Pine Grove Furnace

[Tuco]

Drove out to Pine Grove Furnace over the weekend and did the AT/Sunset Rocks Trail Loop and then did an extra couple of hours on he AT in the other direction.

I was suprised-1) how level and smooth this section of the AT was (I was expecting the rocks I am used to and PA is known for and 2) the 1/2 point on the AT is not actually at the store (1/2 gallon club) but back a bit in the middle of the woods. I always thought the mid point was at the store.

Nice day, nice park for the family as well.

 

[Rick]

Hi Tuco,
I've led several AMC backpacks trips on that section - The trail follows a lot of old roads up on the ridge in Michaeux SF - A very nice section of the trail. The baaaad rocks don't really start until you get past the Great Valley and hit that first mountain before Duncannon.
Cheers,
Rick

 

[Papa Bear]

Practically to whole AT from the Patomac through Maryland and southern Pennsylvania all the way to the Cumberland Valley is a gentle woods road walk.

That's why thru-hikers (at least the crazy ones) can do Maryland in a day. It's 40+ miles but real gentle. 3 of them passed me doing that feat when I did Harpers Ferry to Duncannon last year. Then they rested 2 days and I got to Duncannon ahead of them. Ever hear of the tortoise and the hare! Ha!

Pb

 

[RoySwkr]

2) the 1/2 point on the AT is not actually at the store (1/2 gallon club) but back a bit in the middle of the woods. I always thought the mid point was at the store.

Every time a relo is done on the AT, the total distance and hence the center point changes. Even those thru-hikers who are persnickety about following every white blaze will probably find that by the time they get to the end, there has been a relo somewhere behind them and hence they have missed some white blazes.

A guy I know who joined the half-gallon club says he watched another hiker eat 3, didn't say how long he kept them down.