The DMH Website is extremely pleased to announce that it will be working with a locally owned company on a line of Dead Man's Hollow apparel.  The company is  Guy Norelli Graphics.  They are located in Glassport, Pennsylvania, on Monongahela Avenue.  Thanks to a recommendation from a member of the Port Vue Citizens Committee, the DMH Website team was able to meet with Guy and his professional staff.  The conversation quickly led to the t-shirt design for this year's P.V.C.C. Historical Nature Hike.  Even with short notice, the staff at Guy Norelli Graphics was able to apply their creative expertise to the project and complete it within the time frame that was initially quoted.  Other t-shirt designs commemorating the history of Dead Man's Hollow will be available for purchase through the DMH Website later this summer.   As for the P.V.C.C. t-shirt...  Well, it is nothing short of being impressive and terrifying at the same time.

For more information on Guy Norelli Graphics, please visit their website at www.guynorelligraphics.com .

Every now and then, a message will appear in the DMH Website's mailbox from someone who used to reside in the Dead Man's Hollow area.  Our latest email came from a gentleman named Ray, a former resident of Liberty Borough who is now living in Greensboro, North Carolina.  As always, portions of this message were edited to ensure the sender's privacy.
 
 The Jeffrey drive boys were always playing or hiking in these woods.  I'm sure that we were trail blazers who cut many of the paths.   ( I ) Remember Old Man Pete's house, his barn, the fruit orchards and the brick oven at the Anderson's house.  Ice skating on the Catfish Pond is one of my fondest memories.  It was the greatest place to grow up!  ( I ) Remember our 6th grade class going on a field hike to the old pipe mill from Manor Elementary School for bird watching.  I can't remember the teachers name right now, but she was involved with the Audobon Society.  ( Do you ) Remember Gobbler's Knob and the Pipe Trail?  Thanks to all of you who volunteer to keep this area clean and the memories alive.

Thanks Ray for the email.  Providing an outlet for people to share their memories of Dead Man's Hollow is what this website is all about!  Last summer, one of the participants on the Allegheny Land Trust's nature hike had also mentioned the Pipe Trail.  For those who aren't familiar with it, the Pipe Trail is located at the end of Jeffrey Drive.  It received its name many years ago because of an exposed section of  gas pipe that stretched across a glen in the conservation area.  This spot was very popular with the local children because they would often dare each other to walk across it without falling.  When the pipe was finally removed by a bulldozer, it became a daily spectacle for the very same children who used to play on it.         

On Sunday, March 4th, an administrator from the DMH Website received information that a Siberian Husky named Nitro was believed to be missing in the Dead Man's Hollow area.  In order to help with the search, a photogragh of Nitro was posted on the main page of the DMH Website as well as its counterpart on Facebook.  There was an immediate outpouring of support from 'Facebook Friends'.  Words of encouragement and valuable tips continued to appear throughout the next day.  Then, good news!  On Monday, March 5th, the phone call that the dog's owner had been hoping for came in late that night.  A few hours later, the DMH Website learned that Nitro had been found.  Even better was finding out that the dog appeared to be in good health and unharmed.  After being examined by a veterinarian, the excited Husky was reunited with his owner after nearly two weeks apart.   Truly the best ending to such a stressful situation!    

The extent to which the advertisement on the DMH Website helped in reuniting Nitro with his family is unknown and of lesser importance.  However, the administration would like to extend its gratitude toward everyone who offered support and kind words on Facebook and  to those who contacted Nitro's owner with helpful information!        
    

The following is the latest email that the DMH Website received.  The email is in regards to an event that was held last year on the section of the Great Allegheny Passage that passes Dead Man's Hollow.  The website administrators decided to post this email on this blog since others may have the very same question.  Portions of this message were edited to ensure the sender's privacy.

 I was looking for info on the Deadman's Hollow 5k run that was held last year on the river trail by your big green sign.  All of my web searches only show 2011's information.  Are you guys going to have another one this year or was that a one time deal?  Thanks. - Robert 

Thank you for your email Robert.  Unfortunately, this website does not have any information on upcoming events being held on the Youghiogheny River Trail by other organizations.  As for our involvement...  The DMH Website and DMH Fellowship volunteer network was not affiliated with last year's Dead Man's Hollow Half-Marathon and 5k Race despite allowing organizers to use an image that reflected the DMH Destination Sticker as an event logo.  We did learn from a volunteer who works closely with the local trail maintenance groups that the event did not go as well as planned because of the high winds and heavy rain.  With that being said, it is quite possible that planners opted to postpone this event until later in the year to ensure warmer weather.   Right now, though, it looks as if there are no events wearing the Dead Man's Hollow name on the horizon.
 

After posting this addition to the blog, the DMH Website received a large number of email messages from individuals and athletic organizations requesting to have various upcoming races and events advertised on this site.  Currently, the DMH Website does not offer any form of advertising space for events that do not pertain to the Allegheny Land Trust property - Dead Man's Hollow.  The DMH Website has also adopted a 'safe' policy to  endorse only the events that directly involve the Dead Man's Hollow conservation area, The DMH Fellowship volunteer network,  Allegheny Land Trust*, Venture Outdoors*, and the McKeesport Heritage Center*.  Thank you.

