Travels With Larry

Last year, at just about this time of year, Keith Miles and Nancy Morrell, two of my favorite “hike finders” introduced me (and a number of fortunate other members of our group) to a beautiful hike in York Co. a couple of miles north of the Peach Bottom power plant. This is a BEAUTIFUL hike, easy to moderate, of about 5.5 miles, following a stretch of the Mason-Dixon trail in southern York County. The ascents and descents are few and very manageable. There are two very easy stream crossings. Below are my notes about the hike which I wrote on returning.

This was a great hike. Started along a small river, with big rocks and cascades, similar to the trolley line at Martic Forge. Then climbed on an old road and followed a small creek, all in lovely woods. Then through rhodendron forest before getting back to the river and continuing on an old road, high above the river. Ended up on a dirt road with river-side homes for the last half mile. Took about 3 hours with shuttle time, but we moved along pretty promptly with no long breaks and all were relatively fast hikers.

I’ve been looking forward to doing the hike again, and with the leaves just starting to turn, this Sunday should be a lovely time to revisit that spot.

From Lancaster, take Route 272 South to the Buck and turn right on Route 372 West…follow 372 across the Norman Wood Bridge and up a long hill, and turn left on Route 74 South. In a couple of miles, turn left on Paper Mill Road (watch closely for this one), and follow to Coal Cabin Road (aka Cold Cabin Road), where you’ll turn left. Follow Coal Cabin (Cold Cabin) to its end at the Susquehanna, where you’ll find a small parking area. It should take about 45 min. from Lancaster, 20 minutes from the Norman Woods bridge.

Hikers should meet at this parking area at 2 pm….we’ll then shuttle a car or two back to the hike’s starting point on Paper Mill Road.

So, let’s plan on 2 pm this Sun. Based on our experience last year, I expect 3 – 3 1/2 hr hours with the shuttle, so should be finished long before dark. As usual, just notify me if you can make it.

Your hiking friend,

Larry

Hi everyone,

It has been a while since we did a hike together. I was away much of August and our Sept. weekends have been filled. So let’s start again early in Oct.!!

Donn Stahlman recently emailed me a copy of a brochure (attached) announcing the opening of the Providence Twp section of the Enola Low Grade Hike/Bike Trail. I have long been fascinated by the history of the rail line and the battle to get it opened as a “Rails to Trails” site. (See comments below if you are interested.) Since this segment is now open, I’d like to hike it and show appreciation to the New Providence people for being the first township through which the trail runs to open all their section for recreational use.

THE HIKE – We will meet at the Fairview Rd. parking area near Quarryville, shuttle to the parking area off 324 near Martic Forge, and walk the trail back to Quarryville. The walking distance is about 9 miles and is completely level on a gravel surface. There is a place at Hollow Rd. where we could drop off a car or two for those who want to limit their distance to 4 1/2 miles. Counting the shuttle time, I’m anticipating about 4 hours for the hike, getting us back to the car park near Quarryville around 5:30 pm.
The trail surface is packed gravel and unfortunately is about 15 ft. wide so it is very like hiking on a road. Some of the gravel surface is a bit rough, so wearing hiking boots with a thick sole is advisable. The sides of the trail are almost always either a cut or built up (to keep the grade level) and is lined by trees with some views over the countryside. It could not be called a beautiful hike, but is a good leg stretcher with lots of opportunity to chat with each other since the trail is so wide.

GETTING THERE – Take 272 south from Lancaster toward Quarryville. Shortly before getting to Quarryville, look for the New Providence Baptist church on your left and just after it is Fairview Rd. to the right. In about 1/4 mile you come to the place where the rail-trail crosses the road with plenty of parking. If you come to the cut where the old railway underpass was just before Quarryville, you’ve gone too far. For you electronic media users, this web address is for a house just before the parking area:
http://www.google.com/search?gcx=c&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&q=522+Fairview%2C+Quarryville%2C+pa
(If the 1:30 start time is early, you could drive directly to the Martic Forge parking area for a 1:45 start. and I can drop you off there on the way back as I’ll be driving right past that area on my way home.)

