Back On The Trail

Moving Along

My ankle is feeling much better, and I’m back on the trail. I entered Pennsylvania yesterday, my fourth state.

Now that I’m in the lower elevations I’m amazed at how the complexion of the forest changes every few minutes. Regarding hardwoods, I’m no longer seeing walnuts and tulip poplar, but more Oak and Maple with mixed in hickory, beach and cherry trees, similar to the forests I see back home in Connecticut. Mountain laurels, azalias and blueberries compete for dominance of the undergrowth.

I know a little bit about trees, but I wish I knew more. Unfortunately, they don’t give a lot of Forestry classes to accountants. I suggest you do your local trees a favor. Next time you’re taking a walk in your neighborhood or at the local park, bring a small foldable pruning knife. When you see large vines hanging from a tree, feel free to cut it around waist height. You’ll save that tree’s life. One note of caution – don’t cut the fuzzy vines that are attached diretly to the tree; that’s poison ivy.

Day 17 – Cross Trail Hostel to Pine Knob shelter (20 miles)

Day 18 – Pine Knob shelter to Penn Mar camp (18 miles)

Day 19 – Penn Mar Camp to Route 33 (18 miles)

Day 20- space Route 33 to Ironmaster Mansion hostel (20 miles)

On day 17 I found myself hiking through the first pine and conifer forest that I’ve seen. These are especially nice to hike through; for some reason the trail doesn’t erode around pine trees, meaning fewer rocks and a comfortable carpet of pine needles. These trees must be 200 feet tall.

Monday I had to ford my first creek. Following several days of rain, the waters were running high and the typical stepping stones were submerged. It was a rather lengthy process. It involved removing my pack, then removing my shoes and putting them in the pack, walking very carefully 30 ft across the 38 degree creek, then again removing my pack, walking down to the water to clean and dry my now dirty feet before putting my shoes back on, and then my pack.  It later occurred to me that I could have saved a lot of steps if I just hung my shoes around my neck.

We are Experiencing Technical Difficulties

On day 19, my gear began to break down. First my air mattress sprang a leak on a very cold night. Every hour I awoke to the cold damp ground and needed to blow more air into my mattress. The next morning I broke the carbide tip off of one of my trekking poles. Finally, one of my shoes had a complete blowout. This is my toe poking through the tear in my shoe.

It was cold and rainy, including a nasty, wintery squall.

Divine Intervention

Sometimes things just work out. First, I was able to find the micro-leak in my air pad and patch it.

Second, I called Z Packs, the company that made my trekking poles. They agreed to replace the broken part free of charge. They’re expressing the package to an upcoming trail town. Word travels fast on the trail, so outfitters go out of their way to ensure the hikers satisfied with their equipment.

I was in dire straits with my shoes. My plan was to get to route 33 in Fayetteville, PA, get dinner at a barbecue a half mile from the trail and figure out where to get shoes. Unfortunately, the barbecue was closed. While standing in the cold rain wondering what to do, another hiker came up behind me and asked if I was going to the hostel. He told me there was a preacher-run hostel another half mile up the road and it occurred to me that they might be able to help me out. Not only did I have shoes an hour later, but it was Wednesday. On Wednesdays they had a prayer service, preceded by a huge dinner available to all. I ate like a king, and attended the (optional) service, thankful for all my good fortune, and slept in a  warm, cozy bed. I love when a plan comes together.

See my personal shelter? I’ll talk more about these in my next post.

Thanks for listening.

(Still no bears.)

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Comments 3

  • hiking nerd : May 6th

    love the writing and tree info. keep it up. super practical info on hostels appreciated.

    Reply
  • Carol and Bob : May 6th

    Can’t beieve you’re in PA! How many more weeks are you thinking? Super cool.

    Reply
  • Razorback : May 6th

    Still no bears. Lol. My wife is convinced I will be eaten by a bear on the AT. Like the blog, keep plugging away and enjoy it!

    Reply

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