Newbie: Hatched From Purple Egg

“I want to do my first overnite backpack this spring on the Old Loggers' Path, PA. Anyone have any comments or suggestions? I know its rattlesnake country, but what other sort of terrain am I looking at? As a newbie what should I expect my pace to be? I know when I day-hiked Hogback Trail up that way I did three miles uphill in three hours- of course that was with the company of another newbie, but I hear uphill pace is usually somewhere around 1 mile an hour with pack and company.
I've camped and day-hiked up there several times and I know all the roads by heart.
Any stories from the blackforest?”

“I have not hiked OLP but others here have - you may want to do a search for old threads on the subject - as to speed - as a newbie planning 1 mile per hour is a good choice - gives you a chance to take breaks if needed and if not needed you get into camp earlier so as to take your time setting up.

and besides cottonsocks aproves of that rate (grin , ..., whack)”

“Guesstimate mileage at 2 mph PLUS one hour per 1000 ft elevation gain...”

“yeah but that is for regular hikers gojo - newbies are a different story - and anyways its 1/2 hour per 1000 feet”

“I don't know HOI, what gojo posted sounds like the rule-of-thumb we used to use for our Scout troop hikes for the new kids. In other words; I think that is for newbies. Including the + one hour per 1000 feet.”

“Welcome aboard firewizard!”

“Thanks. 2mph was what I was figuring for the bare minimum (and I guess I should prepare for that). It'll work for my optomistic realism, LOL!”

“Welcome Wiz.
The OLP is a great 27 mile loop trail. I've done it twice, and here's a paste from jmitch which is a very good description:

"The OLP is an excellent 27 mile loop featuring excellent vistas, gorges, glens, waterfalls, beautiful streams, and awesome campsites. Water is plentiful, many cool natural features. Terrain is generally moderate, ascents/descents range from 200-800 feet. If there is no snow, we should surely complete the loop. Highlights include: Rock Run, Doe Run, Pleasant Stream, vistas from Sullivan Mountain, Sharp Top Vista, Rock Run Gorge, massive boulders near Buck Run, Masten (abandoned lumber town)."

Also, below are links to last year's TT trip and other OLP threads, plus links to OLP photo albums from our April trip.

Last year's OLP Trip page
OLP threads
Pennsy's OLP pics
M_Silver's OLP pics
Fritz's OLP pics
Capn Bobo's OLP pics”

“There is always good backpacking in Pa I have done all the NCT in ANF and it is the bomb!!!!!



8)”

“Yay! Another Pennsylvanian,.. welcome. I haven't done that trail yet so I can't be of any help, but I'd like to do it sometime soon.”

“You need to hike more Scorchey!!!



8)”

“I do the best I can with my schedule!”

“Thanks for the links, but I can tell just by looking at the links I was there already. I found them on a web search. Who could forget a name like Bobo?”