The Powder Hole

As kids we knew the Powder Hole as a place of mystery and adventure. The dilapidated stone buildings, the rusting bridges, and the roads and railroad tracks overgrown with trees and grass were an irrestible attraction. In the early 60s as a kid we would visit there from the more easily accessible way. We would park by the road leading up from Wapwallopen and pull off close to Wapwallopen Creek, which was possible in those days. (I even remember an uncle parking so close he could wash his car.) We would then walk up to what I refer to as the Third Falls, the falls where the trestle crosses the creek an estimated 50 feet above the bottom of the falls.

By the time we could drive cars in the early 70s its attraction only grew. Its remote location and difficult accessibity were ideal for trysting and partying. For many the Third Falls was the falls of choice, even though it was only accessible down a long and steep trail. But now we could drive to the two other falls, the Middle Falls and First Falls by parking at different points along Powder Glen Road. (These access points are not available to modern travelers.)

I started photographing the Powder Hole about 1975 with a 35mm camera. The summer of '76, just before I started my first year at Penn State, I practically lived there. My favorite thing to do was to jump off the trestle into the creek 50 feet below, scamper to the left side (looking downstream) and make my way back beneath the falls and come out on the right hand side. It was exhilarating. I would do it multiple times a time, laying on a narrow trestle beam to catch some rays and warm myself between jumps. Here I am jumping off the trestle that summer.

(Click the pic for the Powder Hole gallery.)

Jumping off the trestle was a pretty risky thing to do. It was high. (See inset photo top right corner for a jumper's point of view.) Hitting the water from that height could hurt if you hit the wrong way. The water below wasn't all that deep. There were nasty rocks on both sides of the narrow mouth of the creek, some not visible but lurking just below the surface. Some jumpers who were paying more attention to the cheering audience than to the jump were rewarded were leg injuries. It could have been worse. But I don't know of any more serious injuries than that when I was there.

So browse through this collection of my mostly black & white 35mm pix from mostly that summer of '76. I have many more yet to display some more modern color pix and even a few GoPro clips. Stay tuned.

If you have any questions or comments or would like to share some Powder Hole experiences email me at PowderHole@gmail.com

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