Mid State Trail (MST) Pennsylvania - 13 Mile Hike in and out Part 02

 

Well, this was one of the more humbling hiking experiences I have had in a long time.  If you spend time outdoors doing what you love at one time or another mother nature is going to remind you that you’re only human.

On this day like any other day I check the weather and head out. I am wearing convertible pants, wicking long sleeves, and a wicking short sleeve underneath.

I would be carrying 3-litres of water and in normal hiking conditions this for me would last for a 16 – 20-mile hike. What has not been realized yet until I have 1.5 miles left in a 13-mile hike is I will run out of water.  The other sign would be my body having heat cramps in my leg one at a time, but we will get to that later.

Starting at 41.556185, -77.375912 aka Gillespie Point Trailhead being mile 0.0. I looked at a topo map and saw yes it would be a climb up to the scenic view, but what I did not do was see what the average percent of grade it would be to get there.

Starting at the trailhead and immediately started the accent with an average grade of 18 percent I grinded it out.  After ascending 932 feet I had a beautiful view of the Pine Creek Gorge.

The next leg would be the nearly 2-mile decent into Brill Hollow. There are two ephemeral water sources while hiking into the hollow.

After crossing Big Run Road, you will need to do a stream crossing at mile 2.3. During this creek crossing you will see a few small and beautiful waterfalls and the waterfall spotting will go on for about 0.70 miles.

After passing the waterfalls you will start another accent. This ascent will be 1.12 miles long, with an average grade of 10.4%, and with an elevation gain of 609 feet.

I had been used to grade changes, but none at this point lasted this long. Sweat was pouring out of me. I should have right then changed up my clothes. I knew better but pressed on. I should have converted my pants to shorts and removed my long sleeves. This would be the start of my dehydration. I should have also checked my water bladder level.

After that you will start your accent into Hoyt Hollow. This hollow has several beautiful creeks in them. As has been said by others, this is no place to be during a high-water moment.

The cold and at times chilling temperatures of the runoff from the mountain springs can be overpowering and at times dangerous.

Trout Run was running well but nothing that would stop someone from crossing it. I just did not want to get my boots wet on this day.

I began breaking trail along the north side of the creek to work up to what I call Anvil Rock Falls. The rock formation looks like the front edge of a blacksmith’s anvil.

I was walled out and needed to go to higher ground or wade the creek. I chose to get to higher ground to traverse the walled-out section.

I was walking along a ledge that I thought was surprisingly flat-ish. The ledge was also covered in dead leaves. The sandstone was also prime habitat for snakes. I oddly enough did not see or hear of any snakes.

I made it back to where I started to break trail. I began my hike out of the creek bottom. For the next nearly 2-miles I would be going up hill with an average grade of 6.4%.

On the hike back at nearly mile 9 I felt something I had not experienced in decades. I felt heat cramps in my left leg and at first it was just a nagging feeling. This would get worse to the point I needed to lay on the trail.

I made every attempt to rub it out and stretch it out. It nearly migrated to my crotch.

I then realized I was in the starting stages of heat exhaustion. I was ok for now and news I needed to drink more water “but really it was already too late”.

I also needed to cool my core temp down slowly and not allow myself to go into any type of shock.

I got up and pressed on to find a water source for cooling. I found a shallow source of water. I took off my pack and stowed all the non-essential gear. I soaked the long-sleeved wicking shirt and began with my head to cool my core.

I did this for my neck as well as armpits. The cool water that came out of the water seep was a life saver.  I did this until I felt confident, I made a good choice to press on for the remaining 2-miles.

I was already out of water “big miscalculation”.  I held off drinking the remaining two tablespoons of water left in the bladder.  I would need to reach Gillespie Point before taking this drink of water.

The next 0.78 miles, percent of grade being average of 13.7%, and the final push up the steep grade with an elevation gain of 562 I rested again. At the top of the gorge it provided a nice breeze and further helped my core cool.

After what seemed like forever I put my pack on and made my final descent.

 I had already thought I would not be able to make the 2-hour car ride back to camp and might have to stay in a motel for the night.

Last thing I needed to do was pass out at the wheel. So, I took it step by step down the hill for nearly a mile and 900 feet down. I also was motivated by the fact that I knew I had packed extra water bottles and left them in the car.

I got back to the car and had not been as happy as I was in that moment for a while seeing the car. I did not hop in automatically I took my pack off and got one water bottle. While still walking a little I drank the water slowly.

I felt better than I thought and I would drive but still stayed on high alert if I needed to pull over.

I was lucky because this all could have been much worse.

A welcomed trip to the Wilds of Pennsylvania Days 1 - 2 & 4 - 5

In my limited travels to Pennsylvania for hiking and or fishing I have always held it in high regard for its natural splendor. All the old timers’ stories I have ever heard and the stories I have ever read. Some of my friends who have passed away talking about the old days it was nice to be back.

I would be tent camping from 17^th - 22^nd at Hemlock Campground in Potter County. You can find them here https://www.hemlockcampgrounds.com.

The campground has all the basic amenities a little camp store, amazing hot showers, and two little fishing ponds that are catch and release.

There is a town with other places of business where you can find pretty much anything but remember you are in the country and it’s remote.  The town I am talking about is Austin, but the Potter County Pub in Austin for food and drinks is a good choice for food.

I will not name streams that I fished while I was there out of respect for others.

How I found out of the region was from a book by Dave Wolf that I had purchased in 1999 called “Flyfisher’s Guide to Pennsylvania” a wilderness adventures flyfishing guidebook.

For those who know me and to read I have a book I know your laughing (lol).

