Standing in the historic museum in downtown Palmerton, discussing zinc mining with the volunteer whose family had deep roots in the area, I thought I saw a ghost, a reflection in the front window. “It’s August!” John said, and I realized the apparition was a thru-hiker we’d met in Duncannon and several times thereafter. I …
Conservation Park Green Trail
In Panama City Beach off US 98, Conservation Park is a vast pine plantation and cypress dome restoration area with loop trails from 1.8 to 11 miles long.
Downhill Fast
Today, I started to hate hiking. I knew that wasn’t a good thing, but I couldn’t help myself. It had not been a good night. Chased by thunderstorms across a stone-studded landscape, I finally collapsed after a dozen miles onto a log. “I can’t go any farther,” I told John. The pain in my foot …
Duncannon
Having lived in the Pittsburgh metro for more than a decade, Duncannon came as no surprise to me. It was a novelty for John, however, to walk the streets of a gritty little riverfront town built on industry. Everyone was friendly, of course. We stopped at the gas station to tank up on Gatorade, and …
Fort Pierce Inlet State Park
When the waves start crashing at Fort Pierce Inlet State Park, surfers command the beach. Offshore shoals beat the surf to froth, and the wind coming past Dynamite Point creates just the right cocktail for South Florida surfing.
Oakhill and Prairie Lakes Trails
On the Western Addition trails at Kelly Park, explore scrub and oak hammock habitats where the remains of a spring-fed lake can be seen.
On Peters Mountain
The year, 1996. An outing with Keystone Trails Association to celebrate the installation of stone steps leading almost straight down the steep slopes of Peters Mountain to a spring – a rare commodity in these parts – for one of the newest, finest shelters in Pennsylvania. This was my introduction to Peters Mountain, and a …
Pilgrimage
“Why are you here?” We were finishing up dinner at the 501 Shelter when Coach popped the question. I laughed. That’s the question John and I asked hikers all along our journey. More often than not, they were standard replies. “I was bored and had no job prospects,” “I just got out of college so …
Re-entry
It’s hard to believe that we’ve been off the trail now for two months. Life has a way to quickly pull you back into the “reality” of “normal.” I adjusted back more quickly than Sandy did. After walking for months, driving the rental car was a “welcome back to the real world” slap in the …
Reflections on a “Not Quite Thru”
Every day I find myself thinking about our time on the AT, slowly realizing that you don’t have to do a thru-hike to have the trail change you. With only a quarter of it behind us, I feel different. Simple things are appreciated, like turning on the faucet for water. Being inside on stormy days. …
The 501
After our unplanned zero in Lickdale, it took sheer willpower for John to return to the trail today. Roadwalking to Swatara Gap and climbing to the ridgetop, he was a zombie. Sore feet and a tired mind were taking their toll. As he perked up, my spirits fell: I misjudged the distance to the next …
The Haircut
With nearly 500 miles behind us and the daily temperature rising, it’s time I got a haircut. We pulled off the trail for resupply and ended up staying an extra night. Across the street, a beauty salon tempts. I clean up as best I can and head over there with John. The place is pretty …