[at-l] Hiking anyone?

[spiriteagle99@hotmail.com (Jim and/or Ginny Owen)]

Didn't any of you go hiking this beautiful weekend?  Sounds to me like so=
me of you should have. =20

We had a terrific weekend - just about perfect in every way!  After two m=
onths of being too busy with family visits and buying a house to do any s=
ignificant hiking, I was climbing the walls, seriously stir crazy.  For s=
ome of us, hiking isn't a hobby, it's an addiction.  Anyhow, Jim and I de=
cided that come what may, we were going hiking this weekend.  We called u=
p some backpacking friends and decided to join them on their hike on the =
Chuck Keiper Trail in central PA.  For those that don't know, it's a 50 m=
ile loop trail that can be broken up into smaller loops.  It's very chall=
enging because of frequent steep climbs, but  a really good trail for a t=
wo or three day weekend trip.  Blueberries were still abundant in the sun=
ny open areas, there was plenty of water and late summer wildflowers, a f=
ew leaves were turning red and gold, and the ferns were still wonderfully=
 fragrant.  I saw seven deer the first day and a big black snake the seco=
nd day, owls and peepers serenaded us at night.  We decided on a modified=
 version of the eastern loop, using Penrose Road as the connector. to mak=
e a 26 mile circle.  The weather was gorgeous most of the weekend - rainy=
 on Friday night, sunlight and shadows on Saturday (my favorite kind of h=
iking weather), cold and dewy on Saturday night, warm and sunny on Sunday=
 and Monday. Evidently everyone else thought this was a good weekend to b=
e out.  Normally we never see anyone on the CKT, but this time we saw lot=
s of other hikers, including a couple of groups of college kids out for 5=
 days.  We took our time, and despite being out of shape, we managed to d=
o in two days the trip we had planned for three, so late Saturday afterno=
on we climbed the last hill to our trucks, went into Renovo for burgers a=
nd beer, slept in the trucks and did a day hike on a brand new 5 mile tra=
il that loops out of Hyner Run State Park.  Everything seemed to work wel=
l this weekend.  Yes, we are stiff and sore, but the walking was terrific=
, the company grand, the hike enough of a challenge to feel good about wi=
thout being really difficult.  Because I needed time in the woods so badl=
y, I walked ahead of the group a lot, so I could really be aware of where=
 I was walking, without the distraction of conversations -- but it was al=
so good to have people to share the joy with, whenever we stopped.  It is=
 so easy to make me happy, just take me into the woods.  I was flying hig=
h all weekend.  The drive home was fairly slow (about 6 hours because of =
traffic and construction) but had its highpoints too, including two north=
bound hikers we met at the truck stop in Duncannon and the Amish lady wit=
h the quilts.  Scrambled eggs for supper - and I'm in no mood to deal wit=
h the anger on the list so the rest of the digest can wait until tomorrow=
 - or some time when I'm not feeling so mellow.  =20

Walk softly,
Ginny and Jim


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