CONTACT ME if you will be joining us on this hike as I want to be sure we have enough cars for the shuttle. And let me know if you’d like to do the whole distance or stop at the halfway point. A steady rain will cancel, but a forecast of possible showers won’t hold us back as we will be on a trail where slippery conditions don’t exist and you can just bring an umbrella or rain gear.

Larry

HISTORY: Here is some historical information about the Enola Low Grade Line. I thought at first “low grade” meant poor quality! Instead it refers to the slope of the line. In the late 1800s, when the rails were king, the line between Philly and Pittsburgh was very busy with passenger and freight traffic. The Pennsylvania Rail Road (PRR) decided to build a separate line just for freight and make the grade very flat so locomotives could pull more cars. This is from a website I found- Spanning twenty-three miles across the southern end of Lancaster County, the Enola Low Grade Railroad Line was built between 1903 and 1906 by the Pennsylvania Railroad. Considered on of the most significant engineering accomplishments of the Pennsylvania Railroad, the line was designed to have no contact with other vehicular traffic and to run almost completely level, with no more than a one degree slope, and in a straight line with radius of curves never greater than two degrees. The line was part of a plan for cross country transportation conceived by Pennsylvania Railroad president J. Edgar Thomson in the late 1800s. Implementation of the plan was undertaken by A.J. Cassatt, President of the line in the early 20th century, who built two segments of the Low Grade in southcentral and southeastern Pennsylvania and another small segment in Ohio. Another historical website says the grade was never greater than 0.3%, compared to 0.7% for the Main line. Apparently the entire section was also called the Atgen and Susquehanna Branch, and ran for 69 miles from Parkesburg to Enola, northwest of Harrisburg where there was a large switching yard. A map of the trail can be found at http://www.abandonedrails.com/map.asp?c=60. One website said that more dirt was moved to create this line than was moved to build the Panama Canal! Although the line has a number of beautiful stone bridges, two of the most remarkable structures are the trestles at Martic Forge and Safe Harbor and they are pictured in their original glory at http://kc.pennsyrr.com/guide/as.php

The line was quite busy during the early part of the 20th century, but as trucks gradually took over more frieght business, its use declined. It eventually ended up abandoned and the tracks were taken up in 1990.

As the Rails to Trails movement grew there was significant interest in turning the entire section into a trail. But many feared that individual townships might not want to allow a trail, both for NIMBY (Not In MY Back Yard!) and liability reasons. In an effort to save it, the County Commissioners decided to take the whole thing by eminent domain. Unfortunately, the townships sued and won. Several years ago Norfolk Southern deeded the line to individual townships. Martic Twp has a section open, but not over the Martic Forge bridge. Manor Twp hopes to open a section between Safe Harbor and Turkey Hill, but I haven’t heard much about the progress.

I hope that all of you have enjoyed the Pinnacle Point – one of the prettiest spots in Lancaster County, with a grand view overlooking the Susquehanna. But you may not know that there are numerous hiking trails in the area, including a link to Kelly’s Run, AND that the area abounds with wild wineberries just now ripening. Next Sunday’s hike will enable us to sample the wineberries while enjoying the expansive views from the Pinnacles and the rhododendron filled valley of Kelly’s Run.

The afternoon will feature three connected but different hiking opportunities. The first 1 1/2 miles will be a slow meander on a mostly level, broad, mowed trail through the woods, nibbling on the many wineberries within easy picking range. I’m expecting my four granddaughters – ages 3-6, will join us for this part. Those wishing to continue berry picking at that pace can then circle back to the parking lot, while the rest of us descend into Kelly’s Run. The 1/2 mile stretch of Kelly’s Run we will traverse is rated as moderately difficult with clambering over large rocks and several stream crossings. We’ll then have an initial steep ascent towards the Pinnacle, followed by a slow climb up to the parking area, again with many wineberries to reward us for our efforts. Total distance is probable in the 4 mile range. The third part is very optional and mostly for masochists. I’m preparing for a hiking trip to Glacier NP in two weeks, so for conditioning, I plan to continue down the north side of the Pinnacle, joining up with the Conestoga trail and circling back up that long steep hill. More sensible people can head home or explore some of the easier trails in the Pinnacle system.

