Route 309 to Hawk Mountain Road

Sunday, September 13

Tom, Shannon, Wyatt and Mike

11.5 Miles

About 300 million years ago, Africa and North America collided.  Today, my ankles hurt.  Is there a direct correlation?  Yes.   How so?  Well, I’ll get to that in just a minute.  First, let me tell you about “A Walk In the Woods”.

The new film of the Bill Bryson novel was just released and Mona, Tom, Shannon and Wyatt came into town on Saturday so that we could enjoy dinner and the movie. Joining us (including Hillary) were Cindy and Craig Dunn, and John and Carol Norbeck----colleagues (and their spouses) from DCNR.  Most of the group has spent considerable time on the Trail (Craig actually completed the A.T. and regularly organizes volunteers to keep the Trail in tiptop shape), so watching the Robert Redford/Nick Nolte film adaptation was really enjoyable for us all.   Go see the movie!

On Sunday morning, Mona dropped us off on Route 309, which literally straddles the border of Carbon and Lehigh Counties.  Heading south to Hawk Mountain Road, it’s really a 4-county hike as the Trail also enters into Schuylkill and Berks along the way.  For hikers, note that the elevation remains fairly stable at 1500 feet for the first 8 miles and then drops 1000 feet over the next 3 miles to Hawk Mountain Road.

Perhaps for the first time yet, we passed only one hiker along the entire 11 mile stretch.   (Surprising, as it was a fairly nice day, and because most expect the new A.T. movie to increase Trail traffic.)  Instead of humans, there was an abundance of frogs, some spiders on intricate webs and even a large Luna caterpillar that Wyatt spotted.  I’m guessing we saw mostly Wood frogs, a species abundant in PA forest lands.  You can go here to see the different kinds of frogs and toads found in Pennsylvania: http://www.paherps.com/herps/frogs-toads/

Now back to my ankles.  The trail was wide and level from Rt. 309 to the Allentown Shelter (where we took a nice break and read some hilarious journal entries, like the one posted here). And then, everything changed.   For the remainder of the hike, we climbed rocks, balanced on boulders, and tiptoed across them.  

For this, we can thank the Alleghanian orogeny---the collection of rock outcroppings that form Blue Mountain—which is a result of North America and Africa colliding around 300 million years ago.  When the Blue Mountain ridge was formed, Geologists claim that it was actually taller than the Rockies and the Alps, and maybe even higher than the Himalayas.  Erosion over the past several hundred million years has left us with a 1500 foot high ridge, many layers of exposed rocks, and sore feet.   You can find out more about the geologic history here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alleghanian_orogeny

 

Thankfully, Mona was waiting when we arrived at Hawk Mountain road.  The boots came off and we were taken back to civilization and flat Earth!

51 miles, or so, to go in Pennsylvania.

Hawk Mountain Road to Port Clinton

May 23-24, 2015

Tom, Shannon, Wyatt, and Mike

15 miles

Day-hikers, dogs….and inchworms.   Eight months since our last hike--our two-day return to the AT was not a lonely excursion.  For almost the entire length, but particularly at scenic overlooks, the trail was filled with day-hikers and dogs who were enjoying the perfect temperatures and sunny skies.  Some of those we met mentioned it was their first time on the trail, and a few others asked for directions---seeming to indicate the same.  We wondered if perhaps the movie “Wild” had anything to do with the spike in hikers, as some have claimed that it will provide at least a temporary bump in interest about trail hiking---and they may be right. 

In addition to hikers and dogs, the trail was densely populated with tiny inchworms dangling from trees nearly every few steps along the way.  These future Geometer moths are known to come in thousands of species---and we saw most of them.  Doing our best to dodge and weave around them, they still ended up in our hair….or on our clothes…or in our packs….in the car on the ride home.  If you want to learn more about them, you can read this:  http://animals.pawnation.com/inchworms-kids-8744.html

Getting back to the hike itself, we started in Eckville, along Hawk Mountain Road on Saturday morning (after hitting the Giant for provisions), and headed west towards Port Clinton.  The uphill start took us from about 800 feet to 1500 feet in the first mile or so, and remained fairly level for the next five miles.  Good conversation can be had on a long, level stretch and this section of the trail is mostly a state game lands road.   It’s a nice way to spend the early afternoon.