I arrived in the region by mostly State Park roads to have that feeling of isolation and adventure.

The forest roads were in great shape because of the efforts of others.

I arrived at camp around noon and the campground allowed me to set up my campsite early.

I could hear the creek clearly from the site. I knew she would be running a little hard because of the rains and the dam releases.

I canceled the smallmouth trip on the shorelines of the Great Lakes because of all the rain and the colder temps.  Because I canceled my trip and my fishing buddy had family matters to attend to is how I ended up in Potter County.

I would choose to swing some flies this evening. I had brought with me my lighter switch rod a Deer Creek series 11’ 5wt – 4pc. I lined it with a 375-grain compact short Skagit head. The leader set up was not the best. I had a 10’ sinking leader (1.5”/second) with 2 feet of 8# floro followed by 2 feet of 4# floro.  The leader I should have used was the 8 foot version and kept the rest the same.

I realize that my equipment was on the heavy side for this style of fishing, but it’s all I have. I was hoping I could find areas to swing flies, and I really did not care if I hooked a fish. This was an adventure and if fate would grant me success with hooking a fish it was meant to be.

I tied up dace/minnow streamers in sizes 12’s and 10’s. The 12’s went fast in trees and got torn up by fish. I also brought my soft hackle box.  These soft hackles worked in Maine and Montana so why not Pennsylvania.  They are tied on 12’s with tungsten and brass beads.

Day 01

I walked out into the valley from camp and I felt so relaxed. Feeling the high grass brush up against my waders to welcome me to the area.

As I got closer to the water I was getting increasingly excited. I saw the riffles and would witness mayflys hatching.  This area is so pristine and clean. Because the stream lacked exposed dirt, clay, and sediment in general it was a deep green color.

I took my first step into the creek that is a tributary to the Susquehanna River and looked at a small pool of standing water. I saw minnows there. The minnow’s maximum of 1.5” long.

As soon as I saw the minnows and their size of them, I knew I would start with the dace patterns in size 12.

I looked downstream and could see a beautiful pool that had multiple current breaks and slicks. A slick to me is flat water aka this is created when two currents come up and meet and make the water flat.

A slick is also normally a feeding lane for trout. I also tried to read the water and look for color transitions between colors. The colors were in this case between the deep emerald green and clear. I would be attempting to fish from deep to shallow trying to find a trout that would take my fly.

There was also a large BFR “big fugging rock” in the river and I thought that should have a trout or two around it on the downstream side.

I decided to go upstream first to try my luck. After a few casts and no love, I moved down to the riffle.  Here in this riffle you can see the main current if still a few feet from the far bank, and the near bank has a pool. The pool in this case has a lot of eddys on the surface of the water.

I looked at this as a nice holding pool for a trout and great to swing a fly through.

After snap t casting over and over I had a hook up. It would turn out to be a feisty rainbow.

This dude had not learned from its lessons. It had damage to its mouth from previously caught. The fly was right in front of it mouth and normally I believe this means took it from behind and nailed it.

I called it a day because another fisherman showed up and moved on.

Day 02

I got to the creeks edge at about 10 and had it to myself. I was swinging my flies in and out of the shadows in hopes a fish would be enticed to take the fly.

I thought my fly would be near some submerged tree roots. I thought I could do two things, retrieve my line or take two steps down stream and see if anyone is home and maybe lose a fly. I have always said if you’re not losing flies you’re not going to catch fish.

So here we are I stepped down stream and as soon as my left foot took the second step it happened.

The take was harder than I anticipated and go the fish on the feel as soon as possible. I kept reeling which seemed like forever. As the trout was brought up stream and to the net aka trout corral.

I needed the trout and thought it was brown trout at first but saw its markings were different than anything I had personally seen before. The hook was right in the front of its mouth and after I removed the hook it decided to relax at the bottom of the net. It was one of the prettiest trout releases I have ever witnessed.

I have just caught and released my first tiger trout.

I then decided to go downstream and find the water I had chosen from some aerial imagery I had marked on my GPS.

The scenery here was as close to Montana as you could get without being there.  I was hoping to see maybe a few Elk, but that was not to happen.

I crossed the pristine creek and began to give it as much attention as I could in the search for a trout.

I saw a few other fly anglers upstream about 500 yards.

 After nearly three miles of water covered and because of the heat I headed back to camp.

Because I want to keep this post about fly fishing I will skip Day 03.

Day 04

I had chosen a different body of water to fish today and to also fish my single hander today. The creek I had chosen was a little bigger than the other and immediately below a dam.

With the hot as the sun temps, I had placed bets trout would be stacked up below the dam close by.

I would still be fishing streamers here and when I arrived, I found the parking lot empty. I thought that was strange since the outfall at the dam was the lowest it has been in weeks!

I took a little hike up and across the top of the dam to fish the other side of the dam.

I arrived at the other side, and I did bring a full sinking line it would be a lot to try and double haul with the high bank behind me.

I stuck with the 6wt line with a heavy short head made for long cast with heavy flies.

I swung my flies in the same manner down and across the creek. The deep inky green currents were strong.

It was not long before a rainbow trout took the streamer. I also want to point out I had chosen n number 8 streamer here and it was 1.75” long and sparse. What I am trying to make is bigger water sometimes calls for slightly larger flies.

I decided to start heading back to camp and call it a beautiful day on the creek!

Day 05

I took much of the day off to reflect and fish later. I would stick close to camp and just walk up into the creek valley in search of different waters to fish.

I have learned to read water from my great grandad, and I will always cherish that. I am always amazed when finding water to fish and pulling it apart with the knowledge I gained from Pap.