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Galbraith Gap and Wildcatters
Galbraith Gap and Wildcatters Galbraith Gap has always been one of the busiest places in Rothrock State Forest, yet most people have never heard of it. Even when they are standing in Galbraith Gap they have no idea it goes by such a name. They will refer to it as "the way to Bear Meadows" or perhaps "the place past Tussey Mountain ski area" but they'll rarely call it Galbraith Gap. It's better known as the intersection of Bear Meadow and Laurel Run roads. It's a place people pass through to get somewhere else. It's a popular place to park cars even though it's the worst place to do so from an environmental standpoint. Several cars are usually parked on the shoulder of the road next to the stream. People forget that hot engines drip various toxic fluids that subsequently enter the stream. Galbraith Gap has one of the purest water sources in Centre County until it reaches this overused intersection. The stream that flows through it is named, appropriately, Galbraith Gap Run. This stream parallels the paved part of Bear Meadows Road and flows underneath the wooden bridges in Galbraith Gap. The stream disappears underground as it leaves Galbraith Gap and surfaces by U.S. Route 322 near the Elks Country Club. From here it flows through the Boalsburg Military Museum to join Spring Creek on its journey to the Chesapeake Bay. At the intersection of Bear Meadows Road and Laurel Run Road you can find quite a bit of local history if you look closely. This was once a thriving sawmill operation and parts of the original dam still exist. A few foundations and an old railroad bed are easy to find. The logging railroad tracks connected Bear Meadows with the Linden Hall Lumber Co., where it met the L & T Railroad (Lewisburg and Tyrone) that would take the timber to market. Lumber was "wildcatted" through Galbraith Gap en route to Linden Hall. A wildcatter from 1880 did a daily job that was as crazy as any of today's so-called "extreme" athletic events. The fully loaded lumber cars were too heavy for the small locomotives to control. Instead, the lumberjacks used pure gravity to send the flatbed cars rocketing down the tracks, through Galbraith Gap and across the valley to Linden Hall. A series of switchbacks were built to help control the speed. These engineless trains were controlled by one man, called a wildcatter, who operated a hand brake from a platform on the last car to control speed. Wildcatters prided themselves on breaking the record for fastest time and occasionally the cars would get out of control and the wildcatter had to save himself by jumping off seconds before the wreck. Perhaps it's these very souls that guide the current breed of daredevil mountain bikers through Galbraith Gap today. The former railroad beds have become excellent hiking and bicycle trails that allow a safe route next to the busy road. Take some time to explore Galbraith Gap and you'll find a few remnant foundations and the old dam structure. The main trail is the old railroad grade, and sometimes you'll find some railroad artifacts (spikes and horseshoes) along the embankment. Maybe you'll hear the voices of former wildcatters as the wind rustles through the trees...if you're lucky.
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