Appalachian Trail: PA 94 to Center Point Knob

Much like my PA State Parks goal, my goal of hiking all of the Appalachian Trail in PA has gone on a years long hiatus due to travelling barriers and finding reward in closer geocaching and dog sports goals. So, it was really exciting to get to finish another section of the PA AT this past Saturday! I took Zorro for a dock diving lesson at the place where we usually trial, an outrageous 120 miles from where I live, and could only get a training spot at 8am. That left me the entire day to go hiking someplace.

That some place was PA 94 to Center Point Knob, and connected with a 2012 hike that I did from Boiling Springs to CPK that finishes Section 11 of PA for me (PA 94 to Boiling Springs.) It was very satisfying to chip away a little bit at one of my dormant hiking goals.

My friend Dawn and I met at a Gamelands section within walking distance of the AT and drove to Sheet Iron Road to begin our hike. (I later hiked the .2 miles to PA 94 to "officially" complete the section, like a good nerd.) We hiked North from there, towards Center Point Knob.

It was not long before the trail began to ascend into switch backs and we encountered some enormous....rocks! Very fun scramble through the enormous boulders and lots of fun photo-ops. And no snakes encountered.

Poppy, Perri and Zorro

Down and up another hill, and surprise...more rocks! 

After that was another dip in elevation and a stream for the dogs. I did like this hike very much for the sake of the dogs staying cool and hydrated. There were regular streams. We went back up again, of course and stopped so I could eat some lunch because I was feeling rather hot and drained. I had gotten stuck working a 15 hour shift on call the night before and had to get up at 5am for a dock diving lesson for Zorro before this hike (which netted me about 4-5 hours of sleep.) So, I needed to get hydrated and eat some lunch. Poppy and Zorro were most interested in sharing my sandwich!

Photo by Dawn! 

We continued on through a beautiful fern section, which I always love to see. The only downside was that there were storms in the forecast and the sky was starting to look pretty angry. We checked the radar and found a huge system heading right for us! Fortunately the Alec Kennedy shelter was only .1 mile ahead! So after another downhill and stream dip for the dogs and back uphill we were able to get the the shelter, use the privy and be inside and dry while a fierce windy thunderstorm rolled through for the next hour. Talk about perfect timing!

photo also by Dawn. I failed to get one of the ferns and it was really a lovely section.

I found some ponchos in my pack, they had been there for years. Dawn and I had both forgotten our rain jackets so, they went to good use. Perri was so frisky after the rain, pouncing around and hunting and downright silly. I love when she is like that. One more up hill on switch backs and we reached Center Point Knob! Woohoo!

Last hike of 2018

Today was 2018's close up hike and what a hike it was! I do not have a "fit bit" but I calculate we did about five and a half miles in the Gamelands near and on the Appalachian Trail. I so love hiking in the blue mountains, it inspires me so much!

Perri and Zorro came along. I saw a geocache that had not been found in over two years and I was determined to find it! It was the typical hell of rocks and trees everywhere and haha, find the metal ammo box in the middle of all that. I leashed Perri and Z to a tree and got to searching. Zorro started whining and yipping, very much like Molly with the frustration over being tied to a tree while I search for a cache. (This is where Perri shines, she goes into a perfect sphinx down and chews on a stick while I search.) I don't like to let the dogs run loose while I am searching for a tough geocache because I don't want them ambushing another person while I am not paying attention.

Spoiler alert: we found it!

From there I was a little nervous. I should have brought my Appalachian Trail map for this section. But I did not think of that since I wasn't on the AT. However, the AT goes right through this section of the Weiser State Forest and sure enough, when I got home there was a map detailing every bit of the trail that we had walked on. It would have been super helpful. All I had to go on was some geocaches that I wanted to find and they were all about a mile away. It was only noon and sundown was a while away so we just started walking.

Perri and Zorro are both lovely off leash (with staying near me and their recalls.) but sometimes they will get naughty and start overarousal-biting each other incessantly. This results in a TIME OUT for the biter (it is usually one or the other, they both like to do it, not at one time.) Zorro will do it to Perri, or Perri will run down and bully bite Zorro. Meant. For. Each. Other!!!! Regardless of this they both got a lot of time running off leash. If we were going off trail for a geocache, I tried to make sure Zorro was off. Navigating the woodlands with blow downs and random obstacles is so good for his developing mind and body not to mention all of the extra enrichment from sniffing.

We ended up finding 6 geocaches, all of which had not been found for at least a year. Really exciting, I love finding "lonely caches" as they are called. The hike was wonderful, with flurries of snow now and again, or the sun peeking out, and not too cold. I could not ask for a better Last Hike of 2018.

Catch Up, Hiking, Life is Grand!

Perri and I have been enjoying a lot of hiking recently.  I so love hiking with Perri and the feeling is mutual!  Spring has been off to an early start and we just can't walk enough miles - it is probably time for some backpacking because I can't get enough of being outdoors!

