Route 309 to Lehigh Gap

Sunday, October 23, 2016

Tom and Mike

13.3 Miles

Our 19^th section hike along the AT. The first hike of 2016. The first time we hiked in October. The first time both Tom and I face-planted because of stray-rocks. It was also our first Uber hike—but more on that later.

We started early on Sunday---leaving our car at Route 309 and walking by 8:50 a.m.   The morning was beautiful and the air crisp, autumnal colors brightening the way as we headed northeast towards Lehigh Gap.  Perhaps because of the weather, many day hikers (and dogs) were out on the trail---and even a few had camped out the night before and were out of their tents ready to start the day.  Most notably for this time of year, we met one leap-frog thru-hiker named Kizmit who left Maine on August 18. I asked her about her name and she mentioned that it is taken from the word kismet, meaning destiny or fate.  We offered her chocolate and peanut butter crackers but she had just loaded up on provisions. Kizmit was friendly and enjoying some down time on the side of the trail, and looking forward to completing the AT in Virginia.

Traveling mostly through State Game Lands, this 13 mile section of Blue Mountain straddles Carbon and Lehigh Counties and maintains a near constant elevation of 1500 feet, with a dip at Lehigh Furnace Gap, and a 1100 descent over the last 1.5 miles.

After the hike, while nursing the blisters that developed on both feet, I thought about what Tom and I had read---that this section is one of the rockiest in a state already well known for its rocks.  There are six or seven rock outcroppings along the way—where hands are required to climb and perfectly incredible views are abundant.  

In addition to the Knife Edge and Bear Rocks, there is Bake Oven Knob, which is the tallest point in Lehigh County.  The rocks found along this section are from the Tuscarora formation, about 400 million years old, and made up of quartzite, sandstone, siltstone and shale.  What’s interesting is that they were formed by being pushed up from an old ocean floor.  While they degraded over millions of years, the pointy edges remain.  And, thus the blisters.

When not navigating the rocks, the trail was actually wide through the forested sections of the game lands.  This makes for easy and enjoyable conversation, and allowed us to keep a good pace.  We stopped a few times to admire the views, and did break for lunch (apples and a rotisserie chicken from the Broad Street Market).  Except when a ruffed grouse took to flight about five feet from us (startling, for sure), the calm and breezy peace was unbroken throughout.

Now back to it being our first Uber-hike.   Because it was just Tom and I—and because it was 1.5 hours each way from home to trail head, we decided to take just one car and take a chance on finding a ride back to the starting point.  Having downloaded the Uber app on my iPhone, I sent in a request for a driver when we reached the end of the trail.  Within seconds, we had confirmation. Within 20 minutes, we had a ride.   For $24.14 we were taken the 15.6 miles back to our car by a really nice guy who drives part-time for Uber.  He explained the economics of being a driver, how the app is changing the way people travel and food delivered, and relayed that there are already 2000 drivers in Allentown alone.  We took a chance on Uber and it didn't let us down.  It made sense—both economically and environmentally—and it won’t be our last Uber-hike—that is for sure.

With great conversation, a few blisters, and a beautiful day behind us---we have 39 miles to go in Pennsylvania.