View Full Version : Does PA Rock!
Was on the trail in PA from May22 to June3. Went south from DWG to Duncannon. Nice views had a great time, meet some nice folks. But I think the ATC needs to do some research. There has to be at least one more God forsaken pile of rocks spewed strait from the pits of Hell to reroute the trail across.
jackiebolen
06-24-2005, 14:12
In PA, I managed to convince myself that it wasn't so bad and there really wasn't as many rocks as everyone always talks about. After about 10 miles in NJ I realized how so very wrong I was. PA did suck.
the rocks in pa are over rated,pa is an easy hike,i had no problem doing 20 to 25 miles a day,i guess some hikers just need something to bi- -h about,i really enjoyed the whole state of pa,for those that think pa sucks,i say why bother hiking it
just skip it then,the people in pa are great,my favorite town is palmerton pa.
:cool: neo
the rocks in pa are over rated,pa is an easy hike,i had no problem doing 20 to 25 miles a day,i guess some hikers just need something to bi- -h about,i really enjoyed the whole state of pa,for those that think pa sucks,i say why bother hiking itYou are so awesome. We are all envious.
Footslogger
06-24-2005, 16:40
for those that think pa sucks,i say why bother hiking it
just skip it then:cool: neo=======================================
That is exactly what I said to myself once northern PA was behind me ...that if I ever hiked the AT again I'd skip PA.
I was having a lot of foot pain going into PA anyway on my thru in 2003 (which didn't help matters much) but with or without the advanced warning about the rocks I would not have enjoyed it. Wasn't so much the rocks per se. It was that most of them were sharp and pointed upward with little or no space in between to put your feet. My feet were like hamburger when I crossed into Jersey and didn't recover until Mass.
'Slogger
AT 2003
max patch
06-24-2005, 17:42
You are so awesome. We are all envious.
I didn't take neo's comment as boastful.
Once thruhikers hit PA they've hiked half the trail and are in great shape. Days are long also. I budgeted 23 mile days (for food planning purposes) and had no problem at all hiking that kind of mileage every day.
Re shoes...While I certainly noticed the PA rocks I wore a lightweight pair of boots in PA with the yellow tag vibram sole and never had feet that hurt.
There has to be at least one more God forsaken pile of rocks spewed strait from the pits of Hell to reroute the trail across.
I get it, sometimes the trail in Pennsylvania seems to be blazed by sadists , and yet there are still some rock piles that they missed.
I think Pennsylvania seems tougher than it really is because it's sandwiched between Maryland and New Jersey, and those are easier walking states.
Blue Jay
06-24-2005, 18:28
I get it, sometimes the trail in Pennsylvania seems to be blazed by sadists , and yet there are still some rock piles that they missed.
I think Pennsylvania seems tougher than it really is because it's sandwiched between Maryland and New Jersey, and those are easier walking states.
The rocks start in PA and there is an 8 mile section about 20 miles from the water gap, that has very pointed rocks, which do suck. However most people forget THE ROCKS DON'T STOP AT THE BORDER. The rocks continue the rest of the way. You hate rocks don't hike the trail in the north.
While it is true that they are many pointed rocks in PA,
you have to measure that against the fact that there are not as many big up's and down's.
Panzer
The rocks start in PA and there is an 8 mile section about 20 miles from the water gap, that has very pointed rocks, which do suck. However most people forget THE ROCKS DON'T STOP AT THE BORDER. The rocks continue the rest of the way. You hate rocks don't hike the trail in the north.
Rocks can't suck, they're inanimate. Even if they're pointy. Most people find Pennsylvania rockier than New Jersey. I don't hate rocks, but if I did, I would still hike wherever I please.
The beginning of this thread was a joke about how the trail seems to be routed to walk hikers over every rock pile. I had to read it twice before I got it. I thought it was clever.
I didn't take neo's comment as boastful.
Once thruhikers hit PA they've hiked half the trail and are in great shape. Days are long also. I budgeted 23 mile days (for food planning purposes) and had no problem at all hiking that kind of mileage every day.
