GHS 2022 Spring Hike – Article: John Brantley, Treasurer; Photographs: Roy Danz, Vice-President
RAIN, RAIN GO AWAY. That childhood ditty kept running through my mind for the two days before the GHS Spring Hike planned for Saturday, May 14th 2022. For two days the rain pelted and the forecast for Saturday looked even worse – nothing but thunderstorms in the offing. Luckily, on Saturday morning the forecast brightened and we were rewarded with an overcast, but otherwise pleasant day. There was actually an upside to all of the rain – Brice’s Run, where our hike began at its intersection with Wright’s Mill Road, was full. In my opinion, Brice’s Run is the most appealing stream in all of Granite – wide, very rocky, gently inclined, characterized by some rather deep pools – a stream at its best after a lot of rain.
Our destination was the Dorsey Railroad Tunnel, a mile or so upriver from the intersection of Brice’s Run with the Patapsco. Our hiking group was 22 strong, including 4 members of the Patapsco Heritage Greenway. After descending to the river along Brice’s Run we followed a state park trail along the northern valley ridge which affords great views of the Patapsco and train tracks below. The Dorsey Tunnel was constructed in 1906 as part of the 3rd alignment of the B&O tracks between Daniels (then Alberton) and Woodstock. Readers are invited to read a story entitled “How the B&O Railroad Came to Woodstock”, a brief history which I put together as background material for our hikers.
