Keep Cool!

Here are a couple of photos to inspire you to keep cool on what could easily be the hottest day of the year. I couldn't resist this pool of water but wisely left my cell phone and shoes behind before I took the plunge.

Autumn Breeze

Maga11 and I got out in the wind for some local letterboxing yesterday. The couple of miles that we hiked and climbed included a historic home, creek side ramble, swamp view, and more than three vistas of central PA's rolling farmland in autumn.

The wind gusted more than 40 mph and was loud on the ridge top. We made our way along, enjoying the woodland and colorful leaves. Much of the trail had downed branches so our progress was not speedy. This allowed a lot of time for chatting and visiting. We talked about the couple of times this month she spent putting up hot peppers and how she was still coughing from the oils they had thrown into her sinuses and lungs.

We only saw three other people on the trail yesterday. One was a jogger who came upon us so quickly as we were stamping into one letterbox that we had no time to do anything but watch him run by. Who knows what he thought we were doing off trail.

Hickory nuts, puff balls and big old black walnuts also littered the path on our hike out and back. The walk was just wonderful as we took the descent slowly and carefully. We were glad to have parked well away from the black walnut tree in the parking area. It had been dropping its large heavy fruit the whole time we were hiking.

When all was done, we came away with three new letterboxes and a hitch hiker found. We celebrated with a pack of crackers before we went shopping at Wenger's. It easy enough to get carried away shopping in that store and best to not go in hungry.

Stations on Nittany Mountain

The past couple of hikes I have taken on Nittany I had noticed some sprayed markings for "stations" on the mountain. They were all on trail and at trail junctures so I ruled out an orienteering course. I wrote to Mount Nittany Conservancy asking what was being developed and I received a reply from Vince Verbeke,

We are adding 11 directional signs on the Mountain on both trails. Attached are 2 images that should help. The metal posts will be enclosed in wood cladding when done as well to make them blend in more with the surroundings.

As part of this project we are also re-doing the trail map itself. We will be updating the website when we get the signs in this Fall.

Safety is a top priority for MNC. We do a lot of work to keep the trails safe. But we needed to do more, as the lost family last Fall indicated. Thus this new effort. The signs include GPS coordinates to help Emergency Personnel if needed to locate the individuals.

Hopefully these signs will "stay" on the Mountain. We've had directional signs before but they were removed by the eager youth of Happy Valley.

Have a great day. We are supposed to have wonderful fall colors this year. I can't wait to see the Mountain in all its glory this Fall.

I hope local individuals and groups that read my blog find this helpful. Please feel free to share the link to this post to spread the information.

A Sunday Walk

Strolling by a sunny lake.

We saw a Brown Thrasher.

Two Northern Water Snakes.

A geocache from 2002.

We added our mark to the inside.

Mid February Ramble

It's been a winter that hasn't allowed me to get outside a lot. My hands and feet get so cold that I don't want to step outside at all. It's wonderful to see the length of the day increasing and with better spirits RGBisMe and I ventured out to find a few letterboxes.

We hiked about 3 miles and enjoyed the views and park we were exploring. A fresh layer of about 3" of snow had fallen the night before but there were already foot prints on the trails we were on. It was easy to camouflage any time we found a letterbox because they were hidden so closely to the trails. The exception was when we dropped our signature stamp in the snow. The ink just kept spreading and every time we tried to kick more snow to cover it the color seemed to spread even more.

Walking and talking and enjoying the day was the theme. We had a lot to talk about thinking of Ravenboy starting to tour again and Asrai's mom having surgery. Our pace was slow not only because of talking so much but because a lot of areas had much more snow from the season that had not melted. I ended up wet to my knees in the end because of some marshy areas and shuffling through the snow. This was fine because our car was parked centrally and we warmed up on the way home.

Spring Creek Canyon

We walked seven miles yesterday through the Spring Creek Canyon. Except for once a year it is closed to the public because a long stretch of it is on Rockview State Penitentiary land.

When Ravenboy still lived in town, RGBisMe and he would take long bike rides out to Fisherman's Paradise. It would be torture to be so tired and know that if only the few miles through the Spring Creek Canyon were open to the public that the ride home would be so much short and along the nearly level creek.

It is not clear if the area will open to the public permanently. There has been much debate and a lot can be read about the Spring Creek Canyon Master Plan online. Clearwater Conservancy has put a lot of energy into educating people on how important the area is to conserve.

When an area is opened to the public a lot of changes can happen. The area of Millbrook Marsh has been owned by Penn State for years. When they decided to lease it to Centre Region Parks it was developed in many ways. Hopefully the public's use and education they are getting is worth the impact it has had on the land, fen and globally rare plants on it.

RGBisMe and I enjoyed a peek of this area that we have longed to see for years. People were enjoying walking fishing and a few bikers buzzed though the area between Fisherman's Paradise and Benner Springs fish hatcheries. It wasn't the time of year for many wild flowers nor did we see a lot of wildlife but we had a nice walk and conversations with other locals on the trail.

