A HIDDEN WILDERNESS
Christy, Saucony, and I spent Christmas week with Christy's family in Pennsylvania. I always like to explore new territory when I'm up there. However, a huge storm dropped a foot of snow on Christmas Eve, which complicated things a bit. Until then, I had only managed a 5 mile walk along the railroad tracks that run through the woods behind her parent's house. That was actually a pleasant walk, but I was hoping to do something a bit more ambitious. After the storm, I could only manage a couple of days of extreme sledding with my 5-year old nephew-to-be.
By Friday I was hoping that the back roads would be clear. They weren't. I reached Black Moshannon State Park without any trouble, and found the lake there frozen. The road beyond still had snow on it though, which made for an exciting drive. I finally found the trailhead parking area, which was still covered with a foot of snow. I parked anyway, since I had a shovel in the trunk if I needed it.
I hiked a short path along a cascading stream before reaching an old railroad grade. I had selected a rail-trail for my hike. I'd decided that a foot of snow would make any hike challenging enough, without adding steep terrain. The rail-trail, though still under construction, will eventually be 19 miles long. It follows the old Snowshoe Branch of the Pennsylvania Railroad, which is appropriate, since snowshoes would've been quite handy.
There were no footprints around, but a snowmobile had been down the trail at some point. This was actually a good thing, as it had packed down the snow enough to make the walking easier. The trail followed along Red Moshannon Creek, which is a lovely, and yes, red, creek that would pass for a river in the mountains of North Carolina. The red color comes from minerals that have leaked into the water from the area coal mines. The red color was the only sign of industry along the hike though. The trail wound along through a gorge above the creek, with nothing but forest in every direction. I didn't see anyone all day, which helped reinforce the sense of wilderness, despite those snowmobile tracks.
The biggest excitement of the hike came at the bridge. After a mile or so, the trail crosses an old trestle. To proceed, I had to step from one icy tie to the next. The rushing water of the creek was visible through the spaces between. The bridge was probably 50' high and 100' across, which was a little intimidating. It would have been simple enough without the snow and ice, but the conditions warranted caution. I stepped across carefully, and made it without incident. I hiked a few more miles, before descending to the stream for a brief lunch. Temperatures were in the 20's, and it looked like it might snow again, so I didn't linger long.
The hike back was uneventful but quiet and pleasant. I reached the car around 4:30, but it wasn't going anywhere. When I parked, I didn't realize there was a sheet of ice under all that snow. I tried to dig myself out, but there wasn't any traction. I was beginning to wonder if I'd spend the night there, in the middle of the cold Pennsylvania woods. The road is lightly used, but luckily, 2 cars came by. The drivers stopped and helped push me out. Who says Yankees aren't friendly?
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