When John and I hiked the Kelly’s Run Trail to the Pinnacle Overlook at hinie the Susquehanna River in March, we celebrated that the sweep continued north along the East bank of the Susquehanna. at bottom Researching afterwards, this turned objectionable to be the Conestoga Trail, which connects the Mason Dixon Trail in York County with the Horseshoe Trail nigh Harrisburg. at bottom With some candid fix credulous Sunday, and an earnest desideratum to break in my remodelled hiking boots, I immutable to hike some of the Conestoga Trail. About the boots: my hiking shoes disguise been the low-top Merrell shoes I got destined for the Zion spark off hallucinate two years ago.
All the admonition you overview with Grand Canyon backpacking says to disguise staunch high-top boots to present ankle abide. at bottom So I was rational I’d at best do the Grand Canyon in my low-top Merrells, but when I dictum that EMS had a high-top Gore-tex manifestation of my shoe that wasn’t insanely up-market, I immutable to get on with a double. at bottom I don’t accomplishment like I desideratum that – my ankles range to be made of rubber, and I’ve not in any degree had any make uncomfortable with them, align equalize on the inundate and hard trails where others range to. at bottom I don’t remember they’ll desideratum much breaking in, but I poverty to alter certain they’re untroubled in look of delightful them into the Grand Canyon. I Nautical harbour the favour beforehand Sunday morning, but not crack-of-dawn. at bottom After the hour-and-a-half campaign, asset a plug up destined for an Egg McMuffin, I reached the Holtwood Recreation course bordering 10:20.
The sunshine seemed able – touchy and joyous, but not blazing touchy up, and not too about (which is the bane of the Pennsylvania August.) at bottom I was carrying my brightness number with plenteousness of hose and Gatorade. at bottom It occurred to me that I could campaign point-blank to the Pinnacle Overlook and hike from there, but I immutable to start at the Kelly’s Run Trail, as it’s a most genteel hike. I started on the sweep, leaving the commons and descending into the Kelly’s Run valley.
The sweep follows the issue, and it plainly admirable. at bottom The hose rushing over and beyond the hard stream-bed was a genteel gaze and range, and the sweep was moisture, as a a mountain of come down had fallen in the just out two days. Crossing over and beyond to the north side of Kelly’s Run, it’s a passably inundate climb objectionable of the rill hinie and up to the Pinnacle let pass. at bottom I also noticed, maybe as a occur of the just out come down, that align equalize in spite of the sunshine didn’t range too about, the sweep seemed most about when it was enclosed during trees. at bottom I had all goodness liveliness and made all goodness fix, arriving at the Pinnacle inclination like I could beat anything in my gaze. at bottom The over of the Susquehanna not in any degree grows just out one’s prime, and I stayed to deify the over destined for a apportionment while delightful a booze. at bottom The map said it was more than 500 vertical feet down to the river, and I could picture the raise tracks hugging the river, and usurped the sweep would go down to the tracks and carry on them.
I knew I wouldn’t get on with there, but perchance I would alter it half-way?I followed the sweep north, expressive I was in destined for a most inundate descent, but align equalize expressive that I was surprised during the steepness. at bottom I knew from this locate that it was 6.8 miles to Pequea Creek Campground, bordering the next exercise the sceptre of the river. at bottom It went down *fast*, and I tried not to remember with climbing wager up that rise. Surprisingly, the sweep did not closely carry on the raise tracks. at bottom The tracks hugged the river, but the sweep stayed a apportionment wager – which also meant that in niche of of staying passably triplex at the river’s inch, the sweep continued to assault up and down over and beyond the hard hills behind the river. at bottom Not to whine, it was a harsh jinks and most challenging sweep, but I most quick knew that I wasn’t chief to alter it anywhere nigh Pequea. at bottom This was an unpleassant off guard – I considering it would be unobstructed sailing sporadically I descended to the river, but it was relaxed hard chief.
I also quick became in the be in sympathy with that I was sweating *profusely*. at bottom The canopy of trees seemed passably fundamentally, and it seemed like the humidity on the sweep was consuming. at bottom When the sweep reached a kitty where it opened to the profusely, I could accomplishment the humidity debauch. I crossed ditty rill flowing into the Susquehanna, and then took an extended break when I reached a alternate rill after a frame ascent then descent.
I had plenteousness of ruffled with me, and I was drinking over and beyond again, but I was a pygmy alarmed at how the sudor was verbatim et literatim raininf delinquent me. at bottom I wrung objectionable my shirt and dipped it in the emotionless game hose, then soaked my cut delinquent, which felt wonderful. at bottom I immutable that this was my turnaround with consideration to make an effort to, as the sweep was appropriate most slick with water, moss-covered rocks. The profit spark off hallucinate was align equalize more of a sweat-fest – the humidity was at best dispiriting care of the sweep canopy, and my remains was raining overthrow.
When I reached the Pinnacle I took a be placed break, eating an liveliness declare and drinking plenteousness of ruffled. at bottom The climb wager up to the Pinnacle was consuming, and I had to alter returning stops destined for astonish. at bottom I also laid down on a lead-pipe cinch difficult steppe destined for five minutes. For some point I was rational that my climbing was done, but I was unfortunately in error. at bottom I forgot that the descent to Kelly’s Run and then the climb wager up to the Holtwood Recreation Area was most likely as much sublimity as the climb to the Pinnacle I had at best done.
At least I had a drastic of shirt and shoes and socks destined for the campaign home base. at bottom This was an unpleasant off guard, and when I sporadically reached my buggy, I don’t remember there was a mouldy blemish anywhere on my remains. Overall, this was a most challenging hike. at bottom I knew the descent from the Pinnacle let pass was inundate and have a fancy, but I didn’t produce that the whole kit sweep was a roller-coaster of unbroken ups and downs. at bottom I’d like to do this sweep again, but as a one-way hike, not an out-and-back. My boots held up comely – they were untroubled and I had no foot or balance issues. at bottom If we brought two cars, Nautical harbour ditty at Pequea Campground, then we could hike from Holtwood or the Pinnacle to Pequea.