It's Getting Real - Day 122

  Remember back at the beginning when I kept saying this hike did not feel epic? Still doesn't. However, it is beginning to feel real. Somehow, everything before the Allegheny National Forest has felt like... not easy... not fake... more like a preamble to the serious stuff.

The Allegheny National Forest was the first 100-mile hike I ever took. We didn't really know what we were doing. It was hard. Harder than it needed to be, because we weren't experienced, but nevertheless a serious undertaking. It's 100 miles with almost no road walking. It's truly hilly- contantly up and down with 200-500 foot ascents and descents. Rocky trail, creek crossings, mud, roots.

Once I leave the ANF and Pennsylvania, I enter New York State, and I can make a good case for western NY being the most difficult section of this entire trail.

My point is... now we get to find out if I can do the "real" stuff. I got my first taste of it today.

Although we went back to winter with cold and snow squalls all day, there were waterways with various kinds of ambiance to follow. I liked Little Salmon Creek because it seemed so out of character. Most of the ANF is rocky and covered with moss and lichen- reminiscent of the Pacific Northwest. By contrast, this creek had islands of brown grasses and it flowed leisurely along the bottom of the hill.

Between the larger streams are a hundred little rocky creeks tumbling down to the bigger valleys. This is Guiton Run.

Possibly the best waterway picture was taken at a stream with the unromantic name of The Branch.

And I guess moss was on my mind today. Moss sending out new tendrils across a rock.

Lush hummocks of moss in a puddle.

Moss and lichen overtaking a rotting stump.

The biggest surprise of the day was rocks. The ANF has rocks and ROCKS. The most famous area of ROCKS is a couple of days ahead of me yet (stay tuned). But today, as I was beginning the final descent of the day, the hillside was littered with blocky ROCKS the size of apartment complexes and castles and houses. I was not yet expecting rocks of such dimensions. These are not cliff faces. These are rocks that broke off of somewhere else and tumbled here. They must be part of the lifted Allegheny Plateau. This area was not glaciated by the last ice age. Whatever they are, they are amazing!

So, how did I do? I did "short" mileage again today, and it went fine. Tomorrow will be a little bit longer, and I think it will be OK. My knees are tired, but not worrisome. A great start for April and a new season.

Miles today: 12.2. Total miles so far: 1605.3

See View from a Shelter