TWELVE OUNCE CURLS

Christy and I spent a couple of days over the long 4^th of July weekend at her parent’s camp on the First Fork of Sinemahoning Creek. The camp is located in the lightly developed woodlands of Elk County, PA. We typically spend a few days there each year. I always look forward to the trips, thanks to the ample recreation opportunities in the area. Christy looks forward to spending time with her family and reliving her childhood.

This year, I decided to do a hike close to camp. Christy and I arrived Sunday morning, before the rest of the family. Christy dropped me and the dog off at the beginning of Lick Island Road, which climbs up through the woods along Lick Island Run towards the high ridge overlooking the First Fork. She then drove up another road to the top of the mountain, where she planned a short mountain biking ride.

My actual hike plan was rather vague. The map I have doesn’t show much detail. It shows the Lick Island Road ascending the valley most of the way to the crest of the ridge. However, according to the map it does not connect with the Bucktail Path or the road that runs along the top of the ridge. I was hoping to find a way up there so I could make a loop and return on the Pepper Hill Trail. The Pepper Hill Trail terminates very near Christy’s family’s camp.

I walked up into the woods, quickly leaving the handful of cabins at the bottom of the valley behind. The road is open to vehicles, but I didn’t see any during my hike. The road was in good shape, and appeared to be passable to most any car.

After a short walk I spotted a lovely cascade below the road. A quick scramble brought me to the creek. Lick Island Run is a small stream, but this was an amazing spot. The creek tumbles between a pair of boulders into a bottomless blue hole. The pool is an ideal swimming hole, and it’s fed by a deep blue spring at its base. The pool reminded me of some of the springs we’d seen in Yellowstone several years earlier. However, this spring was clearly not warm like those. Even though it was July, the water was quite chilly.

I took a few photos and resumed the hike up the road. A few minutes later I passed the trailhead for the Game Refuge Trail. After another bend, I reached the end of the road at a gate. The Lick Island Trail continues ahead from here. I followed it, crossing a branch of the creek and hiking along a now partially overgrown roadbed.

A few minutes later I reached a junction with a trail connecting to the Pepper Hill Trail. I found this encouraging, since that was the route I planned to return on. My map didn’t show any of these trails though, so I was hiking blind.

This stretch of trail offered pleasant hiking along the creek. It also offered abundant wildlife. Along the way, I spotted a Great Blue Heron, a Turkey, and a Deer. Some distance later, I rock hopped a branch of the creek and began to climb above it. After a few minutes, I reached a double-yellow blaze at a switchback. The obvious trail continued up and to the right. A faint path seemed to continue ahead, but I figured it was simply from people who had missed the switchback.

An exceptionally steep climb followed. This provided some exercise, and we finally crested the hill at a small spring. Just beyond, the trail passes right by a cabin and begins following a dirt road. This part of the trail isn’t blazed, but the route is obvious. Cabins in this area are leased from the state, so the state reserves the right to route trails past them.

A long walk along a flat ridge ensued. I was expecting to traverse a ridge, but I was heading west. The ridge I had anticipated hiking on runs north-south. I thought I’d encounter that ridge eventually, but the hike was taking longer than expected. Abundant blooming mountain laurel kept this portion of the hike from becoming dull.

After more than a mile, I reached a minor side road marked with yellow blazes. The road headed south, which was the right direction, and I hadn’t seen even a hint of the Bucktail Path or the Ridge Road. I decided to follow this trail in hopes that it would lead to the Pepper Hill Trail. Distant thunder rumbled, and I knew I was a long way from camp. I could only hope the approaching storm would miss me.

I hiked through an open, fern-filled forest to a pair of cabins. Beyond the cabins, I followed a faint path obscured by ferns. Before long, it began to descend to the southeast. I headed down into a dark forest, following a small stream. The light grew dim as the first rain drops began to fall. Before long, I was stumbling along a faint path in a downpour. The rain caused my glasses to fog up, and I had to take them off. It wasn’t long before I could barely see what was in front of me.

