PA Wilds Trail thru hike: July 5 to July 21, 2020
Jul 28, 2020 7:33:06 GMT -5
Post by kbusko on Jul 28, 2020 7:33:06 GMT -5
Kristin and I just spent two weeks hiking the PA Wilds Trail from Parker Dam to the north terminus of the West Rim Trail. Below is our journal for the trip. I have included a couple photos and we will be posting a bunch of photos on Facebook so I will provide a link when they are up. This was a great route. Thanks so much to Jeff Mitchell for promoting this trail idea.
UPDATE: Here is the link to the photos: link to Facebook photos for PA Wilds Trail
Team K and K’s PA Wilds Trail Journal
Thoughts Before the Trail
We had originally planned to thru hike the Long Trail this summer, but unfortunately (or fortunately because it brought us to make the plans for the PA Wilds Trail adventure) it was not to be. Due to the COVID issues, and with the advice from the Green Mountain Club and our shuttle driver in Vermont, we decided to save that trip for the future, but still wanted to do a long backpacking trip. Kevin came across Jeff Mitchell’s PA Wilds Trail in a thru hike report from 2019 by anfhiker (Jason English) on the Mid-Atlantic Hikes forum. This sounded like a really great idea to both of us. I think every backpacker in Pennsylvania has looked at the Pennsylvania hiking trail maps and thought about the possibility of connecting them into a longer route. Also, we had already hiked most of the main hiking trails in the PA Wilds separately and wanted to revisit them again on a continuous journey. We communicated with Jeff Mitchell, Pete F., Jason E. and Dave G. (he and his friend Eriks P. just completed a thru hike of the PA Wilds Trail in early May) to hear about their thoughts on route options. Based on all the feedback and research, and after completing a couple of scouting trips to check actual trail conditions, we settled on our final route which we felt would include most locations on the wish list and be over 200 miles in length.
Day #1--Sunday, July 5, 2020
Parker Dam State Park Trailhead of the Quehanna Trail to Little Laurel Run--1.8 miles
We drove to Ansonia and dropped Kristin’s car at the north trailhead for the West Rim Trail; we had notified Tioga State Forest that it would be parked there for a couple weeks. Kevin’s son then drove us to the Parker Dam State Park Trailhead of the Quehanna Trail (QT). The unexpected adventure for this day was getting a flat tire on US 6 and having to put the spare on. In this process, Kristin did manage to get tire tracks all over her clean hiking shirt so it was dirty before we even started hiking. We hiked in on the QT about 2 miles and found a nice little flat spot along Little Laurel Run to set up camp for the night. The stream had a strange sulphur like odor so we were hesitant to take water from it, but it was a popular spot for hundreds of colorful metallic blue damselflies.
Day #2--Monday, July 6, 2020
Little Laurel Run to Deserter Run--16.8 miles
After saying a fond farewell to the metallic blue damselflies in the jungle reminiscent Laurel Run, we headed down the QT to find the first of many trail registers on our journey. Unfortunately, the trail registers on the QT had been removed to “stop the spread of COVID,” according to the cantankerous trail worker whose messages we found along the way. However, we had planned ahead with our adventure quote stickers and made use of them throughout the entire trip. A leisurely stroll on the historical railroad grade took us to the Alex Branch and Roberts Run areas. After a relaxing break near the Old Log Splash Dam, we headed past the old quarry near Gifford Run, where you may or may not hear the voices of long gone quarry workers in the babble of the stream, depending on how active your imagination is. Later in the afternoon, we arrived at our campsite near Deserter Run, a possible hideout for deserters from the Civil War and World War I. A campfire and food brought us to the end of our day before turning in to our tent for the night’s rest.
Day #3--Tuesday, July 7, 2020
Deserter Run to Sanders Draft--18.4 miles
We were on trail at 6:20 this morning with a little over a mile to hike before reaching the Quehanna Trail East Cross Connector (QTECC). The PA Wilds Trail’s inclusion of several of the scenic side trails (Crawford Vista, Bridge Trail, Lincoln Loop and Teaberry Trail) really added to the quality of the route. Our opinion is that some of the best parts of the Quehanna area are not on the main route of the QT so it is worthwhile to search them out on the vast network of secondary trails. Crawford Vista is a personal favorite for both of us, especially in the fall. Bridge Trail follows picturesque Mosquito Creek before heading up through the fabulous meadows Quehanna is known for. It was really hot and humid so we took a long break in the shade near Beaver Run Dam before crossing the Quehanna Highway and heading up Lincoln Loop. There was a nice view on Lincoln Loop before dropping down to Paige Run where we took another long break in the shade along the stream drinking fresh cold water from the stream. Teaberry Trail has a couple nice vistas before bending around and heading back to the QTECC. The last section of Teaberry was especially nice with a combination of laurel, blueberry, ferns and pines. At this point, we expected to find a campsite near Roaring Run. However, Roaring Run was not roaring at all; there were no obvious campsites visible in the overgrown ferns and laurel and we could hear thunder in the distance so we opted to push on to the next campsite. Back on the QT again, we descended Porcupine Draft. Kevin had to zip his pant legs on due to the excessive nettles in this section. Halfway down, Kristin stepped near an overhanging jewelweed and was startled by a black form striking out towards her leg from the shadows. Only her super quick reflexes kept her from being struck by rattlesnake number one for the trip. This got us into hyper-alert mode for the rest of the descent. We were waving trekking poles into the nettles all the way to the road, listening intensely for warning rattles. We did pass a nice campsite along the way, but had our minds set on reaching Sanders Draft so did not top there. A short road walk and we were back into the woods and finally at the bottom of Sanders Draft. We found a really nice little campsite under the hemlocks and along the stream and quickly set up the tent and hung our sweaty clothes to dry on the rhododendron clothes line while we got in the stream to rinse and cool off. This was probably the hottest and most humid day Kevin had ever backpacked in. After dinner, it was off to bed and shortly after that the skies opened up with a thunder and lightning storm which provided a nice white noise background noise for a good night's sleep. We were really glad to be down in the draft sheltered under the tall trees at this point.
Day #4--Wednesday, July 8, 2020
Sanders Draft to Old Sinnemahoning Trail--18.5 miles
Leaving Sanders Draft in the morning, we passed by Stone Camp, which has a variety of stone foundations believed to be what’s left of an old farm; this location really seems to be getting a lot of use since the last time we were there. Turning onto Sevinsky Trail, we headed down Foley Draft just in time for Kevin to step on the head of rattlesnake number two! Fortunately, Kristin was able to leap over the stunned creature before it regained its senses enough to cause a problem! After a short, intense climb out of Gore Draft, we ran into a complicated segment where Gore Loop, Powerline Loop, and Bailey Log Trails mesh together, but we found our way over to the Bailey Log Trail, eventually. The flat treadway on Bailey Log Trail gave way to Big Spring Draft Trail, where we got to see plenty of rhododendrons reaching over the rocks in the stream. We found ourselves at another confusing spot on the #15 Trail, possibly due to a water mitigation project currently under way on the trail, but Kevin’s expertise with the GPS soon got us back on track! Just before Upper Jerry Run, we encountered rattlesnake number three, a bright golden small creature that we both saw in plenty of time. We decided to make the climb up to the Old Sinnemahoning Trail to make camp for the night in order to ensure that we would be able to make it to the post office in town for our food resupply maildrop during the 2 hours of operation offered.
Day #5--Thursday, July 9, 2020
Old Sinnemahoning Trail to Bearfield Hollow--11.7 miles
Today started with a short hike down to the village of Sinnemahoning, or Sinnamahoning (depending on whether one goes by the road sign or by the post office sign). We got to the Sinnamahoning post office shortly before it opened at 9am. We found both the postal clerk and the rural route delivery driver to be very helpful, chatty and friendly. Our food resupply maildrop was there thanks to the magic of general delivery and we spent an hour or so sitting on the sidewalk getting our food bags reorganized. At this point, Kevin realized that he had a food problem; he had overestimated his trail hunger so had an excess of food both in his pack and in his maildrop. The food was too expensive to throw away and not expensive enough to warrant bouncing ahead through the postal mail system, so the only option was to pack it along. We had several nice chats with locals while hanging out at the firehouse and post office. These ranged from a young couple telling us about several local points of interest such as the Sterling Run Ram’s Head rock carving and the Grove Run Turtle Rock and Ring Rock in Sinnemahoning Creek to another local who was starting hydroponic and aeroponic gardens in his house with hopes of turning this into a business. The Sinnemahoning Tavern opened at noon, so we headed there after our packs were situated. Along the way, we were waved over to a house by an extremely friendly local lady who gave us bottles of water to drink. Coincidentally, Kevin had experienced trail magic in the form of water and homemade cookies from this same lady several years ago during another backpacking trip in the area. As soon as the tavern was open, we were sitting in air conditioning and ordering lunch. Our indulgences included a chicken cheesesteak for Kristin and a bacon cheeseburger, fries and Straub lager for Kevin. After lunch, we headed back out into the intense heat and humidity for the short road walk to Jericho and the Donut Hole Trail (DHT). We find it very amusing that there can be a 90 mile long state designated hiking trail that has no signed trailheads and generally no signage and minimal blazing along the way to indicate what trail one is hiking. The only signs we saw were very old rusty metal DHT signs located occasionally at road crossings. Even the printed DCNR map for the trail is somewhat vague as to where the trail goes in certain sections. Fortunately, we had just completed the DHT in three sections in previous backpacking trips over the past couple months so we had figured out all the inconsistencies beforehand. We were saddened to see that the Blue Bus Cabin along the trail in Jericho was being dismantled. The 1000 foot climb up Ellicott Run was tough due the full packs, full stomachs and heat and humidity. After several core cooling breaks along the way up, we reached Montour Road and followed it until the drop into Bearfield Hollow which would be our campsite for the night.
