[at-l] The Song of the Wheel - a trip report

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

This isn't in the same class as Rhymin' Worm or Solar Bear, but it's a good 
summary of our last weekend, it's a more positive message than the Song of 
the Saw  -- and it works well as a walking ditty.


I知 taking my wheel for a walk.

Through the heated, humidified air,
Past turkeys and deer and growly old bears,
I知 taking my wheel for a walk.

Up steep unrelenting climbs and down grassy old woods roads,
Through cold mountain steams and deep, dark forests,
I知 taking my wheel for a walk.

Through blueberry fields and shoulder-high nettles,
And past rhododendron in bloom
I知 taking my wheel for a walk.

It really don稚 matter,
I知 mad as a hatter,
And I知 taking my wheel for a walk.


For those who were once promised a hiking guide to the Donut Hole - there's 
hope.  We spent last weekend walking nearly half the trail (43 miles), 
checking details, running the measuring wheel to check the mileages and just 
generally enjoying what's undeniably our favourite PA trail.  We still have 
the eastern 26 miles to walk again just to check details - and if memory 
serves, that section is the prettiest part of the whole trail.  We plan on 
doing that sometime before mid-August.  We'll let y'all know when we figure 
out which weekend - it would be nice to have some company if anyone's 
interested.

This weekend, though, we started seeing wildlife before we even got out of 
the truck - we had to dodge 3 porcupines and 6 deer on Wed night before we 
even got to our campsite.  Then there were the bats at the campsite.  Not to 
mention 10 billion stars lighting the night sky and fireflies flickering 
over the fields of wildflowers.

Thursday morning we left the truck at Hyner Run State Park and headed west 
in 90+*/95% humidity.  Long climbs, lots of blowdowns, ferns, blueberries, 
deer, stinging nettles and mountain laurel and rhododenron in bloom. We both 
got severely dehydrated in spite of consuming massive amounts of water and 
finally I got sick late in the day.  Finished the day with a 0.3 mile, 600 
ft descent to a campsite on the Left Branch of
Young Woman Creek - not quite the same stream that Skeeter was on, but 
related.  That was one very welcome bath! Friday we walked a combination of 
roads, pipelines and remote trails that see so few hikers that there were NO 
tracks except those of coyote, bear and deer.  We saw deer, turkey, grouse 
and at least 5 beaver dams that have been built in the last 4 years (we were 
last on this section of trail 4 years ago).  On Saturday we tackled the last 
two "nasty" climbs, then finished with 4 mile ridge walk to a spring on Rt 
144 where we hitched a ride into town for a hamburger, then back to the 
State Park to get the truck.  In 2 and a half days, we saw exactly one 
person - a gas line employee grading a pipeline maintenance road. And he 
didn't stop.

Saturday afternoon we drove up to Hyner View State Park and watched the hang 
gliders take off and play in the hot, hazy air over the river.  We learned 
some new vocabulary -- did you know that wind can dump? Wafting, however, is 
good.  Saturday night we camped deep in the backcountry off a dirt road and 
spent several hours trying to convince an angry grouse that we meant her 
chicks no harm.  Then when we got her convinced, the deer showed up and 
expressed his displeasure at our presence - but by then, Ginny was asleep so 
she didn't hear the skunk that came waltzing by after everyone else had left 
the party  :-))

Sunday we dayhiked - an 11 mile loop - 5 miles on the eastern extension of 
the Donut Hole and 6 miles of bushwhacking through State Forest, hunting 
lands and game preserve (actually we were looking for trails that evidently 
no longer exist).  We startled 4 more deer (24 total for the weekend), two 
turkey families and a young black bear in our wanderings, but still never 
managed to meet another hiker, not in four days of backpacking/hiking.  No 
wonder we like PA.

Like everyone else, we travelled home through the haze of Canadian fires - 
and yes, the haze reached all the way to DC.  It was still a good weekend.

Walk softly,
Jim and Ginny


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