Touching the Void on the Allegheny Front Trail TR

“What would happen when three good friends and hiking buddies, your narrator included would step into the enchanted back country of central Pennsylvania? Would it be just another robotic ENS death march hike? Would there be magic? Would there be acts of death defiance? Would they succeed in "chalking up another one"?

The Allegheny Front Trail is a 40 mile loop which winds through the forests, swamps and meadows up on the Allegheny Plateau in the area the native Americans called Moshannon. The trail is about a half hour off of I-80 and the main trailhead is located on PA route 504 4 miles east of Black Moshannon State Park. The area is about a half hour northwest of State College, PA.

The trail has an important place in TT legend as the location of the "pristine spring" and the famous "WTF on the AFT" trip.

A few weeks ago near the end of July, CrazyPace, Jackstraw and your narrator set out to complete the trail in a weekend. We hiked the trail counterclockwise, however, the weather was very hot, the vegitation was very wet and over grown and the motivation to continue the hike had dwindled by the time the halfway mark was reached that Saturday afernoon.

Fortunately we had spotted my car at the halfway mark on PA 504 and the hike was aborted. Even as we were switching from our hiking gear to our civilian gear, the gears started to turn and there was a conspiring to return to the AFT and finish the southern half. The southern half is supposed to be the better part of the trail.

In the course of two weeks planning commenced and the dates for the hike were pencilled in on the calendar. Jackstraw was unable to make it though because he had to work. Then Pennsy jumped aboard and the stage was set.

Cue Friday late afternoon. I left work around 430 and hit the road, got snagged in Harrisburg traffic, luckily it didn't put me too far behind. I arived at the trailhead at 730 and Crazypace was there and immediately handed me an ice cold yuengling. Soonafter Pennsy arrived and after a quick shuttle to the trailhead on 504 west of the state park we disappeared into the enchanted woods of Moshannon State Forest along with the waigning sunlight.”

“It was just before 9pm and the sun was setting quickly. The trees became silloetes in front of a red sky backdrop. As the sun dropped below the horizon we donned our headlamps and it was quickly evident that my headlamp was on the fritz (no offense to fritz). I took pace behind crazypace and in front of pennsy so that I could see the trail.

The trail was rocky and it took considerable concentration to not turn an ankle. We dropped down off of the plateau but we were able to find the disguised right turn that sharply returns to the front.

It was now completely dark and we started thinking about our campsite. Our goal was to camp at one of the several vistas on the Allegheny Front. Following a series of small climbs and descents we were climbing back to the front. Crazypace called back that he could see a campfire ahead and soon it was evident that we were not alone on the trail.

There were three kids camping at the first vista where we were intending to camp and it was aparent that we were going to have to hike on. We definitely wanted to camp at a vista though. As we continued to pass vista after vista and none of them had a good spot to set up camp.

At one point we saw eyes peering out of the forest at us, probably deer. Still glowing eyes in an ink black night makes for an uneasy feeling.

Finally we arrived at a sign that said, "Ralph's really good Vista". The area was open and grassy. We could see the lights down in the valley of nearby towns down at the base of the plateau. We all had hammocks and finally we found a spot that was perfect. We looked up at the sky and it was a clear stary night. There was a nice cool breeze coming in from the west.

The campsite was sealed when we found a fire ring complete with wood. We set up our hammocks and then sat around the fire and talked after 12am and then we sacked out for the night.

We set our hammocks up in a triangle and the trees weren't the largest so every toss and turn was felt. Still I think we all got good night sleeps. The Hennessey hammock is rapidly becoming my favorite shelter.”

“Aw man! I have to go to bed! Will you read me another chapter tomorrow dad? Please?


Shhh....(whispers)....the "rawks" threads are sinking.....be vewwy vewwy quiet.....”

“Saturday morning we woke up with the rising sun. I could see out of my hammock down towards the vista and it was very pretty. It was still cool and I didn't want to get up.

Crazypace then got up and started telling us about a strange dream that he had the night before. He dreamt that someone tried to get into his pack during the night. Fortunately it was just a dream and his pack was undisturbed.

We packed up and had breakfast down at the vista and then hit the trail. Friday night we hiked about 3 miles and we were figuring that we had about 15 miles to go.

We passed the final vista on the front, Ralph's majestic vista. We stopped and looked at it for a few seconds and then continued. The trail hooked to the right and we climbed through a rock formation and for several miles the trail was a semi rocky woods walk. We got up a good pace and crazypace ironically set the pace as he was in the lead position. It quickly became evident that he had obtained the rank of Chief Lt. Col General De-Webber. He successfuly de-spider-webbed almost the entire southern portion of the trail.

We crossed into Black Moshannon State Park and one of my favorite parts of the trail. The trail went through the bog area of Black Moshannon Lake. There was even a sign that read "waterproof shoes are needed for the next several miles" or something. Luckily for us, the a boardwalk had been constructed.

