Posts Tagged ‘Panther Hollow’
A Schenley Scuttle
Monday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
After entering Schenley Park via a southern entrance (as described last week), your humble narrator walked along the Junction Hollow Trail. Paved with asphalt, this is a pretty easy walk through a series of sports fields and open meadows of grass. On either side of the urban corridor it moves through, here in Pittsburgh, steep hillsides sprinkled with urbanized residential areas were observed.
Pictured above (I think) is the Charles Anderson Memorial Bridge, which is currently undergoing emergency repairs that were undertaken after the nearby Fern Hollow Bridge collapsed suddenly back in 2022.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
There are rail tracks here (Junction Hollow!), which I’m told were once used as a main line right of way for the B&O Railroad. The rails seem to be polished and shiny, which suggests there’s at least occasional rail traffic here, but I didn’t see any while walking through.
One wasn’t here for rail shots, but I definitely wouldn’t have complained if serendipity struck. Frankly, a bit of serendipity would have been nice at this moment.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
This is where I was heading to, anyway, Panther Hollow and Panther Hollow lake. Manmade, a significant amount of upland storm water drainage is directed towards this body. It, in turn, drains via another water way called Four Mile Run into the Monongahela River.
There were birds and critters, and a bunch of those icehole Canada Geese milling about and despoiling the shoreline with incessant pooping.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
High above, spanning the hollow, is the 1896 vintage Panther Hollow Bridge. This was my turnaround point on the walk, which is nearly always pre-decided upon on during this sort of outing.
I had to backtrack to the car, and reverse the steps which I’d already taken. The park itself was beginning to get populated with college students who were bounding about, jogging, doing yoga stretches – that sort of thing. People… yuck.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
A conversation was started up with some random fella, who was walking his dog, and it turned out that his brother lived in Brooklyn’s Greenpoint so we found some random commonality between us. The guy, and his dog, lived here in the Run and he described the neighborhood’s charms in an effusive fashion.
I bid him adieu, and continued scuttling along back to the car.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
It was late afternoon and time to head back to ‘my neck of the woods’ for… sigh… more on that tomorrow.
I said I wasn’t going to ever do that again… over and over, I said it…
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Scuttling Hollow
Friday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
While walking through a Pittsburgh neighborhood called ‘The Run,’ one of the first things I noticed and pointed the camera at was the Swinburne Bridge. It’s a 1915 steel girder affair, which carries Frazier Avenue over the ravine which the Run community is embedded into. Clicking that link above will bring you to a page at historicbridges.org, which will tell you all the nitty gritty about it – when, where, who, and why.
I was heading for an area called Panther Hollow in Schenley Park, and was walking there shortly after having parked the Mobile Oppression Platform in a public lot set up for visitors to the network of trails that snake around Pittsburgh.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
A neighboring span carries I-376 (aka Penn-Lincoln Hwy./US Hwy. 22/Hwy. 30) high over the ravine. The entirety of this high speed roadway is a fairly massive structure, which was built in 1956 as part of the Federal Interstate Highway System build out.
I continued on towards the entrance of Schenley Park, where I was happy to find a Porta Potty waiting for me to ‘dewhizzulate.’ I know that it’s odd to constantly mention when and where I took a piss in these posts, but as a lifelong New Yorker… the idea that such public amenities exist at all are still startling to me.
Imagine it… an acknowledgment of human biology… by a government…
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Panther Hollow itself is set into a ravine or valley found between two steep hills which are built out with residential and collegiate buildings. The name of the place comes from the observance of wild Panthers here during the 18th and 19th centuries, critters which are also known as Mountain Lions. Sportsball teams associated with the nearby PITT university use Panthers in their branding, thereby.
Back next week with more from Panther Hollow – at this – your Newtown Pentacle.
“follow” me on Twitter- @newtownpentacle
Buy a book!
“In the Shadows at Newtown Creek,” an 88 page softcover 8.5×11 magazine format photo book by Mitch Waxman, is now on sale at blurb.com for $30.
The Newtown Pentacle 