Day #6--Friday, July 10, 2020
Bearfield Hollow to Lock Branch Trail--15 miles
The ferns on Savage Mountain were green and vibrant as we headed across the top, a direct opposite to the vague and faded blazes which also give Savage Mountain a wilderness vibe. A rickety wooden bridge took us out of the Cooks Run area to be followed by the climb up to the Kettle Creek Vista for a super view up the valley. Then it was down, down, down to Kettle Creek State Park on the Butler Trail, with a little confusion near the end as to how to get onto the pavement for the road walk up Kettle Creek Road. After chatting with a few people about our journey in the state park, we headed up the road to soon spot a truck driving by, stopping, and a person leaning out the window and yelling, “Kristin!” Strangely enough, it was Pennsylvania Amphibian and Reptile Survey (PARS) team member, Andy Weber, that Kristin had collaborated on for her Science Club’s pond project at Juniata Valley Elementary School. (Check out PARS at the following link: paherpsurvey.org/) After sharing some stories about recent amphibian and reptile sightings, the Weber family continued on their way to enjoy their day at Kettle Creek State Park. After walking a little further, we made another essential stop to attach a Potter County souvenir license plate that we found in the ditch to Kevin’s backpack, which he then displayed proudly to everyone’s delight and amusement for the remainder of the trip. (It now hangs in a place of honor in our cabin!) Another highlight from the road walk was getting to see a ruffed grouse doing an injury feigning display to distract us from her many young. The final part of the road walk as we continued onto Trout Run Road included a shallow stream crossing and some mud that was no problem for Tony Robbins and his amazing van driving skills when he joined us at camp later that evening. (If you want to go on a wild virtual van ride with Tony, check out a video of his trek into the campsite at the following link: www.facebook.com/tony.robbins1/videos/1540302642810876/) To bring an end to the day, we had a campfire with many thrushes singing us to sleep which ended the evening on a relaxing note.
Day #7--Saturday, July 11, 2020
Lock Branch Trail to Gravel Lick Shelter--13.5 miles
Today would be our challenge day as neither of us had ever hiked in the Hammersley Wild Area and had no idea as to what the trail conditions would be like. We also had a short bushwhack to do before we connected to the Susquehannock Trail (STS) along Hammersley Fork. Kevin’s first task of the day was to unload several pounds of excess food into Tony’s van. This included almost a pound of summer sausage, a couple “extra” dinners and about a pound of “healthy” granola. On the trail, Kevin likes to eat “candy” granola. We very quietly walked through a tent compound occupied by some locals to cross Trout Run and start the climb up Lock Branch Trail. Tony would be hiking with us for a short distance this morning then he would return to his van and drive up to Gravel Lick Shelter and possibly hike down the STS to meet us at the end of the day. Lock Branch Trail was a very obvious old road grade climbing the plateau so the faint and infrequent yellow blazes were not a problem. At the top, the trail curved around through some very nice mature forest with a mix of hardwoods, hemlocks and ferns. It really radiated the sense of hiking through a “wild area.” Shortly, we came to a sign post indicating the top of Beech Bottom Trail which would take us down through the Forrest H. Dutlinger Natural Area which showcases an impressive stand of old growth hemlock and white pine. This was the most impressive stand of old growth hemlock we had ever hiked through and it is a real asset to the PA Wilds Trail route. We felt it surpassed both Snyder-Middleswarth Natural Area and Hemlocks Natural Area. The top of Beech Bottom Trail was vague as far as blazes go and someone had apparently gone through on horseback recently to tie flagging tape to mark the route. This led to a small amount of confusion when the flagging and horse tracks went in one direction and the faint blazes seemed to disappear in another direction. Fortunately, Jason had provided us with a GPS track and Jeff had given us a pretty good written description of trails in this area. We were able to pick up the blazes again very shortly and then followed them to a register box located where the trail begins to drop into the drainage hollow; this register appears to have been placed and maintained by a local hunting camp. At that point, Beech Bottom Trail became very obvious and obviously very well used. The descent to Hammersley Fork was the most visually impressive section of this trail. It was apparent that most hikers were parking at the Dutlinger Trailhead and hiking up Beech Bottom to the register then returning the same way. We took a long break at the bottom of Beech Bottom beside the stream nestled in a rocky crevasse. From there, we hiked upstream following ever diminishing blazes and trail conditions. We didn’t get lost through there, but it was a challenge at times to be sure we were following the actual blazed route. Again, between Jason’s GPS track and Jeff’s great written description, we had no problem. Eventually, while on the trail along the east side of Hammersley Fork, we came to a three way blazed junction. To the left (west) and down to cross the stream again was the route Jeff had suggested while straight ahead and staying on the right (east) side of the stream there appeared to be blazes and some indication of a trail which was consistent with Jason’s GPS track and a description we had received from a local who had hiked in Hammersley quite a bit. We opted to stay with Jeff’s description since he had checked this route out recently and we liked the idea of staying close to the Hammersley Fork. The blazes finally ended at the bottom of Cow Run Hollow starting the real bushwhack section of today’s route; however, it was less than a mile to our junction with the STS. Basically, using Jeff’s description as a reference, we stayed on the bottom land beside the stream and worked our way upstream following the path of least resistance through all the growth. Eventually, the July growth became very dense and we realized that we were ignoring the obvious solution since the water level was very low. So, we were able to easily hike up the streambed in water no deeper than our knees in most spots. This was very nice and refreshing, especially when splashing around on purpose in the stream. After a short distance, we could see what appeared to be a level grade a few feet above the stream on the east side so we climbed up and followed the old rail grade the rest of the way to the junction with the STS. Somewhere in this section of the Hammersley Wild Area we were one tenth of a mile from the most remote spot in Pennsylvania. Based on data from Project Remote, that spot is at least 2.7 miles from a road in any direction. (Check out their website at the following link: www.projectremote.com/blog/pennsylvania/) Back on blazed trail, we made our way to the Hammersley Pool which is another attraction to having the PA Wilds Trail go through this area. We got to the pool and were able to admire it for a minute, then, we turned around and saw rattlesnake number four, a big black phase version, right behind us under the ferns at the edge of the pool. Before we had time to take a photo it began to rain, hard. We put our pack covers on to keep our gear dry but did not bother with rain gear for ourselves as the cool water felt good rinsing the sweat from our bodies. As we continued up the trail, we met a group of four women and their dog who were backpacking from Patterson to Cross Fork; this was only the second encounter with other backpackers on our trip so far. On our way up to McConnell Road, Kristin saw a furry shape moving ghostlike through the ferns...a coyote. Arriving at McConnell Road, we encountered Tony sitting in his van; he had fallen asleep at noon and napped too long to be able to hike down to meet us. We had Gravel Lick Shelter to ourselves that night and Tony set up his hammock in the trees nearby. The rain had pretty much stopped and it felt good to sit in a real chair under a dry roof writing the day’s journal entry and relaxing to be soon followed by supper and a nice campfire. (Note: Do NOT line the bottom of a firepit with porous rocks that may have some moisture content!) Then we were off to bed as we had a 20 mile day lined up for the next day.
Day #8--Sunday, July 12, 2020
Gravel Lick Shelter to Scoval Branch Shelter--20.6 miles
As we left Gravel Lick Shelter, we whispered, “See you later,” to Tony since he was still dreaming (and snoring) in his hammock. Not far down McConnell Road, we were lucky to have a great view at the Hammersley Vista; as far as we know, the only vista available on the entire STS! Arriving at the Twin Sisters Trail after a few miles of dirt road walking, we were a little confused with the blaze colors as it was designated to be either red blazes or no blazes on the maps that come with Chuck Dillon’s Fifth Edition Guide to the Susquehannock Trail System, but the only ones to be found at the trailhead were faded yellow blazes. Thanks to Jason’s GPS track, we followed these blazes after determining that they were the Twin Sisters Trail, but were soon surprised again by bright orange blazes as well! In 1964, a wildfire burned on the Twin Sisters Trail area, leaving a quite striking view for us to enjoy today. After enjoying a long break at the Twin Sisters Burn Scar view, we continued to follow the mostly faded yellow blazes (which had now changed back from the bright orange blazes again) all the way to the STS. On the way to Cross Fork, a member of the Susquehannock Trail Club stopped (in the middle of the paved road) to chat with us for a few minutes and share information about trail conditions and upcoming weather. Luckily, Tony woke up in time to meet up with us at Deb’s Cross Fork Inn for a lunch stop together, skillfully driving his van over bumpy dirt roads yet again! Of course, Kevin and Kristin took a quick side trip to Kinny’s County Store to get a few scoops of hand dipped ice cream to eat before hiking up the STS. Not long after, the sky began to darken and the thunder began, so we hiked quickly to get to the Scoval Branch Shelter to meet up with Tony for another night at camp. Again, we were able to end a rainy day by sitting under a dry roof.
