Yesterday morning dispatch called and asked if we could help out and make a quick run out to Trout Run PA to deliver some freight to a natural gas drilling site. We have been under the weather all week but wanted to help so we said yes. I am glad we did- it was interesting! We drove to Pocono, picked up the truck, got it loaded and started out on our two and a half hour drive to Trout Run PA. Trout Run is a bit north of Williamsport PA, in Lycoming County. It was an easy drive out there, although we were hurrying as there was a snowstorm coming that evening. Once we turned off the highway, the drive became very scenic. Down through wooded valleys, then climbing into the mountains. We found our drill site located off of a dirt road- not really what we had expected. When we pulled off the dirt road next to a trailer (RV type) a young man came out with a clipboard. He was very nice, took our names, had us sign in and took the trucks number and license plate info. He told us to follow the dirt road up the hill, so we did - coming upon a large clearing lined with RV campers on two sides, woods on one side, and a large drilling platform against a huge agricultural type field on the last side. We parked and went into the first trailer (it seemed the most likely candidate to be an office) and gave our paperwork. A large forklift was sent out to unload us, a process that took about an hour. I asked the man inside if they lived nearby and he told me they live on site. They are there 24/7 in their RVs. Most have family far away- his was in Louisiana. It reminded me of the old traveling circuses. They finished the offload, we closed up the doors and headed back home- leaving this camp of gas drillers on the cold snowy mountain.
