This past Saturday, we went on an extended day hike from Caledonia south to Old Forge Road parking area which is just past the Tumbling Run Shelters. We had originally planned an overnight trip from Caledonia to Pen Mar Park, but Sunday's weather was calling for heavy rains, high wind and temperatures dropping into the low 40's. I don't know anyone who would willingly sleep and hike in that weather, so we changed our plans and opted to complete the first leg of the journey. It fulfilled one of Chuckwagon's (my son) 10 mile hike requirements for his hiking merit badge, and got us out in nature away from stress.We met up with a thru hiker at the bathroom off the parking lot in Caledonia. He was headed south after reaching Katahdin and finding it closed for the season. He was heading south to Georgia where he intended to turn around and hike back to Maine. To each their own.
Our hike started out easy enough as it meandered through some laurel hedges. I was feeling good. the weather was great for hiking, and the terrain wasn't too difficult. But that wouldn't last. We hit our first gradual incline not long after crossing route 30. As uphills go, this one wasn't too bad, but I'm discovering that the gradual inclines are the worst for me. Like old joints can tell when rain is coming, my butt injury can detect even the slightest change in elevation. I made it to the end of the hill without too much trouble. I just take my time. It isn't a race so I just go at a comfortable pace.
Eventually we came to a much bigger elevation change over a short distance. These I find more fun than overwhelming. Chuckwagon was the first one to head up. So we all scrambled up to the top of the ridge.
This is one area that shows exactly why Pennsylvania's other name is Rocksylvania. There were rocks and boulders strewn every where. For the most part, the rocks weren't really a problem at all. It made for some more interesting terrain.
There are rocks all along the ridge of South Mountain, something that must be a common occurrence in the area. These rocks contribute to one of the many paranormal stories I've been slowly collecting over the past few years for a book I hope to manage to one day write. There was a highwayman known to roam the area of Central Pennsylvania, and he made the caves and crevices in the mountains his hideouts. He was known to the locals as somewhat of a "robin Hood" character who sometimes used money from his heists to assist those who were less fortunate. He was eventually captured. There are two different stories associated with him. One is that there is a cache of money. around $10,000 worth, still stashed somewhere in the Caledonia/Michaux area. The highwayman apparently hid the money in one of the caves along the mountain ridge and was captured before being able to claim it. I considered poking around in some of the crevices, but figured I was more likely to stumble upon a rhumba of rattlesnakes (really, that's the correct term for a grouping of rattlers).
The other story associated with our North American East Coast Robin Hood is that his ghost is known to still ride in the Central Pennsylvania areas where he was known to roam. So perhaps one night while you're sleeping in your shelter, you might hear horses hooves approaching. If you're quick enough you might catch a fleeting glimpse of the highwayman riding and protecting his lost fortune.We never saw a thing, which was disappointing.
We continued our travels on the ridge. At this point, Chuckwagon was starting to talk about lunch. Honestly, he was talking about eating after about the first 20 minutes of the hike. The granola bar he snacked on apparently wasn't enough to hold him over. We planned on stopping at the Rocky Mountain shelter for lunch, but we ended up stopping at an area off the trail mostly because Chuckwagon was getting a little hangry. We picked a spot where someone had set up a fire ring and had some log seats. I don't know why peanut butter and jelly tastes so much better eaten on the trail, but it does.Once lunch was done, we headed back onto the trail. It wasn't long before we hit more inclines. Perhaps it was because my muscles had stiffened while sitting and eating lunch, but I was having a harder time during the second half of the hike. The gradual changes in elevation were kicking my butt. I was exhausted, and I was in pain. I was thinking in my head that I was done with the whole hiking/backpacking thing. We eventually made it to Chimney Rock, and the view was worth the the long hike. We dropped our packs and climbed up Chimney Rock to see the view. We took a few minutes to take some photos and rest. We were nearly back to the car, but we had a steep hill to hike down. The elevation change is about 900 feet change over about 1 mile. It was rough going most of the way. My mom and Chuckwagon went on ahead of my husband and I. We were losing light, and we were in a bit of pain. I've never been so happy to see a parking lot in my life.
In total, our hike was actually 12 miles instead of the 10 we thought it was. We all agreed that the weather forecast that forced us to change our overnight plans was a Godsend. There was no way my husband and I would have physically been able to hike 10 more miles the following day, especially with 20-25 pound packs. While I usually struggle with my old injury, it was not the source of my pain- which was new and surprising. It did bother me while I was going uphill, but it stopped when the incline did, and that's something different- and positive. My pain stemmed from being incredibly out of shape, and that's something that can be fixed. Sometimes your life is so busy you feel tired and exhausted like you're doing all this physical exertion, but you really aren't. So the lifestyle change has commenced, and the treadmill is getting cleaned off. Our goal is to plan a hike each week/weekend of about 5 miles. Once we master 5 miles without feeling like dying in the woods, we'll add miles. Here's to many more hikes to come!
