I will be taking a few time lapse videos and others. I will hopefully be able to see some interesting birds.
Mount Davis is in the Laurel Highlands Region of Pennsylvania. Mount Davis is the highest point in Pennsylvania at an elevation of 3,213 feet or 979 m.
In past visits to this area, really enjoyed my time there. I chose to look at Alltrails.com to see what estimated mileage they would give me for any trails around there.
I also need to add that the Forbes State Forest is broken
into a few different areas. For example the one area is Forbes Sate Forest –
Mount Davis Natural Area in Elk Lick Township, Quebec Run Wild Area in Gibbon
Glade, Roaring Run Natural Area in Doegal Township Pennsylvania.
The website estimated length was 5.7 miles and because I
know that they are never correct unless its flat ground it would be longer with
all the elevation deviation I would most likely encounter.
The trail ended up being a loop of 6.5 miles long. It was
not an extreme up and down, only one long grade climb. The footing was a little
techy in some areas and that’s because of loose rocks with snow and ice on
them.
The beautiful mountain laurel was everywhere in some areas.
They recently did some trail care and cut back the mountain laurel, so the
trail is more obvious.
I did see bear tracks in the snow and a bevy of coyote scat.
When I first arrived on Tuesday the 23rd the fog
was so thick and navigating harder than it needed to be I decided not to
attempt any hiking on Mount Davis.
I pulled into the little sleepy town of Meyersdale to get some breakfast. IMHO these little sleepy towns have the best food. I found the best little breakfast place in town. It was called Donges Drive-in Motel, and they can be found here https://www.dongesdriveinmotel.com/
Everything is made from scratch, but if you want sausage gravy they only do that on Saturday. The prices are very low and the food is delicious.
I chose to head up to Wolf Rocks and Beams Rocks instead to
see if I could get a break from all this fog. The next area would be about 1300
feet lower than Mount Davis and my hope was it would be below the fog.
The conditions of the roads were not bad and they were only
wet. It was not until I reached the dreaded sign that said “no winter
maintenance” is where the driving conditions got bad.
My Subaru Legacy was doing well on the slick roads and that
was until the road grades got steeper. I felt the back end slip a bit and
thought on this narrow forest road with these deep open ditches on the side if
I slipped into one, I would have to be pulled out.
I chose to do a 6 point turn to turn around and get back to
the main road.
After a little bit of anxiety, I got back to the main
road. I did not get to see the two rocky
ledges and will return some day.
So, I decided to head to the hotel room and beg them to
allow me to check in early.
They did and I stayed in the Days Inn off the turnpike in
Somerset. The Days Inn was hmm clean and the rooms over feel were below
average. I know I was only paying 150.00 dollars for two nights tax included,
but the finishing touches on the room left a lot to be desired.
The new pain on the walls was missing in spots. The TV
console covers one of the electrical outlets. The doors to my room had a gap so
big you could see the carpet in the hallway.
The lock to the door was good and substantial.
It’s been a while since I stayed at a hotel that has
multiple floors. Normally when I have stayed at such hotels you need a key to
get into the back door of the first floor. Well at this Days Inn its free range
and anyone can come and go through the back door to get into the hotel.
I told this to the manager slash hotel owner I am guessing
and his remark to me was “they can’t get into your room”. I thought well isn’t
that a strange way to say you’re not concerned about the safety of the people
who stay at your hotel. Yes, they have a camera inside the building in the
hallway, but if a person has an altercation, it’s already too late they are in
the building.
I will never stay here again and if you’re just a worker in
the area in the oil and gas field I can see this being a place you would stay
at. It’s cheap and it is close to the highway and to shopping. For you to
minimize a person’s personal safety that’s says you don’t care and so I don’t
care to stay there again.
I checked in and cleaned up and went to go find some place
to eat. After a little driving I found the perfect tavern. It is called Glades
Pike Taverne and you will not find a better place to eat, drink, and they have
live entertainment. You will also not find a more diverse menu either!
The Stromboli I had was made from scratch and it was a
medium and the large are nearly double this size see photo below.