We’ll meet at the Pinnacles parking lot at 2 pm, Sunday aft. Rain cancels. Please let me know if you can join us. A rather poor map of the area, but a link to a lot of information about lovely trails in the area is http://www.pplweb.com/holtwood/contacts+and+directions/locations.htm. Take 272 south to the Buck, turn right on 372 towards the Norman Woods Bridge. After 5-6 miles turn right on Holtwood Rd. , then right on River Rd., and left on Pinnacle Rd. to the parking lot.

As always, even if you can’t join us on Sunday, I encourage you to explore this lovely area (trail maps are on that website). The wineberries were just starting to ripen when I scouted the area last weekend, and should provide a tasty treat for the next 2 weeks or so.

Larry

Hi everyone,

Haven’t these last several days been wonderful?? Great hiking (or gardening, or golfing, or running, or “whatever active you do”) weather! I hope it is as good next Sunday the 26th when I’ll be leading a hike in the Martic Twp park, starting at 2 pm. This is a repeat of a hike we did two years ago. It was very much enjoyed then and hopefully will be again.

If you’ve never heard of the Martic Twp park before, don’t feel too stupid. I hadn’t either until I was driving down Rt. 324 on my way back from another hike when I saw a small sign along the road advertising its existence. Expecting a little playground for kids (which I’m alway exploring for my granddaughters!), I checked it out and was surprised to find a 360 acre woodland tract with some very nice trails. According to the brochure thoughtfully placed at the entrance, the area was once a site for charcoal preparation for the Martic Forge. (You can still see some of the old charcoal burning clearings.) When the forge closed down, the land was bought by a Fruit and Nut company which planted apples and chestnuts on the property. With the failing of the chestnut crop, it grew up in second growth woods, owned by a local attorney. In the 80′s he decided to sell it and the buyer was a developer who wanted to put in a high end residential community, complete with golf course. Local citizens objected and after “extensive legal deliberation”, it was bought by Martic Twp, with the help of local conservation groups, and turned into a park.

One of the nice things about this hike is that there could be two portions (and perhaps three). From the parking lot, there is a steep uphill slog to get your heart pumping and legs warmed up. Then a downhill leads to a lovely stream. For those with little ones, this is a great “creek-stomping” spot. (That is what my granddaughters and I call walking in a creek with crocks or tivas). There are some sandy “beaches,” little waterfalls, and some pools perhaps 2 ft. deep for soaking. So those with kids (or adults too!) could bring swim suits and just hang out along the creek. The rest of us will continue along the creek, crossing it a couple of times, before going up a hill and through the woods on an old road. We circle down a power line and rejoin the creek, bushwacking (which I define as hiking without the constraints of a clearly marked trail!), back along the creek to the original trail. If I have a chance before next Sunday I’ll do a little more exploring. I think there may be a trail which bypasses some of the bushwacking for those not enamored of that kind of adventuring.

The walk to the stream is about half a mile. The whole hike is probably about 4-5 miles. It is almost all easy to moderate, with some clambering over tree trunks and fording the stream for those who take the bushwacking segment.

The park is located on the south side of Rt. 324, Marticville Rd., 0.3 miles west of the intersection with Red Hill Rd. (which is just south of the underpass under the Enola low grade line) and 0.4 miles east of where River Rd. joins 324 from the north. There is just a small wooden sign along the road, so look sharp. You can google 1083 Marticville Rd., 17565, for you geeks out there.

As usual, just respond if you can make it. I’ll send out an email Sun. morning indicating my plans if the weather looks “iffy”.

Larry

Hi everyone!

If you haven’t been to Chiques Rock, you need to go there. It is definitely one of the scenic highlights of Lancaster, with a lovely view over the Susquehanna. But if you have, I’d like to invite you to see it again AND to do a round trip down to the Susquehanna Heritage Trail at the base of Chiques Rock, and back through the woods. Here are the details:

We’ll meet in the parking lot at Chiques Rock (park on the south side of the lot) at 2 pm. We’ll walk up to the viewpoint, enjoy the scenery, then bushwack through the woods, down the hill to the Susquehanna Heritage trail. It runs along the river at the base of the Chiques cliff and runs by the site of old iron foundries from Civil War times. We’ll likely see some rock climbers along the way. After a quick detour to see the hand made (I think!) railroad tunnel which supplied the foundries, we’ll climb up to Breezy View (?? – I forget the exact name), Park with more views out over the river. Then along some roads, before another trail through the woods, bringing us back to the parking lot. The distance is probably about 3 miles. I’m anticipating it taking 1/1/2-2 hours, depending on how much time we spend enjoying the views and panting on the trail up the hill. The bushwack is about 200 yds, down a hill – not difficult. The Susquehanna Trail is totally flat. The climb up is about 300 ft. and fairly steep. The woods walk is up and down, but not hard.

