Appalachian Trail Adventure in PA - In Sections 12/13 - Pennsylvania, United States

Story: One of the things I always wanted to do was to go backpacking on the Appalachian Trail. This past Thursday and Friday, my son and I hiked the AT from Hunters Run to our pickup point, where the AT crosses the Shippensburg/Arendtsville Rd. We had a great time hiking and camping in a very beautiful setting. Some of the climbs were hard, with Friday's climbs being the most difficult. Both days included some rough trail that had us stepping over and up on boulders. While tired and a bit sore, it felt good to accomplish the sections we set out to do. We did learn a lot about backpacking in the process. People who hike the AT end-to-end deserve a lot of respect for their determination and perseverance - even more so than the physical, it is a mental battle. We are pretty much novice backpackers so we feel pretty good about overcoming the challenge of the AT in our section of PA.

Tips: Talk to some experienced person about packing and packs, prepare for the hike physically, pack light. The trail has a lot of water this time of year, waterproof your hiking shoes as best as you can. Even on top, the trees block the GPS so have a compass as well. Take in the beauty of God's creation - it's his glory and works displayed. Don't push so hard for the end point that you miss all the in betweens. Tuna in the foil packs mixed with Easy Mac makes a good supper! Folger's has coffee in tea bags - it makes a good cup!

Tags: AT, Appalachian Trail, PA, Hiking, BackpackingGeonames: , Mount Tabor, Goodyear, Hunters Run

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