Day #9--Monday, July 13, 2020
Scoval Branch Shelter to Dyer Farm Trail--20.2 miles
We got an early start as this was to be a long day, but it was good that we did this as we were not aware of a couple pleasant delays we would experience during the day. Minutes after leaving the shelter, we were following the pipeline and a deer jumped up out of the tall grass, where it had been bedded down, and ran off. Seconds later, another head popped up out of the grass. This one was much larger and Kristin exclaimed “Hey, what’s that? Is that a llama?” Then, a second large head and neck appeared and we experienced our first true wild elk sighting. Two cow elk were bedded down near the deer giving us a morning view of them running into the forest. That was to be our only elk sighting of the trip and it was exciting! Tony left us at Greenlick Road where he had parked his car the day before. We continued to Greenlick Run revisiting the section where we helped dig sidehill during the DHT trail care weekend the previous fall. Next, we got to cross Greenlick Run on the newly completed bridge that was constructed from a fallen log with the top surface chainsawed to a level surface. Rattlesnake number five showed up at the start of the Morgan Hollow climb. After Morgan Hollow, we decided to take a break at Fork Hill Road and dry some of our wet clothing in the sun. Arriving at the road, we were surprised to see Tony’s van parked there; he had driven to Renovo to purchase lemonade and iced tea to share with us! We had a nice long break there drinking cool drinks with Tony while our clothes dried. A couple miles later we were descending to Big Spring Road and saw someone sitting in a chair on the trail reading a book. Who else could it be other than Pete Fleszar? He was working in the area and thought maybe he could intercept us enroute. After chatting for several minutes, Pete walked to his truck and pulled out a cooler with some ice cold Moxie’s! Wow, trail magic twice in one day! After an impressive demonstration of his folding Brompton City Bike, we headed up the trail as we still had some miles to cover. Soon we departed the STS and started across the North Link Trail (NLT), which is a system of several short trails connecting the STS to the Black Forest Trail (BFT). We had no idea what to expect and were pleasantly surprised to find that it was scenic, nicely blazed and fairly well travelled by hikers, bikers and horseback riders. When we got to where the Railgrade Trail section should have been, we found that the end of it had been obliterated by recent logging operations; however, there were no signs to alert hikers about this. Referring to the maps, we stayed on Pipeline Road and picked up the NLT proper in a short distance. At Dyer Camp, we read about the interesting history of the area during the CCC era and put some coins in the old safe that rests under some large white pines. Then, we made our way down Dyer Farm Trail to a nice campsite location along Dyer Branch for some well deserved rest.
Day #10--Tuesday, July 14, 2020
Dyer Farm Trail to Hemlock Mountain--11.9 miles
After breaking camp, it wasn’t far until we reached the Black Forest Trail near County Line Branch and another chance meeting with a backpacker who Kristin had met before on the Loyalsock Trail, coincidentally also named Kevin. He had been exploring the North Link Trail and the South Link Trail with his wife on an overnight backpacking trip and had also noticed the issues near the logged areas. After enjoying a break with them, we continued on the BFT to find rattlesnakes number six and seven within less than a mile of each other. One of these was directly on the trail, with nowhere but dense laurel to hike through for a bypass, so we had to creatively make our way around while keeping an eye out for more rattlesnakes in the bushes. As we took the Old Cut Off Trail to head over to Hemlock Mountain, we were definitely starting to feel the wear and tear of ten days on trail with no zero days, so we were glad when we arrived at camp early. After setting up camp and taking our first nap, we ate our first supper of the evening which was followed by our second nap and our second supper of the evening, after which we felt much better. As we prepared to fall asleep for the third time, this time for the remainder of the night, we observed what we call “bush digger” birds whose behavior includes pulling leaves up from the ground rather violently with their feet, apparently to look for food. As a barred owl hooted from Hemlock Mountain, we were relieved to be turning in for a good night’s sleep before tomorrow’s trek to Hotel Manor.
Day #11--Wednesday, July 15, 2020
Hemlock Mountain to Hotel Manor--14.2 miles
We awoke early this morning so we could watch daybreak in the Pine Creek Valley from Hemlock Mountain; it was spectacular to see the valley obscured by fog and then to watch the fog rise up to reveal the valley floor. This has to be one of the best vistas on the BFT and yet another of the many highlights of the PA Wilds Trail. Hiking up from Naval Run, we passed the trail leading to the old Webber homestead and spent some time thinking and talking about Bob Webber and his contributions to the trails in the area, especially the BFT. We always enjoy coming across one of Bob’s numerous old hand axe cut blowdowns. Soon after, we walked the short Bicentennial Trail out to an impressive solitary old growth hemlock tree that is too large in diameter for two hikers to encircle with their arms. On Pine Hollow Road, we encountered three backpackers sitting on folding chairs on the road. We chatted with them for a couple of minutes then, as we were starting down the road only a couple feet from where they were sitting, we heard the familiar buzz coming from rattlesnake number eight which was just off the road under some overhanging laurel. The crystal clear pond at Camp Foster was a great break stop, as usual, for this trail; Kristin spotted a few floating rafts of sticky amphibian eggs as she explored the perimeter of the pond. We then quickly made our way down the BFT to Slate Run and Hotel Manor where we had a room reserved for two nights, and another food resupply maildrop waiting for us. It was exhilarating to be able to shower for the first time in eleven days and put on our cleanest dirty clothes to walk over to Wolfe’s General Store for hand dipped ice cream and to stock up on snacks for our zero day tomorrow. Then we headed back to the hotel to start our “sink laundry” process before dinner. Due to COVID restrictions, the hotel offered an order and pickup window and outdoor deck seating arrangement which was fine with us as the weather was beautiful and the deck overlooked scenic Pine Creek. Dinner was delicious grilled chicken salad for both of us and a New Trail Broken Heels brew for Kevin. After dinner, we spent some time sorting our food resupply maildrop and Kevin discovered, yet again, that he had an excess amount of food. The cumulative total of all his excess food was starting to add up to several pounds. Then it was off to bed in a real bed for some real rest.
Day #12--Thursday, July 16, 2020
Zero Day at Hotel Manor--0 miles
After a lovely morning sleeping in later than usual in a real bed, we headed down to the breakfast nook to indulge in the continental breakfast offerings from Hotel Manor. Then, we relaxed in the lounge area upstairs and the chairs outside near the bank of Pine Creek, before having a midday snack of crackers, cheese, almonds, and mangos. We leisurely read books from the hotel’s library until it was supper time, followed by more reading, relaxing and a hot bath before a bedtime snack. Definitely a perfect way to spend our zero day, so that we could recharge for the rest of the journey!
Day #13--Friday, July 17, 2020
Hotel Manor to Little Italy--10.8 miles
Today was a short mileage day, but we knew it would include the Wolf Run bushwhack that potentially could slow us down. We started with an easy stroll down the Pine Creek Rail Trail noting that it would be possible for hikers to arrange for camping at either Tomb Flats or Black Walnut Bottom. Then we had a good morning workout climbing up Golden Eagle Trail (GET) stopping at Ravens Horn for another great view down Pine Creek Valley. Again, another highlight of the route. The section of GET that followed Wolf Run upstream climbing back to the top of the plateau was fairly easy and unexpectedly pretty as it transitioned from rocky stream crossings with ferns and moss to a pine needle carpeted pathway under nice hemlock trees to hardwood forest on top. We departed the GET at the top and began the bushwhack down O’Brian Hollow to Mill Run where we would follow unblazed and unmaintained trails to the Mid State Trail (MST). If one did not want to do the bushwhack section, it would be easy and not unpleasant to hike out Beulah Land Road to Barrens Road and connect with the MST bypassing the unblazed Wolf Run Wild Area trails. However, we had decided earlier that we wanted to include the wild area bushwack on our route. We had scouted the bushwhack back in April using a GPS track provided by Pete and had marked the route with flagging tape to make today’s hike easier; we also had decided to remove the flagging tape when we finally did hike through. Previously, Dave and Eriks had also taken this route to the MST on their hike; however, Jason had hiked the Black Forest - Algerine - Long Branch Trail to West Rim Trail on his hike. Having already seen eight rattlesnakes on the trip and hearing that Dave had encountered what he described as the largest rattlesnake he had ever seen in this section we were on high alert again. GPS in one hand and trekking pole for thrashing the laurel to check for snakes in the other, we headed off the blazed trail and into O’Brian Hollow. As we made our way down, Kristin removed the flagging from the earlier scouting trip. At the junction of Mill Run and Sebring Branch, we continued downstream to a campsite that Pete had recommended at an area called “Little Italy,” an area where the immigrant track workers building the Oregon & Texas logging railroad lived from 1892 to 1900. We found Little Italy to be a nice campsite situated along Mill Run at a small waterfall with another even smaller waterfall coming down a ten to fifteen foot drop into Mill Run from another stream. We were able to cool off in the deep pool below the waterfall before cooking dinner and heading to the tent for the night.
