Susquehannock Trail combined with Black Forest Trail

[stranger]

If you wanted to hike the Susquehannock Trail combined with the Black Forest Trail for a 125 mile trip, how would you go about doing it?

Obviously Cross Fork is the resupply option, just can't get a picture in my mind of how it would be done as I don't have my STS guide with me. Anyone ever do this? Probably the best hike in PA!

Any help appreciated.

[Cookerhiker]

I hiked each trail separately. There are 2 connector trail options emanating from the east side of the Susquehannock. Each is about 8 miles long.

I would start at the STS northern terminus and hike clockwise. To keep your pack light, perhaps you can leave a supply box at Ole Bull State Park. Take the first connector trail to the BFT, hike the 42 miles and back to the STS, hike on to Cross Forks where you've left another supply box at the motel, and from there, it's 2 days back to the northern terminus.

You might be able to leave a supply box at Slate Run which as I recall is fairly close to the BFT.

Before hiking either trail, check with the State Forest Office or Pine Creek Outfitters to determine if the Marcellus Shale operations have affected the trail.

Lastly, WB's Toolshed is the go-to guy on these Northern PA trails but he's currently section-hiking the AT in Georgia. Check with him when he returns

[Penn-J]

I just got back from hiking the whole Susquehannock Trail to get my trail legs under me a little bit before heading out west for a PCT thru-hike a tempt. (I leave Monday) It was well blazed and well worth doing.
A few weeks earlier, I attempted to do a loop hike using the two link trails that connect the Black Forrest trail and Susquehannock trail that Cookerhiker mentioned. I started on Rte 44 and hiked south to get to the north link trail but never saw it. So I figured I'd just keep hiking till I came to the south link trail but never saw that one either. Maybe I was daydreaming and just missed them. But I swear I never saw any sign for those link trails. I was frustrated so I just hitched back to my car once I hit rte 44 again.
I have hiked the Black Forrest Trail twice (my favorite in the state) and remember seeing the link trail signs before.
Maybe they just haven't done any work on them in a while.
Any hoo, I just wanted to give you a heads up on that.
Good luck with your hike!

[stranger]

Thanks I've hiked the Susquenannock before and heard the fracking in the area hasn't affected the STS atleast, not sure about the Black Forest Trail. I know both the Loyalsock and Quehanna have been damaged from fracking.

Cookerhiker that sounds like a good plan, I'm sure if I had an overview map and could see how each trail was placed I would be able to figure it out, I didn't realise the two trails were connected with link trails, I thought they came together at one stage, but not thinking perhaps I'm thinking about the Donut Hole Trail.

Will check with Toolshed when he gets back, might just do them both seperately if there is some issues with the link trails. I love the STS.

[Toolshed]

Hey Cooker. I ended up not going on my section. I need to get up to WNY tomorrow and see my parents. My mom has been having some AFib problems. This was a lot of the consternation I had over whether to go hiking or not, but I didn't want to get into Details in my thread from last week ... I think I made the right decision.The trail should still be there later this year....

Anyways, right on. Start at the Northern District Forestry Office on Rte 6 and head towards Lyman Run (clockwise) and up over Cardiac Climb to Cherry Springs F/T (about 15 miles). From there, it is about another 10 Miles to Ole Bull State Park. (This is a great 2nd night stopping point and they have a cold soda machine)...From OBSP, it is about another 7-8 Miles to the Northern Connector (Blue Blazes). The connector takes you way out onto a peninsula/plateau, like a long jutting finger, first down the West (or south?) side and then back up the East (or North?) side and then winds around another long jutting finger before it hits the BFT. It is about 9-10 miles long. you get onto the BFT round Mile 12 along the Shay line on the West Side. (More on this later). If you stay on the STS, You will pass the Southern Link (Blue Blazes) in about 2 miles and then the Donut Hole Trail in a couple of miles more Miles. there is a very steep stretch that then takes you down to Young Womans Creek with a nice footbridge...From there it is a nice 5-6 mile climb over a mountain and onto another donut hole Trail Intersection (I think the DH Trail is Red blazes) and then about another 5 miles to Cross Forks (I think this is the 50 mile point, or close to it) (Store, Motel, Southern District Forestry Office, though I don't recall if it is staffed anymore... Also Rattlesnake Roundup Festival in June)

From CF, you enter my favorite area - Hammersly Wild Area - there is some highway walk and then a long climb over another mountain and then down into Hammersly Forks and the Pool around 5-6 miles from CF. A great place to while away a hot afternoon. From there it is about 7 miles to the Sinnamahoning river - A nice long walk along the Hammersly and an old flooded beaver meadow with apple trees along the old rail line junctions where the train engineerss stopped for lunch 100 years ago and threw out their apple cores...

