There's a Chill in the Air

Fall on the AT

We've been 26 miles over the past two days, going 10 yesterday and 16 today. 16 miles is a very long day for us, even after being on the trail this long. We've only had a few 16 mile days, and even fewer that were longer than that. The difference now, however, is twofold. First, the terrain is much easier than the steep ups and downs of the trail further south. The trail tends to be pretty flat through here, even if it is still very rocky. Second, the October weather is MUCH cooler than what we're used to. Even in the week I was off of the trail for my interview, the average temperature has dropped 10 degrees. It's now in the upper 60s or lower 70s in the middle of the day, and in the 40s at night. Otherwise known as: perfect for hiking. So the wonderful temperatures and easier terrain definitely let us hike faster, with fewer breaks. Three cheers for efficiency.

Even leaving time for making human AT signs.

Today, we started hiking at about 8:00 a.m. so we could be sure and have plenty of time to get our 16 miles in. The thing about going outside at 8:00 a.m. in Pennsylvania in October is that it's cold. Very cold...

So cold, in fact, that I had to break out my coat for the first time on this whole trip.

But we pressed on through the cold. And by the time we reached the top of the first hill it had warmed up to the perfect hiking temperature. Most of the hike today was flat ridge hiking, but we actually saw lots of interesting things today. Part of the hike was along an old stagecoach road. I have to say, with all the rocks in the trail, I can only imagine that that stagecoach ride would've been...unpleasant. We also saw the ruins of an old coal mining town. Two of the more interesting things we saw, though, were water related.

Queen of the Stream. One of the biggest and nicest bodies of water we've seen on the AT in PA.

This is a limestone well purification dam at Swatara Creek. Pipes force the water from upstream to the bottom of a well filled with crushed limestone. The alkaline limestone treats the highly acidic water, which was polluted in the days of coal mining. When the water runs out the top of the well, it is no longer acidic. The water downstream is cloudy, but that is actually the clean water, not the clear water on the other side of the dam. Chemistry!

So after our adventures through the interesting nooks and crannies of Pennsylvania, and some good Pennsylvania Dutch food at a place called "The Farmer's Wife," (which served only "family friendly beverages" and a dozen different kinds of pie) we ended one of our longest hiking days in a while on a good note. Fall is definitely upon us, but it's only making things better.

Pretty Pennsylvania