Day #14--Saturday, July 18, 2020
Little Italy to Gillespie Point--14.8 miles
After waking up to the sound of the dual waterfalls at our campsite, we headed up the Sebring Branch to meet Ben A. at Barrens Road since he would be joining us for the remainder of the journey. Luckily, Kevin was also able to stash his several pounds of too much food in Ben's car. We enjoyed a short break at the hundred plus year old cabin at Brown Fork, checking the trail register for our past entries from our past backpacking trips on the MST. As we continued up the MST, we noticed how low the water was for the stream crossings at Trout Run, Big Run and Brill Run; our feet had gotten soaked in the much deeper water during any of our previous crossings of these streams in the past. We were rewarded after the climb up to Gillespie Point by a pre-sunset view both up and down Pine Creek Valley. We made camp near the vista and caught a proper sunset view before heading into our tents for a very still and quiet night with only a chorus of owls breaking the silence in the early hours of the morning.
Day #15--Sunday, July 19, 2020
Gillespie Point to Bradley Wales Picnic Area--14.5 miles
We were up early to catch the spectacular sunrise view over the Pine Creek Valley. Miller’s Store in Blackwell did not open until 9am, so there was no rush to break camp. As planned, we were sitting on the deck waiting to order ice cream as soon as the store opened. Hand dipped ice cream for second breakfast is definitely a must have trail treat. They also had an offering of fresh brewed coffee. Ben indulged (overindulged?) by having a Moxie, a coffee and a home made breakfast sandwich which he described as being, possibly, the best breakfast sandwich he had ever eaten, followed by ice cream; all of this in a half hour span. Near the top of Bohen Run Trail, we stopped for a break, but not for long as we heard the familiar buzz once again and there, no more than ten feet away, was rattlesnake number nine, the last rattlesnake for the trip. The hike on the southern section of the West Rim Trail (WRT) was mostly slogging through laurel growth trying not to overheat as the temperature rose into the upper 80’s and the humidity was high. Unfortunately, we found that the views shown on the map in this area were pretty overgrown. At this point, Kevin was voicing his opinion that he wasn’t so sure the WRT was the best way to end the trip, due to this issue. Upon reaching our targeted campsite for the day, we evaluated the time, the water situation and the lack of a nice canyon view (this may be different in the fall when the leaves come off the trees) and decided to push on to Bradley Wales Picnic Area. On a short roadwalk section, we were able to fill all our water bottles at a small spring along the road. Then, with less than a mile to go, we could hear thunder and see the sky darkening. As soon as we put our Frogg Toggs and pack covers on, the rain arrived; it was a hard drenching downpour with thunder and lightning making the trail into a running stream several inches deep. Reaching Bradley Wales Picnic Area, we gratefully took shelter in the spacious restroom until the storm passed. As the sky somewhat cleared, we made our way to the canyon edge and there, at the first really great view of the Pennsylvania Grand Canyon, we found a nice campsite sheltered back under some tall hemlocks. Due to the timing of the weather, we had the interesting experience of seeing the canyon floor clearly one minute and then seeing it totally obscured by fog the next. Wet clothes were hung to dry as much as possible overnight and suppers were cooked. After supper, we stood at the overlook fence watching darkness descend into the canyon.
Day #16--Wednesday, July 20, 2020
Bradley Wales Picnic Area to Bear Run--13.7 miles
Before getting started with today’s miles, we emerged from our tents early to catch the sunrise view of the Pine Creek Valley. As we continued up the WRT, the views continued although they were still a bit overgrown in places. The beautiful sunrise from Bradley Wales Picnic Area along with the many stunning vistas along the way today totally reversed Kevin’s opinion about ending the trip on the WRT. The north half of the WRT was, in our estimation, the only really scenic part of the WRT. Ben took Seimons Trail with plans to meet up with us further ahead on the WRT at Painter Leetonia Road while we walked the WRT through a rail grade carpeted with pine needles. After meeting up with Ben again, we enjoyed splashing around in Four Mile Run’s swimming hole, which included a nice campsite near the road. Later at Colton Road, Ben continued on to the Bear Run campsite while we walked over to Colton Point State Park to check out the views of the PA Grand Canyon. The views were similar to the ones we had seen already with a bit of overgrowth obscuring the view, but there was a mostly clear view on the southern end of the park where you could look across the canyon to see Leonard Harrison State Park, which is situated on the opposite rim of the canyon. During our walk in Colton Point State Park, we also noticed the Turkey Trail which we determined could be used for a rim to rim hike of the PA Grand Canyon, hopefully a future trip for us. On the way to the campsite, we were surprised with a very clear view of the PA Grand Canyon on Colton Road just north of the park. We felt that this view alone could justify bypassing a short section of the WRT. If time permitted, hiking to the view of Leonard Harrison State Park would also be worthwhile. That small detour really did not add much time to the day’s hike and we had the bonus of being able to use the bathroom and picnic pavilion at the park. We arrived at the campsite to celebrate our last night on the trail indulging in double chocolate sea salt macaroons and a campfire to end the day.
Day #17--Thursday, July 21, 2020
Bear Run to the Northern Trailhead of the West Rim Trail--5.1 miles
With a bit of sadness, we packed up for the last time on this trip; the hike had been so enjoyable that we did not want it to end. We stopped for photos at several really nice views along the way today, possibly the best on the WRT. We also passed several groups of backpackers; there were more backpackers on the WRT than on the entire rest of the PA Wilds Trail route. It was great to see several families and so many young adults out there experiencing the outdoors. About halfway to Ansonia, we passed a spot that was marked on the map as Barbour Rock with a short side trail around it. We turned off the WRT to see what this Barbour Rock was all about. Well, it wasn’t about much at all. The trail made a loop around Barbour Rock so we hiked off trail up to the top, but could best describe it as Barbour Bump; we have seen speed bumps more impressive than this. After that, we were in “get to the end of the trail” mode. After a short stop for a final register entry, we crossed the finish line with clasped hands raised in the air. A couple seconds after arriving at the parking lot, we noticed a maroon minivan parked nearby. It was Tony! He had driven an hour and a half to be there when we finished. Our plan was to stop at the nearby Burnin’ Barrel Bar for a celebratory lunch; however, the Burnin’ Barrel Bar was a bust, closed unexpectedly today. We then started checking to see what was open at 11am on a Tuesday near Ansonia for a burger and a beer. The answer was, not much! In fact, not anything! We ended up driving all the way back to Hotel Manor in Slate Run since it seemed all the usual regional haunts along the way were closed. This was fine with us as the food at Hotel Manor was great and they had a good selection of craft beers as well. We got to sit at our “regular” spot on the deck overlooking Pine Creek reviewing all the great memories of the trip. Then, we then walked over to Wolfe’s General Store for, you guessed it, another hand dipped ice cream cone. A double dip of cappuccino crunch on top of teaberry is worth hiking over 200 miles for, according to Kevin at least. Tony headed for home and we drove Ben to retrieve his car on Barrens Road before heading for home and a bath and a nice long rest ourselves.
Thoughts After the Trail
This route is, simply stated, a really outstanding way to experience, in depth and at length, the beauty and wildness of the PA Wilds. One of the great things about the PA Wilds Trail is that it gives the hiker a chance to see an assortment of both the well known and the not so well known highlights of the PA Wilds area. By exploring the area on a backpacking trip, you really get to immerse yourself fully in the isolated, backcountry atmosphere. Another positive aspect to Jeff’s vision for the PA Wilds Trail is that it really can be a “choose your own adventure” type of hike. Additionally, there are so many worthwhile route possibilities that it would be a shame to pin it down to only one “official” route. The ability to tailor it to our personal time frame and scenery preferences made it even more exciting during the planning process. Even though the PA Wilds Trail doesn’t have an excess of resupply points, we were able to make arrangements for our food resupply maildrops at the Sinnamahoning Post Office and Hotel Manor, with a possible other location for this approach being the Cross Fork Post Office. We were also able to supplement our backpacking food with treats at the Sinnemahoning Tavern, Kinny’s General Store and the Deb’s Cross Fork Inn in Cross Fork, Wolfe’s General Store and the Hotel Manor Restaurant in Slate Run, and Miller’s Store in Blackwell. Would we go on this amazing PA Wilds Trail adventure again? What do you think?
