We have been so lucky to have perfect weather for hiking lately. It made planning for and taking this trip to Hamburg, PA very easy.
We met Janila, no Team Little Dog today because of the rockiness of the trail, at the parking lot near Hamburg Reservoir and got an early start. We opted for the roadway for our assent because although we were all ready for rocky trails and climbing 1000 in elevation, keeping those 2 treats separate sounded like a good idea.
We made it to the area where the observatories are and many scouting troops were gathering (via CAR) for their day of appreciating all the area has to offer. The best it offered was a fantastic morning view of the valley. We were early enough to be the only hikers enjoying the area and snapped quite a few photos before going on to find 2 letterboxes and a geocache.
Rocky ridge running was next for us. For the next couple of miles to the Pinnacle, the best PA view on the Appalachian Trail, we hopped rocks. Other hikers passed us by and we passed other hikers. It was now a very busy morning on the mountain. By the time we got to the view it was crowded with happy day hikers. We joined the throng and found a super place to enjoy our lunches.
After a restful spell, we explored the area and found a geocache thanks to RGB(One of Us)isMe. When we found Pinnacle letterbox it was in the open and tossed around. An animal had chewed into the container and then into the log. The log was soaked, slimy and chewed but the stamp was fine. We pulled out our emergency repair kit and between the 3 of us we able to get this box back into working order.
Our walk back was filled with lively conversation. Jan brought us up to speed with many of the happenings in the letterboxing world. We swapped genealogy stories and chatted about our kiddos. At trail's end, we weren't ready to part ways so Billy Boy joined us for a meal at the nearby Cracker Barrel. I know he had a good laugh at us as we had stiffened up in the air conditioned building and we moving in a stiff jointed sort of way. It was all worth it. Thanks Jan and RGB for a day I will remember as golden.
What a great day for a hike! I cleaned bird cages, swell...
ReplyDeleteOh, the memories, so painful but so rewarding. I never thought that I would be able to say that hiking 8 or 9 miles of rather rough terrain could be fun, but it was, thanks to the two of you. There was no rushing, lots of time to savor all the little treasures along the way. I can't say I would ever want to do it again, but I can say that I am glad that we did it the way that we did it.
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