It is a short walk along the Sinnemahoning to Williams Barn (Landmark) and up & down more mountains for about 17-18 Miles Past Prouty place (Nice Campsite) to Patterson State Park (used to be an awesome place to camp out during a rainstorm, with it's big Pavilion, pump and bathrooms) . From here it is only about 5-6 miles back to your starting point NDFO (about a 2 hours hike to the end).
This normally takes 6-8 days. If you add the connecters and the BFT, it is about another 55 miles, unless you backtrack and pick up the pieces you missed on the STS and the BFT between the link Trails.
The South Link Traverses valleys, while the North Link stays on the mountain. (One is blue squares and the other is Blue circles I don't recall), the SL trail meets the BFT not too far from a spring in a field on the BFT. ( It might alternatively be called the Baldwin Gasline trail but cannot recall for sure).
SO the North link hooks up around MP 12 and the SL hooks up around MP 20. Counterclockwise on the BFT, it is a nice hike over to Hemlock Mountain at MP 30 (Pump enough overnight water in Callahan Run as you climb up Hemlock) You will want to camp out on top of Hemlock. It is dry, but offers outstanding views of Pine Creek and was the site of our full moon howl for years) From Hemlock, you will have some steep downs and ups (and downs) for about 12 miles to Slate Run (watch out for rattlesnakes at the ponds at Foster's Hollow). you can resupply at the small general store in the sleepy little hamlet of Slate Run. You can then back track 1/2 mile up the trail and camp along Slate Run on the soft Hemlock needles and swim in the holes there.
you will then continue counterclockwise starting at MP 0 on the BFT and should be able to get back to the NL trail by the end of the first day, or take your time and make it 2 days.

So if you start from the STS ND Forestry Office, You can make it to Slate Run in about 5-6 days
Night 1 Cherry Springs
Night 2 OBSP
Night 3 plenty of spots on SL Trail before BFT Junction
Night 4 Hemlock Mountain
Night 5 (Resupply@ Slate run General Store) and Camp on Slate Run (there is also a nice Bar about 1/2 mile from the campsite .
Night 6 Somewhere around BFT MP 12 NL Junction or on NL Trail
Night 7 Young Womans Creek (STS)
Night 8 Cross Forks Resupply / motel
Night 9 Hammersly Wild area or just before Sinnemahoning - Very nice campsite
Night 10 Near Prouty Place Campsite
Day 11 - Finish at NDFO
This is just a suggested Itinerary and it saves you from having more than 4-5 days food at any given time. I am going off Memory for mileage, but having hiked them so many times over the years, I feel sometimes like I know the area like the back of my hand.....Water is plentiful and the campsites are all primitive but very nice. There are plenty of streams to swim and cool off in and people are hard to find...

Good Luck
Rick AKA Toolshed

[stranger]

Awesome! Thanks Toolshed! Amazing amount of information there!

Old Bull also has hot showers! I think I camped under the pavillion at Prouty Place, is it by the road? That campsite down by Sinnemahoning Creek, below the railroad grade was awesome, I remember 8 stakes going in like firm butter...the joys of hiking haha

[Cookerhiker]

Awesome! Thanks Toolshed! Amazing amount of information there!

Old Bull also has hot showers! I think I camped under the pavillion at Prouty Place, is it by the road? That campsite down by Sinnemahoning Creek, below the railroad grade was awesome, I remember 8 stakes going in like firm butter...the joys of hiking haha

If you didn't see this, my writeup of hiking the STS is on this thread. The only thing I would add to Toolshed's piece is to note that there is much slabbing on the STS, enough that I experienced side-of-the-heel blisters. But since you've already hiked the STS, you know that. In general, I felt the BFT's slopes were steeper and rockier. The STS grading was quite reasonable - I really enjoyed the uphills.

[Toolshed]

The camp area for prouty place was farther from the road. I seem to recall an old gated logging road near it. Perhaps your thinking of Patterson SP -Just up from Prouty Place with a big beautiful open air pavilion.. Yes the Sinnemohing campsite is very nice. I remember camping there one cold octboer night and teh house on teh other side of the tracks was all lit up and looked so warm and inviting. I fantasized they were in there reclining on soft couches with hot cocoa, nice3 hot pocorn and a TV Remote LOL.......

[micnap]

I just returned yesterday from doing the loop that Penn-J mentioned - BFT - South Link Trail - STS - North Link Trail.

The reason you missed the North Link Trail is because the sign where the NLT meets the BFT says Cou-Dyer trail. There is never any mention of the North Link Trail (thank goodness for an Android phone with GPS and the Backcountry Navigator Pro for cleaning that up). And you can be glad you missed the South Link Trail. It wasn't that much of a trail. It was basically a bunch of blazes on trees that you hike cross-country to follow - while crossing the same stream 8 million times traveling at about 1 mph. So, I'd highly recommend going back and forth between the BFT and STS using the North Link Trail. The NLT is mostly old railroad beds and dirt roads - very flat. There is a confusing area that is a reroute from the guidebook that I had (1997 STS guide book) that adds a mile to the North Link Trail. Also, most of the NLT is red blazed. There are very few blue blazes except on the eastern couple of miles.

HTH,
Mickey

[micnap]

*clearing that up