Post by GaliWalker on Jun 1, 2016 12:22:44 GMT -8
Oppressive heat in the Quahanna Wild Area (Pennsylvania, 5/29/16)
Hiking/photography stats: 25.7mi, ~3000ft elevation gain, 10.5hrs
Phew, that was hot and sticky! This was my first trip to the Quahanna Wild Area, located in Pennsylvania's Moshannon State Forest, but by no means is this going to be the last. I was extremely impressed with the magnificent forest, which was incredibly green and vibrant. Wildlife was perfuse, from the small - squirrels, frogs - to the large - lots of deer and a magnificent elk. The only problems were the high temperatures (upper eighties) and even higher humidity. These two factors caused me to pare my hike down from the originally planned 27.5mi to 25.7mi.
After an early start from the house I reached the Quehanna Wild Area around 5:20am. Unfortunately, due to an issue with finding the trailhead for the Quehanna Trail East Cross Connector (the one near the Beaver Run Dam), it was 6:20am by the time I hit the trail. This was a big mistake, since it cut a crucial 1hr of hiking from the cool morning hours. With a long day of hiking ahead of me, in what was forecast to be a hot and muggy day, this was a non-ideal start. On the plus side, I saw a magnificent elk in the woods, right beside the road as I slowly motored along it in search of my missing trailhead.
As I headed north along the Quehanna Trail East Connector, I was struck by how open the woods were. There were plenty of trees, but the understory was comprised mostly of the more friendly fauna such as ferns. Heath meadows, were also an unexpected surprise. These would lie everywhere I hiked. Most of the mid-Atlantic hikes I've done have been through dense forests and very little open terrain. The Quehanna Wild Area would feature a good mix of both.
A little more that 2mi later I connected with the Quehanna Trail. About half of my hike would be along this trail, which in total is 70mi long. The first thing it did, was to drop down, quite steeply at times, into the pretty Porcupine Hollow. I think this was my favorite part of the day. The temperature was bearable, filtered sunlight had all the greens glowing, and peak-a-boo views of dramatic hilltops along with the beautiful forest lent the whole experience an intimate, enclosed feel.
At the bottom Porcupine Hollow spat me out onto Red Run Road. The third of a mile that I walked along the road ended up being quite scenic, because Red Run was quite lovely. The scenic quotient remain high, as I left the road to climb out of the ravine I was in. Sanders Draft Run was the reason: cascades, water slides and pools, especially down low, were an entertaining presence that kept my mind off the by now hot and muggy climb.
With the climb done it was more open woods and meadows walking. The scenic highlight of the trip for me also occurred at this stage: a beautiful and extensive stand of white birch. If I hadn't had a long day planned, I'd have stopped right there and spent the rest of the day enjoying the trees.
By now it was very hot, and so humid that my enjoyment of the hike was waning. (This is the stage at which I decided to pare my hike down somewhat.) I blew past the Little Fork Vista - it's a small windowed viewpoint anyway - as well as the next couple of miles before I hit Laurel Draft. This was quite scenic, and the descent down through open woods into my second ravine of the day (Pine Hollow) was quite enjoyable. The climb out of Pine Hollow was a lush green extravaganza, but the humidity and effort kept me hot and bothered.
Up top I intersected the Sinnemahoning Trail, a grassy woods road. Here, I left the Quehanna Trail for good. I made short work of this 2.3mi section and the following few hundred yards of the gravel Three Runs Road. My final descent down the Big Spring Draft Trail ensued, which was quite enjoyable. The conditions had become a bit cooler and welcome rainclouds were beginning to gather. Big Spring Draft Run was small but very pretty. Hemlock groves and rhododendron thickets lined the stream and elk tracks lay everywhere. The climb out of the valley featured lovely heath meadows up top.
Eventually, I intersected the Wykoff Trail, which I took to the Quehanna Highway. My original hike had me crossing the road and picking up the David Lewis Trail. Unfortunately, the heat had sapped all my energy, so I skipped this part of the hike, to trudge the 4.6mi beside the Quehanna Highway to my car.