Last weekend Ein had an obedience match at a new-to-us training center, so we did some hiking around the area afterwards.   It was thankfully quite cool outside and Ein was able to relax in the crate with a bowl of water and some snacks while Perri and I hiked.   I tried to take him walking but his left rear leg was bothering him after not even a mile - shaking and he was favoring it very obviously.
(The Obedience match was our last before we actually trial in Novice Obedience and it went pretty well!   Flawless stand for exam.   Some anticipation on the judge's "forward" command on his heeling, with Ein blasting off without me!   Lovely Figure 8.   Lovely recall and finish.   Some stress on the heel free when the door to the quiet training building slammed open and there was some commotion.  I am not too worried about that - there is no sense fretting over Ein's stress levels.   The best thing I can do to help him be confident in the ring is to be a confident handler.

Anyway, our hiking!   On Sunday we went to a frisbee golf park and found all of the geocaches there, that gave us about a mile.

Then we discovered a fascinating little outdoor art enclave created by students at the local college.  The Lehigh Valley Millennial Folk Art Enclave.   It was incredible!   They even had a throne for Perri to perch on!

!!!!!!

Too cool right!   It's not every day I find something t his fascinating out in the woods.   Totally made my day.

Even had a dream catcher tree.   I asked Perri to pose dramatically next to it.

Fast forward to Thursday and I was sent home early for work because of a slow day so out to the Gamelands for Perri and I!   This time we stayed close to French Creek State Park and found a "multi cache" that took us several hours of hiking on both trail and through brush.

I bought this dog back for Perri well over a year ago, for backpacking, but since we have not backpacked....we have not used it!   I plan to do at least one or two overnights in the woods with a friend this year, so Perri will need to get used to her pack.   I thought Thursday would be a good day to get started.  Perri acted like she could not walk at first (she does not even really like her harness) - but eventually hiked with the empty pack on as though she had nothing on at all.

I selfishly left Molly at home for this hike.  It was a hot day (for Molly), 81 degrees and I knew she would do her "boat anchor" routine before long.   The non-selfish reason, and deciding factor, in my leaving Molly at home was that there was an outdoor shooting range next to the parking area for this Gameland.   Molly is very gun shy and would have been miserable and afraid if I had brought her.   For as many worries and strange fears as Perri has, she could not care less about gun shots.   Dogs, who can understand them!

The woods are lovely, dark and deep.

After our hike we stopped off at the State Park for some lake swimming and fetch!   Perri is happy to retrieve her ball!  

We tried some off the dock work but Perri was reluctant to jump off even the side of the dock.   There was a spot where she could jump from the side and into shallow water and we did work up to that - so there is hope!

And then she got cold and shivery and "can we go home now?".   We found the lei in a geocache and she wore it the rest of our hike and into the lake - funny!

And Friday, there was rest!

But today, there was the Appalachian Trail!   I had been wait-listed for an AKC agility trial for today, but did not get in.   My friend told me she was meeting someone to go hiking and asked me if I was free to go along...I sure was!   We met up and climbed "cardiac hill" from the Hamburg Reservoir to the "spectacular Pinnacle".   It was a gorgeous day in the low 60s and although I was bummed initially  to not get into that agility trial, I was way happier to be out hiking!  The day was made for it.

Pulpit Rock

The Spectacular Pinnacle (the trail guidebook calls it "spectacular" and I have always loved that.)

Rock Poodle!

So, we are caught up on our outdoor adventures!  Looking forwards to more.

Appalachian Trail - Delaware Water Gap to Totts Gap

To celebrate the new year, Vince and I went for a hike on the Appalachian Trail!   It was a pretty cold day but there were still more than a few hikers out, including a family and their two small bundled up children.  It was nice to see people out enjoying the Trail even on a brisk winter day.  I chose for us to hike from Delaware Water Gap to Totts Gap, and that means that "Section 1" (Delaware Water Gap to Wind Gap) is completed.  

The hike started out going past a big lake in the middle of the woods, with benches and picnic benches surrounding it.  It was half frozen with the cold though.

The trail started to climb very gently and it wasn't long before we saw some nice views - even if they were overlooking only the very busy highway below.

A lot of the trail was thickly surrounded by mountain laurel, which is always fun to walk through.  I specifically remember a long tunnel of mountain laurel on our backpacking adventure in April 2011.

Of course it did not take long for things to get a little bit steeper for our climb to the summit of Mt. Minsi (elevation gain 1020 ft in about 2 miles.)

Both of my dogs wanted to bark like jerks at the nice chocolate lab who was trotting along politely with his group of hippie owners.  They lacked enthusiasm for this photo as a result!

From the summit we continued along the mountain ridge to Tott's Gap.  After the vista, we did not encounter any other hikers, but I kept the dogs leashed because muzzleloader was in season.  I really don't care to leave Molly off her leash for hikes much anymore, but Perri is a very good girl and would have been afforded the privilege if it had not been open hunting season.

The sun was setting for the return trip and everything looked even prettier with the evening light.

I am pretty sure this is "Mt Tammany", and the New Jersey AT goes up and over that mountain.  An adventure for another day...