In that stretch of Blue Mountain are two well-known scenic overlooks, The Pinnacle and Pulpit Rock.   The Pinnacle is one of the most popular day-hikes along the AT in Pennsylvania, and happens to be the second highest point in Berks County.  From the outlook, you can see for miles in any direction, including three counties, and enjoy some rest from the rocky trail that brought you to this vantage point.

Two miles later is Pulpit Rock.  We took in the sights there, spoke with a young family from Hamburg, and then descended about 800 feet to set up camp at the Windsor Furnace Shelter.   Wyatt and Tom hunted for firewood while I hunted through my belongings for inchworms.   We enjoyed turkey dogs, corn, and s’mores before turning in for the night.

The Sunday hike was 6 miles--starting with a 600 foot climb and ending with a 1000 foot descent.  At the outset we passed the site of the old Windsor Furnace, which was built in 1768 by Valentine Eckert.  At one point, there were more than 500 of these iron furnaces operating in Pennsylvania, and most no longer exist.   Perhaps the most famous is the Cornwall Iron Furnace, which is now a museum.  More info can be found here http://www.cornwallironfurnace.org/

There were no thru-hikers evident to us over these two days---it seems that it will be a week or so before “the bubble” reaches this portion of Pennsylvania.  We were glad to note, however, that Sweet Tea and Moe---two thru-hikers we met last year—appeared on the list of those who completed the trail in 2014. Good for them!

Except for a flat tire on the way home (Thanks to Tom for assisting with the tire change), it was a perfect two-day hike on the AT.  We have about 60 miles to go!

Old Stage Coach Trail to PA Rt. 61 (Port Clinton)

September 14, 2014

Tom, Shannon, Wyatt and Mike

7 miles

Our 16^th section hike on the Appalachian Trail, and perhaps the nicest day of hiking we have experienced yet.  If you put aside the fact that most of the 7 miles was spent walking over rocks, it might have been considered the perfect hike all around.

Heading along Blue Mountain towards Port Clinton, we began on Old Stage Coach Trail, which is accessed about 1.5 miles from the nearest parking lot.   Of course, we don’t add this mileage to our total, but it should be noted that not every hike can begin in a convenient location.  Thanks to Mona, though, we were dropped off and picked up with one car—eliminating the need for two cars---and saving lots of time.   Great to have her join us again!

About three miles into the hike we stopped at the Auburn Overlook, which is at 1500 feet and has incredible views of the valley below, the Schuylkill River, and the town of Auburn in the far distance.

Near there we met through two thru-hikers, Red Beard and Sardine.  They started out in Maine on June 23 and nearing the half-way point, were hoping to get to Georgia in late November.

Near this area too was a trail journal, sitting near a campfire site.  It listed all the expenses made by the hiker for their journey.  It's not an inexpensive proposition to hike the A.T.

After the lookout, the Trail begins to descend, and drops 1000 feet in under one mile.  Managing this downhill, with the rocks included, makes it easy to understand why Tom prefers going uphill.  Explaining the rocks, and the quick descent doesn't quite do it justice--you must get out there and see for yourself.

At the bottom of the mountain is an old railroad yard, which is part of the Reading and Northern Railroad.  While it still had train activity, its heyday was 100 years ago when it busily transported coal mined in this part of the Anthracite region.  

Even on flat land for the remainder of the hike, our quads continued to feel the sting long after we walked through the picturesque town of Port Clinton (pop. 326) and to the Rt. 61 underpass.  

Including the two-mile segment to make up, we are about 78 miles from the New Jersey line!

