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  [Hiking]

Last weekend I did an overnight hike on the Mid State Trail. I had a late morning start on Saturday, and left my apartment around 10:00am, which put me at the R. B. Winter office parking lot around 11:00. I entered my name in the register for the weekend, then hit the trail off PA route 192.

After the trail crosses 192, it jumps up the side of a ridge behind the park's Halfway Lake. The trail continues uphill, but turns into a gradual incline as it merges with a cross-country ski trail. At the top of the ridge, it occurred to me how well maintained this section of trail was compared to other sections I've hiked (though the mosquitoes were hungry). The trail crossed a power line clearing, then led me to the Sand Mountain Fire Tower at the end of the ridge, which fueled my interest in Pennsylvania Fire Towers (w).

From here, the trail dropped into a valley then went went up the side of another ridge, covered in mountain laurel, called Chestnut Flat. Atop this ridge, the trail turned left off an old railroad grade, and headed down Emanon Gap (this turn is easy to miss as the railroad grade continues straight along the mountain side). The trail followed a chain of moss covered rocks down the gap, and further down I heard a stream running in the rocks just below the trail. It surfaced in a few pools, as a spring would appear on a mountain side, but remained mostly concealed under the MST.

Beyond a green marshy area at the bottom of the gap, the trail reached a bridge where it crossed White Deer Creek. I didn't cross, as my eyes caught a decent sized pine-needle clearing, downstream and just to my right. It was early afternoon, and only about 5 miles in my hike, but I knew there was a good chance I'd be camping there for the night. I took a water break, ate some trail mix, then took a nap quick nap. When I woke, the sun shining on the creek made too nice of a setting to give up, so I set up camp.

I dabbled in the woods till early evening, and was asleep by sundown. I woke the next morning with the birds for some coffee and pancakes, then hit the trail around 8:00. The trip back to the car was quick, but my pack felt good as it always does after the first night. I stopped briefly at the fire tower on the way back, and was back at the park office by 11:00.

According to my 10th edition MST guide, the hike was 19.14km round trip (about 11.96 miles).

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