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Lee Adourian

Living in: Massachusetts, United States of America Read more Massachusetts, United States of America
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    • TravelerHeading North on AT from S. VA
      Day 41

      Day 40 of AT in PA NOBO

      April 17 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 63 °F

      Black Swatara Creek
      Campsite (1,207.1) to Port Clinton (1,220.2)
      Total Miles: 13.1

      Got up early today and was on trail by 5:30am. First time I’ve had to use my headlamp for hiking. Was a lot of fun.
      Needed to get my final 13.1 miles done over the rocky trail by 1pm as that’s when Pip could pick me up in Port Clinton.
      Half way through the morning, I came across Little Mountain Overlook. See pic & video. Such a clear and magnificent panorama of the valley floor between Harrisburg and Allentown. Might be the prettiest view of the trip thus far. My 6 week hike ends today and this was such a nice way to wind things down.
      Got to Port Clinton a few minutes early and was to the hotel in Allentown by 1:45.
      So…. A total of @ 530 miles done for this 6 week section. Looking forward to coming back and setting off from Port Clinton next late Spring!!?      Read more

    • TravelerHeading North on AT from S. VA
      Day 40

      Day 39 of AT in PA NOBO

      April 16 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 52 °F

      Swatara Gap (1,185.3) to Black Swatara Creek Campsite (1,207.1)
      Total Miles: 21.8

      The six of us got up at roughly the same time this morning and all headed out by 8am.
      Walked across the street through the old Swatara Gap Canal area and then headed 3 miles uphill.

      Once we hit the ridge-line, where we would be for the next 30 miles, the “Rocksylvania” part of Pennsylvania finally started (see pic). The trail the rest of today and all tomorrow were strewn with these medium sized jagged rocks going every which direction. Very difficult to find solid foot placement. You get about a 10 minute reprieve every hour, but then you’re right back into rock city. The tough part mentally is that the trail in this section is pretty flat, so you can visualize going fast if the trail were just a nice bed of pine needles. But dang, so close yet so far!

      On a few sections of the trail today, we were actually walking on beds of coal rather than the typical stones and rocks. See video & pics. Very cool.

      I found a nice, flat tenting spot at an existing campsite right on trail this evening. Windy with temps getting down into the low 30’s. A cold one for my last night.      Read more

    • TravelerHeading North on AT from S. VA
      Day 39

      Day 38 of AT in PA NOBO

      April 15 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 70 °F

      Clark's Valley Rd/
      PA Rt 325 (1,167.9) to Swatara Gap (1,185.3)
      Total Miles: 17.4

      Pip dropped me off at 7:30am and immediately started uphill for @ 2 miles.
      Broken clouds to start and temps in the low 50’s.
      Around Noon, I started hearing supersonic jet type noises coming quickly from the horizon behind me. For the next 20-30 minutes, two fighter jets conducted exercises overhead, fairly close to the ground (see video). Turns out they were Maryland Air National Guard jets that routinely use the Second Mountain/Blue Mountain area of PA (between Harrisburg & Allentown) for their regular training as this wilderness area has limited residents in the area in which to bother.
      I then hit the part of the Second Mountain area (Rausch Gap/Stony Valley) known historically for its extensive coal mining operations from the mid-1800’s to early 1900’s.
      Most of the small stream and spring beds I saw over this next 10 mile stretch were distinctively orange (see pic) and had a sulphur-like smell. I learned that this was from decades of water seeping through the coal mines and a chemical reaction occurring when the water eventually flowed closer to the surface and mixed with oxygen. The water itself looks clear, but it leaves the bright orange residue. Environmentalists realized years ago that this chemical phenomenon was killing off all of the fish in the watershed area, as well as other animals that drank from the water. A resolution to this issue came in 1986, when the organization Trout Unlimited built the country’s first series of limestone diversion wells here at Rausch Gap (see pics attached). The process simply pushes untreated water (with force) through a bed of limestone. The highly alkaline limestone particles chemically react to neutralize the acidity of the untreated water. These diversion wells were strategically placed and now treated water from the entire watershed is released into the main river where fish are now in ample supply.
      By 4pm, the first of two heavy rain squalls & 40mph winds blew through and soaked us all. There were 6 of us trying to get down to our end point for tonight, the Swatara Gap Hostel (right on trail) before it all started, but alas unsuccessfully.
      I was the first one down and was able to quickly pitch my tent in the backyard of the hostel between the two squalls. There were 2 large covered picnic table areas where we were able to eat and stay dry. The nearby resupply shack was unlocked and 3 of the hikers were able to sleep on its floor overnight to stay dry.      Read more

    • TravelerHeading North on AT from S. VA
      Day 38

      Day 37 of AT in PA NOBO

      April 14 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 66 °F

      Zero day in Harrisburg, PA

      Got up late at 10:45. Man, did I need that. Five relatively long days in a row were taxing on this 58 year old body!
      Hung out at Starbucks for a few hours (which I love to do if the option affords itself) and updated my trail journals. Then off to the grocery store to get food resupply for the next 3 days and dinner for tonight. Craving veggies big time! Suja green juice it is.Read more