After a few beers I headed back to the hotel.
I was in the for the night and with the thick fog,
non-maintained winter roads, and high winds I was having a planning dilemma.
Where do I go and what time should I get there?
I thought I could return to Mount Davis and attempt at a
time lapse of the sunrise. What time should I get there, I was thinking. I will
get there later than I want to make the odds in my favor that the fog has moved
out. I knew I would miss the sun
breaking across the horizon, but I wanted to make sure the weather had pushed
through.
Sure, enough I had missed the prime part of the sunrise, but there was still a window for some decent cloud formation time lapse photography opportunities left.
After I got off the fire tower, I drove down the road to the
trail head of the Mount Davis Highpoint Trail. It was possible to make this a
longer hike but starting at noon and making it longer would not make it a great
idea.
I started at roughly at noon and it took me basically 4
hours with all the stops for photo opportunities. Most of the trail I would
call rolling down and up. The first takes you to the valley bottom of Tub Mill
Run and in the second part you climb up out of the valley for 1.95 miles. The
slopes are not tough, but they could be strenuous depending on how physically
fit you are.
This video depicts the grades you will need to hike.
By the time I got to the fire tower and was on the last leg
of the hike I only had about 2 hours to get to my car. With a mile left I
nearly jogged to my car. At least I was going downhill and maybe 3 mph walking,
but I was not going to miss this sunset.
I rolled to the car and got in as quickly as I could and
drove back to the fire tower. I was a little shocked that no one else was here.
I grabbed all my gear plus a couple of extra layers because
as the sun drops the temperatures would plummet.
I set up my tri pods, one for my GoPro13 and the other for
my Olympus TG6. The GoPro13 would be set
up for timelapse only. Once I started
the session, I would need to not touch it until it was time to leave.
I arranged my gear to still allow others to enjoy the fire
tower if anyone else had shown up. After watching the sun take its final breath
I had had enough. It was cold and the wind was starting to blow harder.
I stopped the GoPro from recording and as soon as I did that
a coyote let out a howl so loud I thought it was up in the fire tower with me.
I flipped on my head lamp and got my gear together quickly. I have never heard
of a coyote attacking a human, but I did not want to test that theory today.
I got my pack stuffed with gear and pulled my bear spray out
and then I heard a few more coyote’s howl. They were not that far away, and I
moved a little quicker to the car. My head lamp was on, and I was not trying to
be too quick, but just quick enough lol.
Finally, I got back into the vehicle and headed back to the
hotel.
This area has so much to offer everyone. It just takes time
to explore so go out and enjoy it and be courteous to others.
Sonder
This would be the first day my friend would join me on a hike. I chose for us to hike up to Spruce Knob. This hike would be 11.2 miles and ascending and descending over 1300 feet. We would follow the Huckleberry Trail. This is the highest peak in the Mountaineer State, being 4,863 feet.
Looking back, I do regret we did not go to a better vantage
point that day to get better views. The
constant climb up was challenging but not too strenuous so that it was unbearable.
You do have to really concentrate on
where you step 70% of the time due to exposed roots and displaced rocks.
The way down was the same but with the assistance of gravity lol it was easier.
The morning routine was the same as yesterday to include the snorting and stomping deer.
The cloud bank was heavier and vastly bigger than yesterday.
The sunrise did manage to poke out here and there. I hope you enjoy the
attached videos and photos.
Today I would like to visit the Seneca Rocks State Park.
After loading up the car and driving forest road 227 I made it to State Route
250. I arrived at the park at an empty parking lot, but what I did not know is
most people park in the other lot. Lol
When I started to gear up at the car it was not raining, but
as soon as I hit the foot bridge it began to rain. The rain was constant all
the way up to the exposed signature rocks that Seneca Rocks is known for. The
technical clothes I was wearing were made for weather like this. I wore pants
and a long-sleeved shirt. This quick drying material kept me warm even though I
was soaked. I pressed on up to the summit.
I passed several people and at some pint the rain had stopped. I did not
know this, but it gave me a 15-minute rainless moment at the summit.