The forecast is good after Wed., but if it should be rainy on Friday or Sat., I’ll cancel beause we’ll be on fallen leaves at times and they can be slippery and dangerous.

To get to the Chiques Rock parking lot, just take Rt. 30 to the Columbia exit. Turn right on 441 going toward Marietta, and it is about 1 mile from there on the left, shortly after you crest the hill.

As usual, just let me know if you CAN join me for our last hike of the season.

Larry

Greetings to all of you!

I’m sure most of you are looking forward to Thanksgiving – hopefully with family gathered around. But beyond Thanksgiving and Christmas comes a LONG winter. And I have a suggestion for one of you which could make the dreary month of Feb. go faster – a trip to the Galapagos!

I am taking a group of 14 people to the Galapagos aboard the yacht, “Pelikano,” in late Feb. Unfortunately, one of our single participants is having health issues and may not be able to make the trip. So there may be a spot for a single on board. If you might be interested, read on…

The trip starts with arrival in Quito the evening Feb. 18. The next day features a full day tour of Quito. Sunday morning the group flies to Galapagos and boards the Pelikano, our home for the next week. Each day features an early morning walk at a designated visitor site, followed by snorkeling. Over lunch and siesta, the yacht moves to the next visitor site. Afternoon brings more snorkeling and late afternoon (when the sun is not so hot) another land expedition to view the birds, tortoises, iguanas, etc. that the Galapagos are famous for. Overnight the boat motors to the next island and the daily routine is repeated. These are walks, not hikes, and are very slow as we watch the wildlife. Conditioning is NOT required! Sunday morning we head back to the airport and fly back to Quito. The next morning, Feb. 28, most of us will return home, but the option is there to extend the trip.

The cost for this is $3,445. This is pretty much all inclusive, except for a $110 Galapagos park entrance fee and tips and drinks on board. It includes airport pickup and dropoff, three nights at a lovely hotel in Quito, the city tour, the flights to and from the Galapagos, and the week on board the Pelikano with all meals. This price aleady includes the single supplement. It does not include flights to Quito from the US and back.

We also have a 3 day pre-trip excursion into the cloud forest and highlands around Quito. Most, but not all, of the people on the Pelikano trip will be taking this excursion. The price per person for the three days comes to $520 (there will be a single supplement – not calculated yet), and includes three nights of lodging, guide, transportation, and just about all meals.

If you are interested, let me know and I can send more detailed information.

To my Travel Loving Friends,

One of my favorite questions when I’m traveling with a group is, “What is your favorite country to visit and why?” The answers are always interesting and give me ideas on where to go myself. When my turn comes around, the answer is, “New Zealand. I love the variety of habitats in a relatively small area, the beauty of the scenery, and the friendliness of the people.” Nancy and I spent a marvelous three weeks on the South Island of NZ almost a decade ago with our good friends Sam and Linda Rice. I’ve been wanting to go back with a group for some time, but didn’t have a local guide – the most important component of any trip. I now have the guide I want and would like to invite you to join me for an adventure in the South Island of New Zealand.

THE GUIDE: I decided to email the Tourist Bureau of Queenstown, NZ, the center of hiking and activities in NZ, asking for their recommendations for a guide. The agent referred my email to a lodge in Fiordland National Park, who referred it to someone who led hikes, who referred it to his brother, Anthony Norris, who had a company which, according to his website, www.tamarillo.co.nz, led sea-kayaking trips in Fiji and hiking trips in Italy. That didn’t sound like a very auspicious beginning!

