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View Full Version : Newbie WBer looking for section hike PA



Niko
01-03-2013, 11:36
Hey all! Newbie Whiteblazer here, names Niko, no trail name.....yet. I WILL thru hike one day, but for next few summers looking to do some section hiking to get my feet wet, if you will, and gear up for a full thru hike eventually. I've done a lot of camping, as a scout and just as a young buck, still do many day hikes and made some weekend trip hikes here and there. I live in PA, south of Allentown, so I have a few trail heads to get to fairly easily. Was looking to see if there were any sections of PA you would recommend for some good scenery or suggestions on where to start/end about a week long 5-7 day trek? I also have family down in WV for rides to and from certain areas of the trail. I tried posting something like this before, didn't seem to work. Probably didn't do it right. Anyway, Let me know if I did this correctly or if I should be posting elsewhere. (Is there a way to check or get updates to the threads that I post?)
Thanks.


Just a side note: this site seriously rocks. I'm not trying to kiss a$$ or anything, but I have found great information and insight into various aspects of hiking the trail, or any trail for that matter, here on white blaze. The amount of people who are willing to give help to newbies like me is just awesome. Kudos to all of you who help to keep this thing going. Happy to have stumbled onto such a community as white blaze.

Again,
Thanks everyone and happy hiking.
Niko

tf bear
01-03-2013, 11:50
Welcome Neko! You sound like a guy I played hockey with. Anyway a great PA type hike is from Harpers Ferry to Duncannon, easy to take Amtrak to and from the trail head. Lots of good sights to see. About 125 miles. Logistically a great section hike for anyone located in your area

HikerMom58
01-03-2013, 11:57
:Hey- Hi Niko... welcome. :) My daughter and I are hiking a PA section this coming May for about 5 days. We will be starting somewhere right before Boiling Springs heading north, just past the James Fry Shelter. You can hike with us if it works out for you....we are getting a shuttle to help us with this section.

There is some way to get updates on ur thread posts but I just keep checking back, if I post a thread.

So glad you found "us"... we are a great site! :)

Niko
01-03-2013, 12:06
:Hey- Hi Niko... welcome. :) My daughter and I are hiking a PA section this coming May for about 5 days. We will be starting somewhere right before Boiling Springs heading north, just past the James Fry Shelter. You can hike with us if it works out for you....we are getting a shuttle to help us with this section.

There is some way to get updates on ur thread posts but I just keep checking back, if I post a thread.

So glad you found "us"... we are a great site! :)

Thanks so much for the suggestion/offer! That is so kind. I just found my previous thread and had a few replies. Woops. Haha, oh well. Between my previous post and this one, had a few suggest the below section that I might try first.


Welcome Neko! You sound like a guy I played hockey with. Anyway a great PA type hike is from Harpers Ferry to Duncannon, easy to take Amtrak to and from the trail head. Lots of good sights to see. About 125 miles. Logistically a great section hike for anyone located in your area

This sounds like one I may be trying thanks for the suggestion. Now to get it (loosely) planned out!

HikerMom58
01-03-2013, 12:10
Glad you found a section. That will be a good one! :) And you're welcome!

gizzy bear
01-03-2013, 12:22
i am not able to give you much insight on the trail in PA...but i am capable of letting you know your post came thru :) and this site is VERY informative for n00bs...we are hiking the last section of the AT NOBO in august-sept and have learned ALOT from WB... and the cherry on top....you can get some laughs here as well...good luck to you !!

Cookerhiker
01-03-2013, 12:54
Are you limiting your PA section hikes to the AT? PA has lots of nice trails including the Susquehannock, Black Forest, DoNut Hole, Mid-State, Laurel Highlands, Tuscarora.

Niko
01-03-2013, 12:59
i am not able to give you much insight on the trail in PA...but i am capable of letting you know your post came thru :) and this site is VERY informative for n00bs...we are hiking the last section of the AT NOBO in august-sept and have learned ALOT from WB... and the cherry on top....you can get some laughs here as well...good luck to you !!

Thanks for letting me know! Haha, I think I'm getting the hang of it now. Good luck to you on your last section, that must be super exciting! Yeah, there was a thread of craziest things you seen on the trail which had me cracking up laughing.

Niko
01-03-2013, 13:02
Are you limiting your PA section hikes to the AT? PA has lots of nice trails including the Susquehannock, Black Forest, DoNut Hole, Mid-State, Laurel Highlands, Tuscarora.

Not at all. I wasn't sure of what other trails were out there. I did see that there are alot of trails that are part of the GET, which was new info to me. Found those very interesting and now looking into more. I think this spring I'll try Harpers Ferry to Duncannon as suggested and then maybe do some weekend or day hikes elsewhere exploring other trails in PA. If you have any suggestions (other than the ones you've listed) of good ones or ones that you really liked and suggest, let me know. Much appreciated.