UPDATE: Here is the link to the photos: link to Facebook photos for PA Wilds Trail
Team K and K’s PA Wilds Trail Journal
Thoughts Before the Trail
We had originally planned to thru hike the Long Trail this summer, but unfortunately (or fortunately because it brought us to make the plans for the PA Wilds Trail adventure) it was not to be. Due to the COVID issues, and with the advice from the Green Mountain Club and our shuttle driver in Vermont, we decided to save that trip for the future, but still wanted to do a long backpacking trip. Kevin came across Jeff Mitchell’s PA Wilds Trail in a thru hike report from 2019 by anfhiker (Jason English) on the Mid-Atlantic Hikes forum. This sounded like a really great idea to both of us. I think every backpacker in Pennsylvania has looked at the Pennsylvania hiking trail maps and thought about the possibility of connecting them into a longer route. Also, we had already hiked most of the main hiking trails in the PA Wilds separately and wanted to revisit them again on a continuous journey. We communicated with Jeff Mitchell, Pete F., Jason E. and Dave G. (he and his friend Eriks P. just completed a thru hike of the PA Wilds Trail in early May) to hear about their thoughts on route options. Based on all the feedback and research, and after completing a couple of scouting trips to check actual trail conditions, we settled on our final route which we felt would include most locations on the wish list and be over 200 miles in length.
Day #1--Sunday, July 5, 2020
Parker Dam State Park Trailhead of the Quehanna Trail to Little Laurel Run--1.8 miles
We drove to Ansonia and dropped Kristin’s car at the north trailhead for the West Rim Trail; we had notified Tioga State Forest that it would be parked there for a couple weeks. Kevin’s son then drove us to the Parker Dam State Park Trailhead of the Quehanna Trail (QT). The unexpected adventure for this day was getting a flat tire on US 6 and having to put the spare on. In this process, Kristin did manage to get tire tracks all over her clean hiking shirt so it was dirty before we even started hiking. We hiked in on the QT about 2 miles and found a nice little flat spot along Little Laurel Run to set up camp for the night. The stream had a strange sulphur like odor so we were hesitant to take water from it, but it was a popular spot for hundreds of colorful metallic blue damselflies.
Day #2--Monday, July 6, 2020
Little Laurel Run to Deserter Run--16.8 miles
After saying a fond farewell to the metallic blue damselflies in the jungle reminiscent Laurel Run, we headed down the QT to find the first of many trail registers on our journey. Unfortunately, the trail registers on the QT had been removed to “stop the spread of COVID,” according to the cantankerous trail worker whose messages we found along the way. However, we had planned ahead with our adventure quote stickers and made use of them throughout the entire trip. A leisurely stroll on the historical railroad grade took us to the Alex Branch and Roberts Run areas. After a relaxing break near the Old Log Splash Dam, we headed past the old quarry near Gifford Run, where you may or may not hear the voices of long gone quarry workers in the babble of the stream, depending on how active your imagination is. Later in the afternoon, we arrived at our campsite near Deserter Run, a possible hideout for deserters from the Civil War and World War I. A campfire and food brought us to the end of our day before turning in to our tent for the night’s rest.
Day #3--Tuesday, July 7, 2020
Deserter Run to Sanders Draft--18.4 miles
We were on trail at 6:20 this morning with a little over a mile to hike before reaching the Quehanna Trail East Cross Connector (QTECC). The PA Wilds Trail’s inclusion of several of the scenic side trails (Crawford Vista, Bridge Trail, Lincoln Loop and Teaberry Trail) really added to the quality of the route. Our opinion is that some of the best parts of the Quehanna area are not on the main route of the QT so it is worthwhile to search them out on the vast network of secondary trails. Crawford Vista is a personal favorite for both of us, especially in the fall. Bridge Trail follows picturesque Mosquito Creek before heading up through the fabulous meadows Quehanna is known for. It was really hot and humid so we took a long break in the shade near Beaver Run Dam before crossing the Quehanna Highway and heading up Lincoln Loop. There was a nice view on Lincoln Loop before dropping down to Paige Run where we took another long break in the shade along the stream drinking fresh cold water from the stream. Teaberry Trail has a couple nice vistas before bending around and heading back to the QTECC. The last section of Teaberry was especially nice with a combination of laurel, blueberry, ferns and pines. At this point, we expected to find a campsite near Roaring Run. However, Roaring Run was not roaring at all; there were no obvious campsites visible in the overgrown ferns and laurel and we could hear thunder in the distance so we opted to push on to the next campsite. Back on the QT again, we descended Porcupine Draft. Kevin had to zip his pant legs on due to the excessive nettles in this section. Halfway down, Kristin stepped near an overhanging jewelweed and was startled by a black form striking out towards her leg from the shadows. Only her super quick reflexes kept her from being struck by rattlesnake number one for the trip. This got us into hyper-alert mode for the rest of the descent. We were waving trekking poles into the nettles all the way to the road, listening intensely for warning rattles. We did pass a nice campsite along the way, but had our minds set on reaching Sanders Draft so did not top there. A short road walk and we were back into the woods and finally at the bottom of Sanders Draft. We found a really nice little campsite under the hemlocks and along the stream and quickly set up the tent and hung our sweaty clothes to dry on the rhododendron clothes line while we got in the stream to rinse and cool off. This was probably the hottest and most humid day Kevin had ever backpacked in. After dinner, it was off to bed and shortly after that the skies opened up with a thunder and lightning storm which provided a nice white noise background noise for a good night's sleep. We were really glad to be down in the draft sheltered under the tall trees at this point.
Day #4--Wednesday, July 8, 2020
Sanders Draft to Old Sinnemahoning Trail--18.5 miles
Leaving Sanders Draft in the morning, we passed by Stone Camp, which has a variety of stone foundations believed to be what’s left of an old farm; this location really seems to be getting a lot of use since the last time we were there. Turning onto Sevinsky Trail, we headed down Foley Draft just in time for Kevin to step on the head of rattlesnake number two! Fortunately, Kristin was able to leap over the stunned creature before it regained its senses enough to cause a problem! After a short, intense climb out of Gore Draft, we ran into a complicated segment where Gore Loop, Powerline Loop, and Bailey Log Trails mesh together, but we found our way over to the Bailey Log Trail, eventually. The flat treadway on Bailey Log Trail gave way to Big Spring Draft Trail, where we got to see plenty of rhododendrons reaching over the rocks in the stream. We found ourselves at another confusing spot on the #15 Trail, possibly due to a water mitigation project currently under way on the trail, but Kevin’s expertise with the GPS soon got us back on track! Just before Upper Jerry Run, we encountered rattlesnake number three, a bright golden small creature that we both saw in plenty of time. We decided to make the climb up to the Old Sinnemahoning Trail to make camp for the night in order to ensure that we would be able to make it to the post office in town for our food resupply maildrop during the 2 hours of operation offered.
Day #5--Thursday, July 9, 2020
Old Sinnemahoning Trail to Bearfield Hollow--11.7 miles
Today started with a short hike down to the village of Sinnemahoning, or Sinnamahoning (depending on whether one goes by the road sign or by the post office sign). We got to the Sinnamahoning post office shortly before it opened at 9am. We found both the postal clerk and the rural route delivery driver to be very helpful, chatty and friendly. Our food resupply maildrop was there thanks to the magic of general delivery and we spent an hour or so sitting on the sidewalk getting our food bags reorganized. At this point, Kevin realized that he had a food problem; he had overestimated his trail hunger so had an excess of food both in his pack and in his maildrop. The food was too expensive to throw away and not expensive enough to warrant bouncing ahead through the postal mail system, so the only option was to pack it along. We had several nice chats with locals while hanging out at the firehouse and post office. These ranged from a young couple telling us about several local points of interest such as the Sterling Run Ram’s Head rock carving and the Grove Run Turtle Rock and Ring Rock in Sinnemahoning Creek to another local who was starting hydroponic and aeroponic gardens in his house with hopes of turning this into a business. The Sinnemahoning Tavern opened at noon, so we headed there after our packs were situated. Along the way, we were waved over to a house by an extremely friendly local lady who gave us bottles of water to drink. Coincidentally, Kevin had experienced trail magic in the form of water and homemade cookies from this same lady several years ago during another backpacking trip in the area. As soon as the tavern was open, we were sitting in air conditioning and ordering lunch. Our indulgences included a chicken cheesesteak for Kristin and a bacon cheeseburger, fries and Straub lager for Kevin. After lunch, we headed back out into the intense heat and humidity for the short road walk to Jericho and the Donut Hole Trail (DHT). We find it very amusing that there can be a 90 mile long state designated hiking trail that has no signed trailheads and generally no signage and minimal blazing along the way to indicate what trail one is hiking. The only signs we saw were very old rusty metal DHT signs located occasionally at road crossings. Even the printed DCNR map for the trail is somewhat vague as to where the trail goes in certain sections. Fortunately, we had just completed the DHT in three sections in previous backpacking trips over the past couple months so we had figured out all the inconsistencies beforehand. We were saddened to see that the Blue Bus Cabin along the trail in Jericho was being dismantled. The 1000 foot climb up Ellicott Run was tough due the full packs, full stomachs and heat and humidity. After several core cooling breaks along the way up, we reached Montour Road and followed it until the drop into Bearfield Hollow which would be our campsite for the night.
