Report by Sarah Patterson. Twenty-five of us met at the tennis courts to park as the upper- level gate is closed for the winter. We planned to hike the Blue trail out and the Red trail back. Tracy and I had hiked it on Friday and it was soggy in spots with variable terrain. I had recommended good boots/socks and poles. Several of our members elected to walk the road loop. The rest of us did a 3.6 mile hike with an elevation of 446 ft. which included the walk to the upper-level pavilion. We started out, climbing up the initial grades which eventually turned to a hike along the ridge. It had been in the teens the night before so all the muddy, wet spots were firm. There are some newer bridges constructed by the mountain biking club. We reached the junction around 11:00 where we took our picture and then started back on the Red trail. There are several switch backs as the trail meanders along the ridge, crossing a rock wall several times, as well as some streams. It had begun to drizzle and we noticed that the stones in the trail were getting glazed. We proceeded very carefully down the rest of the trail back to our cars. You just never know what you will encounter! So be prepared – wear good boots and socks and bring your poles!
Photo by Sarah Patterson.
Susquehanna Chapter 