Re shoes...While I certainly noticed the PA rocks I wore a lightweight pair of boots in PA with the yellow tag vibram sole and never had feet that hurt.
thanks max patch,i was not boasting,just my normal hiking style,i hike alone
and camp alone,when i did pa,it was late oct early nov 2003,the days were short,i did a lot of night hiking,i love my free style hiking:cool: neo
i was not boasting,just my normal hiking styleWe all realize that. That's why you are our hero. No disrespect to anyone who does 25 miles a day in eastern PA. Like many on that part of the trail, I spent most of my time watching where to place my feet. Twenty five miles a day in eastern PA would be simply out of the question for most of us. That's why we salute you magnifitude. :clap
We all realize that. That's why you are our hero. No disrespect to anyone who does 25 miles a day in eastern PA. Like many on that part of the trail, I spent most of my time watching where to place my feet. Twenty five miles a day in eastern PA would be simply out of the question for most of us. That's why we salute you magnifitude. :clap
i did not mention the 3 rednecks a couple miles past allen town trail shelter
with deer rifles and spot that tried to jump me night hiking,but that another story,:cool: neo
Bolivershagnasty
06-24-2005, 22:28
25 miles a day in Oct and Nov is alot of night walking for sure. you must have been :dance over them rocks.
fiddlehead
06-24-2005, 23:05
Growing up near Port Clinton Pa, i never knew that the AT wasn't all rocky like our area. When i found out on my 1st thru-hike, i had other things to worry about: steep uphills, steep downhills, i learned to hate the word "Gap" in GA and NC/TN. I used to think hiking on the AT in PA was the best hiking in the world. Then i found out that others hated it!
I still go up there to train, cross country ski, camp, ride bike, and still think it's great.
On the plus side, it is fairly level hiking. thru-hikers often to their biggest miles in PA, so it can't be that bad. And there are bars and restaurants near the trail practically every other day if you want them.
complaining about a couple of rocks? c'mon, this is nature.
If you want the beach, go to the shore!
I heard a lot of talk about the "infamous Cumberland Valley roadwalk" before my thru hike in 1984. Hikers made it sound like hell on earth.
But, as is often the case, the reality of that road walk was something else again. It was a relief to emerge from the green tunnel and watch the sun rise over bucolic PA farmland. It felt like big sky country. We came upon a woman washing beets with a hose - she offered us fresh water (and a Bible). At a roadside stand, we snacked on crunchy string beans and cucumbers. Farther on, we enjoyed all-you-can-eat waffles, then ice cream cones and lemonade at Bonnie Shipe's, the ice cream lady, who gave free cones to thru hikers back then. After that, we hit ANOTHER AYCE deal before we reentered the woods at the north end of the roadwalk.
This thing we had been dreading, this awful roadwalk, turned out to be great. I took some movie footage partway through the roadwalk and always remember that day, July 17, 1984, as being one of the best days (and there were many great ones) of the 178 days I spent on the Trail.
Although there were a lot of pointy rocks that were tough on the feet further on, I enjoyed so many other great moments in PA that my overall impression of the AT in Pennsylvania is positive.
I think Pennsylvania seems tougher than it really is because it's sandwiched between Maryland and New Jersey, and those are easier walking states.
I concur. I always figured that thru-hikers haven't had anything to bitch about recently. So, they complain about the rocks.
MedicineMan
06-25-2005, 09:33
it would explain a lot about your hiking prowess.
LIhikers
06-25-2005, 09:40
Hey, knock off all this complaining about rocks! My wife and I still have to get the miles from Ecville shelter (spelling?) to DWG this summer. Keep this up and you might scare us off..lol We've got all the rest of PA done as well as WV and MD to the south and NJ and NY to the north. After finishing PA we'll jump in the car and head up to CT to hike from Salisbury into MA.
