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  1. #1
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    Default Pine Grove Furnace SP, PA

    We have a group of scouts that will hike 10 miles of the AT in July. We are splitting our group to minimize the impact on the environment and to other hikers (each group will be 8 people) with 1/2 hiking NB from Woodrow Road (can anyone confirm if there is parking here?) to Mountain Creek Campground, and the other 1/2 hiking SB from Mountain Creek Campground to Woodrow Road. Each group will stop at the AT Museum at Pine Grove Furnace SP.


    From what I gather,
    Woodrow-PGF-SP is 4.4mi, PGFSP-Mtn Crk CG=6.1
    Mtn Crk CG-PGFSP= 6.1, PGFSP-Woodrow = 4.4mi


    Is there one way that is easier than the other?
    Note: I am thinking if one direction is easier than the other, we will split the kids on that basis. While all of these kids and adults have backpacking experience, only a few have hiked in the mountains (Michigan is pretty flat!).


    Thanks for any advice you can offer!

  2. #2
    Lifetime Section Hiker Berry Belle's Avatar
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    Cool

    I've hiked this stretch a couple of times. I think it's harder northbound, because it feels like a long haul coming up out of Pine Grove Furnace in that direction. The AT Museum is very interesting. Don't miss it! Also consider a stop at the camp store. While your group may not have earned the thru hikers' traditional half gallon of ice cream, they surely deserve a Nutty Buddy.

    July in the mid-Atlantic area is miserably humid, and this year we've already had temperatures in the 90s. If your schedule permits, a swim in the lifeguarded beach at Fuller Lake would be a welcome break. The beach is visible from the AT, so be prepared to be firm if you definitely don't want this detour. I would plan extremely low mileage for this day, maybe even using the primitive group campsite for an overnight stay.

    A scenic rock outcropping called the Pole Steeple is just north of Pine Grove Furnace. A side trail leads directly from the park to the top. Unless you want to do some freehand climbing on a scree-covered and nearly vertical slope, DO NOT let anyone talk you into using it as a shortcut.

    As for parking--there are informal parking spots all through the Michaux State Forest, where this stretch of trail is located. I use them, but the forest rangers are pretty badly understaffed, and staff at Caledonia and Pine Grove Furnace state parks discourage people from parking in them. Vandalism does happen from time to time.

    I think there is one of these wide spots at Woodrow Road, because I believe that is where we ran into some people who had parked overnight while they had a party at Tom's Run Shelter. They were looking at their freshly flattened tires through an alcoholic haze. In this case, I could almost sympathize with the vandals, but I would not want to park a vehicle there if I definitely needed it for getting a group of kids back to Michigan on schedule.

    You could check with the park office at Pine Grove Furnace or with the Michaux Forest headquarters for suggestions about parking. Both have been very helpful when I've contacted them in the past. E-mailing may work better than calling since they don't spend much time in the office.

    http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/statepar...=FindUs#FindUs

    http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/forestry...fice/index.htm

    A better option might be to see if you can park all your vehicles at Mountain Creek Campground (maybe for a small fee) and pay someone to shuttle part of your group to Woodrow Road. The campground might have a side business doing this. Or check for someone on the ATC's shuttle list.

    http://www.appalachiantrail.org/docs...sm-6-12-12.pdf

    Fuller Lake is one of my favorite swimming holes. I make the 50-mile trip there pretty regularly in the summer. Now I'll have to ask every scouting group I see if they're from Michigan! Are you guys Girl Scouts or Boy Scouts?

    If I don't see you, have a safe and fun trip!
    "Are we there yet?"

  3. #3
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    Lightbulb For parking info along the AT

    The best place to start is this URL:
    http://appalachiantrail.rohland.org/
    at which individuals give info and their opinions on places to park.

    For that part of the trail that includes Woodrow Road in Michaux State Forest
    http://rohland.homedns.org:8008/at/s...0&sectionID=13
    about which Rohland states, "The road is very windy, gravel and hilly. It is not recommended to park here overnight - just use for day hiking."

  4. #4
    Lifetime Section Hiker Berry Belle's Avatar
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    Very helpful site! I just bookmarked it. Thanks!
    "Are we there yet?"

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    Quote Originally Posted by Berry Belle View Post
    Now I'll have to ask every scouting group I see if they're from Michigan! Are you guys Girl Scouts or Boy Scouts?

    If I don't see you, have a safe and fun trip!
    Thanks for the great info! It will be a Boy Scout group going led by my husband and teen-age son. Only my son and another boy have hiked the AT (about 200 miles completing SNP through PenMar). I am actually hiking PenMar to Duncannon in August with a friend. This trip is a week-long trip to Gettysburg with side-trips to the AT and DC.

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    Quote Originally Posted by GoldenBear View Post
    The best place to start is this URL:
    http://appalachiantrail.rohland.org/
    at which individuals give info and their opinions on places to park.