    • TravelerHeading North on AT from S. VA
      Day 37

      Day 36 of AT in PA NOBO

      April 13 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 57 °F

      Downtown Duncannon
      (1,150.3) to Clark’s Valley Rd/PA Rt 325 (1,167.9)
      Total Miles: 17.6

      Was comfy & cozy in my tent that I pitched behind the Presbyterian Church off of Main St in Duncannon. Packed up and was off and running by 7am.
      Overcast and 40 degrees to start the day. Supposed to be broken clouds/sun and warmer by noon.
      Some sense of immediacy in my speed today as Pip has to pick me up at 2:30pm at the latest as she has other shuttles later. So, 17.6 relatively hilly & rocky miles to do (@ 2.3 mph, a bit aggressive on this type of terrain, but I have a zero day in Harrisburg tomorrow to look forward to! Spoiler alert, made it with 10 mins to spare 😮‍💨).
      The first 1.5 miles this Sunday am was all on the tranquil side roads of Duncannon. Very quiet except for dogs barking as I strolled by their homes. Saw lots of history on my way out of town. For example, walked past the boarded up Standard Novelty Works building. Established in 1904 by P.F. Duncan (the town was named after him), the company was famous for producing the Lightning Guider Sled from 1904 to 1988. Pumped out more children’s sleds daily (1,700) than any U.S. factory (see pic). Went out of biz in 1990. A block away is the Clark’s Ferry Tavern, originally built in 1788 by John Clark. See the pic of the building and the placard describing the 12 different things the building was used for over a 150 year period.
      Walked on the Rt 22 bridge over the Juniata and Susquehanna Rivers below me, with the 1,000 ft ridge climb on the horizon ahead.
      One thing that I should’ve mentioned before is one of the huge advantages of section hiking this time of year: there are small blooms on the trees, which adds some color to the otherwise brown landscape, but the trees aren’t leafed out yet, so you can always see through the trees and have beautiful views you wouldn’t normally have if it was just a month later. That’s why they call the AT the green tunnel… the view most hikers have as they move north are of dense foliage and limited views.
      Once over the Susquehanna, trudged up a moderate incline over rocky outcroppings and scrambles for the next 2 miles. Headed north on a ridge-line that would extend the next 10+ miles (paralleled Mountain Road down to my right. See map pic).
      Per my comment above, from this ridge-line, I had stunning views through the leafless trees of the vibrant green farmlands in the valley to my left below, while at the same time, to my right, an amazing panorama of the twisting Susquehanna River with Harrisburg in the distance. The changing vistas kept me entertained, as did chatting with the various day hikers I encountered.
      Descended into the north Harrisburg valley at 2:15pm where Pip was waiting. Got to the Fairfield Inn in East Harrisburg by 3pm where I checked in, did much needed laundry, and was able to watch the last 3 hours of The Masters and Rory McIlroy’s phenomenal/historic march to victory. All in all, a full and marvelous day!!      Read more

    • TravelerHeading North on AT from S. VA
      Day 36

      Day 35 of AT in PA NOBO

      April 12 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 48 °F

      AT pedestrian bridge over Rt 11 in Carlisle (1,132.6) to Downtown Duncannon (1,150.3)
      Total Miles: 17.7

      Slept in a little bit for the first time in awhile. Went across the street to Dunkin’ for breakfast before walking the 0.5 mile back to the AT overpass.
      Overcast and 40 degrees with some drizzle still in the air. Its supposed to stop by midday.
      The first 5 miles of the day heading north were very flat. More farmlands and walking along a river. Then, a fairly big hill up to the top of a peak where Darlington Shelter is. Then, relatively flat to downhill the rest of the day.
      Based on my late start, not sure I was going to reach Duncannon by sundown. But I trekked in right at 6pm, pitched my tent in the backyard of one of the churches and went over to the rustic but quaint Doyle Hotel for dinner (see pic). Was a Saturday nite, so sat at a table in the bar area where it was relatively full.
      Sleep by 10pm as an early rise tomorrow.      Read more

    • TravelerHeading North on AT from S. VA
      Day 35

      Day 34 of AT in PA NOBO

      April 11 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 45 °F

      Sheet Iron Roof Rd. (1,116.1) to AT pedestrian bridge over Rt 11 in Carlisle (1,132.6)….then 0.5 walk to motel
      Total Miles: 16.5

