Appalachian Trail Hike to Auburn Lookout

Thursday, May 7, 2020

Hi Blog!

We've had a lot of cold and wet weather here in Lancaster County, PA. We haven't had a chance to go fishing or take our kayaks out. The best we can do is find another place to hike that we hope will not be too soggy from the record amounts of rain that have fallen so far this year. Today, we decided to head back to Port Clinton and hike the Appalachian Trail heading south from town.

The trailhead parking was on property owned and managed by the Reading and Northern Railroad. We had to cross several tracks before getting to the trailhead. However, this is probably the most beautiful trailhead sign we have found so far.

The blue skies and cool weather were perfect for hiking. Our path was easy to follow.

Just because the path was easy to follow didn't mean it was easy. As soon as we left the train yard, we began to climb stone steps cut into the side of hill. While only 800 yards according the the GPS, just picture trying to climb up 8 footballs fields of steps!

We were so happy to finally reach the top of the ridge, we stopped for a photo op!

Spring is finally springing out. The grass is growing and the leaves are popping out. As we crossed a pipeline easement, we got a look north into Schuylkill County.

The Covid-19 outbreak has put trail maintenance on hold.  This huge fragment of a dead tree trunk hangs precariously over the trail. We call these - widow makers.

This part of the Appalachia Trail crosses State Game Lands 110. This area is home to deer, black bear, turkey, grouse, rabbits and squirrels. You can also see the occasional coyote, fox, opossum and raccoon. While we saw some scat that appeared to be coyote, we did not see any notable wildlife. It may be a little early in spring for the deer to migrate this high.

Our trail left the woods to follow a cleared easement area. We had to keep our eye out for the trail marker to make sure we didn't miss it and walk down the road and off the mountain. Dave was the first to spot the sign.

Here some red maple and sugar maple grow side by side.

After three miles, we reached our destination, the Auburn Lookout.

Auburn is a town on the Schuylkill River. It was originally known as the "Scotchman's Lock". The first house in Auburn was built in the late 1830s by a boatman named Samuel Moyer, who also operated a store there. In 1842, the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad reached the area, at which point the area's official name was changed to "Auburn."

Below, Dave is having trouble finding Auburn through all the trees.

We found a nice flat rock, kicked up our boots and tucked into our PB&J-on-Amish-raisin-bread sandwiches. It feels good to soak up a little sun.

After lunch, we explored the summit area. There was a large fire ring and several flat areas for pitching tents. We noticed these seed pods on the ground. They looked like chestnuts, but we had never seen this type before. Turns out they are American Chestnut. As we learned on a prior hike, the Appalachian Mountains still hold a few American Chestnut trees that survived the chestnut blight in 1904. Makes me want to roast some chestnuts tonight.

Since the pipeline easement and Appalachian Trail run side by side for a few hundred yards, we decided to head back along the easement. We noticed these fruit trees, which were probably part of someone's orchard back in the day.

Just before the trailhead as we returned, the AT crosses the Schuylkill River Trail. The Schuylkill River Trail, a multi-use path, will extend 120 miles from Frackville in Schuylkill County, through rural, agricultural, suburban, urban, and industrial landscapes in Montgomery, Chester and Berks Counties to Philadelphia. Of those 120 miles, 75 are presently paved. When we lived in the area, we enjoyed several epic bike rides up that trail from Philadelphia, along the Schuylkill River (pronounced SKOO-kill -- Dutch for Hidden River), where the American, Industrial and Environmental Revolutions were born.

After descending the stairway from hell, we took a few minutes to explore the train yard. The Reading Blue Mountain and Northern Railroad, with its corporate headquarters in Port Clinton, is a privately held railroad company serving major businesses in nine Eastern Pennsylvania counties. The railroad runs about 400 miles from Reading PA to Mehoopany PA, and it also operates the 7 mile rail line from Towanda to Monroeton in Bradford County. It offers both freight services and passenger excursion operations and boasts over 200 employees.

After our hike, we took a short drive north to Deer Lake, PA. Through genealogical research, Dave learned he had ancestors in the area. More on that in the next blog.

Until then, stay safe my friends.