On Sunday Morning, my friend Kristen, my new friend Ashleigh, and I ran about 16 miles on the Appalachian Trail from Route 325 to Swatara State Park. This was a "new to me" section and I was so excited to check it out!
**NOTE: Special thanks to Kristen for taking most of these pictues!
I think this is the longest section of the trail I have run without road crossings. You're really in the MIDDLE OF THE WOODS. There is also spotty cell reception. I was glad to be with two other people.
Even though it was cold, drizzly, and windy, we passed a lot of overnight hikers. It was comforting to pass so many people while deep in the woods.
This picture of Ashleigh shows how dreary and foggy it was...
There were quite a few rocky sections but I didn't twist my ankle!
Someone carved the AT sign on this cut down tree. So freaking cool.
There was a cool mailbox at Yellow Springs where hikers cold leave their names.
One of the best parts about running trail (besides the nature and the endorphins) is chatting for hours with your trail buddies. Kristen and I always have something to gab about, and after just meeting Ashleigh today, we had tons to talk about too.
Since it was so rainy and cold, the snakes were not out. But LOOK WHAT WAS OUT... a huge turkey! It was not afraid of us at all. It chilled on the trail with us and then even led us down the trail for a bit. Finally, it turned off the trail and into the woods. I wonder why it wasn't scared?
As we got closer to Swatara, we saw a construction sign on the trail! I guess they were working on a pipeline... We did see a construction site across the way.
With less than a mile to go, we came to this "bridge".
Nice dismount!
This section of the trail was very run-able. While it starts with a climb and there are rocky sections, it wasn't bad at all. I don't think I would recommend it to a beginner trail runner, but you don't have to be an expert or anything either. Anyone who regularly enjoys running trail would enjoy this.
My dad was supposed to come along too but he got sick. I am going to have to take him on this section sometime, just him and I. He would love it.
What's your favorite section of the AT?
How did you get back?
ReplyDeleteThose look like the rockier sections of the AT, but the Swatara section is really cool!
Ashleigh dropped her car off at Swatara the nigh before, so she took us back to Kristen's. Then I took us back to 325 for Kristen's car. It was an ordeal but worth it!
DeleteI love seeing your pictures! In North Scott wrote about how rocky PA is; he called it Rocksylvania. It's cool to see the rocks in your pics, haha!
ReplyDeleteI guess the turkey is used to having runners around. He probably isn't scared because he knows if runners are near him it's unlikely that a hunter will try to shoot at him! Or at least that would be my thinking if I was a turkey!
Yes I have heard of it called Rocksylvania before! There are sections around here that aren't as rocky. This section was run-able but I have run in rocky sections where I would stop and walk so I wouldn't twist my ankle.
DeleteThe turkey was crazy!
How fun. Glad yoybhad the girls to run with, I would think it would be a little unnerving to be that deep in the woods alone. Sometimes I forget how much of a big deal the AT is and that people come from everywhere to hike it (meaning there just might be a creeper out there..lol).
ReplyDeleteNo! Don't feed her fears! ;-)
DeleteHahaha! Luckily no creepers today. Just fellow hikers in brightly covered clothing and rain ponchos!
DeleteHow did you even know that was a trail? Crazy! But looks like fun.
ReplyDeleteThe AT is very well marked with white blazes. I guess the pictures look a little hairy, but I promise you that if you were there you would be able to follow the trail, probably even without the white blazes at this section! However, there were a lot of cross over trails here so you would need the blazes to know which one to continue on to.
DeleteI have never run on the AT. The rocks make it look similar to what I have around me. Turkeys are not scared of much. We have flocks (gaggles?) of them which roam thru our yard. What is really weird is that they sleep up in trees. They are so big so it looks really strange! That was a really long trail run--your mileage makes me envious!
ReplyDeleteI did not know turkeys weren't scared. I guess that makes sense. I didn't know they slept in trees!
DeleteOn my warm day run last week I saw two small snakes on the trail when I was running. (cute!) I guess they were enjoying the warmth for a change! That turkey is really cool. I have never run across a bird that large on a run! Oh - but we did see a bald eagle circling the sky at the track meet last week. That was cool!
ReplyDeleteI know you don't mind those little snakes. You had one in your back yard that was your "pet" too, right!? I'm so glad there are no snakes in my neighborhood! Bald eagle would be so cool to see!
DeleteThat's adventurous, but looks like fun! I love the mailbox in the middle of the trail!
ReplyDeleteI know, I love seeing signs and things like that in the woods. So out of place and cool.
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