      Pip picked me up at 7:15 am and I was hiking by 7:45.
      Two miles in, I headed up to the top of Rocky Ridge, a 1.5 mile long boulder field with jagged rocks and narrow stone passageways. Great fun crawling around and through these large, odd shaped monoliths (see pics & video).
      7.5 miles in, I walked by the monument of the original halfway point of the AT (see pic & video) when the trail was only 2,181 miles. It’s now 2,198.4. Pretty cool.
      Around Noon, I came down out of the “mountains” and into a seemingly different world. One minute I was alone in the wilderness, the next I was down in the pastoral farmlands of southern Boiling Springs PA. Was pancake flat, a nice change of pace! 🙂, and within 2 miles I walked into the small, historic center of Boiling Springs. There was a very nice outdoor store called TCO Outdoors, where I looked around and took shelter from the drizzle. Great fishing & hiking products. When I left, I saw Cafe 101 next door. I had read that this place was amazing, and it was! Had a latte, muffin & seltzer and was able to sit down inside to rest for an hour. They are fairly well known for their breakfast and lunch as well.
      Continued out of the small village and trekked from Boiling Springs across the town line into the borough of Carlisle. Still flat as a mat and I was able to matriculate at a 3 mph pace fairly easily.
      Walked over the PA Turnpike (I-76) on an overpass (see video). Then a mile later came to the AT walkway over Rt 11, which was my stopping point for the day. Motel 6 a half mile down Rt 11.
      This might’ve been my favorite day of the last 5 weeks. So much variety, the cafe was an unexpected find, Boiling Springs was so quaint, and then the beautiful farmlands. AND, I could walk right to my indoor lodging for the night (heavy rain expected tonight). Winner, winner, chicken dinner!! 💪      Read more

    • TravelerHeading North on AT from S. VA
      Day 34

      Day 33 of AT in PA NOBO

      April 10 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 46 °F

      Birch Run Shelter (1,095.5) to Sheet Iron Roof Rd. (1,116.1)
      Total Miles: 20.6

      Rain started as soon as I broke camp at 7:40am. 50 degrees, breezy & showers all day long.
      Saw my first snake, a small garter snake. Seemed very lethargic, most likely due to the cold temps. Maybe he got caught out of his underground lair?
      Even through the rain, the landscape was picturesque with enough contrast to keep me interested.
      I had “Pip” pick me up at Sheet Iron Roof Rd at 5pm and drive me 25 mins north to the Motel 6 in Carlisle, PA. Pip is such a cool chica. Linda mentioned her to me as the next good shuttler up the road as I headed north. I also saw a lot of great comments about her from other hikers in my FarOut hiker app. I’m usually not the best guesser of the derivation of people’s trail names, but once I saw her, she looked just like Pippy Longstocking sans the red hair. Pip lives in nearby Duncannon PA, is an avid day/weekend hiker, and has 3 daughters aged 17, 14 & 12. She looks much younger than her 43 years. Her Peruvian husband tragically died of cancer a few years back. And she has also been looking after her chronically sick mom. She seems to smile and be positive through it all. There is going to be a special place in Heaven for Pip someday.
      The Motel 6 had decent reviews, a good hiker rate ($65), and is half a mile from the AT pedestrian bridge down the road where I will end up after a 16+ mile day tomorrow.      Read more

    • TravelerHeading North on AT from S. VA
      Day 33

      Day 32 of AT in PA NOBO

      April 9 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 46 °F

      Old Forge Rd crossing (1,075.7) to Birch Run Shelter (1,095.5)
      Total Miles: 19.8

      Beautiful day. Started off 27 degrees. Warmed up fairly quickly to 54.
      Some rocky sections, but not as much as I was expecting. Definitely not as much as Maryland. When will we hit “Rocksylvania”??
      Seemed to go through some ecosystem changes today. Lots of oak, maple & hemlocks to start the day around Caledonia State Park, and then ended up with tons of Mountain laurel, Shortleaf pine, Eastern white pine & Virginia pine at the end of the day East of Shippensburg at Pine Grove State Park.
      Ended up at a campsite with two other hikers who are section hiking. Smiley, from Portland OR, who just got to Harper’s Ferry this past week and she’s hoping to get to Katahdin by mid August. Avalanche, who just flew over from New Zealand, is hoping to hike North for 2 months and get as close to Katahdin as possible before flying home. Both very nice people, typical hikers!!
      Supposed to get down to 40 degrees tonight and a two day rainstorm expected by daybreak. 😳      Read more

    • TravelerHeading North on AT from S. VA
      Day 32

      Day 31 of AT in PA NOBO

      April 8 in the United States ⋅ 🌬 41 °F

      Zero day in Chambersburg, PA

      Slept in late, really needed the sleep.
      Walked next door to the Starbucks for a few hours. The cold front has really pushed through… sunny but wind chill in the 20’s for a high. 30 mph winds. Wore my wind pants for the first time this trip.
      Resupplied my trail food at Giant grocery store and also purchased some lunch and dinner items there. A bunch of health food for a change! Went next door to Subway as well and brought back a sub to augment the dinner menu.

      No pictures today but I will add 2 videos above that I couldn’t fit into yesterday’s post (they give you a 2 video maximum for each day)      Read more

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