I still wasn’t sure if the trail I was following was leading me where I wanted to go. It seemed to be going in the right direction, but if I was wrong, it would be an even longer walk back. Plus, I could barely see. I hated to do it, but chose to be cautious. We turned around and headed back the way we came.

I hiked back across the ridge while thunder boomed, lightning flashed, and the downpour continued. I finally descended the steep hillside back into the Lick Island Creek drainage. I reached the marked switchback, and noticed a yellow blaze up the valley to the right. I investigated, and discovered that the switchback is actually a junction. The main trail splits there, and forms a loop. It turns out that I was most of the way around the loop earlier. By turning around when I did, I had inadvertently extended the hike by an hour or more. This wouldn’t have been so bad, if I hadn’t been more than an hour behind schedule.

I hurried the rest of the way back, and the rain ended by the time I reached the road. I had only been on the main road for a few minutes when I spotted Christy driving towards me. She was on her way to the store, and stopped to pick me up.

As usual, her choice of recreation had been better than mine. She had an enjoyed an easy, scenic bike ride along Ridge Road. We decided to drive back up there to check out the views. While we were there, we rode out towards where I had been hiking. We found the road I’d hiked without much trouble. After a bit of driving, I discovered that if I had continued on the road, instead of taking the yellow-blazed side road, I would’ve reached Ridge Road in ¼ mile. From there, it’s only about 100 yards to the Pepper Hill Trail. The next time I hike this route, I’ll know where to go!

The next day we decided to take it easy. Christy and I did go for a 4-mile run at Sinemahoning State Park in the morning. In the afternoon though, we opted for a leisurely float trip down the First Fork. The state was releasing a large volume of water from the dam, and the river was up. Plus, it was a warm, sunny day. It was the perfect day to go tubing.

We didn’t actually have tubes, but we had bought $10 inflatable rafts at Walmart. I wasn’t sure I wanted to trust my life to a $10 raft from Wally World, but I suppose that’s not any worse than a traditional tube. The rafts worked fine, although they filled with water quickly. I was glad Christy had talked me into bringing a beer. The empty can enabled me to bail out the raft several times, twelve ounces at a time.

The ride was great fun. We covered the 5 miles from the base of the dam to camp in an hour, thanks to the strong current. The minor rapids along the way were washed out by the high water, but powerful waves added some excitement. Christy’s cousin, who was tubing behind us, actually was flipped by one of the larger waves.

On Tuesday, Christy did a bike race in Brockway, PA. We drove there that morning, eyeing the steel gray sky the whole way. The weather forecast called for an 80% chance of rain. We could only hope that the rain would hold off until after the race.

While Christy was racing, I explored a nearby rail-trail. The Little Toby Creek Trail connects Brockway and Ridgway, following Little Toby Creek and the Clarion River for 18 miles.

I eventually found the trailhead at a park just north of downtown. I left town behind immediately. I passed a few houses, but for the most part, the ride was deep in the woods along a pretty stream. There weren’t any road crossings, and the deep forest created a tremendous sense of isolation. After a few miles, I passed a neat suspension bridge over the creek. I continued a bit farther, and was just beginning to think about turning around when I found the trail blocked by fallen trees. I took that as a sign, and made a U-turn. Just as I did, the rain came. As usual, I was as far as possible from the car when the weather turned. I rode back fast, but was hampered by driving rain and a muddy trail. By the time I made it back to the race site, I looked like a skunk. I was wearing a yellow shirt with a black streak up the back from all the mud. Somehow, despite my helmet, I’d managed to get mud in my hair, ears, and eyes. Fortunately the race was at a high school, and showers were accessible.

The entire bike race took place in the downpour, which created difficulties for all of the competitors. Christy was happy to win her age group, though technically she was the only person in it.

I’d like to return to the area, and bike the entire trail between Brockway and Ridgway. The part of the trail I’d ridden was exceptionally remote and scenic. I’m looking forward to returning to see the rest of it.

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