Hello All,
I'm new here and seeking some advice on hiking the PA section. This does require a little back story, so bear with me (or skip ahead). I am currently in grad school in CO but I am from PA and my parents live about 10-15 minutes from the Route 419 and Route 501 access points on the trail and about 40 minutes from Hawk Mountain (Berks County). I will finish my studies out here at the end of March and will have approximately two months at home before I ship out for Peace Corps. I've hiked out here in CO a bit (did an overnight on Mount Evans last fall, one of our "14ers") but am by no means a person who goes out every weekend to the mountains for a hike. That being said, I am active and bike ~15 miles a week for work and school. I've also done a few day hikes with the family dog along the AT near home.
Here's the question: I want to do a few sections of the AT in PA during the two months that I have at home. I am both ambitious in that I will want to finish the PA section when I return after 27 months in Uganda but I want this to be something which I enjoy and look back on with fondness, aka I don't want to kill myself doing it. Which sections do people recommend in PA in April/May? I'll probably start close to home and hike away, doing up to a week at a time. Gear is not an issue between what I'm accumulating for PC and what my brother and father will be able to loan to me. What scenic overlook or just scenic spots do people recommend for nice photos? I am hoping to capture a few to show off the AT and my home state to my Ugandan host family and friends in June. Are there any extra wildlife concerns at that time of year?
Thanks, and any advice beyond my questions is eagerly welcomed.
K