrl, Angrist, HolyCowboys, George1, carels, RGBisMe and myself. We were so honored to be invited along for this milestone adventure. Everyone who came to hunt this cache brought ideas and tools and expertise with them. I knew that the day would not end without finding this cache and it was great to see how we all came together to tackle it.
Exploring high and low, the tunnel was just amazing. Success did not evade this group and we all reconvened to sign the log, pop the cork and celebrate. What a good time sharing snack and celebratory drinks. We snapped many photos. Congrats to The Moe's 600th, George1's 600th, HolCowboy's 400th, Carels' 4500th milestone finds! We celebrated finding a round number of "things" ourselves.
One the way out, I noticed that lack of lunch and much celebration made for some more interesting adventures. Biking in this tunnel was challenge enough, very disorienting in the dark. Some cachers were game to take on our WOM clue for the new letterbox and stopped to stamp in before heading out to find a cache just on the outside of the tunnel. Very sporting of them.
I wasn't smart like feralgyrl to head on to the port-a-jane. I hung around to log into the geocache all the while having to pee like crazy. Carels had gone exploring up the one bank so I climbed the opposite side of the tunnel to "find a tree." Just as I got to the top level of the tunnel, Carels pops his head out from the old structure on the second level. Too cool! I quickly "found a tree" and ran around behind to find him and HolyCowboys inside exploring where the giant exhaust fans for the tunnel were. They helped me through a broken window of a door and Carels showed us how you could walk above the roof of the roadway for the entire length of the tunnel. George1 snapped a photo of me sticking my head down through an exhaust vent way above the ground level and Carels took a photo of me and HolyCowboys by the giant fans.
I think it was because the tune of Raiders of the Lost Ark started in my head or that HolyCowboys and Carels magically turned into Nicholas Cage and Jon Voigt in National Treasure that I found myself exiting the second level over a deep chasm. I couldn't see the bottom but Nicolas Cage told me to be aware that there weren't any stair but just put my leg and brace it to the left on the ledge. HolyCageBoys has legs 
that go on forever as opposed to my 26" inseam. I committed to the decent at the same moment I realized that strategy wouldn't work. I relied entirely on my upper body to carefully lower myself along the old rusty hand rail for 10 - 15 feet. Nicolas Cowboy was there to spot me or cheer on my plummet to death if I fell and I think Carels-Voigt was singing another John Williams movie score unless this was all in my champagne bubbled brain. All I am sure of is that the folks from ground level were a little surprised to see the 3 of us emerge from a place where they had seen no stairs to go up.
The party continued back at the trail head with a lovely cake brought by the Moes. Sugar and wine and beer and champagne, we all needed some lunch enroute to the other end of the tunnel for the final geocache in the series. The weather was quite rainy all day and torrents of water poured down the way some of us approached the location of the cache.
This would have been a miserable day if it had been shared with any other type of folks. Those who love a good laugh, sharing thoughtful ideas, stories of great hikes are the best kind of people to hang out with. Thanks for sharing your milestone day with us peeps.
We all took a bunch of photos. I will try to add more below this.
Carels hit 4500!!
George1 celebrates in his own way.
A milestone kinda day.
Carels makes the moment special.
Me and my bike under a cold air vent.
RGBisMe having a good time!
Hucklebuckle.
