07/21/02
A friend and I decided to take a little trip to Mt. Davis, the highest physical point in Pennsylvania. I'm not one for long trips, but this one didn't seem all that far, being that we're in Everett, Bedford County, and this place is near Meyersdale, in Somerset County. Being the forgetful person that I am, I forgot to reset the trip meter on my van's speedometer before we begun the trip. I then promised myself that I'd reset it before we left Mt. Davis, and of course I forgot to, resetting it instead a few miles out of Meyersdale. So, based on the distance it did capture, and an estimate of what I missed, I'd say it's about a 50 to 55 mile trip from Everett- not all that bad. I'm sure it's not that far "by way of the crow flies", but the mountains and winding roads make it longer.
Anyway, as we got closer to our destination, I became very disappointed in a number of things. First off, you see a big sign, welcoming you to Meyersdale, with a little collage of the attractions of the area in the background of the sign, including Mt. Davis. However, when you take the exit off 219 into Meyersdale, arriving at a T intersection, there are no signs whatsoever telling you which way to go to get to Mt. Davis, let alone even a sign to tell you which town is in which direction. Even when you get into downtown Meyersdale, there are no signs at all pointing to Mt. Davis. We had to stop and ask someone for directions, as nothing was marked. If we could have at least found a sign for Summit Mills, we wouldn't have needed directions. I find this unacceptable for a landmark as significant as the highest point in one's state. Are they stupid enough in Meyersdale, or even Somerset County as a whole, to not care about tourism? Do they want to keep people away or something? Is this place ran by Tag Beck? ;-)
("Tag" Beck was the former "forest ranger" at the Chaneysville ranger's station of the Buchanon State Forest in southern Bedford County. He would tell you straight out that he didn't want tourists in his forest, and thus, would not create any new attractions, and would barely maintain existing ones, in the forestry areas. He's since retired, and the show is now ran by Dan Cornman Sr., who is doing a great job, and the area is flourishing, with many new scenic vistas and other attractions. Don't get me wrong, Tag's a hell of a nice guy, just not when it comes to Chaneysville-area tourism.)
Anyway, back to the adventure. As we got even closer to our destination, actually turning off onto the road leading to the observation tower, I was yet again disappointed in my state's forestry service (or PennDOT, whoever takes care of these things). The paved road was absolutely atrocious, riddled with potholes EVERYWHERE. This road probably shouldn't have been paved at all. And since it was, they should at least maintain it, or perhaps even completely redo it. Again, you'd think they'd take much better care of what I feel is a significant landmark in PA.
Well, we arrived, and I must say, it is an extremely beautiful area. I was especially impressed with some of the "exhibits" they had set up, with brown and yellow aluminum plates with facts about the area, and maps and such. And best of all, was the observation tower. Given the poor condition of the road leading there, I was surprised to see the exhibits and tower in such a well maintained state. I estimate the tower has been there since at least the 50's, possibly longer. It's aluminum, very sturdy, and in great shape. Well worth the ride. Here's a few pics:
Me on top of the highest point
Map on top of the tower
(The "exhibits" around the base of the tower were in this same style, and as I
said, despite how new looking they are, I estimate these have been around since
at least the 50's, especially since one of them has a map of PA that has the
turnpike on it, and features all 7 of the original tunnels; 3 of the tunnels, as
all turnpike history buffs know, were closed in the 60's)
View of Meyersdale, from the tower
We also hiked the "Highpoint Trail", which was only about a mile long.
End of the trail, at the picnic area
Finally, we checked out an area not far from the highpoint, called "Baughman Rocks". Local legend tells of a violent father beating his son to death, and hiding the body in the rocks, returning later to retrieve it, only to find it missing. The rocks are amazing, and the following pictures do not do the area justice. (I need a better camera, with a wider angle lens!)
Well, that's about it. If you're ever in the south central PA area, and have some time to kill, and want to check out some neat places, check out Mt. Davis. Even if you currently live in the area, and have never checked this place out, do it! :-)