As it turned out, Anthony was in the US, visiting colleges to drum up interest in his trips to Fiji and NZ for college students. He would be in Washington, DC soon and was I anywhere near?? I am, so last Wed. he drove here and we spent several hours discussing a group trip to NZ under his guidance. Without question, he is the person I want to lead our trip.

Anthony spent his 20′s as a guide for hiking and adventure trips in New Zealand, working at places similar to Outward Bound and NOLS (National Outdooor Leadership School). He then decided to strike out on his own and, after considerable research, hit on the idea of starting a sea-kayaking company in Fiji, choosing that spot because he would be the first to offer that service in that location. As that venture slowly grew, he began offering trips to Fiji and NZ for college students, providing not only the excitement and beauty of sea-kayaking, but exposure to the culture and history of the countries through discussions with local people.

One of my desires for a trip is the opportunity to meet the people and learn about the local culture, in addition to enjoying the beauty and hiking. Anthony’s experience will really help in meeting that goal, as that is just what he tries to do with his college trips. It is a good fit. (The Italy connection comes through his Italian wife. Together they lead hiking trips to Italy in the fall and spring. Who knows – a trip to Italy under their guidance could be in the future….)

WHEN: Anthony says the best weather is likely to be in Feb. So our tentative plan is for Feb. of 2012. This is flexible depending on your needs. We are looking at 20 days in country, which means a bit more than 3 weeks total trip time, counting travel to and from.

THE TRIP: Anthony and I have gone “all out” to put together the best trip we could. I doubt I will ever go back to New Zealand and I suspect the same is true for many of you. So we decided to spend almost 3 full weeks in New Zealand, and to limit our adventures to the South Island to enable us to more fully experience all the marvelous varieties of habitat, wildlife, and scenery that remarkable island has to offer. Hiking will be an integral part of the trip, with moderate and strenuous options available just about every day. But it is not just about hiking. We’ll include wine-tasting, a farm-stay, museums, discussions with local people, etc. to experience the cultural flavor of the country.

The trip will start in Queenstown, in the southern part of the island and end in Picton, in the north. In between we will travel in two vans, one driven by Anthony and the other by me. After a recuperation day in Queenstown, we’ll head for Fiordland National Park, at the southwestern tip of the island, featuring huge cliffs plunging into deep fjords. Our 4-5 days there will include a cruise on the famous Milford Sound and a two day hike through spectacular scenery, with the night spent in a wilderness lodge or on a boat.
We’ll then drive into wine country and a sojourn at Lake Wanaka (in the Maori language, “Renewal of the soul.”). We’ll move on to a working farm in the high country, where we’ll stay overnight in cottages used by seasonal workers and get a chance to meet the locals.
The wild west coast is the next destination for 3-4 days of exciting activities. We’ll hike along the coastline and through rain forest, walk on a glacier, and take a scenic flight to a remote valley, followed by a 3 hour hike and a jet boat ride back home.
The Southern Alps and Arthur’s Pass is our home for the next three days with hikes in the mountains and a rest day.
The Northwestern coast comes next, offering walks through subtropical habitats, steep cliffs, amazing blow-holes, and lots of history.
We finish in the far north of the island, exploring tree fern forests, turquoise beaches, and coastal paths along the Queen Charlotte track through the Marlborough Sounds.
From Picton, individuals can extend their trip with a visit to the North Island a quick ferry ride away, or fly home from Blenheim, via Auckland.

I’ve attached a more detailed proposed itinerary including websites you can peruse for more information.

Note that this is a tentative. “best case,” itinerary. We can reduce the duration, cut the number of expensive activities, etc. as needed to meet people’s needs.

GETTING THERE: New Zealand is a L…O…N…G way away!!! I went to Travelocity and played with itineraries from the east coast to Queenstown. Counting airport waits, the shortest total travel time was 28 hours and some were 38. Ditto on return. (That is part of the reason for the decision to make the trip almost 3 weeks long – it takes so long to get there and back.) Flight costs from the east coast were in the $1,700-1,800 range. However, Air New Zealand offers group travel rates, which could shave several hundred dollars off the cost of the flight. If there is interest I will work on group flight arrangements.

