View Full Version : Pa. rocks!
We did our first hike AT hike beginning at the DWG and ending in Wind Gap. The first 6-8 miles were great but after that the rocks began taking a toll on our feet. My question is; Is this typical of the terrain in Pa.? At what point do the rocks not become as big an issue??
idk theres rocks evrywhere on traiil u just deal with it idk i remember rolln my ankle a few times nothn to bad.. i just rememberd bein mad that there where rocks in jersey and NY after i got out of PA and evryone was sayn its not rocky..
Cookerhiker
03-29-2010, 11:28
From a southbound perspective, generally after you descend down to Swatara Gap - the first (northernmost) I-81 crossing. There are a few rocky areas between Rt. 325 and Duncannon and maybe 1-2 in the 10 miles south of Duncannon but IMO and recollection, those areas weren't as extensive as north of Swatara Gap.
We did our first hike AT hike beginning at the DWG and ending in Wind Gap. The first 6-8 miles were great but after that the rocks began taking a toll on our feet. My question is; Is this typical of the terrain in Pa.? At what point do the rocks not become as big an issue??
That section is probably one of the rockiest I remember.
But, you only met the relatively small rocks that stick up at odd angles that, seen from a distance, looks like a bed of nails.
Further down you get into big rocks you get to climb over.... but don't worry, you can use the little rocks to hop up on the big ones. :)
In all seriousness, for me it was a mental thing. Get in the groove and it's not so bad. Especially if you're hiking south. Once you get to the last 90 miles of PA you'll forget all about the rocks.
Kerosene
03-29-2010, 14:30
Having hiked all of the Mid-Atlantic states in typically week-long sections, I frankly never got used to the rocks. It was amazing to hit the boardwalks/roads/meadows of southern NY, and it was even easier south of Harpers Ferry. However, you hiked the absolute worst section of extended pointy-little-ankle-wrenching-rocks on the AT.
The section from DWG to Wind Gap is the rockiest section for bad footing on the entire AT, bar none. South of Wind Gap is rocky in spots, sometimes stretches, but nothing compared to the section you did. Once you are south of Port Clinton the rocks aren't bad at all. There, but not bad.
sasquatch2014
03-29-2010, 14:51
Do it with a bit of snow cover and it smoothes things out a lot. I did it in Jan of this year and it was not bad at all. I still have the big slab rocks of PA to do.
Do it with a bit of snow cover and it smoothes things out a lot. I did it in Jan of this year and it was not bad at all. I still have the big slab rocks of PA to do.
If you have stronger ankles, the big slab rocks are a load of fun. Not everyone's cup of tea, but for some of us, a blast and a half.
Blissful
03-29-2010, 20:05
Nice thing going NOBO the rocks get you ready for the king size rocks in NE.
You hit the rockiest section jackpot for your first hike. I struggled the first time we did the rocky parts of PA. Several years later, we went back and repeated some of the rockier sections--I am not sure if it was the lighter pack, the trail runners (v. boots), or just the fact that I had gained some confidence--but the rocks didn't seem like anything other than an annoyance. I think its mostly mind over matter (or, in this case, feet).
Appalachian Tater
03-29-2010, 23:20
That is one of the worst places for rocks. They are not big enough to stand on and go from rock to rock and they are too close together to step between and so it is impossible to avoid the destruction they wreak on your feet. If you have a pair of boots or hard inserts, that's the place to wear them.
I have hiked a lot around DWG. i have also done a lot around rt.225, Peter's MNt. Its rocky. i associate it to driving in a car without a seatbelt on a pothole filled road. I am bouncing around avoiding potential ankle rolls, and at times stumbling to avoid an ankle roll. But i love it in a sense because i am so focused on my footing that i dont look up so far ahead that i get discouraged that everything is so far off. Someone here said you just get in a groove and that is so true. Be steady and deliberate, keep truckin and dont look too far ahead!
The rocks start in Georgia and end in Maine.
Cookerhiker
03-30-2010, 07:17
That is one of the worst places for rocks. They are not big enough to stand on and go from rock to rock and they are too close together to step between and so it is impossible to avoid the destruction they wreak on your feet. If you have a pair of boots or hard inserts, that's the place to wear them.
Very well said - this summarizes it nicely.
I also think that PA's relatively level terrain makes the rocks more frustrating. If not for the rocks, you could stride at over 3 mph but having to walk as Tater describes slows you down and make you look at your feet all the time.
If PA's rocks were on slopes of 3,000' ascents in 2 1/2 mile stretches, no one would bitch about the rocks per se.
Thanks for the input, everyone. Hopefully then, the worst is behind us. Heading back out soon to hit the next section.
PA is where boots go to die.....
Wise Old Owl
04-04-2010, 20:41
PA is where boots go to die.....
very profound.