    For that part of the trail that includes Woodrow Road in Michaux State Forest
    http://rohland.homedns.org:8008/at/s...0&sectionID=13
    about which Rohland states, "The road is very windy, gravel and hilly. It is not recommended to park here overnight - just use for day hiking."
    Awesome! Thanks!

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    Default Pine Grove Furnace SP, PA

    The northbound trip to Pine Grove is more difficult than the southbound trip. Both are great in their own way, however I enjoyed the walk northbound into Pine Grove knowing there was a half gallon of ice cream waiting there with my name on it!

  8. #8
    Lifetime Section Hiker Berry Belle's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by shelb View Post
    Thanks for the great info! It will be a Boy Scout group going led by my husband and teen-age son. Only my son and another boy have hiked the AT (about 200 miles completing SNP through PenMar). I am actually hiking PenMar to Duncannon in August with a friend. This trip is a week-long trip to Gettysburg with side-trips to the AT and DC.
    Sounds like a great trip! Something for everybody and plenty of things to come back and see more of!

    PenMar to Duncannon in August will be steamy and hot, bet you and your friend take advantage of Fuller Lake! LOL
    "Are we there yet?"

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    Quote Originally Posted by Berry Belle View Post
    Sounds like a great trip! Something for everybody and plenty of things to come back and see more of!

    PenMar to Duncannon in August will be steamy and hot, bet you and your friend take advantage of Fuller Lake! LOL
    I am sure we visit Fuller Lake! It would have been nice last year when the thermostat at Big Meadows read 99 degrees when we passed through!

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    They had a great trip! The Woodrow Road & Mountain Creek Campground information really helped! Thanks!!!!! Now, I look forward to my trip from PenMar to Rausch Gap next month. Any information on water, etc. from anyone???

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    I'm planning on taking a troop through this section in late September. Can you give me some info on Mountain Creek CG. Big enough to handle 20 boys?
    "Chainsaw" GA-ME 2011

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    My husband was there with our troop 2 weeks ago when they day-hiked the A.T. (stayed in Gettysburg). I will check with him and get back with you...

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    Thanks!
    Also how did the distances work out for the boys? Too far, not far enough?
    We usually try to do a mile or so upon arriving on Friday evening, 7 to 9 on Saturday, then maybe a mile or 2 on Sunday before heading home.
    "Chainsaw" GA-ME 2011

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    Roughly 70 miles? hmmm camel up....

    Water levels are low but ok PM Shelterbuilder for actual information

    droughtstatus_07_19_12_web.jpg
    Dogs are excellent judges of character, this fact goes a long way toward explaining why some people don't like being around them.

    Woo

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    Quote Originally Posted by shelb View Post
    They had a great trip! The Woodrow Road & Mountain Creek Campground information really helped! Thanks!!!!! Now, I look forward to my trip from PenMar to Rausch Gap next month. Any information on water, etc. from anyone???
    AFAIK, Rausch Gap shelter is presently under reconstruction, just in case you were planning to stay there. You can check status thru Blue Mountain Eagle Climbing Club's site: http://www.bmecc.org/rausch_gap_work.html.

    Great daytime parking available at PA443 (Green Point, PA) which is just 4.6 trail miles beyond RGShelter. I've hiked all but 11 miles of the 111.7 mile section you are planning to do (PenMar to Rausch Gap). Enjoy PenMar Park, Chimney Rocks, Pole Steeple, and Hawk Rock vistas!

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    Quote Originally Posted by Don H View Post
    I'm planning on taking a troop through this section in late September. Can you give me some info on Mountain Creek CG. Big enough to handle 20 boys?
    Our guys never went into the the campground, so I don't know how large it is...

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    Quote Originally Posted by Don H View Post
    Thanks!
    Also how did the distances work out for the boys? Too far, not far enough?
    We usually try to do a mile or so upon arriving on Friday evening, 7 to 9 on Saturday, then maybe a mile or 2 on Sunday before heading home.
    Distance was alright... They loved the ice cream at Pine Grove Furnace!

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    Quote Originally Posted by Disco View Post
    AFAIK, Rausch Gap shelter is presently under reconstruction, just in case you were planning to stay there. You can check status thru Blue Mountain Eagle Climbing Club's site: http://www.bmecc.org/rausch_gap_work.html.

    Great daytime parking available at PA443 (Green Point, PA) which is just 4.6 trail miles beyond RGShelter. I've hiked all but 11 miles of the 111.7 mile section you are planning to do (PenMar to Rausch Gap). Enjoy PenMar Park, Chimney Rocks, Pole Steeple, and Hawk Rock vistas!
    Thanks! Too bad about Rausch Gap - we had hoped to stay there... Are the tent sites open there?

  19. #19

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    Quote Originally Posted by tf bear View Post
    The northbound trip to Pine Grove is more difficult than the southbound trip. Both are great in their own way, however I enjoyed the walk northbound into Pine Grove knowing there was a half gallon of ice cream waiting there with my name on it!
    This is really beautiful place. I work in research and development company and we are currently developing and analyze soil of this territory.

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