Hike 4 – Grove Run Trail – 4.2 miles

With my parents gone home to Virginia, Jackie and I (and the dog) took the afternoon‘s opportunity for a hike. The weather has been great here in Pittsburgh as of late, and today was no exception. We settled on the Grove Run Trail, in Linn Run State Park, near Ligonier, PA. This 4.2 mile trail is a straightforward loop, is easy to locate, and has ample parking.

We set off with Cash down the wide trail, which soon became a narrow path. We passed a few people, out enjoying the trail, but obviously not equipped for hiking the entire length. After the first half mile, we didn’t see anyone else until the end.

This trail is rocky and somewhat difficult to traverse. We spent the majority of our time hiking along the side of a ravine. Maintaining one’s balance can be tough on such an uneven surface. Due to the terrain, it took longer than we had planned to hike the entire loop. Oh well.

The trail is quite scenic. It follows Grove Run, which is a tiny stream that wanders through the forest. Along the first two miles, there are several waterfalls and springs that pour forth from the ground. There is a trail register about halfway down, and we noticed that the trail has been fairly busy. In fact, we were the fourth entry for this day alone!

After a long journey of wandering along the trail, we made it back to our truck and basked in the satisfaction of another hike completed.

Hike on.

Hike 15 – Quebec Run Wild Area – 9 miles

Today I began the 2012 hiking season with a trip to the remote and scenic Quebec Run Wild Area. This is an area south of Uniontown, PA, that sits close to the Maryland border. The trailhead was easy to find, but sits at the end of a gravel road that receives little to no maintenance. My parents and younger brother were in town for the weekend, and I thought it would be a great chance to do some male bonding by taking my dad and brother backpacking.

However, as the best-laid plans are wont to do, my father arrived ill and was unable to go backpacking. Making the best of the situation and not wanting to miss out on time spent with my dad, I decided to go for a day hike with my brother, Jacob and my dog, Cash. Jacob is 15 years old and has the energy and stamina one would expect from a teenager. He didn’t even break a sweat. Thirty-three felt a lot older today than it should.

We arrived at the trailhead and set off down the well-blazed Mill Run Trail. The parking area is small for this one, but don’t worry; you likely won’t encounter a single soul on this remote hike. The map that Thwaites provides in his book is fairly accurate. But pay attention. There are a myriad of at least 8 trails that intersect and criss-cross and meander off into the unknown. Do not attempt this hike without a map. GPS wouldn’t be a bad idea either. It sure came in handy for me.

After a few careful intersection navigations, the trail follows Quebec Run, a peaceful wide waterway that you will cross several times on this hike. There are well-constructed newer bridges over all the major stream crossings. We did have to improvise and cross over a fallen log after we lost the trail a little ways after the first junction with the Grist Mill Trail. Soon after crossing, we were back on the right path.

We saw two white-tailed deer in the woods as we crossed over a plateau. They had let us come quite close to them before they scampered off. I always enjoy meeting wildlife on the trails, as one rarely gets such an experience in day-to-day living. The music of the birds and the song of the stream can soothe all troubles and calm the soul.

For as remote as this hike is, it is well-marked with red blazes (that used to be blue). Except for the previous error in orientation, we never lost the trail, nor had any difficulty in following it. The junctions are also marked in an easy-to-understand manner and, as long as you follow the map carefully, you won’t get lost. After tracing a lopsided figure-eight throughout this “wild area,” we found ourselves back at our vehicle and headed home. I think that this was perhaps the quickest nine miles I have ever hiked. It took just over two hours to complete. I think that having my younger (and in far-better shape) brother with me helped a great deal. Thanks, Jake.

Hike on.

KTA 100-Mile Challenge 2012

This year, I am participating in the 100-Mile Challenge – a fundraiser for the Keystone Trails Association. I am a proud member of this club, Pennsylvania’s only hiking association. They advocate for the trails, helping to encourage their use, maintain them through volunteer efforts and organize events to enjoy these statewide wonders.

From April 1 through September 1, I will hike at least 100 miles. I am seeking donations of at least one dollar from those who wish to sponsor me. I have sent letters to Pennsylvania businesses asking for their support. If you would like to donate, please send check or money order, payable to “Keystone Trails Association,” to 549 Filmore Rd., Pittsburgh, PA 15221. All donations received will be mailed to KTA on 9/2/12. I am also working on setting up a PayPal link. I will also post the names of donors in recognition of their generosity, unless they specifically request not to be named. Keep checking back for updates

For more information on Keystone Trails Association or the 100-Mile Challenge, visit http://www.kta-hike.org/

Thank you for reading this blog. I appreciate your support.

Hike on.