Hey, knock off all this complaining about rocks! My wife and I still have to get the miles from Ecville shelter (spelling?) to DWG this summer. Keep this up and you might scare us off..lol We've got all the rest of PA done as well as WV and MD to the south and NJ and NY to the north. After finishing PA we'll jump in the car and head up to CT to hike from Salisbury into MA.
dont let talk of rocks scare you,they are over rated,pa is one of the easiest states to hike,i hope you and your wife have a great hike:cool: neo
Kerosene
06-25-2005, 10:34
I must say that, finishing all the AT between central Virginia and New Hampshire really lets me appreciate the difference in the smoothness of the trail bed in southern Virginia and Georgia. I find that I can really cruise down south, and my feet aren't nearly as beat up at the end of a section hike.
hiking in pa reminds me of hiking in the south cumberlands in tennessee,i love the little rocks in pa.:cool: tn
Good leather boots, vibram soles, will get you thru PA with little difficulty. I think it was here my husband rebooted because of the rocks. Couldn't imagine the trail in GA/NC with the rocks PA has. hikerwife
Cookerhiker
06-25-2005, 14:32
My theory: PA's rocks-strewn reputation is because with little change in elevation, most hikers look at the elevation profile and think they can traipse along at a fast clip but find that the rocks slow them down. So they don't make the time they planned and have sore feet or twisted ankles to boot (no pun intended). For the sure-footed among us (not me!), they're not an issue. New England has some rockier portions but because they tend to be up-and-down (sometimes very steep), the rockiness is secondary to the elevation gain/loss.
Pesonally, I think the 3 1/2 mile stretch north from Bailey Gap Shelter to Salt Sulfur Rd. in SW Virginia is at least as rocky as PA; even more so in that none of the PA rockfields last so long.
when i finish section hiking the AT,i wanna do the state of pa again,i love it
:cool: neo
MileMonster
06-25-2005, 15:41
I remember the rocks in PA not really kicking in until north of 501 shelter.
there are no rocks in pa,just a few pebles:cool: neo
Happypappy
06-25-2005, 19:29
after reading all these posts, and living here in Pa my whole life, I just have to ask, "What is a smooth trail?" heh
if you spend enough time here, the rocks become a non-issue. Of course, this is not sandal hiking territory, I think good boots are a must
saimyoji
06-25-2005, 20:24
I've hiked the trail around Hawk Mountain (Eckville) in Tevas and do not recommend it.
lilmountaingirl
06-26-2005, 20:54
I do most of my hiking in PA and have gotten used to the rocks, but I still whine about them when I trip, twist an ankle, or step on a sharp one. We joke that the Boy Scouts spend their weekends strategically placing rocks on the trail. :eek: When they are done placing them, they spend the rest of their time sharpening them. ;)
Either way...I like hiking in PA ~ no matter what trail I'm on.
From Eckville to DWG are some beautiful views. Don't skip it no matter what anyone says!
When I do it again I will spend a little more time looking around.Lots of history there too.
well to be honest with you i have been thrue thier a couple of times and enjoy PA its really not that hard its just trail propaganda.I dont feel its know harder than areas I have hiked out west on the pct i think i had some bad days thier because of the lack of water in 99 :dance ky
cakeman21k
06-27-2005, 11:26
Well IMHO the biggest problem with Pa. rocks is the tendency for hikers to get themselves wrapped up in numbers! The big 1 in this case is miles per day. This is especially true for thru hikers. By the time they get to Pa they are in great hiker shape, and tend to look at the elevation gain (another number) and come to a number in their heads about how many miles per day they can do. The end result is they beat the tar out of their feet trying to meet a number which is important only inside their own head!
Pa has many great views and overlooks as well as some great trail towns. If we would learn to listen to our bodies (and especailly our feet!) we might learn to spend more time each day enjoying those views, which would translate to less time punishing our feet in order to meet a number. If some of the reasons for hiking are to get out & enjoy mother nature than doesn't it make sense to slow down and spend more time looking at her beauty! If another reason for hiking is to get away from the need to focus on the clock and calendar numbers than why go replacing the calendar with the miles per day number? Who cares if it takes some extra days to hike through the rocky terrain of Pa. as long as you are enjoying it? For me I would rather do less miles and have more time to look around than do more miles just to meet a number! And your feet will thank you if you don't punsih them as much on the rocks.
Heading into more PA rocks later today after we get out of this internet 'cafe'.....so far it's been OK, but I think the NOBO route in N MD right before PenMar was brutal, what a downhill! But S. PA has made up for it with gorgeous wide trails ( after a few climbs)...some of the nicest I've been on. Will decide for sure about the entire N PA rock scene in a week or so, keeping a good smile throughout!