I know the rocks will still be wet and hopefully it would
offer still an opportunity for me to get a few photographs. I got to the sign
that talked about not being prepared and having the right gear could result in
death if I want to proceed. I pressed on
because I have enough common sense.
I chose a route that offered me enough friction and handhold
to climb a short section of these magnificent rocks. The rocks were slick, but
the little route I had chosen to get to the first perch was a smart one.
I arrived at the first ledge and could see across the valley
and could see a rainstorm moving in on me again. I watched it for a moment to see if I could
see lightning. I saw no visual evidence
of lightning and pressed on up the rock faces. I was using my military training
to go up these rocks. I was keeping at a minimum of three points of contact and
arrived at my last perch before the rain would find me. I thought it was taking
minutes for the rain to reach me.
The winds aloft moved that storm to reach me in about it
seemed like seconds. I got down from that perch as quickly as I got up it. I still did not see any lighting, but what I
did hear was thunder. It was constant and never ended as I climbed off the
perch. As I finally got back to the dirt, rock, and tree root riddled path I
pressed on. I was yet again soaked as I made my way off Seneca Rocks.
The trail showed signs of getting a lot of rain by forming
little rivers of water. Others may not
know this but these trails when they get rain turn into waterways. You need to
pay close attention to this fact. In
some areas there is nowhere else for the water to collect and run off. In some
cases, these trails can hold running water inches deep.
The thunder never stopped the entire hike down the mountain.
I hiked down the trail quickly. I had a piece of deadfall nearly hit me and
that made me go even quicker. It’s been my experience if a piece of deadfall
falls keeps going don’t stop don’t look keep moving. There are more likely more hanging in the
trees over your head and unless you’re a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle you will
not be able to dodge the falling debris.
I got back to my car wet and ready to call it a day. I was
praying that back at camp it was dry. With hope in my heart, I drove back to
camp. While driving back to camp the clouds were parting and looking less
threatening. The rain had slowed down drastically to the point where I could
not see any physical evidence of rain.
I turned onto Forest Road (FR) 227 and continued to drive to
camp. I was relieved that I did not see any rain puddles. This meant that the
campsite saw no new rain! I finally arrived at camp and as I expected no rain
had fallen.
The nightly routine would be the same except I choose to
have chili tonight. I also in northeasterly direction mother nature was working
overtime. The fog bank was so large that it made the horizon disappear.
I have seen fog this thick out in the open ocean but not
here on land and so it was a real treat. This treat would end up hanging around
for the next three days.
There was so much water vapor in the air, every surface was
covered in moisture. This is one reason I always travel with my waterproof
bags. It is because of these bags that my clothes remain dry and even my dirty
clothes stay dry. I mean come on who
wanted to smell damp, sweaty, stinky, and dirty clothes?
Since these bags are waterproof you don’t need to worry
about them. The only way to do this is you need to make sure they don’t blow
away! Some dry bags when being used can blow away in the wind unless you hold
them in place somehow. You must remember
these bags are filled with clothes and like a tent in the wind you need to tie
or hold them down.
I went to bed that night listening to the rain hit the tarp.
I was also relieved that I saw no lighting and being atop a ridge on a mountain
this was real threat.
I chose for this trip to pay a visit to the Monongahela
Nation Forest in West Virginia. I plan
on dispersed camp in the Mower Basin for seven days. The first three I would be
solo and on that Friday my partner in crime would come to camp.
I went to the primary camp site, and it was occupied. I had
four other camp sites chosen and continued to the other four. I found that
other campers were on the other spots. I
went to the last one and found it to be open.
In setting up camp I found two piles of bear scat. One pile
was clearly fresher than the other, but still two piles!
The attached photo is the last dispersed camp site. It was a
little over a mile from the other site. I was dispersed camping in the Mower
Basin. You can drive right up to your
camp site, but don’t be fooled, this is primitive camping. You need to bring
everything with you and take it all out with you.