 

Rt. 325 to Swatara Gap

July 12-13, 2014

Tom, Shannon, Wyatt, Mike, Tobin and Rich (part)

17.3 miles

A few firsts for this trip.  Our first overnight hike.  Tobin joined us for the first time.  And, the first trail names conferred.  But more on that later.

We began on Saturday.  After Tobin arrived from outside Philadelphia, we met the Pittsburgh crew at the local Giant store to load up on our rations for the 17 mile overnight hike that we had been delaying since last year.

Starting at Swatara Gap, we headed East towards Rt. 325.  Unfortunately, neck and back pain prevented Rich from joining us for very long—so he headed back to my place.  On more than a few occasions over the next day we thought to ourselves, and even said out loud, that he likely got the better deal!

 

The temperature was in the mid-80s, but the humidity made it feel closer to 95 degrees as we began our first of several climbs up Sharp Mountain.   Because of these conditions, a thunderstorm was inevitable and it arrived about 1.5 hours into our hike.   In a clearing, Tobin set up a make-shift tarp and we attempted to stay dry---but without much success.  Shannon and Wyatt opted to sit outside the tarp in their rain parkas and let the rain cool them off a bit.

This section of the Trail, heading towards Rausch Gap and Yellow Springs, is known as St. Anthony’s Wilderness and it included a number of populated settlements in the mid-to-late 19^th century when coal mines were in full production.   The Trail adjoins parts of old railroad and stagecoach routes, which seems unfathomable given the rocky terrain that lasted the entire 17 mile duration.

Nestled between Sharp Mountain and Stony Mountain, the town of Rausch Gap was once home to more than a 1000 residents.  Today, all that remains are some foundations and a cemetery with three known graves.   More info on the cemetery can be found here:

http://www.stonyvalley.com/cemetery.html

After a long and rocky six miles from our starting point, we arrived at the Rausch Gap Shelter to set up camp for the night.  Upon our arrival we met a few thru-hikers who were also staying the night, and invited them to partake of the dinner we could provide by being day hikers with too much food on our hands.

We first met and chatted with a hiker who called himself “Skunk Bite”, and soon after we met “Sweet Tea” and “Moe”.   All three had left Springer Mountain, Georgia around the same time in late March/early April, and were on schedule to make it to Maine by early October.  

“Skunk Bite”, a graphic designer from California, appropriately was given his trail name in Virginia when a skunk bit him as he slept.   The bite—through his sleeping bag—required him to take a week off of the Trail to get a full round of the rabies vaccine.

“Sweet Tea”, a Tennessee native who graduated from Dickinson College last year, was so named because of the large amounts of that drink he liked to consume.  “Moe”, a 67 year old retired school teacher from northern Wisconsin, took his name from the three stooges, because his golfing buddies are called Larry and Curly.  Interestingly, all three were attempting to stay ahead of "the bubble"—the large group of hikers making their way north—because hikers in those numbers quickly fill up shelters and camp areas.

As dusk settled in we gathered firewood and prepared dinner.  Our menu of hot dogs and corn, with sides of cheese and crackers, was enjoyed by us and our three new friends.  It was their second “Trail magic” of the day, as someone had provided them with a hot breakfast that morning as they passed an intersecting road closer to Peter’s Mountain. 

Of course, dinner would not be complete without the Murphy tradition of ‘S’mores for dessert---with several packets of yummy Hershey’s chocolate bars being consumed in no time at all.  It was a great way to end the day, and as the fire burned out, we said our goodnights and went to bed.

Now, the Trail name.   For breakfast, Tom made pancakes.   Really good pancakes, in fact.  They were complimented by a tub of butter, and a large bottle of Giant brand syrup.    Because I chose to lug that bottle of syrup in my pack---a bottle much too large for our needs---the trail name “Syrup” was thereby conferred upon me----my protest notwithstanding.   For good measure, we named Wyatt “Little Trooper” because it fits his energy and demeanor quite well.  So, two of us now have names.

After breakfast, we were hiking by 9 a.m., and beating the heat.   The 11 miles to Rt. 325 were more level than the day before, and our packs were a bit lighter. 