LIhikers
07-05-2005, 09:33
dont let talk of rocks scare you,they are over rated,pa is one of the easiest states to hike,i hope you and your wife have a great hike:cool: neoYou can be sure we will! My previous post was made "tongue in cheek" :banana just to add a little humor to this thread. Thanks for the encouragement.
dont let talk of rocks scare you,they are over rated,pa is one of the easiest states to hike,i hope you and your wife have a great hike:cool: neo
Speaking as a native who has hiked the Pa. AT since I was a kid, the rocks are way overrated. In the "worst" sections, the biggest hassle is having to slow down a little, and not being able to look up for miles at a time.
max patch
07-05-2005, 14:12
I've always felt that the rocks were a fair trade for the easy, generally flat, hiking in PA.
i love hiking in pa:cool: neo
Sorcerer
07-06-2005, 18:54
I agree that PA is probably the EASIEST hiking on the trail. I was in pretty decent shape heading into PA last summer and big miles weren't hard to do, even through the "infamous" rocks. To me the worst part of PA is that there wasn't much to see as far as views. The closeness of pizza was a refreshing change though!
SavageLlama
07-08-2005, 18:33
Stumbled across this little ditty..
A Pennsylvania Song
A pox on rocks,
both pointy ones and boulders
Two moans for stones.
Why don't these trails have shoulders?
The rocks are slippery when it rains.
They can drive your mind insane.
But when the rocks are dry
they still cause hiker dread
because that's when
you'll meet a native copperhead.
Near the 501 Shelter I had the opportunity on wet rocks to have my foot go down between two boulders up to my knee. An exciting event and not as easy to get out of as I originally thought...a few bruises and scrapes....but VERY happy that I did not slip it down into one of the many ground wasp nests that love to build under some of these sweet rocks along the trail....
TwoForty
07-09-2005, 15:27
Now, I have never been to PA, but the South Cumberland areas in Tennessee have 3 mile long boulder fields that go down into and then out of the many "gulfs" in the area. It can be rough if there are a lot of snakes or it is raining.
Buckingham
07-09-2005, 15:43
I usually start at the DWG and go north into Jersey, but this year I might just do the reverse thanks to your info. I love those rocks, and if there are more of them in PA than Jersey, then "Yippee-Kie-Ayy Mr. Falcon"!!!!!! :sun
TooUnfazed
07-14-2005, 14:10
We all realize that. That's why you are our hero. No disrespect to anyone who does 25 miles a day in eastern PA. Like many on that part of the trail, I spent most of my time watching where to place my feet. Twenty five miles a day in eastern PA would be simply out of the question for most of us. That's why we salute you magnifitude. :clap
I'm from Eagleville, PA and enjoy hiking Rocksylvania's AT sections. Although I have had a few grumbles at who the HECK maps out the trail. All I can say is keep your head down and watch where youse guys are stepping. My local hiker friends and I usually pick a 12-15 mile trail to hike down then back in a day. We start at 9:00 am and can be guaranteed back at the local watering holes by 8:00 pm. Not sure if I'd want to do it day-after-day while eating dehydrated meals and making camp every night, though. We are purely worn out by the time the trek is thru. On most of the trail it's what I call a full body hike. Poles, buttocks, arms, hands, fingers, fingernails, and teeth (try not to use your head!).
One nice point of interest, if you have time to explore off-trail, there is about a 7 mile hike to Hawk Mountain from the AT near The Pinnacle. There is the River of Rocks, two boulder fields left after the ravages of the last Ice Age. It's worth a day to hike and explore. The Hawk Mountain Sanctuary has a scale model of the area that is interesting to see and compare to your memories of the journey.