* Dead Man's Hollow related events                

This just in!  Venture Outdoors, a local non-profit organization that promotes outdoor activites such as biking, kayaking and rock climbing, has announced plans for a historic nature hike in Dead Man's Hollow later this year.  The event is scheduled for Saturday, October 20th, 2012 at 1 pm.  For more information or to register, please visit the Venture Outdoors website at http://www.ventureoutdoors.org.

For a look at the 2011 Venture Outdoors event in Dead Man's Hollow, visit the 'Historic Nature Hikes' page of this website or go to http://blog.ventureoutdoors.org/2011/11/01/hiking-the-hollows-tragic-past/.

Once again, the chill of winter has allowed the Dead Man's Hollow conservation area to fall into a seasonal slumber as the number of visitors and activity along its trails subsides.  Despite the lack of visible activity, there is still plenty that is taking place away from the empty benches and the factory ruins.  New projects and events are being discussed via email and occassionally in person next to the warmth of a glowing hearth.   Currently, the DMH website will be making a few modifications that should begin to appear over the next few weeks.  There has also been talk of launching an online  campaign in order to acquire new volunteers for the DMH Fellowship.

In addition, our friends at Allegheny Land Trust have been in contact with the Boy Scouts Of America and members who have expressed interest in assisting ALT in order to earn Eagle Scout badges.  One of the projects that began last year was the renovation of the Allegheny Land Trust's workshed and staging area near the Calhoun Road entrance.  The young man in charge of the project also built new bird houses to install throughout the preserve once warmer weather arrives.  This story and the details of this project will be featured on the DMH website later this year.   
 
A second Eagle Scout project that will certainly share the spotlight later this year is the addition of a new hiking trail in Dead Man's Hollow.  This trail, tentatively named 'The Table Rock Trail',  connects the Dead Man's Trail in the lower hollow to the Cool Spirit Trail near the Catfish Pond.   Up until this point, visitors to the area had to leave the established trails to hike from one entrance to the next.   The Table Rock Trail will most likely earn a reputation as being one of the most challenging climbs in the conservation area and will undoubtedly become a favorite of experienced hikers.

With that being noted, 2012 appears to be heading in a good direction for Dead Man's Hollow.

For the latest information on events and projects, be sure to add Dead Man's Hollow - The Official Website to your list of favorites on FACEBOOK.              

On a damp and dreary morning in late October, DMH Fellowship founder Stephen Bosnyak returned to the site of the abandon well with Richard Freese, a representative from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.  Freese examined the opening in the ground and logged the coordinates into his handheld GPS unit.  He then proceeded to explain the lengthy process of 'capping' abandon wells to Bosnyak.  When asked about the possibility of the abandon well being the remains of the Snee oil derrick,  Freese was skeptical.  The D.E.P. agent's expertise led him to the conclusion that the opening in the soil was nothing more that an abandon water well.  After discussing the potential dangers and possible solutions, the two men headed out of the woods.  Freese stated that he would take the information that he had collected back to the D.E.P. and record it.  In the meantime, Bosnyak was left to continue overseeing the preparations to seal off the opening.        

While hiking on a ridge high above the hollow, Mark Huwalt of Liberty Borough spotted an unsual hole in the middle of the woods.  At first, he thought that is was nothing more than a groundhog burrow.  However, upon further inspection, Huwalt found his discovery to be quite puzzling.  The hole appeared to be some type of well.  It was between 18 to 24 inches in diameter with a drop that went straight down into total darkness.  Curiosity led the avid outdoorsman to return a short time later with a few items from his garage.  The items included a  spool of string, a lead weight and a tape measure.  After the weight was attached to the end of the sting, it was dropped into the opening.  The weight quickly decended into the unknown.  Seconds later, the sound of a splash instantly revealed that there was water hidden below.  After pulling the line back to the surface, Huwalt was able to estimate that the hole was roughy 40 to 50 feet deep to the water level.  With that, the Liberty Borough man went home and shared the news with his family.

After realizing that the hole was a potential danger to unsuspecting hunters and hikers, Huwalt returned to the well a third time to cover it with a few boards.  He followed this action by contacting  Allegheny Land Trust to alert them of the problem.  A short time later, ALT dispatched  Dead Man's Hollow site steward Stephen Bosnyak to investigate.  Once Bosnyak saw the unusual hole, he too felt that this was a threat to anyone wandering through the conservation area.  He also began to question if the Liberty Borough man had found the location of the Snee Oil Well that operated above the hollow in the late 1800s.  It was quite possible that the open well was all that was left of the forgotten operation.

Currently,  ALT officials are looking into the situation.  The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection has also been notified.  In addition, an effort to construct a permanent cover for the old well is underway.  Once this is complete, the DMH Fellowship volunteer network will further examine the site to determine if it truly is the Snee Oil Well.  In the event that any historical artifacts are recovered, they will be shared with the public at the McKeesport Heritage Center.

 More information and photos of this discovery will follow as soon as they become available.