Hiking the Allegheny Front Trail

Friday, October 15, 2010

The forecast was for rain over the next two days in and around State College, so my expectations for a scenic hike were low. I’d done some reading about the Allegheny Foot Trail, a 40-mile loop through the Moshannon State Forest, with high hopes for some scenic vistas. I had targeted one 5-mile stretch in the south eastern end where most of them were identified. I made the drive with my fingers crossed, and when I arrived at the trailhead to sunny conditions, my spirits lifted. I was trying to decide about my overnight accommodations. Since it was a state forest, I could camp anywhere that was more than 100 feet from a trail or source of water. State parks, on the other hand, require that you camp only in designated camp areas. As a Leave No Trace educator, I know the principles of camping with minimal impact and enjoy finding secluded places that no one else has or is likely to use. Since I wasn’t going to walking a long stretch of the trail, I figured I’d only bring a day pack and leave my overnight gear in the car and return for it at the conclusion of my hike.

It turned out to be a wise choice. The trail can only be described as a ‘green tunnel’. Since it was a State Forest, it was clear that it had been harvested for lumber at some point in the not so distant past. There were no trees with any significant height or girth to indicate they were older. The undergrowth was extensive and made moving from the trail to find a camp site difficult. The views offered were quite limited and on the entire 6-mile hike, I never encountered any open area that I would consider a desirable camping location.

I returned to the car reasonably tired, a little disappointed and with a sore hip. The hip issue was the result of the uncertain footing throughout the hike. The trail was made up of a considerable amount of loose stone covered in newly fallen and wet leaves, which had me slipping and wrenching my hip on numerous occasions. I packed my gear back into the car and decided to drive around the forest and look for a better opportunity to camp. I found none, but did come across a porcupine and stopped to get his picture.

I drove to State College to check out the town with thoughts of sleeping in the Honda in some hotel parking lot near the cross country course. I’ve done this before and it’s not the most desirable solution, but I didn’t want to pay $25 to sleep for 7 hours in a state park. I noticed there was another state forest 15 miles south of the town, so I gave up the hotel idea and drove there.

I ended up in Green Furnace State Park, which is pretty much like any other state park I’ve ever been in…campers, trailers, and a couple of tents closely packed around a shower/laundry area. For many folks, this is camping, but for me it’s just an outdoor motel. I started the night sleeping in the back of the Honda, but wasn’t too comfortable. I got out to stretch my legs at 1 a.m. and was greeted by a beautiful, star-filled sky, not unlike the ones I loved so much in the Adirondacks. I pulled my sleeping bag from the car and threw it on the grass nearby for the remainder of the night. I laid away, staring up into the starry sky determined that I wouldn’t look away until I’d seen a shooting star. Once I saw one, I couldn’t look away but when I noticed it was 3 a.m., figured I’d better get some sleep. I still woke regularly and finally got up when the sky began to lighten from the morning sun and a fellow camper out walking his dog in the near dark almost tripped over me.

Hike duration: 3 hours.
Training Heart Rate: 75 bpm.
Calories burned during workout: 1.500.