A Continent Apart

Cedar Run is a small village in the North Central Mountains of PA on Rt 414 in the narrow Pine Creek valley, 30 miles north of Jersey Shore. Its name originates from a stream that runs down the steep western slope of the valley and into Pine Creek just south of the village. At the height of the central Pennsylvania lumber boom in the late 1800, Cedar Run had nearly 900 residents, a large lumber mill, post office, and multiple churches. It was a stop on the Jersey Shore, Pine Creek and Buffalo Run Railroad (later a New York Central line and then Conrail), that carried mainly lumber south and coal back north. Today the year-round population is uncounted, with three seasonal businesses - the Pettecote Junction Camp Ground (on the site of the former lumber mill), a General Store that sells ice cream, drinks and memorabilia, and the Cedar Run Inn B&B. Private homes, rentals, camps and the Pine Creek Rail-Trail brings tourists into Cedar Run during the warmer months of the year.

Three thousand miles (actually 2814 miles) to the west in CA is the village of Fish Camp. Fish Camp is located on Rt 41 one mile south of the southern gate to Yosemite National Park (which is about 20 miles south of Yosemite Valley) in the Sierra Mountains. The area was originally the domain of Paiute and Mono Indians. Across the last half of the 19th century the number of visitors wanting to see the Yosemite Valley increased - the local economy developed around serving tourists. The name Fish Camp supposedly came from a former fish hatchery on Big Creek. Today, the homes of former Fish Camp resident are a source of housing for visitors to the park – rentals, B&Bs. The single remaining business is a General Store that sells sandwiches, snacks, drinks, and tire chain (required in Yosemite in the snow). Fish Camp has about 25 year-round residents.

While geologically and ecologically different, Cedar Run and Fish Camp, have a lot in common in addition to both being naturally picturesque (especially on foggy mornings). Totally by coincidence we were able to enjoy a common experience at both the Cedar Run Inn and Big Creek B&B. Both inns had hummingbird feeders hanging within view just outside the windows of the rooms were breakfast was served. Eating breakfast while watching hummingbirds is a lovely way to start the day, even on foggy mornings.

At the Cedar Run Inn, the feeders hung under canvas window awning outside the dining room where the light was especially poor on the foggy morning in 2003 when the following photo was taken (Cannon AE-1).

At the Big Creek B&B in Fish Camp, the humming bird feeders were hung outside the sliding glass doors of the breakfast room. The glass doors allowed light from the interior to illuminate the following 2017 photos.