I had made food for the trip, and it was under ice in the
cooler. I brought with me also two cases of bottled water and 6 one-gallon jugs
of water for showering. One thing that threw me for a loop was the number of
flies there were present at the campsite. There re a lot of flies so many flies
you need to be prepared. The flies will leave you alone after a few hours buts
unnerving to witness.
I got the screened gazebo set up and moved onto my tent set
up. I set up a tarp over my tent area so that even if it rained, I would have a
dry place to sit. I would be able to enjoy the views of the camp site.
After I got that all set up it was time to run into town and
pick up firewood.
I drove out of the forest and one hour later I would find
the place to pick up the wood.
I loaded my Subaru and headed back to camp. I brought with me a plastic trap, in case it
rained I would be able to keep the wood dry.
I then realized I had not eaten and decided to heat up some
turkey meatloaf. I broke out my fuel
cannister and the stove. I do need to
add that I found a fresh pile of bear scat at our camp site when I got there.
I did this in the hopes the bear and other little furry
visitors would be less likely to show up. I also brushed my teeth away from
camp.
All this seems like a lot but in all actuality it’s a safe
way to be.
On my way to my tent to call it a night I looked up at the
night sky. I chose this area also because it’s one of the darkest places east
of the Mississippi River. It has a Bortle Rating of 2. You can read about the
Bortle Scale here https://www.handprint.com/ASTRO/bortle.html
I could see the Milky Way Galaxy from Horizon to Horizon.
This was what I really was after. I don’t have the camera equipment to take
images of the Milky Way to show off her true raw beauty, but memories are
enough for me now. The other reason for
coming to this location was also to take star trail photos. I did get that
opportunity, but heat lighting along with cloud cover made that tough too. Its
also important to point out that we go outside to enjoy the outdoors its not
“us” who are in-charge of what happens to us.
I hope you enjoy the photos attached below.
This would be my first night here and it will turn out to be
one of the quietest nights of my life in a long time. The crickets were the music that lulled me to
sleep. I do t recall falling asleep really but all I recall was my head hitting
the pillow and it was lights out.
Day 1
I was awoken in the morning by a snorting deer stomping its
hooves to the point where I believed I could hear it stomping. I laughed out loud and yelled “good morning
to you too”.
I dragged myself out of the tent and proceeded to heat up
coffee for breakfast. I did not see any
new evidence I was visited by any uninvited guests. The trash I hung in the
tree was untouched and there was no evidence of tracks or disturbed grass where
I brushed my teeth either.
This would be my first sunrise at camp and mother nature was
not disappointed. She painted her canvass effortlessly with pastel pinks, reds,
blues, and various shades of white. The overnight low was in the 50’s and a
dense fog bank had settled into the valley.
I hope you enjoy the following photos and videos from this
moment attached below.
The water started to boil in the kettle, and I put together
the coffee. Then I would turn my attention to making oatmeal. The oatmeal I premixed was basically a candy
bar with oats in it lol.
I finally got to set down and further enjoy the scenery and
the moment that I was being a part of.
There was a slight breeze out of the North-Northeast and it
was nice and cool.
I started to think about what I was going to do today since I came down a day early. I came down a day early because I was afraid of setting up camp in the rain. For all of us who have set up or torn down camp we know it’s not fun at all. It’s wet and gets everything else wet and not forgetting it weighs more!!
Let’s get back on track here with what I was going to do
today. Well, I wanted to hike but which
one means how many miles did I want to do. I choose to do the Loop that was a
combination of Lumberjack, High Meadow, and Seneca Creek Trails. I look at these trails on my Garmin Base Camp
mapping program. I knew that the final grade and last leg of this loop would be
a brutal slow burn accent.
The bottom of the gorge was at an approximate elevation of
3148’ and the end was at 3953’ elevation. Now that does not sound bad, but I
made no mistakes, but I did not know or research how many creek crossings I
would have to in this last leg of the hike.
So, the last 5.58 miles was a real treat fest.
I started this hike late. I started at noon, but in preparation for this I packed my headlamp. I also packed 3 liters of water and snacks.
I kept my pace of 2 mph and while I will not set the world
on fire with that pace it’s a pace I am comfortable with. This is also the pace
I used to complete my 17-mile hike months earlier.