Along the way, we encountered another former mining village, and all that remained of the abandoned town of Yellow Springs was a large clearing and lots of rocks.   Nearby there was a sign for “The General”, but we didn’t know what it was, so we didn’t take the side trail to go find out.   Later research shows that it’s a large steam engine piece of equipment, probably used for mining in the days when lots of people and industry populated these desolate woods.

There were many hikers out on the Trail on both days, and on Sunday there were a number of “Trail runners” who were running about 30 miles from Clarks Ferry to an area near Swatara Gap.   Their pursuit of this challenge left us in awe of the stamina and motivation it required.

After a few more inclines, we made the steady 1000 foot descent to Rt. 325, and the stream which Tom and Wyatt found refreshing after a long day on the Trail.

With the two-mile segment still to make up, we are otherwise nearing Hawk Mountain and looking forward to the northeast portion of the Trail.

Storms, heat, humidity and endless rocks notwithstanding, it was an enjoyable two days with friends—new and old.

Rt. 183 to Old Stage Coach Trail

May 18, 2014

8.5 miles

Tom, Rich, Wyatt and Mike

Six months since our last hike, after a treacherous winter and a delayed spring, we set out from Rt. 183  and headed east to the Old Stage Coach Trail, hiking atop Blue Mountain the entire way.

Along this 8 mile stretch, it was level but rocky for the duration, and mostly damp and wet due to the recent rains.  The dampness and overcast day made it a cool and comfortable day to meander this section of the AT straddles along the border of Schuylkill and Berks Counties.

The Pittsburgh crew of Tom, Rich and Wyatt arrived on Saturday evening and we enjoyed some time catching up before starting out at 9:45 on Sunday morning.  

Most notable was that we encountered only two other hikers---perhaps the fewest number of passersby in any segment thus far.

The hike remains at a nearly constant elevation of 1500 feet and lies almost entirely within the State Game Lands.  Nearing the end, just past the Eagles Nest Shelter, it enters the Weiser State Forest, named for the noted German-born pioneer Conrad Weiser, whose homestead is not far away in Berks County. For more information on the Weiser Forest, visit this link: http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/forestry/stateforests/weiser/

Because we decided to not do the entire 14 mile segment to Port Clinton, we hiked more than 8 miles and exited at the Old Stage Coach Trail.  The off-trail hike was another 1.5 miles south to the parking area at Forge Dam Road.   Our next few hikes will bring us to the 1000 foot decent at Port Clinton, across the Schuylkill River, and through the Hawk Mountain Sanctuary.

As we have two make-up segments behind us, totaling 19 miles, we have about 103 miles to go!

(Photo below: On our drive down the mountain, we passed this interesting barn with the attached "Evildoers Beware" sign. Good times in the Pennsylvania countryside!)

Route 501 to Route 183

November 24
9.3 Miles
Tom, Shannon, Wyatt and Mike

A brisk morning on the ridge of Blue Mountain.  Temperatures hovering in the low 20s, wind gusts up to 20 mph, and the sun attempting to break through as we started out from Route 183 and walked south towards Route 501.   This was another leap-frog hike, as we did not go the full 11.3 miles that would have taken us to where we left off last time.  So, we have two segments to make up on future dates.

The elevation along this section ranges from from approximately 1250 feet to 1650 feet, but with no steep inclines.  Even so, the hike was strenuous.  The four of us felt this section was the “rockiest” of the hikes we have made in Pennsylvania thus far.   It seems that each section has more rocks than the previous one, and in addition to the rocks along the trail, there were several boulder fields along the way.  More on that later.

