Day 305
Day totals: 8 hrs, 20 .8 kms

Note: the date has been changed to keep the segments of my Superhike in geographical order

The Gettysburg Loop

The original plan was to start following the Appalachian Trail south--occasionally taking side trips to visit towns along the way. However, just accross the ridge, some 15 miles away is the city of Gettysburg where perhaps the most important battle of the Civil War was fought--a watershed moment in American History... and I'd really like it to be included in my Superhike.

So change of plans: I'm going to make a little side trip loop hike to Gettysburg--and a couple of towns nearby before continuing south.

But then a friend, Mike Blubaugh suggests I visit Chimney Rock--a nice overlook point a bit south of Mont Alto down the Appalachian trail... so today I'm actually going to do a "sidetrip of a sidetrip" and hike south to Chimney Rock and back.

Hey what's the hurry, right? This Superhike is definitely not about going from point A to point B--it's about seeing how many interesting experiences and discoveries I can have along the way .

Hiking with Dan

And this is going to be a particularly enjoyable hike: my uncle, who lives in the area, took me up on the invitation to join me for a segment of the hike. I've always enjoyed hiking with company and I'm sure today will be no exception. Dan is someone I feel at ease talking to on a wide range of subjects, so we're going to have some good conversations along the way

And there's something else special about this hike: it snowed last night--and just the right amount. Enough to create some beautiful winter scenery, but not too much to get your feet to wet--at least I don't think so. But just in case, I'm taking a change of socks and a couple plastic bags. The theory is that, if my shoes start getting too wet, I can put plastic bags inside the shoe as an emergency measure to keep my feet from freezing... that's the theory anyways. Doing a snow hike here in Pennsylvania is definitely on my "to do" list, and it looks that that's just what's going to happen today .

Another nice thing about hiking with company is that we can go in two cars, park one car at each end of the hike, and not have to bicycle back from Point B to Point A. So, after dropping off his car at our planned stopping point, we drive in my car to Mont Alto to start our hike.

Using GPS

I have a hastily drawn in my pocket which is going to be our guide: the plan is to follow a quiet mountain road south until it meets the Appalachian Trail, which we'll follow north, stopping at Chimney Rock to enjoy the view, then continue on up the A Trail to our end point.

But as we walk a ways, Staley Road just doesn't want to appear. We might have missed it. Normally in this situation I would either A. Keep going until I find it. B. go back and see if I missed it or C. forget the map and just keep walking. I'll figure it out as I go along.

But there is a 4th option . An option I have deliberately shunned over these last couple of years:

GPS. Yep, that little smartphone app that pretty much insures that you never get lost, never take a wrong turn. And I've shunned it because, well, that kind of spoils the fun, doesn't it? Isn't getting lost--or at least the possibility of getting lost--a vital part of the whole adventure?

Weeeell.... we can make an exception just this once... I ask Dan "do you have GPS on your cellphone?" Yep, it tells us exactly where we are, and where Staley Road is.

Yeah, I could see myself getting addicted--and dependant on--this technology really quick...

Hiking in the Snow

We continue down this tranquil, unplowed road through the forest. The snow is just the right amount, coating the world in a blanket a white, but easy to walk on top of. We're even come across a couple of cyclist out enjoying this beautiful day .

"I thought I was the only one who went snowbiking" I tell Dan.

Along the way, we talk. About my grandparents--Dan helps answer some questions I've had about their lives, and how indirectly they helped make me the person I am today. We talk about alternate family histories... about finding ones path in life... about culture and the future of civilization. Dan is a deep thinker and--although we may not share all the same ideas perceptions--we're able to communicate on the same level. It's quite refreshing to be immersed in the beauty of nature in meaningful conversation at the same time.

Dan also brought a thoughtful gift. A couple of mangoes. We both grew up in Latin America and have fond memories of this wonderful fruit. A bit contradictory to be eating mangoes in the snow, though!

We reach an crossroad, and according to my map, we should turn left . We walk a little ways and then... I give into temptation again... yep, GPS... and, sure enough, we're going the wrong way!

The moral of the story? No, no moral to this story. I'm still not ready to get myself a smartphone and start trapsing around staring at a 6 square inch. But yeah, in this case (and only this case) using GPS was the smart thing to do.

Chimney Rock

Finally we reach the Appalachian Trail, which is barely visible in the snow. Luckily, the white dashes on the tree keep us going in the right direction. We soon reach our main destination: Chimney Rock, a cluster of boulders with a nice panoramic few of the wooded hills to the east. If you can disregard the flat farmland barely visible beyond, you can almost convince yourself that in an region of endless untouched prisitine nature, rather than a heavily populated, overdeveloped region.

It is a special moment--particularly with snow all around and a chilly wind blowing through . A good spot for a video clip, with I figure I'll tag onto my next town down the road, which I think will be Fairfield.

My fingers are going to go numb pretty quickly, but I figure I should be able to get through a quick parkbench concert--including a couple songs that I think Dan should like, like my 2009 song "Beginning of Industry" and my anthem songs "It Means Nothing" and "Reciprocal"... And soon we have company as well. A group of Boy Scouts from Hagerstown out on a camping trip come up to the rocks. I'm not sure if they count as an audience, since they were coming for the view, not for the music--but they seem to enjoy the songs, so yeah, I'll count them as an audience.

And then, with my fingers as stiff as blocks of wood, I fumble through my last song... and we continue on our way.

A very enjoyable hike. Definitely want to do more "hiking with company" in the days ahead.