The start of the trail was wet on the Lumberjack Trail (LJT)
and would end wet. It was plagued by stinging nettles so be very aware pants
should be worn. There are dozens of
springs leeching out of the mountain side.
This is part of the Spruce Mountain in the Allegheny Mountains.
With all the springs comes bugs, but the bugs were not as
bad as the nettles. We all need to pay close attention while hiking because you
could miss something amazing.
I was walking on this single-track trail and found a few
railroad spikes. I also found a few remnants of stone walls. These just
appeared as I was hiking the trail they popped up like magic. I don’t know what
structure they would have been used for. The age of the rocks looked to it
would predate the area becoming a park. I will attach photos and videos below
to show you what I am talking about.
The other magical part of this would be seeing three blue
cray fish!! Yes, you read that right I saw three blue crayfish, crawdads, or
mudbugs! I had no idea they would be this high up on a mountain.
I was hiking down the trail and saw something blue. My brain
was automatically thinking about who threw trash on this trail and then I saw
it move. My body locked up to a dead stop. My brain took a few minutes to
recognize and process what I was seeing.
I had assumed that the trail was drier than their habitat
and maybe they came up on the trail to warm up maybe. I am not a biologist but
that is my guess. I found them at an
elevation of 4035’.
I created this loop out of three trails and after the
section of the LJT it would lead me to the High Meadow Trail (HMT). Here is
where I saw how a horse had been through here recently and pushed back some
brush. Meanwhile after I saw several wild black berry bushes and what I
believed to be elderberries I pulled out my bear spray. The last thing I need to do is surprise
boo-boo eating his or her dinner! So, I had my bear spray out going down the
trail until it opened. I will add a video below showing how narrow the trail
was and seeing a bear here could have happened!
What I did not realize is that the fun had not really begun yet.
Unknown to me when I got down to the banks of Seneca Creek I would need to do 5
creek crossings. Now this would have been nice to know about going on the
hike. So, you can just imagine how
frustrating it was with only myself to blame.
I am extremely fortunate that the creek was not high and not
crossable. If it had been so I would have had to go back to the way I came or
take a chance again to cross it. This would have been really dumb of me to take
a chance.
When you don’t know how many water crossings you need to do
you will never know if you’re on the correct bank.
I kept pushing myself and at one point I stopped taking off
my GoPro and putting on my headlamp. This was thought of from the start knowing
I would not start my hike until midday.
As I hiked up the mountain and made a vertical accent of 805’
in 5.58 miles. It does not look that bad and it was not, but being at the last
leg of the hike and the sun had set it was worrisome.
I just kept thinking you are fine and praying I did not have
to cross the creek anymore.
When I finally reached the trailhead, I hiked 13.3 miles,
traversed Seneca Creek five times, and hiked out of gorge of Seneca Creek.
It was 1930 when I arrived back at the trailhead and it was
so late even the owls were saying who! Lol Like “who in the hell would start a
hike this late?”.
Beaten and battered I pointed the Subaru to camp. I arrived at camp an hour plus later. I heated up water to heat up the meatloaf.
Since I did not have a skillet, I figured out I would eat the turkey meatloaf
like stew. That meant heating up enough water to make the meatloaf hot. I
placed the three pieces of meatloaf in individual baggies. In doing this it
allowed me to breakup the meatloaf inside the baggy. After I did this, I could
then pour the crumbled meatloaf into the small pot. I then poured hot water into the small pot
and put it onto the burner. After the water started to boil the water, I pulled
the pot off the flame. That second dinner out at camp was such a mouthgasm!
After dinner and washing dishes, it was time to take care of
myself.
The other part of this journey today would be taking a field
shower at night. The temps plummeted and the water was in the 60’s. So,
needless to say it was a shock to the system and if the wildlife did not know I
was there they would know after I hooted and hollered after every rinse of my
body as I washed off the soap. Lol
I went to bed and barely recalled zipping the tent shut. I
do remember grabbing the bear spray and air horn before passing the heck out!