~*~ Loyalsock/Link 
World’s
End State Park, PA
Date:
June 11 & 12
Hikers: Solo
Mileage: 20’ish
Elevation Gain/Loss:
Friday Night
I packed and repacked a few times trying to decide what to bring. I was tossing
between my HH and tent, finally decided on option 3, to take the bare bones set
up of my NYX and test it out. Once decided, I packed everything and set out for
Worlds End State Park. I arrived around 7:30pm, grabbed an unoccupied campsite
at the campground and put up the tent. The sites were nice – they had big piles
of woodchips for a cushy tenting area. Around 8:30pm, the thunderstorms and
lightening rolled in. I finished reading Deep Survival and fell into
slumber.
Saturday
Up
and at ‘em around 8:30am, later than I had wanted, and a little wet around the
edges from the storm. I drove over to the Park Office, registered and chatted
with the ranger about the impending storms. No matter…I’m here, I’m going. I
had decided to reverse my route and take the Link Trail on Day 1, stay at Sones
Pond, and return via the Loyalsock Trail. At 10:00am, I was at the trailhead
and off to face the hot and humid day. The first part of the trail follows the
Loyalsock Creek for about ¼ mile, making a nice, if not slippery, transition
into the woods. Once in the woods, you follow Cold Run and it’s pretty little
cascades and waterfalls before heading straight up to Canyon Vista. Canyon
Vista was a beautiful overlook of Worlds End and a nice way to begin my
journey.
After the vista,
the trail was fairly flat and easy going, though it changed immensely in
terrain. I went over rocks, along flat dirt trails, tromped through mud, was in
barren looking forests, plush green grassy trails, old overgrown fire roads,
vertical climbs, vertical descents and a plethora of stream crossings. Only one
crossing I needed to take my boots off for ~ and the cool water felt great! Two
fisherman glowered at me though ~ guess my stanky feet skeered the fishies.
I came to the top of one point and the trail was incredibly overgrown, the only
place on the trail that I had trouble finding blazes. Maneuvering around stumps
and through the thicket, I made my way to a little clearing. Then I heard a
loud crunch and looked to my right. About 50’ away, over the bushes and fallen
trees I saw a bear. I looked at him, he looked at me, I turned my head away and
looked forward, thinking “don’t stare, don’t move”. Then I heard all hell break
loose as he started running. My thought? “I’m dinner” followed by “my mother
was right”. I looked quickly out of the corner of my eye and saw bear ass.
Nothing but bear ass running away from me. Relief isn’t the word. I was sure
y'all were going to be reading about me in the papers when I heard him running.
The rest of the day I sang and whacked my trekking poles together as often as
possible.
I reached Mill Run around 1pm or so and made my way along the creek. This would
be a great place for lunch. I sat down, opened my bag, dug…dug… and dug some
more. <insert a string of obscenities here> In my packing and repacking
state on Friday night, I managed to leave my food bag at home. <insert an
even longer string of obscenities> What do you do? What could I do? I drank
water by the liter and refilled at nearly every crossing. I was hydrated and
trying to convince my body that I was full.
I think it was about 4pm I got to Sones Pond and set up camp. The bull frogs
were croaking like crazy and I could hear a few woodpeckers going 
to town on the dead trees. It
was peaceful. I threw my Z-rest down by the side of the pond and pulled out A
Journey North by Adrienne Hall. I read the entire book that night. Nothing
like AT dreaming while on the trail. Four backpackers and four dogs took up
residence about 200 yards from me but they were quiet all night. I crashed
around 9pm, buried deep in my bag because the bare bones NYX set up did nothing
to ward off the insects. Much less dramatic to be eaten by skeeters & spiders
than to be eaten by a bear.
Sunday
I got up at 7:30am and was really hungry. I gulped down a liter of water as I
packed up. I was out by 8:00am and headed on the Loyalsock Trail. The first
mile or so was boggy and muddy (and again with the heat & humidity) so the
bugs were out in full force. I drank liter after liter of water. I think I
filtered more water in 2 days than I have filtered in the last 2 months.
About half way along I ran into a couple that had been on the Loyalsock since
Friday morning. I warned them that I had seen a bear and the gentleman seemed a
little excited, his wife, not so much. The next downhill was one that
no_granola would have loved! Straight down with no rocks and roots protruding
out. I’m guessing about 300’ down to a creek. At the base sat a Loyalsock
Register, so I took time to scribble in it. “I SAW A BEAR!!! FINALLY!!!” Signed
my name and wrote underneath “Switchbacks? We don’t need no stinkin’
switchbacks!” Bwahahaha. crossed the
creek, filled up my platypus’s (platypi?) and began my vertical ascent. About
50’ up, I was bonked. The lack of food in my body was apparent and I struggled
up that incline. I don’t know how long it took me, but I crashed out at the top
and chugged yet another liter of water.
From this point to High Rock Vista, the trail was easy going on a consistent
downgrade, yet still a variety of terrains. I was happy for the ease of the
trail since the combination of the heat and no food was getting to me. I just
wanted a Snickers bar. That’s it.
I reached High
Rock Vista and met up with a husband and wife who were dayhiking. Hubby turned
when he heard me and said “Ooooohhhhh…look honey! A serious hiker!” and then he
turned to her and said “You can tell she’s serious because she’s got those
fancy sticks”. They were inquisitive about where I’d been, how long I had been
out, why I do it alone and what I carry with me. (I did not tell them I didn’t
carry food this time) Hubby warned me that the trail I was taking down was
incredibly steep and rocky. In PA? Get the hell outta here! No way! We parted
ways and they took off about a minute before me down an alternate route.
The last descent was indeed steep and rocky – hubby wasn’t kidding. Thankfully
the rocks had dried out so they weren’t too slippery. “High Rock Vista” indeed.
I was thrilled to get to base and back up to the Park Office. When I arrived,
hubby and wife were sitting on the bench and said “glad to see you made it! Do
those sticks really help?” (If I had a dollar…) They found a faster and easier
way down…scoundrels. Took off the pack and the boots, tossed everything in the
car and sped outta there.
Stopped at the first gas station and bought a king sized Snickers bar and a big
ole bottle of Gatorade. Both were gone instantly. Just as instantly, I felt
sick. Whoops.
Anyway ~ it was a great trip and I got tested in many ways. Hindsight? I’m glad
I made the wrong choice in tents, forgot my food and saw a bear. Made me
stronger in some whacky way.
What I learned:
~ Wild turkeys run damn fast and seem to have no trouble negotiating the rocks.
~ There is something for everyone at Worlds End – ie. steep descents for
no_granola, boulder scrambles for MsKB, mountain laurel and rhododendrons for
spindle, fern clubs for BroodX, and much more. I thought of all of you at some
point…sorry S’Head, no buzzards!
~ Determination is a powerful thing
~ Bull frogs and fireflies make for a really cool evening.
~ Nettle fields are no fun to walk through.
~ Bears are scared of me too.
~ Don’t leave dirty Smartwool socks in your car for two days when it’s hot
& humid.
~ My feet never really healed from the Q T, yet they don’t bother me on the
trail.
~ Being out there often brings out the best in me. Somehow, no matter what I
face, I’m happy to be facing it and saddened when it’s over. My reality is what
I make it.
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