March 4 (PenMar to Old Forge Road)

8 miles
Tom, Rich, Shannon, Wyatt, Mike

If 11am sounds like a late start for our first day of hiking, it must be understood that the morning began much earlier than that for Tom, Shannon, Wyatt, Rich and Mona.  As they live three hours to the west, in Pittsburgh, their first journey of the day would be on the PA Turnpike—their second the trail—and their third the trip home.   For me (Mike) it was much easier—as I only had to travel a little more than an hour from my home in Harrisburg.

We met along the road east of Chambersburg and decided to head to Old Forge Road, and hike in a southerly direction for this first segment.  This may seem confusing, given that we are going from Maryland to New Jersey (south to north) but each consecutive segment can be hiked in either direction.  Primarily, we decided on the first day route as an attempt to ease into our hike.  By this, we would avoid the almost immediate steep ascent that begins in Pen Mar—and instead option for what would be a steep descent after a day on the trail.

There are few signs of life out on the AT in early March.   The ground was still bare, and the leaves had not yet appeared on the trees under which we hiked.  The trail was clearly marked though, and any obstructions--like fallen branches or trees--had been cleared, so it was evident that volunteers had likely been busy with maintenance projects throughout the mild winter.

Starting at 1000 feet above sea level at Old Forge Road, the first segment gradually rose to 1500 feet before taking a dip down to 1100, ascended again to 1700, and then ended in Pen Mar at 1200 feet.  The eight mile trek brought us past two shelters (Antietam and Deer Lick Run), which were both well maintained—and not surprisingly unoccupied at this time of year.

Most impressive for us hikers was the pace set by 7 year old Wyatt—who was leading the group more often than not—and who seemed tireless throughout.  After 8 miles, and the better part of the day spent along the trail, there was little doubt that Wyatt could have kept on going had we not reached the Mason-Dixon Line. 

While we hiked, Mona was out antiquing and shopping.  She had earlier provided the trail support we needed by packing some good food and snacks for us to enjoy.   She was there to meet us at the end of the day, in Pen Mar, ready to transport us back to our cars at Old Forge Road.  

The weather was ideal, and it was a great first day of hiking.   We had 8 miles under our belts, and about 222 to go!