Route 501 to Route 645

2.2 Miles

September 13, 2018

Tom and Mike

This was our much talked-about “make up hike”.  Four years ago, we had missed these two miles as we pieced together our usual ten mile segments.  So, this missing section was a constant reminder that we needed to do some minor housekeeping first, so that our triumphant walk into New Jersey will, in fact, be the end of our Pennsylvania hike.

Making up the two miles became more of a logistical matter over time, as we have remained focus on knocking down the miles. Finding the time to go back for a few short miles was more challenging than you might imagine.  As it turned out, Tom was speaking in Philadelphia for ULI and a late afternoon pit stop on his way to Pittsburgh was just the opportunity we needed to cross these miles off.   It was also a happy occasion for Monty who was born on the Murphy farm and has known Tom and the family for all of his 13+ years.  So, when Tom stopped by on our way to the Trail, it made Monty’s day.

With convenient parking at both ends, it was as simple and enjoyable as any two miles spent along the AT.  And the lookouts were spectacular, particularly the one named for Bob Fisher, a longtime trail volunteer.  From atop the rocks, a panorama for miles with hardly a cloud in the sky.  In the Berks County valley below, red and white barns and old farmhouses were scattered across landscape.    
One imagined what Indians might have seen from this vista when the first settlers made their way to this region a few hundred years ago.

On the way in and way out, we drove through the little town of Pine Grove.  Tom noted that we’re fortunate as section hikers to see the back roads of Pennsylvania as we go to and from the Trail.  Surely the thru-hikers make better time, but they do often miss seeing what lies beyond. The story of the nation is found along the byways. The picturesque farms--sometimes both perfectly dilapidated and charmingly rustic-- the cluttered antique stores, and the small clusters of company houses built to support a long-forgotten mine or mill.  All these things are out there, and sometimes you find them only when in search of something else.

Our make-up hike complete--we have just a few more hikes to go in this beautiful place called Penn's Woods.

Delps Trail to Wind Gap

10.6 Miles

April 22, 2018

Tom, Shannon, Wyatt and Mike

Our first hike of 2018, the day before my 44^th birthday, and the weather couldn’t have been better.  Everything was nearly perfect.  Well, except for the rocks. But we’ll get to that later.

Tom, Mona, Shannon and Wyatt arrived on Friday evening, and Hillary joined us for a dinner at Macaroni Grill.  It was fun to catch up over a good meal before we said goodbye to Hillary and headed up 78 to a hotel for the evening.

We decided to hike from the Delps Trail intersection with the AT to Wind Gap, so that the next segments could include one overnight hike and then the final hike to the Delaware Water Gap.   With this plan in place, getting to the trailhead required that we do a three-quarter mile hike from a Game Commission parking lot---which was not not clearly marked or easily found.  From the parking lot up to the trail was, easily, a 500-800 foot ascent in less than a mile.  

After much effort, we reached the A.T.  Our elation was somewhat dampened, however, a short while later when we came upon a road.  Yes, it was the kind of road that cars travel on.  Had we known of the road, it would have negated the need to hike up the side of the mountain. They say success has many fathers, but the guy who incorrectly reads the map is all alone in taking the blame!  So, I accepted the blame for adding an unnecessary mile to the hike, and my fellow travelers were more than understanding.  They are a forgiving group of friends!

The weather was beautiful, and the 10+ miles were mostly level---but don't mistake level for smooth. It is not a smooth section.  Had the surface of the trail been more like the running track at the local high school, we could have kept a nice pace and enjoyed more of the scenery.  Instead, long stretches were rocky with a few large boulders to climb over along the way.  All of this slowed us down. 

About half-way through we stopped for lunch.  Thank God for Wawa.  There is nothing quite like Wawa hoagie and one of the best parts of hiking in that part of Pennsylvania are the proximity of Wawa stores.

As we got closer to Wind Gap, two scenic overlooks offered sweeping views of the valley below and the Poconos beyon.  Without much forest canopy cover in place, the woods were bright and sunlight streamed down through the trees. Tom pulled a large bark mushroom off a tree trunk and carved our names and the date into it. You can find out more about Polypores here:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polypore

It was a full day on the trail, and thankfully Mona was waiting for us after the steep descent into Wind Gap.  The hiking boots quickly came off, and we nursed our sore feet on the long ride home. 

Getting close to New Jersey—just a few more hikes to go!