COST: Anthony thinks we can do this with a land cost around $4,000 per person, double occupancy. This is very tentative as it will take a lot more detailed planning to come up with a firm price and many hotels, etc. don’t have their prices in place for 2012. But it gives you an idea of what to expect. New Zealand is an expensive destination. (I love to peruse travel company’s catalogues. A South Island New Zealand trip offered by Wilderness Travel is $5195 for eleven nights in 2011. Natural Habitat Adventures features a similar jaunt of 13 nights for $7,995, and the Sierra Club has a similar trip for $4.895 for 10 days. None include airfare.) We are open to cutting the number of days and some of the more expensive options if that is what is needed to make it a trip people can afford.

WHO WANTS TO JOIN ANTHONY AND ME IN NEW ZEALAND???

Please respond if this is a trip that excites you. As usual, give me a number indicating your level of interest. A “10″ means you’ll sign up tomorrow. A “5″ means you’ll go if your spouse drags you along. For a couple, please give numbers for each.

One of the advantages of my trips is that you can participate in the planning. For those of you who respond with interest, I’ll send an email asking questions about your preferences in terms of activities, dates, flights, etc. so we can shape the timing and events of the trip to best suit those who would like to go.

If enough people express interest, Anthony and I will work to put the trip together, using your input to firm up the itinerary and develop more accurate pricing. We’ll then send the formal trip invitation to those on the “interested in New Zealand” list and ask for deposits. This will probably be in the Dec.-Jan. time frame. If enough people send in deposits, the trip will go. Right now we are looking at a minimum of 9 and a maximum of 14 (not counting Anthony and me).

Your level of interest ____ Spouse level of interest ____ .

I know cost is a factor. If you’d like to go, but it is just too expensive, what land cost would be affordable for you??

Your travel loving friend,

Larry

Hi everyone!

All of you who live or have traveled in the western part of Lancaster have probably seen the two huge wind turbines recently piercing the skyline at Turkey Hill. This is your chance to see them, up close and personal, as well as enjoy an autumn hike along the Susquehanna. Here’s the plan:

We’ll meet at 2 pm at the Creswell Park on River Rd. just south of the Highville Fire Station. 3106 River Rd., Conestoga Twp, 17516 is a house right across the street. Here is the Google map address. Park on the north end close to the soccer field, as there will probably be a baseball game going on at the other end. We’ll then shuttle to the trail head since parking is very limited there. As the hike starts, we’ll pass some plantings of experimental American chestnuts (part of the attempt at breeding to bring back that magnificent tree), then bob and weave our way up the side of Turkey Hill through lovely woods. It is a gradual slope (up about 400 ft. in a mile) with a number of dips for stream beds. At the top we’ll make a left turn to get to the base of the huge wind turbines. We’ll then backtrack to where we came out of the woods and continue along the edge of the Lancaster Waste Management area (actually the county dump – but very well managed). In about 1/4 mile, we’ll re-enter the woods and doodle our way along the wooded slope, eventually reaching a high rocky outcrop with great views out over the Susquehanna. Then the trail wends down into a ravine. There we leave the main trail and bushwack for about 100 yds. to the Enola Low Grade Line. We follow that back to our starting point – a lovely section with looming cliffs on the right and great views out over the river to the colorful hills on the other side. Depending on how slow we’ve gone and how late it is, we might even see a sunset!

The hike up to the wind turbines is easy to moderate. The trail has a few washed out points and tree trunks to clamber over, but nothing strenuous. (Some people might want to go up to the turbines and back down – making a total hike of just under 2 miles.) The trail through the woods after the Waste Management area would be rated moderate. It is more narrow, a bit steeper in places, again with some tree trunks to scramble over. The bushwack out to the rail line is a bit of a scramble, but with some helping hands, not very difficult. There are two easy stream crossings. The last 1 1/2 miles on the rail line is totally flat and is actually a dirt road. The ballast on the line can be rough on the soles as it consists of marble to ping-pong ball size rocks in a few places and can bruise the feet if wearing thin soled shoes. Total distance around 4.5 miles.

As usual, just notify me if you DO plan to come. Rain cancels (we’re on fallen leaves a lot, and they can be dangerously slippery). On Sat. morning, I’ll e-mail everyone who has said they would go if the weather looks “iffy” and I decide to cancel.

I hope to see you there. If the weather co-operates it should be a lovely hike and the leaves close to their peak color.

