Post by GaliWalker on Oct 15, 2020 8:54:49 GMT -8
About a month ago I visited central Pennsylvania's Rothrock State Forest. I could see that the place had lots of potential for good fall foliage, and chalked this place down for a return visit later in the year. Flash forward to yesterday and I made my return. Since I'd just been there I'd been entertaining second thoughts, but like in Kill Bill, the movie, I told myself to stick to the plan. Oh. My. God. I could not have picked a better spot! The place was a riot of fall colors.
I left the Bear Meadows trailhead at 5:40am. Dawn was at 7:20am, and I wanted to get to the Indian Wells vista before that. I hiked almost the entire 3.5mi (Bear Meadows Trail - Sandstone Spring Path - Mid State Trail) to the rocky viewpoint by headlamp, managing to beat sunrise by 10min. I then proceeded to spend 2.5hrs there, because the colors back-lit by morning light just got more and more spectacular.
Fire on the mountain
GaliWalker in fall heaven (selfie)
Bear Meadows
Back-lit
Talus field (selfie)
I continued for a further 2mi or so along the Mid State Trail, sampling some of delights on offer at the other vistas, before dropping down the mountainside on the steep Kettle Trail. I closed my 10mi loop hike by taking the Lonberger and Bear Meadows trails.
Squishy Bear Meadows
I left the Bear Meadows trailhead at 5:40am. Dawn was at 7:20am, and I wanted to get to the Indian Wells vista before that. I hiked almost the entire 3.5mi (Bear Meadows Trail - Sandstone Spring Path - Mid State Trail) to the rocky viewpoint by headlamp, managing to beat sunrise by 10min. I then proceeded to spend 2.5hrs there, because the colors back-lit by morning light just got more and more spectacular.
Fire on the mountain
GaliWalker in fall heaven (selfie)
Bear Meadows
Back-lit
Talus field (selfie)
I continued for a further 2mi or so along the Mid State Trail, sampling some of delights on offer at the other vistas, before dropping down the mountainside on the steep Kettle Trail. I closed my 10mi loop hike by taking the Lonberger and Bear Meadows trails.
Squishy Bear Meadows