We passed through numerous blueberry groves that flurished along the the shore of the lake. The blueberries were plump and delicious and we gorged. Who needs granola bars when the trail is loaded with blueberry bushes?

Once the trail leaves the lake area it drops down into hollows and pretty much becomes a rocky uneventful woods walk. We still had 10 miles to go, but we were talking a lot and that kept us going.

We stopped for lunch at a spring near Wolf Rocks and we must have somehow disturbed a nest of bees. Crazypace brought turkey spam and pita bread and we while we were enjoying the spammity calamity a nasty bee started attacking us. First Pennsy got stung on the stomach and then I got stung on the elbow. The bee had to be exterminated. I don't know what we did to tick it off.”

“We got back on the trail and we had about 6 miles to go. We passed through Wolf Rocks which was an interesting rock formation with small caves. We then dropped down to Six Mile Run and crossed it on the road bridge. With still 3-4 miles to go we needed to fill our water bottles. It day was at its warmest point. I volunteered to filter and went to sit down on a rock on the shore of the creek. As I was sitting down, Crazypace yelled for me to stop as I was getting ready to share the rock with a large brown recluse. We subsequently transported the recluse to another location and I filtered the water, luckily bite free.

The part of the trail along Six Mile Run in this area was mile favorite. The white pine forest along the trail and creek was beautiful and the trail was very nice. The trail then took us on one more steep ascent to the top of the plateau. It did several twists and turns that seemed somewhat unecessary, but after a mile and a half it dropped back down to Six Mile Run and shortly thereafter we reached PA 504 and the western trailhead and the completion of our hike.

We then celebrated chalking up another one and washed up in Six Mile Run.

We had dinner in Belfonte, PA at Schnitzels, an amazing german restaurant. We each had spatzel pale lager and it was really good. After eating food none of us we could pronounce, we declared ourselves full and shortly after we all hit the road.”

“Awesome. Thanks for the honorable mention in the TR. I was there with you in spirit Bro.”

“oh yeah, I forgot to mention. Pennsy grabbed two left boots on his way out the door and after a long 3 hour drive, the heartbreak was thick. Neverfear, crazypace is here. Crazypace reached into his truck and pulls out extra boots, practically brand new. They were a size larger than pennsy's, but with socks doubled up they worked like a charm.

Todd also carried a spare headlamp and I was able to hike with light for most of the night hike froday night.

Crazypace is Mr. Trailhead preparedness like no other. He always seems to plan for hikes with a sixth sense of sorts.”

“yeah we missed you. When do you want to hike again? I am eyeing up the Catskills trip at the end of the month, but that is the weekend after Maine, so I don't know yet.”

“Great TR as usual ENS---you could make a walk to the corner store sound like an adventure!

What makes that river such a reddish color?”

“something to do with metals and minerals in the water. The water was crystal clear, just red.”

“great report and pics”

“I noticed how clear it was and was really surprised. There are lakes and rivers all over MI that have tannins staining the water to a red wine/purple grape juice consistency, but this is the first time I've seen water that color and that clear.

Thanks for sharing.”

“Cool report.”

“Nicely done ENS. But where's the close up spider pic from the swamp ? (that I almost walked into!, the spider that is.)

My TR add-ons:

spam - its the other white meat.

spiders - suck.

boots - always take a left and a right.

post hike meal - should include beer and food that you can not pronounce.”

“the I couldn't get the camera to focus on the spider.”

“Thats a defense mechanisim of the spider - they blur your vision so they can leap upon you and bite. tricky bastards!!”

“i was planning on the Cades Cove tenatively, but the Catskills trip looks like Da Bomb. How Far of a drive to To the Catskills from DC?”

“I am guessing that it is about 6 hours and 350 miles.”

“So who fell down, shattered their leg, and had to drag themselves out of the wilderness?”

“Who got back up and continued with their hobby despite doing so?”

“Actually, he had to cut off his leg with a dull pocket knife. Then hiked the 12 remaining miles out.”

“and walked twenty miles to school in six feet of snow uphill both ways, HaH!!!”

“Harry, you would of loved that german restaurant! Wish you could of went. This half was much better.”

“Your right CP. I'm sure I'll get up there one of these days. Right Now I'm looking forward to the Catskill trip.”

“I have no idea what I ate but it was DAMN GOOD.

Excellent report and pics ENS. For my next act, I'll show up with two right boots to balance things out.

"and walked twenty miles to school in six feet of snow uphill both ways, HaH!!!”
jackstraw

(in Dana Carvey grumpy old man voice)... AND, we LIKED it!”

“sounds like it was a good trip”

“Nice TR and pics....you sure are a hiking fool!!!! ;-)”