Appalachian Trail - 11 miles 10/15/11

I spent the weekend hiking once again, along the Appalachian Trail.  This time, I started from the same location as last time, but headed southbound.  It is really too bad that I live so far from the AT.  I would like to do more day-hiking along it, but at the cost of a three-hour drive to the nearest part of the trail, it makes more sense to hike it in 2- or 3-day sections.

My friend, Stefan, who lives in the Harrisburg area, accompanied me for this trek.  He and I hiked a northbound portion of the trail a couple years back, just as I was getting started hiking seriously.  We hiked uphill and down through a mostlty-wooded section of trail.  This portion was not nearly as rocky as the one I hiked a few weeks ago. 

We meandered down a long hill and found ourselves wandering through Pine Grove Furnace State Park.  It happened to be Family Fall Fun Fest, or something of the sort, that day.  There we were, sweaty and tired, lugging packs and poles through a thicket of strollers, arts & crafts and funnel cakes.  As a purist, I stuck to the trail, which brought us through the park and across a road to a steep, uphill climb.  We made camp on top of the hill.

A hiker, who we met earlier in the day, came by after dark.  He stopped and chatted for a while, showing off his uncanny ability to mimic owl calls.  After that episode, we were ready for sleep. In the morning, we decided to call it in.  Our wives came to pick us up at the road we crossed earlier and so ended another section of the AT.

Hike on.

Appalachian Trail - 17 miles 9/3-4/11

This weekend, my wife had plans to visit a friend in Hershey, PA.  Now wanting to leave me home alone, she suggested I come, too.  "Great!" I thought.  Here's a chance to spend a day or two hiking the AT.

I have wanted to hike the AT in its entirety for a good while.  However, to do so requires a 6-month committment and I can't take off work for that long, let alone bear the thought of being without my precious wife for that amount of time.  Maybe down the road, but for now I am sticking to shorter backpacking trrips that are more congruous with full-time employment.

That being said, my hike this weekend was accompanied by Cash.  He proved (once again) to be a good match for the varied terrain we encountered, as well as a fantastic hiking companion.  We began our trek on the Appalachian Trail where it crosses Rte. 94, south of Carlisle, PA.  Heading north, we set out into the dense forest.  The path was winding and rocky, as is much of the AT in Pennsylvania.  This happens to be an especially rocky section.  After a mile or two, we climbed a large hill and hiked along the ridge, populated with house-size boulders, left-over relics of the ice age's retreat over 10,000 years ago.  The trail goes around the giant rocks where possible, but in many instances, the path lies through or overtop.  On one occasion, I had to take off Cash's dog-pack so that he could squeeze through a particularly narrow opening.

Upon making our descent from the ridge and crossing a road, we met up with a friendly family, out for a day-hike.  After a brief consultation between our dogs, we hiked the trail together for a while.  The husband seemed eager and excited to discuss all things hiking-related.  We became fast friends as we shared stories of the trails.  It was quite pleasant to have some company for that stretch.  After a mile or so, we parted ways as Cash and I continued down the path.

The next section took us through some of the State Game Lands, and produced for us a steep ascent to a 1000-ft. peak.  While taking a rest, Cash was startled by a solo female hiker who was likely no more than 20 years old.  We had seen quite a few hikes thus far, but none so threatening (to him) as this unassuming young lady.  After prodigious apology, I decided it was time to get going again. 

The next mile was a gradual descent to the fields of Cumberland Valley. We zig-zagged through farmland, passing in and out of small, wooded areas.  The rest of the hike was pretty much flat from this point forward.  Thank goodness.  After passing through the town of Boiling Springs, we hiked down a long, straight stretch of trail.  By this time, our muscles were aching and our daylight was runing short.  I remained on the lookout for a good spot to stop for the night.  While setting up our gear, Cash startled a teenage female trail-runner.   2 for 2.  Another apology.  Another poor girl frightened.  Sorry.

There is one small problem with this: Camping is not permitted along the 18-mile stretch that we currently found ourselves on.   I apologize for breaking the rules, but we were out of options at that point.  We had no fire, did not litter and left by 6:00 A.M.  Didn't even eat dinner.  I had brought for us a freeze dried pad thai that I was excited about cooking, but the muggy weather had sapped our water reserves.  (A dog needs LOTS of water on long, arduous hikes!).  Therefore, we shared an energy bar and tried to sleep.
Cash made a good watch dog during the night.  I had no doubt that he would alert me to any potential threat, as long as it was a teenage girl.

Sleep was not an easy thing to achieve, let alone maintain.  At first light, we packed up and headed onward toward our rendezvous point.  Fortunately, a water source was found after an hour of hiking.   I got to use my water filter, but when puitting it away, the inlet nozzle broke off.  Hopefully, I can get if fixed or repaired.  

It took us three hours to reach Rt. 11 (Carlisle Pike).  Jackie met us there after a few minutes and we headed back to Pittsburgh.

