The Dykeman Walking Trail leads from the ball fields at the end of Earl St. to the Dykeman Spring Nature Park along Gum Run for a while before taking a 90ยบ turn left and running under the railroad tracks to the main wetland section of the park. But the trail also goes straight at that turn and leads out to South Fayette St., and if you cross the road there's a continuation of the path, running alongside Gum Run for about an eighth of a mile until the creek emerges from under the railroad tracks as it comes down from South Mountain and Mainsville. There's a little pond that feeds into the creek at that point, way back in the woods, apparently a dammed up side stream. I found this several years ago while trying to find a shortcut to the Proctor & Gamble packaging facility when I worked there briefly. It's a quiet, calm little retreat that I visit from time to time, and I thought I'd go back there this morning, it being a flat, easy walk that wouldn't stress my rickety heart while I await its repair. I was going to go sit by the north duck pond in the park on my way back, but it started raining and I decided to head straight home. In any case, here's my hidden retreat.
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| The spillway from the pond into Gum Run |
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| A section of the rocky, overgrown shore of the little pond |
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| Looking down Gum Run toward the park from the spillway |
© 2019 by A. Roy Hilbinger
How beautiful is nature.
ReplyDeleteGreat photos
Maria