Post by phillydude on Feb 24, 2021 21:41:20 GMT
Well, I'm back.
Got up Monday morning and drove to Wilmington DE to meet up with Jaer. Ran/walked two miles on the Riverfront Boardwalk with a 20lb pack in a blinding snow squall on icy/slippery footing. Wes wore in his Vibram toe-shoe-thingys, I wore boots. I think he may have posted a picture of us on Instagram... I didn't see anything on Facebook. So here it is... and here I am in crazy-person mode.
Drove three hours to Pocono Manor PA in sometimes sketchy conditions right behind said snowstorm. Found out when I got there that this February was the second highest snowfall total for the region... ever. Over 24" on the ground and still snowing, with drifts higher than the roof of my car along the sides of the roads. Bunkered down at the resort for the night. Woke a little later than planned, but got in the car and drove to Hickory Run State Park (about 20 minutes). Had trouble finding the entrance I wanted as many of the roads in the park were closed due to snow, but eventually found the ranger station and went inside to ask about the hiking conditions. First thing the ranger said: "Got snowshoes?" Nope. Headed out from there on foot at 10am on (I shit you not) the Shades of Death trail. If I stayed in the tracks left by the cross country skiers, the snow depth was 6-12". If I veered off the track even a foot, I was in 12-18" of snow. In open areas where there were drifts, post-holing 24" with each step was common. I quickly realized I wasn't going to cover much distance given the trail conditions.
After scampering down a short rocky decent, I ended up below one of the many dams along the creek, with a half-frozen waterfall and just enough room to set up for breakfast. I pulled water from just below the falls, set up my stove, and boiled it up to make coffee and oatmeal (with almonds and honey). Delicious.
I melted some snow to clean up and top my coffee for the trail, and followed the creek for about an hour, walking in silence and aware of everything in my surroundings. I reached my planned turnaround point and crossed the top of the Civilian Conservation Corps dam on a narrow and icy walkway. At this point, things changed considerably. My plan was to trek back to the car through the campground (on the far side of the creek from the Shades of Death trail). I thought it would be easier hiking... wrong. Since no one had used the area for months, everything was covered with more than two feet of snow. I couldn't tell the road from the campsites... lots of hidden hazards. So I backtracked, but started to get really winded and overheated before I got back across the dam. I had to stop every hundred feet to catch my breath, and opened my jacket to bring my body temp down so I didn't start to sweat (which would make me colder if I had to stop traveling and hunker down). Oh yeah... it was still snowing. At one point during this stretch, I looked down and the snow was up to my knees. I saw the top edge of a sign sticking out of a drift, and when I brushed it off, it said "handicapped parking." I would never have known I was standing on blacktop. But I made it back to the original trail I had ventured out on, which was easier to hike. By the time I got back to the spot where I ate, my footprints were almost gone. Altogether, I was out in the woods for three hours and didn't see another person. I was completely self-sufficient, and aside from my (poor) cardiovascular fitness, I stayed warm and comfortable. I didn't get lost. I didn't fall down the side of the mountain. I didn't end up frozen in a snowdrift. And I will always remember my first backpacking breakfast at the falls.
From the state park, I drove over to Jack Frost Ski Resort and tried to get in some snowboarding, but a freak mishap after my first trip down the slopes resulted in a broken binding strap, so I was "one and done" for that part of the day. Back to the resort for a hot shower, then to Mount Airy Lodge Casino for dinner at Guy Fieri's. Done.
Got up Monday morning and drove to Wilmington DE to meet up with Jaer. Ran/walked two miles on the Riverfront Boardwalk with a 20lb pack in a blinding snow squall on icy/slippery footing. Wes wore in his Vibram toe-shoe-thingys, I wore boots. I think he may have posted a picture of us on Instagram... I didn't see anything on Facebook. So here it is... and here I am in crazy-person mode.
Drove three hours to Pocono Manor PA in sometimes sketchy conditions right behind said snowstorm. Found out when I got there that this February was the second highest snowfall total for the region... ever. Over 24" on the ground and still snowing, with drifts higher than the roof of my car along the sides of the roads. Bunkered down at the resort for the night. Woke a little later than planned, but got in the car and drove to Hickory Run State Park (about 20 minutes). Had trouble finding the entrance I wanted as many of the roads in the park were closed due to snow, but eventually found the ranger station and went inside to ask about the hiking conditions. First thing the ranger said: "Got snowshoes?" Nope. Headed out from there on foot at 10am on (I shit you not) the Shades of Death trail. If I stayed in the tracks left by the cross country skiers, the snow depth was 6-12". If I veered off the track even a foot, I was in 12-18" of snow. In open areas where there were drifts, post-holing 24" with each step was common. I quickly realized I wasn't going to cover much distance given the trail conditions.
After scampering down a short rocky decent, I ended up below one of the many dams along the creek, with a half-frozen waterfall and just enough room to set up for breakfast. I pulled water from just below the falls, set up my stove, and boiled it up to make coffee and oatmeal (with almonds and honey). Delicious.
I melted some snow to clean up and top my coffee for the trail, and followed the creek for about an hour, walking in silence and aware of everything in my surroundings. I reached my planned turnaround point and crossed the top of the Civilian Conservation Corps dam on a narrow and icy walkway. At this point, things changed considerably. My plan was to trek back to the car through the campground (on the far side of the creek from the Shades of Death trail). I thought it would be easier hiking... wrong. Since no one had used the area for months, everything was covered with more than two feet of snow. I couldn't tell the road from the campsites... lots of hidden hazards. So I backtracked, but started to get really winded and overheated before I got back across the dam. I had to stop every hundred feet to catch my breath, and opened my jacket to bring my body temp down so I didn't start to sweat (which would make me colder if I had to stop traveling and hunker down). Oh yeah... it was still snowing. At one point during this stretch, I looked down and the snow was up to my knees. I saw the top edge of a sign sticking out of a drift, and when I brushed it off, it said "handicapped parking." I would never have known I was standing on blacktop. But I made it back to the original trail I had ventured out on, which was easier to hike. By the time I got back to the spot where I ate, my footprints were almost gone. Altogether, I was out in the woods for three hours and didn't see another person. I was completely self-sufficient, and aside from my (poor) cardiovascular fitness, I stayed warm and comfortable. I didn't get lost. I didn't fall down the side of the mountain. I didn't end up frozen in a snowdrift. And I will always remember my first backpacking breakfast at the falls.
From the state park, I drove over to Jack Frost Ski Resort and tried to get in some snowboarding, but a freak mishap after my first trip down the slopes resulted in a broken binding strap, so I was "one and done" for that part of the day. Back to the resort for a hot shower, then to Mount Airy Lodge Casino for dinner at Guy Fieri's. Done.