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The 'other' Mount Nittany
The 'other' Mount Nittany Most people have hiked Mount Nittany from the Lemont end and assume that's the only summit. But the mountain continues northeast and is traversed by state Route 144 between Pleasant Gap and Centre Hall. Some folks call this Centre Hall Mountain but in fact there is no such thing. This is still Mount Nittany, as advertised by the Mount Nittany Inn perched on the summit. Greens Valley Road heads northeast from Route 144 and winds through a small neighborhood nestled in a high valley. When the road turns to dirt, you enter a piece of land managed by Bald Eagle State Forest and this is also Mount Nittany. In about five miles, Greens Valley Road makes a steep descent into a quiet area by Little Fishing Creek. The road used to continue into Hecla Gap to Mingoville before they took the bridge out to halt such traffic. Today several old roads converge but go nowhere. I like this dead-end place. It once was a crossroads where I suspect puzzled travelers were forced to make decisions. I imagine there were once a few wooden signs offering advice, probably accurate advice assuming the sign was propped up correctly and facing the right direction. But today there are no signs and no choice other than to turn around. You'll probably be alone because not many folks travel roads that don't go places. It makes a fine place to stretch your legs and explore the stream. The sun's rays can reach into this little pocket of open space with ease yet the small hollow is sheltered from wind. Steep hillsides come in at all angles to funnel water into Little Fishing Creek, which isn't quite so little here, having grown from collecting all the water in this high valley region. There are no formal trails but plenty of terrain makes for inviting exploration. If you were paying attention on the drive along Greens Valley Road, you saw a large wooden sign to the Cleveland Trail. Sixty-eight years ago air mail pilot Jimmy Cleveland crashed his airplane into the mountain. Today you can hike to his memorial crash site on the ridgetop of Mount Nittany above Penns Valley. The Boy Scouts built and maintain this well-marked trail. The trail starts at a small parking area just off Greens Valley Road. It is blazed with blue paint and soon reaches a wooden bridge across the headwaters of Little Fishing Creek, just a few inches deep this high in the valley. The stream lived up to its name as fish scattered upon my approach. The trail follows a jeep road for a few hundred yards and then turns right and heads for the ridge. The blazes along the half-hour hike are easy to follow. Soon an unmarked trail crosses the Cleveland Trail and an interesting bench appears on the right. An old board was stuck between the trunks of two trees; how long ago I cannot guess. The board has bowed and split in protest but its destiny continues. It was meant to be a bench. A green moss clings to the old board and the trees have grown burls that hold the board in place. I wonder if the builder had any intentions of such permanence or if the board was simply left behind. A series of switchbacks zigzags up the mountain to the summit and monument. An engraved stone pillar 4 feet tall reads: Air Mail Pilot Jimmy Cleveland Crashed Here May 24, 1931. A larger, square-shaped pile of rocks holds several pieces of rusty metal which one assumes may be airplane parts. Several rustic benches provide a place to sit and absorb the scenario. A tree is carved with initials and numbers. Names and dates of sweethearts and friends cover the surface, a tattooed tree so to speak. The topmost one, more than 7 feet high, reads JC 31. Perhaps this is the original monument? A short walk to the edge of the forest reveals a clearing of rocks and an expansive vista of Penns Valley. The view is one of Mount Nittany's best. The trail continues downslope to state Route 192 but leaves Bald Eagle State Forest. Now you know another way to hike Mount Nittany and it's hard to say which is better. That's the beauty of Central Pennsylvania's ridge and valley topography - it may sound the same on paper but each ridge and valley has its own charm when you experience them firsthand. |
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