Niko
01-03-2013, 13:05
Thanks for letting me know! Haha, I think I'm getting the hang of it now. Good luck to you on your last section, that must be super exciting! Yeah, there was a thread of craziest things you seen on the trail which had me cracking up laughing.

I've hiked Glen Onoko fallsup in Jim Thorpe more times than I can count (kind of my go to day hike) and although beautiful, it gets crowded and was looking for some new treks, and something to cover more miles and get my legs in shape

Cookerhiker
01-03-2013, 14:14
Not at all. I wasn't sure of what other trails were out there. I did see that there are alot of trails that are part of the GET, which was new info to me. Found those very interesting and now looking into more. I think this spring I'll try Harpers Ferry to Duncannon as suggested and then maybe do some weekend or day hikes elsewhere exploring other trails in PA. If you have any suggestions (other than the ones you've listed) of good ones or ones that you really liked and suggest, let me know. Much appreciated.

2 of the trails I mentioned are loops and ideal for either a long weekend (Black Forest Trail (http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/forestry/recreation/hiking/stateforesttrails/blackforesttrail/index.htm), 42 miles) or a week (Susquehannock Trail (http://www.stc-hike.org/), 87 miles). Both are very picturesque with hemlock and other evergreen forests, plenty of water (unlike the ridgetop trails e.g. the AT in PA east of the Susquehanna R.), and challenging but not impossibly so. The terrain isn't mountainous as much as full of gorges and descents into them - I call it down-and-up hiking more than up-and-down. Lots of good campsites on each of them.

I've also hiked the Laurel Highlands Trail (http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/stateparks/lhht/index.htm) which is a linear 70 mile ridgetop trail whose southern terminus is at Ohiopyle State Park in SW PA. Despite being ridgetop, it's noticeably less rocky than the AT or Tuscarora. Being a linear trail, you'd have to find a shuttle. Camping along this trail is identical to the Smokies in NC & TN - you're required to stay in the shelters and you must make reservations.

If you'd like to see WBers' experiences (including mine) on these 3 trails, click on "Forum" from the WB main menu, go to "Other Trails" (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/forumdisplay.php?105-Other-Trails) thread, and use the search feature by simply typing the trail name. You'll see lots of posts.

Best of luck on your hiking.

Hipcheck
01-25-2013, 03:25
I'm moving back to the Lehigh Valley soon.. After Katahdin I ended up moving into my hiking partners spare room in Delaware. It was easier to acclimate back into society with someone who experienced everything I did... The sections mentioned in PA are great. If you ever want a hiking partner let me know! I'm thinking about heading south for a few days of trail magic in March or April.. If you wanted to get a real taste of the trail life, you'd be more than welcome to join!

lukabrazi
01-25-2013, 08:16
If your willing to stray from the AT there are some nice loop trails that make logistics very easy. Black Forest Trail is a good one. One of my favorites is Old Loggers Path. There are some nice campsites with swimming holes.

kidchill
01-25-2013, 18:33
Yah, I live in central PA and Old Loggers is pretty cool. There's not a ton of views, but the areas with water are nice. If I were to hike the AT again in PA, it would be North of the town of Hamburg. The pinnacle and knife's edge were the most memorable parts of PA (just my opinion). Of course, I did that section in pouring down rain, so that may have something to do with it being memorable. If you google AT shuttle list, you'll find a list of people that offer shuttles to the surrounding areas and I believe there's a town near Hamburg that has a hostel and offers shuttles (I didn't stay there, so this is second hand info).

Niko
01-25-2013, 20:55
I'm moving back to the Lehigh Valley soon.. After Katahdin I ended up moving into my hiking partners spare room in Delaware. It was easier to acclimate back into society with someone who experienced everything I did... The sections mentioned in PA are great. If you ever want a hiking partner let me know! I'm thinking about heading south for a few days of trail magic in March or April.. If you wanted to get a real taste of the trail life, you'd be more than welcome to join!

Where abouts south are you planning on for the trail magic?

Niko
01-25-2013, 20:57
I'm moving back to the Lehigh Valley soon.. After Katahdin I ended up moving into my hiking partners spare room in Delaware. It was easier to acclimate back into society with someone who experienced everything I did... The sections mentioned in PA are great. If you ever want a hiking partner let me know! I'm thinking about heading south for a few days of trail magic in March or April.. If you wanted to get a real taste of the trail life, you'd be more than welcome to join!

And where abouts in the LV are you from? Also, where in Delaware are you staying? My Ma Dukes has a rental house in Delaware. Near Slaughter Beach.