A New (to me) Trail!

One of my summer goals is to visit new trails. I'm a homebody and a creature of habit. I feel most at home and comfortable running the same trails all the time. But in the summer, there is absolutely no excuse not to switch things up. I have the time to drive to new trails and explore. So on Tuesday, that's exactly what I did!

I headed down to Pine Grove Furnace State Park, which is about 40 minutes away. My "loose" plan was to hike up to the Pole Steeple Overlook, then hook up with the AT and either do an out and back or somehow get myself back to my car via a loop or whatnot. (This sounds very fly by the seat of my pants and UN-Megan-Like!)

I hiked up to Pole Steeple a long time ago. On this day, I ran some of it but hiked the really steep parts. There was no reason to go all out. 

It was only about .7 miles to the beautiful vista! I stopped to take some pictures.

Unfortunately there was a family up there with young kids who were screaming and just ruining the beauty of the view. I really wished their parents would keep them quiet. Do you think I am being unreasonable? I feel like in nature you should be respectful and quiet, especially if there are other people around. (Either that or I'm a teacher on my 2nd official day of summer break and I don't want to hear rowdy children!)

Then it was time to find the AT. I kept following the blue blazes for the Pole Steeple Trail and soon came upon an older couple hiking. I scared the woman a little when I ran up behind her.

"I though you were another snake!" she said.

"Where did you see a snake!?" I asked, alarmed.

"Up on the rocks. There was a baby copperhead sunning."

"No there wasn't!" I challenged.

"Yes there was," the woman assured me. "I hate snakes."

"Me too," I told her. But then I had to run ahead. "I'll scare away all the snakes for you guys," I told them and they laughed.

But I wasn't laughing. Now I was convinced I was going to see a copperhead!

In just a few seconds I found what I thought was the AT. I turned right because I wanted to do a loop and this was the way the map told me to go. I had been on this part of the AT once before but I didn't remember it. The next two miles or so were a gradual downhill, rocky, and sunny. Every single stick I saw tricked me into thinking it was a snake. I basically convinced myself I was going to get bit by a copperhead. I'm a little... catastrophic.

There weren't many white blazes. In fact, I barely saw any! Soon I was worried I was even on the AT. But then I saw a dude coming toward me that looked to be a thru hiker. I asked him if this was the AT and he assured me it was. I was so embarrassed. I feel like the  AT is my trail and I should know if I'm on it or not!

After about two miles I came to a road. I consulted my map. If I turned right and ran a little ways down the road, I would hook up with the Mountain Creek Trail. So that's what I did. 

This trail was completely new to me, thus working me toward my goal of exploring new trails this summer! It was marked by yellow blazes. Most of the trail weaved around big tall trees and lots of green ferns. It also ran along a creek. It was very pretty!

After about a mile and a half, I came out to the road. I ran back down the road to my car and tacked on a little at the end to bring me to 5 miles even.

It wasn't a super hard workout by any means, but it was fun to run somewhere new!

Oh, and look at the informative plaque I saw when I got back to the parking area. 

It's a good thing I didn't see this before my run or I would have turned around and went home!!!

Do you like running the same route or do you like to switch things up?
Have you ever seen a copperhead or rattlesnake?
TELL ME A SCARY SNAKE STORY!!!!