Monarch Walk with Maga11

Maga11 and I made a day of hiking near Woolrich, PA. We started the foggy morning seeking a very spooky letterbox that she has been looking forward to. The misty morning made for some ghostly scenes in an old cemetery. She kept saying to me, "What was that!?" I got a little freaked out before we made it back to her van.

We drove on for some breakfast and then to a sweet local park. The letterbox there had perfectly written clues but I was reminded that a large metal backstop curving around me affects my compass even when I am ten feet from it. The back bearing from the next point was perfect but it took me longer to find with my mistake. We stamped in after avoiding quite a lot of poison ivy leaves and vines.

The drive across the river and to the access point along the Mid State Trail afforded some bright foliage in the sunny morning. For the next couple of hours we strolled through the woods on the rocky MST enjoying the solitude.

The first thing that struck us were the colors of the ferns. Many had been frost bitten and we changing to amazing golden shades from their vivid greens. The mix of them all together was like a water color artists palette with all of natures colors blending into the forest floor.

We made it as far as where we were to seek the first letterbox of four in this series of Monarch stamps. I was looking forward to where I projected the final box might have a view of Pine Creek. Much before that, the clue mentioned that the fifth blaze would be on a large pine tree. We were in an area where there were NO pine trees (ok - there was a tiny 1' one near by). The clue mentioned stumps, yes there were stumps but no pine. How could the placer have mistaken this large deciduous tree for a pine!? I read back over the clue and I had made my second mistake of the day, I had started us out walking the wrong direction from the access on the trail. The placer was very clear to take the trail to the west, we had hiked through the beautiful ferns to the east. I had assumed the hike was to the view and didn't even read which way to go first.

It was no hardship to enjoy the ferns again on our walk back past the car and onto the section of trail the placer intended us to hike. Maga11 said her ankle, which she had broken early in the summer, would probably benefit from the workout on the uneven terrain. We took it slow and she used her cane for added balance. There was no reason to rush our pace, re-injure her ankle, or neglect the beauty around us. We were out to enjoy every part of the trail we hiked and any letterboxes we managed to find along the way.

Each box we uncovered was a special treat; a visual representation of the stages of a Monarch butterfly's life. The carvings were done with care and we were happy to take the time to use the colors the placer recommended. The impressions all came out really well and we were glad to take time for that.

This section of the MST had a few little boggy stream crossings that were a small challenge. Maga and I did our best and helped each other across, trying not to laugh and fall in. Thanks goodness none of the mossy stones were very slippery but the thick branches we used to reinforce the one section still sunk us very close to the smelly muck.

When I hike with RGBisMe or Tracdc or Maga11 it is always different from when I hike alone. Our paces are all different and the focus or dynamics on the trail changes. I wouldn't ever say any of us was more oriented in covering distance just because because we can. I also couldn't say any one of us is more interested in making sure we find as many letterboxes as we possibly can.

I don't think it's fair to try to assume that I am "a hiker" or not. With letterboxes or hikes, I rarely give a thought to "how many" or "how far" as much as "how much I have enjoyed." I frequently think back to the writings of Haim Ginott and agree that to label any one of us, just because we have a different style or approach, is to disable us. I enjoy all variations of many activities. When it comes to hiking, I like all hikes: long, short, fast, slow, rugged or easy. When it comes to letterboxing I think it's safe to say I like letterboxing: a single box, tricky clues where I never find one at all, an easy series in a park. I'll pass on your labels, thank you very much, because I am an ever changing person who can be quite adaptable depending on the circumstance.

Maga11 and I wrapped up our day in the area with a trip to the Woolrich outlet and a nice sit down meal. I thought back on our day as we shared salads and nachos and I sincerely hope to be just as vibrant and active as she is in 23 years. We both agreed we had met our goal for the day; we enjoyed our time together very much.

Not everything that can be counted counts,
and not everything that counts can be counted.
-- Albert Einstein

Bushwacker

public access to a trail near Bushwacker

We had a major hike recently that I am just getting around to posting. It was to place a bonus box, Bushwacker, off of our second in the PA Women Series. Here are some photos of our day on the trail... and off.


on a lovely trail about a mile and a half away from Bushwacker


a bear paw print on the way to Bushwacker


an old iron furnace about 10 miles from Bushwacker

Twenty-five Mile Weekend

Nothing beats the scent of a freshly carved stamp in the Spring morning air!

Fire Tower atop Third Mountain near Dauphin.


A nice Easter Exchange with Music Woman, Lit Chick, Archaeobirder, RGBisMe & true idigo.

Ten Mile Weekend

Over the weekend, we covered about 10 miles of steep, rocky terrain. It was through a series of different hikes. Finding and planting letterboxes, mystery and otherwise.

Maga11 and Toolman Luke joined us for some of the miles and brought some sandwiches for all to enjoy. It got too chilly to picnic so we ate in the car. Maga11 took some photos so we have something to show for our sore quads.

A Day on the Trail