Overall, this was a great stretch of trail.  I am glad that I headed north, doing the difficult climbing first.   Had I researched my camping prospects more thoroughly, I would have planned differently.  Regardless, I feel that my overnight presence disturbed very little.   Boots are a must for the rocky trail.  Also, there are several fresh water sources, but bring a filter.  Take it easy and go with it.  The AT is for everyone.  Definitely me.

Hike on.

Hike 41 – Ryerson Station State Park – 5.3 miles

Looking for another adventure together, my wife and I set out for the trail at Ryerson Station State Park. This trail is further from Pittsburgh than it appears on the map. I took almost two hours to get there, and what we got was hardly worth it.

The trailhead was easy enough to find, but the parking area was crowded due to a birthday party in the pavilion adjacent to it. Since we were obviously not on the invitation list for the celebration, we received more than a few odd stares as we unloaded our hiking gear and tried to contain our highly-excited dog, who apparently thought he was the birthday boy. Sorry, pup. Not this time.

The first loop of this figure-eight trail was fairly easy to follow. We progressed into heavy forest and kept an eye out for the “Wolf Tree.” There is a full-page illustration in Thwaites’ book of this tree, thought to be over 300 years old. It is so named because it was able to grow with no obstruction to the sunlight, and as a result spread its branches out in all directions. Well, we saw the sign, but the tree is no longer standing. So much for that.

There was a scenic view after less than a mile of hiking, accompanied by a bench for admiring the view of the lake below. After a brief interlude, we hiked on. The trail was pleasant and soon descended back to the river and meandered through a field until we crossed the Iron Bridge. Proceeding through the meadow, we reached the end of the visible trail. I searched in vain for the Pine Box Trail that the book directs the reader to follow, only to find nothing. Tired and frustrated, we retraced our steps to our car.

I was disappointed that we were unable to complete this hike as described in 50 hikes, but even more distressed by the number of ticks that we nearly brought home with us. My wife and I nearly had simultaneous panic attacks as we examined each other (and the dog) for the vicious bloodsuckers. Fortunately, the dog had been inoculated with flea & tick repellent – we had not. After de-ticking ourselves, we headed home – tired, unnerved and hopefully not infected with Lyme disease (we were not).

This is, sadly, my first negative review of a hike in Thwaites’ book. Perhaps the trail has not been maintained as well as it should. It is no joke that more volunteers are needed to maintain and preserve Pennsylvania’s footpaths. That being said, if you do decide to hike this one, late fall and winter would be best (to avoid the ticks) and stick to the first loop. Don’t let it get you down. I won’t

Hike on.

Hike 43 - Wildflower Reserve - 2.4 miles

After a long hiatus, I am finally back on the trail.  The past seven months have been rough and many obstacles have had to be overcome.  First it was my knee injury, then six weeks of physical therapy, then terrible weather.  In April, my wife and I lost our baby at 18 weeks.  The experience was the most tragic and saddening experience of my life.  Needless to say, I spent my free time over the next two months tending to my wife and feeling rather depressed.

Now that some time has passed, the weather is improved, and things are relatively back to normal, I am back out on the trail.  This was my first hike of 2011, and I am resolved to finish my project.  Furthermore, my wife has expressed a sincere desire to accompany me.  Henceforth, we will be working on this project together.  It is nice to have a companion throught the woods. 

And so, we set out on a sunny Sunday to Raccoon Creek State Park.  We had hiked together there before, but that had been two years ago and without the benfit of proper equipment.  This time would be different.  The Wildflower Reserve is a no-pets section of RCSP, with several miles of trails.  The parking lot is ample, and there is a very nice information station, with plenty of maps.  Also there are restrooms!

The trail is easy to find, and starts outt easily from the parking lot.  The trail makes an L-shaped loop, but there are a variety of cross-connectors and side trails, so your adventure can be as short as you wish.  The big loop that we took was only 2.5 miles.

Hiking boots are nice for this trail, but not necessary.  There are only two significant climbs.  One is near the beginning and one near the end.  The first climb takes you past a rustic cabin.  It has some interesting history, which is detailed in the map/brochure.  I won't spoil it for you.

After that, the trail winds through forests and meadows.  Many wildflowers can be seen, as well as a large number of mushrooms.  This is not a good hike for those with severe seasonal allergies!  The pollen is palpable; you can smell it.  The Queen Anne's lace that grows here is over six feet tall, and even I suffered with sneezing from its wrath.  Achoo!

Sooner than later, we were back at our car.  We wore our packs for this hike and carried just water, snacks, and a few other essentials.  However, you don't need a pack for this one.  It's a short, easy trail - good for everyone.  For me, a hike is a hike, and I prepare and dress the same; boots, pack, essential gear.

Could have worn flip-flops.
Dangit.

Hike on.