Hiking/photography stats: 25.7mi, ~3000ft elevation gain, 10.5hrs
Phew, that was hot and sticky! This was my first trip to the Quahanna Wild Area, located in Pennsylvania's Moshannon State Forest, but by no means is this going to be the last. I was extremely impressed with the magnificent forest, which was incredibly green and vibrant. Wildlife was perfuse, from the small - squirrels, frogs - to the large - lots of deer and a magnificent elk. The only problems were the high temperatures (upper eighties) and even higher humidity. These two factors caused me to pare my hike down from the originally planned 27.5mi to 25.7mi.
After an early start from the house I reached the Quehanna Wild Area around 5:20am. Unfortunately, due to an issue with finding the trailhead for the Quehanna Trail East Cross Connector (the one near the Beaver Run Dam), it was 6:20am by the time I hit the trail. This was a big mistake, since it cut a crucial 1hr of hiking from the cool morning hours. With a long day of hiking ahead of me, in what was forecast to be a hot and muggy day, this was a non-ideal start. On the plus side, I saw a magnificent elk in the woods, right beside the road as I slowly motored along it in search of my missing trailhead.
As I headed north along the Quehanna Trail East Connector, I was struck by how open the woods were. There were plenty of trees, but the understory was comprised mostly of the more friendly fauna such as ferns. Heath meadows, were also an unexpected surprise. These would lie everywhere I hiked. Most of the mid-Atlantic hikes I've done have been through dense forests and very little open terrain. The Quehanna Wild Area would feature a good mix of both.
A little more that 2mi later I connected with the Quehanna Trail. About half of my hike would be along this trail, which in total is 70mi long. The first thing it did, was to drop down, quite steeply at times, into the pretty Porcupine Hollow. I think this was my favorite part of the day. The temperature was bearable, filtered sunlight had all the greens glowing, and peak-a-boo views of dramatic hilltops along with the beautiful forest lent the whole experience an intimate, enclosed feel.
At the bottom Porcupine Hollow spat me out onto Red Run Road. The third of a mile that I walked along the road ended up being quite scenic, because Red Run was quite lovely. The scenic quotient remain high, as I left the road to climb out of the ravine I was in. Sanders Draft Run was the reason: cascades, water slides and pools, especially down low, were an entertaining presence that kept my mind off the by now hot and muggy climb.
With the climb done it was more open woods and meadows walking. The scenic highlight of the trip for me also occurred at this stage: a beautiful and extensive stand of white birch. If I hadn't had a long day planned, I'd have stopped right there and spent the rest of the day enjoying the trees.
By now it was very hot, and so humid that my enjoyment of the hike was waning. (This is the stage at which I decided to pare my hike down somewhat.) I blew past the Little Fork Vista - it's a small windowed viewpoint anyway - as well as the next couple of miles before I hit Laurel Draft. This was quite scenic, and the descent down through open woods into my second ravine of the day (Pine Hollow) was quite enjoyable. The climb out of Pine Hollow was a lush green extravaganza, but the humidity and effort kept me hot and bothered.
Up top I intersected the Sinnemahoning Trail, a grassy woods road. Here, I left the Quehanna Trail for good. I made short work of this 2.3mi section and the following few hundred yards of the gravel Three Runs Road. My final descent down the Big Spring Draft Trail ensued, which was quite enjoyable. The conditions had become a bit cooler and welcome rainclouds were beginning to gather. Big Spring Draft Run was small but very pretty. Hemlock groves and rhododendron thickets lined the stream and elk tracks lay everywhere. The climb out of the valley featured lovely heath meadows up top.
Eventually, I intersected the Wykoff Trail, which I took to the Quehanna Highway. My original hike had me crossing the road and picking up the David Lewis Trail. Unfortunately, the heat had sapped all my energy, so I skipped this part of the hike, to trudge the 4.6mi beside the Quehanna Highway to my car.