 Shortly after starting the hike, we came to the historical plaque that marks the site of Fort Dietrich Snyder, which was one of the Indian lookouts placed along the Blue Mountain during the period of the French and Indian War.   Atop these ridges, early settlers kept an eye out for approaching Indians and would warn the farmers and families who lived in the valley below.  It was dangerous, and often deadly, for these inhabitants, and some interesting history of this Fort and the others in the region can be found in this interesting blogpost: http://schuylkillcountymilitaryhistory.blogspot.com/2007/11/french-and-indian-war.html

Indeed, the vistas are incredible—and one can see for miles in any direction.  With the passage of 350 years since those early settlers kept an eye out for Indians, there is now only serenity to be found in enjoying the view from atop the large rocks along the way.

 Bear hunting is in season, and we walked on State Game Games, but being it was a Sunday we had no worry either for present-day hunters and did not wear orange blazen on our clothing.   In fact, the only wildlife we saw was a turkey vulture who refused to fly away while we approached an overlook.  The vulture noted our presence, but Tom believed he may have been a juvenile given his indifference (see him in pic at left).  We did pass a number of Boy Scouts who were on an overnight hike, but few others were enjoying the Trail on this day.

Now, back to the boulder fields.  The question that was raised more than once along the hike,  “How did these boulder fields form?”.  From an article in the Reading Eagle, this is the explanation:

 Imagine, millions of years ago, a tundralike atmosphere cloaking Berks County. The Blue Mountains, which framed the northern border of Berks, rose above the landscape.

While the glaciers of the Ice Age never reached into Berks, the frigid conditions impacted areas this far south, said Noel Potter, a retired geologist who taught at Dickinson College in Carlisle.

The extreme cold and subsequent thawing caused cracks in the rocks atop the mountain, breaking pieces off and sending them downhill, Potter said. At the time, the mountain surface was a soupy, muddy mess, but the ground beneath was frozen.

That allowed the rocks to slide downhill, said Potter, who has studied the Blue Rocks formation.

As the boulders tumbled down the mountainside, water washed out the soil, preventing vegetation from taking hold. To this day, no trees or grass can be found among the rocks.

So, we can thank the Ice Age of a few million years ago for providing the sore feet we felt on this brisk November day.   As it is Thanksgiving week though, we are reminded of how thankful we are to be spending time together in Penn’s Woods.

Swatara Gap to Route 645

September 8
9.5 miles

Tom, Shannon, Wyatt, Rich and Mike

Our first “leapfrog” hike.  We skipped the 16 mile stretch that would have come after our last hike because that would require an overnight that our schedule did not permit.  So, we hiked on a beautiful Sunday morning, in a southwesterly direction atop Blue Mountain from Route 645 to Swatara Gap.

What began as a fairly smooth path turned rockier as our walk progressed, and remained so for most of the duration.  When the rocks subsided in sections, ferns were everywhere, and the trail seemed overgrown and narrow—as if hikers had not tramped down the path.   But, indeed, several hikers were out, and what seemed to be a few thru or long-distance hikers.  We didn’t have a chance to talk to them, but I am guessing based on sight and smell—for they had not bathed in some time!

Wyatt was ever the trooper and there was no lag in the group—despite the terrain.   Along the way were two very picturesque overlooks of the valley below—and the day was gorgeous.   If there was a day that I thought we would see a bear, or some wildlife, that was it---but there were no sightings.

As we neared Swatara Gap, the steep decline of the trail put the shock absorbers in our human knee ligaments to the test (and I felt it for a few days afterwards).  Overall on this hike, the trail descends from an elevation of 1500 feet to 500 feet, and the last mile is half of that 1000 foot descent.

Nearer to the level ground, we passed under the high overpasses of Route 81 and came upon a beautiful bridge that transverses the Swatara Creek.  There are several trails in this area, and they make an excellent day hike.   For those interested in exploring the waterway, the Swatara Creek River Trail is a recreational waterway that runs from Pine Grove to Middletown.  In fact, the first weekend in May is known as the “Swatara Sojourn”, and many canoeists and kayakers make the trip during that weekend of food and fun.

After our wonderful day of hiking, Tom took a bus to D.C., and Shannon, Wyatt and Rich headed for Pittsburgh.  

Including the 16 we have to do behind us, we have about 123 miles to go!