2010 LHHT Backpacking Adventure X

The six man crew (Kevin, Clayton, Jurian, Chris, Cory and Devan) geared up with packs and headlamps on Friday August 20th and hit the trail. With the moonlight illuminating the path, the headlamps were nearly pointless. We made our way through the moon-lit woods to our shelter and set up for the evening. The fire was quickly raging thanks to Bear Grylls…(Clayton)…and we were ready to get rested for the next day of extreme hiking. Breakfast was prepared and consumed in a matter of minutes and we were back to the trail ready to face the demands of the wilderness on Saturday morning. It was hot, but the beauty of the journey that lay ahead distracted us from any discomfort. By 1pm we had reached our destination; a shelter area located off of route 56. To our dismay the water pump that we were counting on was out of service. Time to improvise: with the discovery of a fresh water spring combined with an old iodine trick I learned on the trail years ago, we had potable water. We also had the company of two marines who were enjoying the weekend in the woods as well. We shared a fire and some trail food and then checked into our luxury lean-to shelters for the night. As our stomachs digested Mac and cheese and oatmeal we began our hike out on Sunday morning in off-and-on rain showers. The woods were a dreamscape as fog hovered just feet above that ground and enveloped the forest on all sides. We were swallowed up in this surreal wonderland for the next 2 hours. Over the course of those 5 miles we experienced rocky outcroppings, canopies of oak and birch trees, tunnels of mountain laurel and a reservoir of crystal clear water. As we reached the trail-end parking lot and the reflective surfaces that had been absent for the past day and a half we were struck with the notion that none of us knew what we looked like nor had we cared. Our journey back to Boswell in the van was charged with excitement as we explored the many wonders of the Johnstown Sheetz. This trip was the kind of adventure most are unwilling to take because it involves risk and a certain level of endurance. But in this case, the reward far outweighed the risk. I look forward to our next trip.

If you’d like to see our journey tracked on my GPS unit, follow these two links below:

http://connect.garmin.com:80/activity/embed/45755582

http://connect.garmin.com:80/activity/embed/45755596