Day #6--Friday, July 10, 2020
Bearfield Hollow to Lock Branch Trail--15 miles
The ferns on Savage Mountain were green and vibrant as we headed across the top, a direct opposite to the vague and faded blazes which also give Savage Mountain a wilderness vibe. A rickety wooden bridge took us out of the Cooks Run area to be followed by the climb up to the Kettle Creek Vista for a super view up the valley. Then it was down, down, down to Kettle Creek State Park on the Butler Trail, with a little confusion near the end as to how to get onto the pavement for the road walk up Kettle Creek Road. After chatting with a few people about our journey in the state park, we headed up the road to soon spot a truck driving by, stopping, and a person leaning out the window and yelling, “Kristin!” Strangely enough, it was Pennsylvania Amphibian and Reptile Survey (PARS) team member, Andy Weber, that Kristin had collaborated on for her Science Club’s pond project at Juniata Valley Elementary School. (Check out PARS at the following link: paherpsurvey.org/) After sharing some stories about recent amphibian and reptile sightings, the Weber family continued on their way to enjoy their day at Kettle Creek State Park. After walking a little further, we made another essential stop to attach a Potter County souvenir license plate that we found in the ditch to Kevin’s backpack, which he then displayed proudly to everyone’s delight and amusement for the remainder of the trip. (It now hangs in a place of honor in our cabin!) Another highlight from the road walk was getting to see a ruffed grouse doing an injury feigning display to distract us from her many young. The final part of the road walk as we continued onto Trout Run Road included a shallow stream crossing and some mud that was no problem for Tony Robbins and his amazing van driving skills when he joined us at camp later that evening. (If you want to go on a wild virtual van ride with Tony, check out a video of his trek into the campsite at the following link: www.facebook.com/tony.robbins1/videos/1540302642810876/) To bring an end to the day, we had a campfire with many thrushes singing us to sleep which ended the evening on a relaxing note.
Day #7--Saturday, July 11, 2020
Lock Branch Trail to Gravel Lick Shelter--13.5 miles
Today would be our challenge day as neither of us had ever hiked in the Hammersley Wild Area and had no idea as to what the trail conditions would be like. We also had a short bushwhack to do before we connected to the Susquehannock Trail (STS) along Hammersley Fork. Kevin’s first task of the day was to unload several pounds of excess food into Tony’s van. This included almost a pound of summer sausage, a couple “extra” dinners and about a pound of “healthy” granola. On the trail, Kevin likes to eat “candy” granola. We very quietly walked through a tent compound occupied by some locals to cross Trout Run and start the climb up Lock Branch Trail. Tony would be hiking with us for a short distance this morning then he would return to his van and drive up to Gravel Lick Shelter and possibly hike down the STS to meet us at the end of the day. Lock Branch Trail was a very obvious old road grade climbing the plateau so the faint and infrequent yellow blazes were not a problem. At the top, the trail curved around through some very nice mature forest with a mix of hardwoods, hemlocks and ferns. It really radiated the sense of hiking through a “wild area.” Shortly, we came to a sign post indicating the top of Beech Bottom Trail which would take us down through the Forrest H. Dutlinger Natural Area which showcases an impressive stand of old growth hemlock and white pine. This was the most impressive stand of old growth hemlock we had ever hiked through and it is a real asset to the PA Wilds Trail route. We felt it surpassed both Snyder-Middleswarth Natural Area and Hemlocks Natural Area. The top of Beech Bottom Trail was vague as far as blazes go and someone had apparently gone through on horseback recently to tie flagging tape to mark the route. This led to a small amount of confusion when the flagging and horse tracks went in one direction and the faint blazes seemed to disappear in another direction. Fortunately, Jason had provided us with a GPS track and Jeff had given us a pretty good written description of trails in this area. We were able to pick up the blazes again very shortly and then followed them to a register box located where the trail begins to drop into the drainage hollow; this register appears to have been placed and maintained by a local hunting camp. At that point, Beech Bottom Trail became very obvious and obviously very well used. The descent to Hammersley Fork was the most visually impressive section of this trail. It was apparent that most hikers were parking at the Dutlinger Trailhead and hiking up Beech Bottom to the register then returning the same way. We took a long break at the bottom of Beech Bottom beside the stream nestled in a rocky crevasse. From there, we hiked upstream following ever diminishing blazes and trail conditions. We didn’t get lost through there, but it was a challenge at times to be sure we were following the actual blazed route. Again, between Jason’s GPS track and Jeff’s great written description, we had no problem. Eventually, while on the trail along the east side of Hammersley Fork, we came to a three way blazed junction. To the left (west) and down to cross the stream again was the route Jeff had suggested while straight ahead and staying on the right (east) side of the stream there appeared to be blazes and some indication of a trail which was consistent with Jason’s GPS track and a description we had received from a local who had hiked in Hammersley quite a bit. We opted to stay with Jeff’s description since he had checked this route out recently and we liked the idea of staying close to the Hammersley Fork. The blazes finally ended at the bottom of Cow Run Hollow starting the real bushwhack section of today’s route; however, it was less than a mile to our junction with the STS. Basically, using Jeff’s description as a reference, we stayed on the bottom land beside the stream and worked our way upstream following the path of least resistance through all the growth. Eventually, the July growth became very dense and we realized that we were ignoring the obvious solution since the water level was very low. So, we were able to easily hike up the streambed in water no deeper than our knees in most spots. This was very nice and refreshing, especially when splashing around on purpose in the stream. After a short distance, we could see what appeared to be a level grade a few feet above the stream on the east side so we climbed up and followed the old rail grade the rest of the way to the junction with the STS. Somewhere in this section of the Hammersley Wild Area we were one tenth of a mile from the most remote spot in Pennsylvania. Based on data from Project Remote, that spot is at least 2.7 miles from a road in any direction. (Check out their website at the following link: www.projectremote.com/blog/pennsylvania/) Back on blazed trail, we made our way to the Hammersley Pool which is another attraction to having the PA Wilds Trail go through this area. We got to the pool and were able to admire it for a minute, then, we turned around and saw rattlesnake number four, a big black phase version, right behind us under the ferns at the edge of the pool. Before we had time to take a photo it began to rain, hard. We put our pack covers on to keep our gear dry but did not bother with rain gear for ourselves as the cool water felt good rinsing the sweat from our bodies. As we continued up the trail, we met a group of four women and their dog who were backpacking from Patterson to Cross Fork; this was only the second encounter with other backpackers on our trip so far. On our way up to McConnell Road, Kristin saw a furry shape moving ghostlike through the ferns...a coyote. Arriving at McConnell Road, we encountered Tony sitting in his van; he had fallen asleep at noon and napped too long to be able to hike down to meet us. We had Gravel Lick Shelter to ourselves that night and Tony set up his hammock in the trees nearby. The rain had pretty much stopped and it felt good to sit in a real chair under a dry roof writing the day’s journal entry and relaxing to be soon followed by supper and a nice campfire. (Note: Do NOT line the bottom of a firepit with porous rocks that may have some moisture content!) Then we were off to bed as we had a 20 mile day lined up for the next day.
Day #8--Sunday, July 12, 2020
Gravel Lick Shelter to Scoval Branch Shelter--20.6 miles
As we left Gravel Lick Shelter, we whispered, “See you later,” to Tony since he was still dreaming (and snoring) in his hammock. Not far down McConnell Road, we were lucky to have a great view at the Hammersley Vista; as far as we know, the only vista available on the entire STS! Arriving at the Twin Sisters Trail after a few miles of dirt road walking, we were a little confused with the blaze colors as it was designated to be either red blazes or no blazes on the maps that come with Chuck Dillon’s Fifth Edition Guide to the Susquehannock Trail System, but the only ones to be found at the trailhead were faded yellow blazes. Thanks to Jason’s GPS track, we followed these blazes after determining that they were the Twin Sisters Trail, but were soon surprised again by bright orange blazes as well! In 1964, a wildfire burned on the Twin Sisters Trail area, leaving a quite striking view for us to enjoy today. After enjoying a long break at the Twin Sisters Burn Scar view, we continued to follow the mostly faded yellow blazes (which had now changed back from the bright orange blazes again) all the way to the STS. On the way to Cross Fork, a member of the Susquehannock Trail Club stopped (in the middle of the paved road) to chat with us for a few minutes and share information about trail conditions and upcoming weather. Luckily, Tony woke up in time to meet up with us at Deb’s Cross Fork Inn for a lunch stop together, skillfully driving his van over bumpy dirt roads yet again! Of course, Kevin and Kristin took a quick side trip to Kinny’s County Store to get a few scoops of hand dipped ice cream to eat before hiking up the STS. Not long after, the sky began to darken and the thunder began, so we hiked quickly to get to the Scoval Branch Shelter to meet up with Tony for another night at camp. Again, we were able to end a rainy day by sitting under a dry roof.
