A.T. Thru hike- Pennsylvania

I'm three months into my attemp to thru hike the A.T. I've hiked thru Georgia, the Smokies, southwestern Va, and Shenandoah National Park. Everywhere I've found beauty and challenges everywhere but Pennsylvania is a whole new territory. "the place where good hiking boots go to die," no exaggeration. Hiking north, the terrain has steadily gotten rockier. Knife cliffs and bear cliffs were beautiful but tough rock scrambles. Water sources have also been terrible. The Bake Oven knob shelter was perhaps the worst. Atleast a mile round trip, down a steep mountainside, past numerous dry springs and finally arriving at a stagnant water source was miserable ending to a tough day. I've got 40 miles left of PA and I've heard the terrain gets even rockier! Can't wait! Follow my blog at Walkingwithredoak.blogspot.com

Redoak

Yeah.   I've encountered the same thing there.   Timing is important, though.

Next trip, I'll plan for mid-Autumn ... maybe, late-Autumn.

The rocks ARE tough.  I used my "cheapie" boots (Chinese), waiting for them to disintegrate.   Didn't have to wait long.

Wait until you get to New Hampshire and Maine ....   "Boot-eatin' hiking".

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   ~r2~

I think Pa. is just rocky in general. I ran into all kinds of boot knawing beauties on my most recent trip here in SW Pa. Killed my Keen Oregons. Thats another story all together.

On the whole water thing I can attest that just because it is on the map doesn't mean it will be there when ya get to it. Fill up when ya get the chance. No telling when you will come across your next water source.

I read somewhere that the trail maintainers sharpen the rocks in Rocksylvania.

philipwerner said:

I read somewhere that the trail maintainers sharpen the rocks in Rocksylvania.

 Either that, or the "Great Spirit" left them like that for the indigenous, aboriginals ("Native Americans") to use for axe heads or 'tommy-hawks'.

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~r2~

I believe it to be gnomes. They can be trickly lil buggers. Always up to something.

On a serious not. When I was hiking most of the wells here at the shelter areas were even dried up. I would find a stream with a little trickle and take out the old garbage bag, use a couple of rocks to weigh it down and wait for it to fill. After, I would just filter that. Water was a very tricky commodity to obtain at times. Get it while while you can.

Learning how to reliably find water is about like developing a sixth sense.  And sometimes you're just SOL

gonzan said:

Learning how to reliably find water is about like developing a sixth sense.  And sometimes you're just SOL

 Absolutely gonzan. Easy to find yourself looking at a map hoping that next stream is there with an empty bladder.

Well, it is not all rocks!

http://good-times.webshots.com/album/569187656AtTsEZ

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