It had been a desire of mine for several years to visit the so-called Pennsylvania Wilds, a two million acre landscape composed of twelve distinct and beautiful counties in the Northern section of the state. Specifically, I had wanted to visit the village of Benezette which has gained fame as a tourist attraction to view Elk in their native environs.
Elk had been native to the area historically, but the population had dwindled in the early 1900s. Conversely, there was an over population in Yellowstone National Park so a relocation program was instituted to move some of Yellowstone's surplus to some eastern states including PA. So in 1913 a group of 50 Elk were introduced in this area largely at the urging of Sportsmen's groups. Recent estimates place the population at several hundred animals, but there is no way to know for sure. Restricted hunting has been allowed over the years by permit assigned by a drawing.
Twenty years ago or so, when I was active in the Lions Club, some members had visited the area and returned with a video produced by the game commission about the elk in Benezette. One particular incident I recall was the treatment of a troublesome bull who took a liking to the residents' shrubbery and became a nuisance in general. The game commission captured the animal and relocated it to another area far away and to ensure it would stay away from towns its antlers were sawn off. The loss of his status symbols and position of power were deemed a deterrant to his return. That elk was not seen again in Benezette.
Today the area has a first class visitor center and established viewing areas and it supports several rental cabins and hotel rooms to attract visitors. Since we had Dixie with us we needed a pet friendly place to stay. It turned out to be a pretty rare item, but we did find a place about 8 miles from town that would accommodate my brother, Dick and sister-in-law, Ann and Cathy and me and Dixie.
Below you will see some photos of Elk and other wildlife we encountered on our two-day stay. Dick was kind enough to drive so I was free to lean out the window to take pictures.
This is the Elk Country Visitor Center at the small town of Benezette. It is relatively new and is filled with interesting and educational displays about the area and its wild inhabitants.
This a taxidermy of an Elk known as the Club Horn Elk. If you look at the tine of his antlers in the corner of the lower window pane (marked by >>>>>>), you can see it turns downward. This deformity is the result of an accident in his youth that caused him to lose the bud for that antler. when it regrew it tilted downward instead of up making him somewhat of a local celebrity.
So below are some of the elk we saw rambling around the back roads.
A young bull still in velvet. This seemed strange as the other bulls we saw had no velvet.
Here is a nice 6 x 6 eating apples from the tree in some family's front yard!
Across the road and a little farther on was another handsome 6 x 6 bull taking his leisure.
Here and below is a 7 x 7 bull browsing leaves from the tree. He would hook the branches in his antlers and pull them down to break off so he could munch them.
Another 6 x 6 bull on our second evening.
This is one of my favorite shots of the trip! There were several Does and their young working a lawn and this little one needed a little liquid sustenance so it began to nurse as we watched.
Up close with a doe.
I could only get half a dozen in the frame but there were several others on this hillside.
End of day.
We saw several elks on our second day at the Elk Country Visitor Center.
After Dinner at the Benezette Hotel we saw this one gathering apples and the fellow in the white pickup was tossing more to her.
Here and below are deer and fawns we saw in the yard of our cabin, Camp Critter appropriately!
There were two mamas each with a fawn still showing spots.
And Wild Turkeys also at Camp Critter. There were seven in all and spread wide so I did not get them all in the frame.
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Kinzua Bridge State Park
The Kinzua Bridge, an iron railroad bridge, was begun in 1881 and completed in 1882. It stood 301 feet high and was 2053 feet long and was for many years the highest railroad viaduct in the world. It was built to transport the area's natural resources of coal, oil and timber to markets to the East. As trains and their loads grew heavier, it became necessary to strengthen the bridge with steel. In 1900 it was rebuilt using 100 - 150 men working 10-hour shifts in just 105 days.
By 1959, all freight traffic ceased and in 1963 the bridge and surrounding area became a State Park which officially opened in 1970. Excursion trains carried passengers from 1987 on. These trains would stop in the middle of the bridge for passengers to enjoy (or maybe shudder) the view across the valley below before returning to the starting point in Marienville PA.
Trouble was encountered in 2002 as a routine inspection identified corrosion on some trestles. Some even rusted through. Engineers determined that strong lateral winds could potentially shift the center of gravity and start the bridge to fall. And their predictions proved accurate as a rare tornado on July 21, 2003 resulted in just that. Thirteen of the bridge towers collapsed into the valley below in a tangle of twisted metal.
Today six of the remaining towers have been strengthened and converted into a pedestrian walkway to an overlook 225-feet above the valley floor. There is a glass bottomed section of the floor at the end to afford a view down through the supporting towers below.
We took a drive from Benezette to Kinzua State Park on our second day in the area.
This is an old, blurry photo from the internet before the excursion trains stopped operating.
Above is an overall view of the pedestrian walkway to the restored bridge.
A view across the valley toward the remaining debris on the opposite hill.
Ann heading to the newly restored walking bridge.
The tangled and twisted steel in the valley below.
Another view of the wreckage.
No wonder Billy Penn liked his woods!
Dick and Dixie wouldn't look at the camera.
Returning to the parking area we can see the observation decks behind the Visitor Center. Cathy and I had been to the site a few years ago but it was in the construction phase and the parking area was no more than a dirt lot. These observation decks were the only spot to see the bridge while restorations were underway.
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