Day #9--Monday, July 13, 2020
Scoval Branch Shelter to Dyer Farm Trail--20.2 miles
We got an early start as this was to be a long day, but it was good that we did this as we were not aware of a couple pleasant delays we would experience during the day. Minutes after leaving the shelter, we were following the pipeline and a deer jumped up out of the tall grass, where it had been bedded down, and ran off. Seconds later, another head popped up out of the grass. This one was much larger and Kristin exclaimed “Hey, what’s that? Is that a llama?” Then, a second large head and neck appeared and we experienced our first true wild elk sighting. Two cow elk were bedded down near the deer giving us a morning view of them running into the forest. That was to be our only elk sighting of the trip and it was exciting! Tony left us at Greenlick Road where he had parked his car the day before. We continued to Greenlick Run revisiting the section where we helped dig sidehill during the DHT trail care weekend the previous fall. Next, we got to cross Greenlick Run on the newly completed bridge that was constructed from a fallen log with the top surface chainsawed to a level surface. Rattlesnake number five showed up at the start of the Morgan Hollow climb. After Morgan Hollow, we decided to take a break at Fork Hill Road and dry some of our wet clothing in the sun. Arriving at the road, we were surprised to see Tony’s van parked there; he had driven to Renovo to purchase lemonade and iced tea to share with us! We had a nice long break there drinking cool drinks with Tony while our clothes dried. A couple miles later we were descending to Big Spring Road and saw someone sitting in a chair on the trail reading a book. Who else could it be other than Pete Fleszar? He was working in the area and thought maybe he could intercept us enroute. After chatting for several minutes, Pete walked to his truck and pulled out a cooler with some ice cold Moxie’s! Wow, trail magic twice in one day! After an impressive demonstration of his folding Brompton City Bike, we headed up the trail as we still had some miles to cover. Soon we departed the STS and started across the North Link Trail (NLT), which is a system of several short trails connecting the STS to the Black Forest Trail (BFT). We had no idea what to expect and were pleasantly surprised to find that it was scenic, nicely blazed and fairly well travelled by hikers, bikers and horseback riders. When we got to where the Railgrade Trail section should have been, we found that the end of it had been obliterated by recent logging operations; however, there were no signs to alert hikers about this. Referring to the maps, we stayed on Pipeline Road and picked up the NLT proper in a short distance. At Dyer Camp, we read about the interesting history of the area during the CCC era and put some coins in the old safe that rests under some large white pines. Then, we made our way down Dyer Farm Trail to a nice campsite location along Dyer Branch for some well deserved rest.
Day #10--Tuesday, July 14, 2020
Dyer Farm Trail to Hemlock Mountain--11.9 miles
After breaking camp, it wasn’t far until we reached the Black Forest Trail near County Line Branch and another chance meeting with a backpacker who Kristin had met before on the Loyalsock Trail, coincidentally also named Kevin. He had been exploring the North Link Trail and the South Link Trail with his wife on an overnight backpacking trip and had also noticed the issues near the logged areas. After enjoying a break with them, we continued on the BFT to find rattlesnakes number six and seven within less than a mile of each other. One of these was directly on the trail, with nowhere but dense laurel to hike through for a bypass, so we had to creatively make our way around while keeping an eye out for more rattlesnakes in the bushes. As we took the Old Cut Off Trail to head over to Hemlock Mountain, we were definitely starting to feel the wear and tear of ten days on trail with no zero days, so we were glad when we arrived at camp early. After setting up camp and taking our first nap, we ate our first supper of the evening which was followed by our second nap and our second supper of the evening, after which we felt much better. As we prepared to fall asleep for the third time, this time for the remainder of the night, we observed what we call “bush digger” birds whose behavior includes pulling leaves up from the ground rather violently with their feet, apparently to look for food. As a barred owl hooted from Hemlock Mountain, we were relieved to be turning in for a good night’s sleep before tomorrow’s trek to Hotel Manor.
Day #11--Wednesday, July 15, 2020
Hemlock Mountain to Hotel Manor--14.2 miles
We awoke early this morning so we could watch daybreak in the Pine Creek Valley from Hemlock Mountain; it was spectacular to see the valley obscured by fog and then to watch the fog rise up to reveal the valley floor. This has to be one of the best vistas on the BFT and yet another of the many highlights of the PA Wilds Trail. Hiking up from Naval Run, we passed the trail leading to the old Webber homestead and spent some time thinking and talking about Bob Webber and his contributions to the trails in the area, especially the BFT. We always enjoy coming across one of Bob’s numerous old hand axe cut blowdowns. Soon after, we walked the short Bicentennial Trail out to an impressive solitary old growth hemlock tree that is too large in diameter for two hikers to encircle with their arms. On Pine Hollow Road, we encountered three backpackers sitting on folding chairs on the road. We chatted with them for a couple of minutes then, as we were starting down the road only a couple feet from where they were sitting, we heard the familiar buzz coming from rattlesnake number eight which was just off the road under some overhanging laurel. The crystal clear pond at Camp Foster was a great break stop, as usual, for this trail; Kristin spotted a few floating rafts of sticky amphibian eggs as she explored the perimeter of the pond. We then quickly made our way down the BFT to Slate Run and Hotel Manor where we had a room reserved for two nights, and another food resupply maildrop waiting for us. It was exhilarating to be able to shower for the first time in eleven days and put on our cleanest dirty clothes to walk over to Wolfe’s General Store for hand dipped ice cream and to stock up on snacks for our zero day tomorrow. Then we headed back to the hotel to start our “sink laundry” process before dinner. Due to COVID restrictions, the hotel offered an order and pickup window and outdoor deck seating arrangement which was fine with us as the weather was beautiful and the deck overlooked scenic Pine Creek. Dinner was delicious grilled chicken salad for both of us and a New Trail Broken Heels brew for Kevin. After dinner, we spent some time sorting our food resupply maildrop and Kevin discovered, yet again, that he had an excess amount of food. The cumulative total of all his excess food was starting to add up to several pounds. Then it was off to bed in a real bed for some real rest.
Day #12--Thursday, July 16, 2020
Zero Day at Hotel Manor--0 miles
After a lovely morning sleeping in later than usual in a real bed, we headed down to the breakfast nook to indulge in the continental breakfast offerings from Hotel Manor. Then, we relaxed in the lounge area upstairs and the chairs outside near the bank of Pine Creek, before having a midday snack of crackers, cheese, almonds, and mangos. We leisurely read books from the hotel’s library until it was supper time, followed by more reading, relaxing and a hot bath before a bedtime snack. Definitely a perfect way to spend our zero day, so that we could recharge for the rest of the journey!
Day #13--Friday, July 17, 2020
Hotel Manor to Little Italy--10.8 miles
Today was a short mileage day, but we knew it would include the Wolf Run bushwhack that potentially could slow us down. We started with an easy stroll down the Pine Creek Rail Trail noting that it would be possible for hikers to arrange for camping at either Tomb Flats or Black Walnut Bottom. Then we had a good morning workout climbing up Golden Eagle Trail (GET) stopping at Ravens Horn for another great view down Pine Creek Valley. Again, another highlight of the route. The section of GET that followed Wolf Run upstream climbing back to the top of the plateau was fairly easy and unexpectedly pretty as it transitioned from rocky stream crossings with ferns and moss to a pine needle carpeted pathway under nice hemlock trees to hardwood forest on top. We departed the GET at the top and began the bushwhack down O’Brian Hollow to Mill Run where we would follow unblazed and unmaintained trails to the Mid State Trail (MST). If one did not want to do the bushwhack section, it would be easy and not unpleasant to hike out Beulah Land Road to Barrens Road and connect with the MST bypassing the unblazed Wolf Run Wild Area trails. However, we had decided earlier that we wanted to include the wild area bushwack on our route. We had scouted the bushwhack back in April using a GPS track provided by Pete and had marked the route with flagging tape to make today’s hike easier; we also had decided to remove the flagging tape when we finally did hike through. Previously, Dave and Eriks had also taken this route to the MST on their hike; however, Jason had hiked the Black Forest - Algerine - Long Branch Trail to West Rim Trail on his hike. Having already seen eight rattlesnakes on the trip and hearing that Dave had encountered what he described as the largest rattlesnake he had ever seen in this section we were on high alert again. GPS in one hand and trekking pole for thrashing the laurel to check for snakes in the other, we headed off the blazed trail and into O’Brian Hollow. As we made our way down, Kristin removed the flagging from the earlier scouting trip. At the junction of Mill Run and Sebring Branch, we continued downstream to a campsite that Pete had recommended at an area called “Little Italy,” an area where the immigrant track workers building the Oregon & Texas logging railroad lived from 1892 to 1900. We found Little Italy to be a nice campsite situated along Mill Run at a small waterfall with another even smaller waterfall coming down a ten to fifteen foot drop into Mill Run from another stream. We were able to cool off in the deep pool below the waterfall before cooking dinner and heading to the tent for the night.