TooUnfazed: I have had a few grumbles at who the HECK maps out the trail
You know, I was thinking the same thing. Being from PA I've done a lot of sections ( Hawk Mtn. is awesome) but I noticed that many sections were purposely up and over exposed areas that didn't need to be, even less than .1 mile to the left there were many cool areas to go "around" these...and actually cause less damage/erosion to the area.....yeah I know , the whole white blaze arguement...however it is definately not necessary to take folks up and over so many of these, it's not like there's a view everytime you climb a pile of them. I wonder what the thinking was/is of those who painted the blazes.....
uh oh, don't want to open a can of worms, just an IMO post :datz
(Full disclosure: Born and raised in Harrisburg, PA)
I love the trail thru PA. I can think of two rocky sections. The stretch before the new shelter outside of Duncannon and the infamous stretch out of Wind Gap. No doubt, my feet would be a little tender at night, but the rocks were never an impediment to my hike. Other than those two sections, the rocks are there but you can work with them. I make it game; see how long I can go without touching dirt. Rock Hop for a bit. By PA, I want a little variety in my hiking style, anyway.
No rocks means, no Bear Rocks, no Shikallemy Rocks, no Pulpit, no Pinnacle, no awesome climb out Lehigh Gap, no Wolf Rocks or Bake Oven Knob. I enjoyed all of those spots.
I think the Wind Gap section being so near the end of the state doesn't help at all. Everyone gets to the mountain hostel and does two things, commisserates over that crap section and celebrates being out of PA. It entwines them. But when you ask most hikers the next year, at least in my experience, they all talk about how easy the first 120 miles of PA were and the two or three places after that really sucked. If they could just relo 2 or 3 sections, I think it might make all the difference.
But I also think the trail takes the wrong ridge out of Harpers Ferry. I'd like to see the AT routed about twenty miles west and head northest thru our the Gorge and the Poconos, skipping NJ and entering NY and going over Mt Davis and then northward as normal. But that is just what I see when I look at a topo map of the east coast.
PeAce
Yahtzee
I not that I hate rocks, it's just that I like dirt.
Panzer
KiloSierra
08-01-2005, 00:07
Here I am, sitting on my anatomy. *sigh*
I hate to admit it, but I guess I'm a total rock wimp. Bad enough that I'm on a 2-week break, hoping that my feet will recover enough by the time I return to the trail this Friday, that they'll let me finish the rest.
I think that I've noticed more women than men experiencing severe/hike-ending foot pain - anyone else notice this, or am I just biased? My husband (still hiking, can't wait to rejoin him!) has some definite evil foot pain, but I've been the one slowing us down far more often than him...
Looking back, the foot-and-ankle-eating rocks stretched a good 200 miles. The serious (for me) ones started right after Cumberland Valley, and stretched over the Blue Mountain and Kittatinny Mountain ridges, and started to improve after getting off Kittatinny at High Point in NJ. Alas, my feet staged a mutiny just a couple days from there. Plantar fasciitis stinks.
Anyway, I used to like rock hopping, and had looked forward to PA. But when I'm crying (what a baby!) as I hike just to make 12 or 13 for the day... ugh. We tried to amuse ourselves by trying to imagine how we'd redo the trail if it were our job. I think our favorite ideas were somehow hauling a portable rock crusher, or a portable chipper. Ah, we can dream. Surely SOMETHING should be doable??? It doesn't truly have to be as bad as it is, does it? (How would you do it?)
Well. One entry in the Leroy Smith shelter (2nd-to-last in PA) is my all-time favorite so far for my hike. I liked it so much, I took a picture of it and transcribed it into my blog while sitting here on my butt. Here 'tis, hopefully for your enjoyment...
=======
("Peanut" writes..)
Dear Pennsylvania,
We need to talk. It's been a while, and I feel our relationship isn't the same as it was when we first met. I mean, I remember coming out of Maryland and meeting you. I said, "Hi Pennsylvania, I'm Peanut." You said "Hey, they call me 'PA'." Well you had me at "PA". I was immediately attracted to your rock hard body and your take-no-prisoners attitude. But time went on, and well, you really began to hurt me. You kept telling me you were sorry and that you wouldn't do it again, but you continued to hurt me. And others are talking. They say you're hurting them too. Well, PA, I just don't think I can do it anymore. I'm moving on. I haven't told you yet, but I'm seeing someone else. His name is New Jersey. He told me he'd going to treat me right, and I think I deserve that. Goodbye, PA. I will try hard to remember the good times.
-Peanut
*Disclaimer: This letter is strictly for entertainment purposes only. Peanut fully appreciates every mile on the AT.
=======
Anyway, hoping for healthy feet.
Happy hiking to all,
Pixie