Hike the MST: 3/13 - 3/15

“I need to get an early start on Sunday. I'd like to be back in York around noon if at all possible.


I may see if I can put my car at the end, so I can try and get a jump start on Sunday.
last edited: 3/12/09 7:14:49 AM”

“We can do that. If you get up here early (4ish), then we can take your car to Poe Valley trailhead and leave it there. However, York by noon means leaving Poe Valley around 9:30. Seven miles of hiking, at a 3 mph rate, would mean you would have to hit the trail at 6:30AM. It doesn't get light until 7:00AM, so you'll be tearing down as well as hiking in the dark in the morning. There is an alternative, and that is to spot your car on the Sieglerville - Millheim Pike, then you could hike out with us and still get on the road at about 9:30AM, or at the very least, you could wait until 8:00AM to hit the trail and make it to your car by 9:30AM.”

“ENS, I tossed a marker up on the Google Map to show you where you could park your car, instead of parking it at Poe Valley.”

“Hey ENS...I just shot you a message on Facebook with my cell number.

Phantom Soul, you and BikerBob still in on this? Any firm plans on when you are leaving and when we can expect you?”

“Right now, everything on our itenerary revolves around 2 things: me leaving the office on time around 4p and Friday-afternoon NJ rush hour traffic. If all goes as planned, we should be at the Alan Seeger Natural Area around 8:30p, which means we'd be night-hiking in the 2 miles (or whatever it is from the Seeger parking lot) for a 9p arrival at camp?

How many cars will we have at Poe Valley? Will we be able to get a ride back if we just go to Alan Seeger directly tomorrow night?”

“Yeah, we'll get you back to Alan Seeger one way ore another. Ki0eh has a huge truck, that if need be, we can all climb in the back of.”

“We will have to get the truck spotted somehow, we'll get that figured out on the other side.”

“I'm getting my stuff packed now. I've hardly done any backpacking the last 2 years and I am a little rusty on how to pack.. I feel like a newby.”

“ENS.. Just take your stuff to CP's and lay it on the floor.. He'll help you. LOL Just take it out of the box before you get there..

Seriously though.. Have fun this weekend.. I wish I could make it up there...

I can't even take a little hootch to warm myself on this trip..
'32oz”

“Day 1 - I meet ramblinrev at Poe Valley and spot a car. He's wearing a kilt but quickly changes before anyone else sees it. We move over to a close in parking spot and hike in to camp. EnS and PAHikes are there already and set up. We set up in the dark and soon PhantomSoul and BikerBob come. Unbeknownst to us hikingFF77 is trying to send regards but we're out of cell range. All of us get hydrated next to the sparkling Detweiler Run, hear stories of the rocks to come, and settle down to sleep. Except PAHikes who has to deal with the township water police the next day.

Day 2 - We arise and I shove off thinking I'm the slow one of the bunch. I decide the old logging RR grade in Detweiler Run is actually better at the beginning of a hiking day than at the end, just not quite as bad as I remember. Snap a few pictures in Detweiler and Penn Roosevelt while I remember I have a camera. Lunch at Trico Point in three counties simultaneously. No sign of anyone else. Stop to take pictures of a blowdown I hand sawed through last summer, dig out a seasonal spring, move on into a brushy area then run into two maintainers I know quite well and talk to them for a while. Move on under US 322 where I didn't know I had to duck quite so hard, hang out at the Big Valley Vista for 40 minutes until I see EnS. Start moving again, EnS is quickly out of sight as I lose the trail in a rock field. I find it again then lose it again, doubling back yet again when I find PhantomSoul who seems better at picking out blazes than me. Arrive at the campsite to find 'rev and PAH have set up, we have a bit of daylight left then I hit the sack pretty early.

Day 3 - Wake up to find one of us didn't show up during the night. Turn on the cell phone and find a message that he wasn't encountered at the reported backup campsite. Since only two of us are in shape to head to Poe Valley we decide to go back to rev's car and await the arrival of the missing one. He shows up at 10 am and we head out reunited temporarily as we leave to all points of the compass. I wind up with PhantomSoul heading back to Duncannon where we lunch in less classy but more famous surroundings at the Doyle Hotel.

All's well that ends well, and it was great to get out and see some new faces to me! Hope to get out again soon.
last edited: 3/16/09 5:27:05 AM”

“Thanks ki0eh.

A good hike, even with the scattering of hikers. ;)”

“I typed a trip report, but it did not save.
great report Ki0eh. It was great finally meeting you. Hope to hike/see with you soon. We're closeby, so we should do a dayhike sometime soon.

I had lots of fun. It was a great trip and hike. The Mid State trail does not get the buttkicking credit it deserves. That is one challenging trail. That descent into Stillhouse Hollow is one of the hardest I have seen. With all the ups and downs and rocks, it makes for quite a hike and the scenery is always top notch. Thanks to the hardwork of the MSTA for making the trail possible.

From camp along Detweiler Run to camp along Green Valley Run (14 or more miles), I hiked most of it by myself and had a good time. I've not done many solo hikes, but found this very refreshing.

I caught up to Ki0eh at Valley Vista, overlooking 322's climb over the Seven Mountains and Laurel Creek Res and then Jacks Mountain to the east.

I was glad to find camp Saturday night, but concerned when Phantomsoul said bikerbob was camped on the other side of 322. I am glad he made it over the last mountain and everyone was ok.

We need to get back out there and hike to Poe Valley an beyond.

Thanks Ki0eh and PAhikes for putting the trip together. PAhikes, thanks for the beer and shuttle.”

“Sounds like a nice trip and the weather was great for hiking over the weekend.”

“When I rid out the truck I found a jacket that's not ours. Anyone who can describe it gets it. :)”

“It's actually a pretty nice jacket, I'd think someone would be missing it!”

“I wonder if it was George's

IS it from someone who was in your vehicle?
last edited: 4/02/09 5:40:19 PM”

“I would imagine so. Unless the window was rolled down and some weird inverse venturi effect occurred. :)”