Day #14--Saturday, July 18, 2020
Little Italy to Gillespie Point--14.8 miles
After waking up to the sound of the dual waterfalls at our campsite, we headed up the Sebring Branch to meet Ben A. at Barrens Road since he would be joining us for the remainder of the journey. Luckily, Kevin was also able to stash his several pounds of too much food in Ben's car. We enjoyed a short break at the hundred plus year old cabin at Brown Fork, checking the trail register for our past entries from our past backpacking trips on the MST. As we continued up the MST, we noticed how low the water was for the stream crossings at Trout Run, Big Run and Brill Run; our feet had gotten soaked in the much deeper water during any of our previous crossings of these streams in the past. We were rewarded after the climb up to Gillespie Point by a pre-sunset view both up and down Pine Creek Valley. We made camp near the vista and caught a proper sunset view before heading into our tents for a very still and quiet night with only a chorus of owls breaking the silence in the early hours of the morning.
Day #15--Sunday, July 19, 2020
Gillespie Point to Bradley Wales Picnic Area--14.5 miles
We were up early to catch the spectacular sunrise view over the Pine Creek Valley. Miller’s Store in Blackwell did not open until 9am, so there was no rush to break camp. As planned, we were sitting on the deck waiting to order ice cream as soon as the store opened. Hand dipped ice cream for second breakfast is definitely a must have trail treat. They also had an offering of fresh brewed coffee. Ben indulged (overindulged?) by having a Moxie, a coffee and a home made breakfast sandwich which he described as being, possibly, the best breakfast sandwich he had ever eaten, followed by ice cream; all of this in a half hour span. Near the top of Bohen Run Trail, we stopped for a break, but not for long as we heard the familiar buzz once again and there, no more than ten feet away, was rattlesnake number nine, the last rattlesnake for the trip. The hike on the southern section of the West Rim Trail (WRT) was mostly slogging through laurel growth trying not to overheat as the temperature rose into the upper 80’s and the humidity was high. Unfortunately, we found that the views shown on the map in this area were pretty overgrown. At this point, Kevin was voicing his opinion that he wasn’t so sure the WRT was the best way to end the trip, due to this issue. Upon reaching our targeted campsite for the day, we evaluated the time, the water situation and the lack of a nice canyon view (this may be different in the fall when the leaves come off the trees) and decided to push on to Bradley Wales Picnic Area. On a short roadwalk section, we were able to fill all our water bottles at a small spring along the road. Then, with less than a mile to go, we could hear thunder and see the sky darkening. As soon as we put our Frogg Toggs and pack covers on, the rain arrived; it was a hard drenching downpour with thunder and lightning making the trail into a running stream several inches deep. Reaching Bradley Wales Picnic Area, we gratefully took shelter in the spacious restroom until the storm passed. As the sky somewhat cleared, we made our way to the canyon edge and there, at the first really great view of the Pennsylvania Grand Canyon, we found a nice campsite sheltered back under some tall hemlocks. Due to the timing of the weather, we had the interesting experience of seeing the canyon floor clearly one minute and then seeing it totally obscured by fog the next. Wet clothes were hung to dry as much as possible overnight and suppers were cooked. After supper, we stood at the overlook fence watching darkness descend into the canyon.
Day #16--Wednesday, July 20, 2020
Bradley Wales Picnic Area to Bear Run--13.7 miles
Before getting started with today’s miles, we emerged from our tents early to catch the sunrise view of the Pine Creek Valley. As we continued up the WRT, the views continued although they were still a bit overgrown in places. The beautiful sunrise from Bradley Wales Picnic Area along with the many stunning vistas along the way today totally reversed Kevin’s opinion about ending the trip on the WRT. The north half of the WRT was, in our estimation, the only really scenic part of the WRT. Ben took Seimons Trail with plans to meet up with us further ahead on the WRT at Painter Leetonia Road while we walked the WRT through a rail grade carpeted with pine needles. After meeting up with Ben again, we enjoyed splashing around in Four Mile Run’s swimming hole, which included a nice campsite near the road. Later at Colton Road, Ben continued on to the Bear Run campsite while we walked over to Colton Point State Park to check out the views of the PA Grand Canyon. The views were similar to the ones we had seen already with a bit of overgrowth obscuring the view, but there was a mostly clear view on the southern end of the park where you could look across the canyon to see Leonard Harrison State Park, which is situated on the opposite rim of the canyon. During our walk in Colton Point State Park, we also noticed the Turkey Trail which we determined could be used for a rim to rim hike of the PA Grand Canyon, hopefully a future trip for us. On the way to the campsite, we were surprised with a very clear view of the PA Grand Canyon on Colton Road just north of the park. We felt that this view alone could justify bypassing a short section of the WRT. If time permitted, hiking to the view of Leonard Harrison State Park would also be worthwhile. That small detour really did not add much time to the day’s hike and we had the bonus of being able to use the bathroom and picnic pavilion at the park. We arrived at the campsite to celebrate our last night on the trail indulging in double chocolate sea salt macaroons and a campfire to end the day.
Day #17--Thursday, July 21, 2020
Bear Run to the Northern Trailhead of the West Rim Trail--5.1 miles
With a bit of sadness, we packed up for the last time on this trip; the hike had been so enjoyable that we did not want it to end. We stopped for photos at several really nice views along the way today, possibly the best on the WRT. We also passed several groups of backpackers; there were more backpackers on the WRT than on the entire rest of the PA Wilds Trail route. It was great to see several families and so many young adults out there experiencing the outdoors. About halfway to Ansonia, we passed a spot that was marked on the map as Barbour Rock with a short side trail around it. We turned off the WRT to see what this Barbour Rock was all about. Well, it wasn’t about much at all. The trail made a loop around Barbour Rock so we hiked off trail up to the top, but could best describe it as Barbour Bump; we have seen speed bumps more impressive than this. After that, we were in “get to the end of the trail” mode. After a short stop for a final register entry, we crossed the finish line with clasped hands raised in the air. A couple seconds after arriving at the parking lot, we noticed a maroon minivan parked nearby. It was Tony! He had driven an hour and a half to be there when we finished. Our plan was to stop at the nearby Burnin’ Barrel Bar for a celebratory lunch; however, the Burnin’ Barrel Bar was a bust, closed unexpectedly today. We then started checking to see what was open at 11am on a Tuesday near Ansonia for a burger and a beer. The answer was, not much! In fact, not anything! We ended up driving all the way back to Hotel Manor in Slate Run since it seemed all the usual regional haunts along the way were closed. This was fine with us as the food at Hotel Manor was great and they had a good selection of craft beers as well. We got to sit at our “regular” spot on the deck overlooking Pine Creek reviewing all the great memories of the trip. Then, we then walked over to Wolfe’s General Store for, you guessed it, another hand dipped ice cream cone. A double dip of cappuccino crunch on top of teaberry is worth hiking over 200 miles for, according to Kevin at least. Tony headed for home and we drove Ben to retrieve his car on Barrens Road before heading for home and a bath and a nice long rest ourselves.
Thoughts After the Trail
This route is, simply stated, a really outstanding way to experience, in depth and at length, the beauty and wildness of the PA Wilds. One of the great things about the PA Wilds Trail is that it gives the hiker a chance to see an assortment of both the well known and the not so well known highlights of the PA Wilds area. By exploring the area on a backpacking trip, you really get to immerse yourself fully in the isolated, backcountry atmosphere. Another positive aspect to Jeff’s vision for the PA Wilds Trail is that it really can be a “choose your own adventure” type of hike. Additionally, there are so many worthwhile route possibilities that it would be a shame to pin it down to only one “official” route. The ability to tailor it to our personal time frame and scenery preferences made it even more exciting during the planning process. Even though the PA Wilds Trail doesn’t have an excess of resupply points, we were able to make arrangements for our food resupply maildrops at the Sinnamahoning Post Office and Hotel Manor, with a possible other location for this approach being the Cross Fork Post Office. We were also able to supplement our backpacking food with treats at the Sinnemahoning Tavern, Kinny’s General Store and the Deb’s Cross Fork Inn in Cross Fork, Wolfe’s General Store and the Hotel Manor Restaurant in Slate Run, and Miller’s Store in Blackwell. Would we go on this amazing PA Wilds Trail adventure again? What do you think?