Larry

P.S. Those of us who went on the Mason Dixon hike in York Co. this past Sat. had a great time. It is a LOVELY hike and we’ll be repeating it next year for those of you who couldn’t make it this year.

Hi everyone,

Nancy and I just returned from some “leaf-peeping” in the Catskills – they are lovely there. We are a touch early here yet, but let’s get out into the woods and see what we can see.

Keith Miles and Nancy Morell are my two favorite “hike finders”. As active members of the Lancaster Hiking Club, they go on lots of local hikes. Both of them contacted me recently commenting on how much they enjoyed a hike in York Co. on the Mason-Dixon trail. Since their recommendations have always panned out in the past and the weather forecast is good for this Sat., let’s go to York! Below I’ve copied Keith’s directions.

This is a BEAUTIFUL hike, easy to moderate, of about 5.5 miles…it follows a stretch of the Mason-Dixon trail in southern York County, a couple of miles north of the Peach Bottom power plant. The ascents and descents are few and very manageable…there are also two very easy stream crossings.

From Lancaster, take Route 272 South to the Buck and turn right on Route 372 West…follow 372 across the Norman Wood Bridge and up a long hill, and turn left on Route 74 South. In a couple of miles, turn left on Paper Mill Road (watch closely for this one), and follow to Coal Cabin Road (aka Cold Cabin Road), where you’ll turn left. Follow Coal Cabin (Cold Cabin) to its end at the Susquehanna, where you’ll find a small parking area. It should take about 45 min. from Lancaster, 20 minutes from the Norman Woods bridge.

Hikers should meet at this parking area at the chosen starting time…we’ll then shuttle a car or two back to the hike’s starting point on Paper Mill Road.

So, let’s plan on 2 pm this Sat. I’m guessing it will take about 2 1/2 – 3 hours with the shuttle, so should be finished long before dark. As usual, just notify me if you can make it.

This hand-drawn map from the Mason-Dixon Trail System’s website illustrates the route of the Mason-Dixon Trail. Click on map to enlarge.

Hello to my adventurous friends,

I have some openings on two up-coming trips and want to get the word out to see if any of you are interested in joining me and some very nice people on two exciting trips.

First, Patagonia. I had our maximum of 15 signed up, but two had to cancel, so I have two openings. The trip is Jan. 6 – 21, 2011. It starts in Santiago with a city tour and overnight. Then comes a flight to the far south, Punta Arenas, and bus to Torres del Paine. We’ll spend the next 6 days hiking in those fantastic mountains, then take a bus to the FitzRoy massif in Argentina. Another 6 days of hiking follows in the glaciers and mountains of that range. A flight to Buenos Aires with a city tour ends the trip. The hiking is moderately vigorous – 11 miles and 2500 ft. elevation gain is the most difficult day. We will be staying in hotels, hostels, and some camps. There are several nights were we will carry clothing for overnight and the next day, but food, tents, etc. are all provided and sleeping bags/mats can be optionally carried or provided. The cost is $3450 per person/double occupancy ($440 for single supplement) and is pretty much all inclusive except for airfare from US to Santiago and from Buenos Aires back, and a few dinners. Internal flights, buses, guides, food, lodging, etc. are all included. If you have any interest, let me know and I’ll send more detailed info.

I looked into a Bulgaria trip a year ago and a number of people responded that they were interested. Working with those individuals, we have put together a hiking/cultural trip for next summer – specifically Aug. 15-28, 2011. Twelve people have sent in their deposits for the trip, so it is definite “GO!”. We have room for 16, so I have 4 more spaces available. Although this trip includes some hiking, we have a moderate and more challenging option each hiking day. About half the trip is focused on culture – visits to monasteries, medieval villages, unique architectural sites, and even resorts. We start in Sofia, the capital, and wend our way east to Varna, on the Black Sea. There is one optional night at a mountain lodge, the rest of the time we’ll be staying in local hotels with private baths. With 14-16 people, the cost will be $1875 per person/double ($200 single supplement) and that is very much all inclusive – even including drinks with the meals. Here too, let me know if you are interested and I’ll be happy to send more detailed info.

Happy trails to you…..

Your travel-loving friend,

Larry