Where am I going?
Highlight Hiker Blog
May 30, 2021
Appalachian Trail
Fort Franklin Road, Andreas, Pennsylvania
It was a rainy day. My son and his friends had planned a day trip to Dorney Park on this day and it started out dry but cloudy. We knew eventually it was going to rain. We knew it was going to be a short day at the park. But I still managed to hightail it to the closest AT parking area and get in a few miles. My rain jacket did not prove the test, though. It’s clear I need a better rain jacket as this one fails miserably and quickly. All rain coats have their saturation point. Mine gets to that point far too quickly.
But this little SOBO hike I did was beautiful it the rain, and if the kids hadn’t been soaked all the way through at Dorney, I probably would have stayed longer, despite the rain and the chill.
The Allentown Hiking Club maintains this stretch of the trail and it’s two shelters (thank you AHC Members for taking such good care of the trail!). This is perhaps the most pleasant stretch of hiking I’ve ever done. Next to no rocks and roots and on the ridge line there aren’t a whole lot of ups and downs. What ups and downs you do have are gentle and rolling. Unlike the other side of LeHigh Gap, this stretch is entirely lovely in all weather! I imagine it’s a fantastic place for cross country skiing in the winter, as well.
I did get the call, though. You know the one, “Can you come get us? We’re almost ready to go.” so I hoofed on back to the car and drove to the park and picked up my damp and cold children. But this isn’t the last you’ve seen of PA from me this year. I’ll be back. Not a threat, either… I’m just… writing this from the future so I happen to know that I returned. Twice, in fact, in 2021.
Appalachian Trail
Fort Franklin Road, Andreas, Pennsylvania
It was a very pleasant trail on a rather unpleasant day. I was hoping to meet some thru hikers, but I did not.
I had a photo of the parking area but somehow it was deleted after I left. It was a nice parking area and there was some nearby roadside parking as well. A long drive to get there from Allentown, but worthwhile.
I guess the thru hikers were smart enough to hole up for a day!
I walked sobo from the parking area and it was green every where you looked!
The trail also seemed to serve as a fire road but the service road splintered off not too far from the parking lot.
A Schuylkill marker. In case you didn't know "kill" is a Dutch word meaning "body of water" around northern NJ it most commonly refers to a brook, but in other others it can mean river or lake.
Still a service road
You can see how it splinters off. The road to the right is larger and I think is used for hunting. To the left is the AT
Less of a fire road, and more of a wide trail, the tracks are too wide to be ATV so it truly is for maintenance and emergency services.
Common viburnum bursting to bloom
The further south you go on the trail, the less traveled the road
This was where I got the return call, so I headed back the way I came. My plan was to get to the Allentown shelter and pass out goodie bags to AT thru hikers. I never got that far.
Headed back in the green and wet beauty
The ferns were everywhere and so happy under the forest canopy.
Stealth campsite for AT thru hikers
Not too stealthy with such a big fire pit! LOL
This trail led off from the campsite. I'm going to guess it leads to a water source...?
On the way back to Dorney to pick up the kids... the views were so pretty, I had to pull over to take pictures
That's the ridgeline where I was just hiking!