Schuylkill RiverTrail - October 2011

On a cool October day my sisters and I met at Valley Forge Park in Pennsylvania.  We did an Earth Cache there and then proceeded on our bicycles to the Schuylkill River Trail.  It was a fun day as we snagged 51 geocaches in one run!  Had we more time, we could have gotten a lot more. Some of the caches were off the path and rather difficult to find so plan accordingly.  It took us 10 1/2 hours and we biked 19 miles.  The caches on this trail are hidden just about every tenth of a mile.  Although be prepared as there are not many places to stop to use a rest room depending on which part of the trail you are on.  You may have to wait until you pass through towns such as Norristown, Conshohocken, or Manayunk. On this run, we traveled from Valley Forge to Conshohocken. Maybe sometime soon I get to do Conshohocken to Philadelphia!

Enjoy the pics!

A map of the geocache smileys we retrieved on the Schuylkill River Trail in one day! (click to enlarge)

Working the Earth cache at Valley Forge, PA

Getting back on the trail after finding on of the many geocaches  on the Schuylkill River Trail

The three of us pause for a Kodak moment

Stopping for a geocache

Making a find a short way off of the Schuylkill River Trail

Beautiful sunset along the Schuylkill River Trail as we head back to Valley Forge

It is scenes like this and the company that made geocaching the Schuylkill River Trail and the 19 mile trip worth while

Find #67 Remember Paoli ! ( GC8C4A )

This was my first "virtual" cache where there was not an actual container to find, but an object that you have to have your picture taken next to.  This location was the site of the September 1777 Battle of Paoli or "Paoli Massacre" during the Revolutionary War.  

 Monument where the soldiers were buried

After his defeat at Battle of the Clouds, General George Washington retreated to Valley Forge to regroup while the British prepared to sieze the city of Philadelphia.  General Washington sent General Anthony Wayne and 2200 soldiers to intercept the General Howe and the British.  Wayne's men encamped at Paoli awaiting reinforcements.  

 Site of the battlefield

The British learned of Washington's plan.  At around midnight of September 20th, the Red Coats sneaked up on General Anthony Wayne's sleeping soldiers and attacked.  Thus ensued the Battle of Paoli.  Wayne's men were massacred and later the British moved on to capture Philadelphia.