Yost Run Trail Loop - Chuck Keiper Trail

This trail is not for the faint of heart. It is extremely technical.

This trail was relocated from the valley floor with multiple stream crossings to "side hill construction" in 2014. While your boots may stay drier, there are still a couple stream crossings to navigate mostly just rock hops during low water.

Side hill construction. .. so imagine a path about 6 inches wide, 30 to 50 feet above Yost Run.  The drop is fairly sheer in most places. As this is Pennsylvania the path is composed of rocks at varying orientations to horizontal and with varying levels of stability.  Now add 2 to 12 inches of loose leaf litter, so you can't tell when you're foot will hit solid (or not) ground.

"Don't look down" was my mantra for about 4 miles. As I inched my way along I was moving so slowly that my GPS recorded no movement.

This is a wild and beautiful trail in Sproul State forest. Definitely remote, most of the trail is also part of the Chuck Keiper Trail.

I noticed 2 established campsites. They are very remote, with good access to water. However, there is only room for one or two tents in the immediate area.

As you can see from the picture there was still snow on the ground when I did this hike. This led to an interesting phenomenon. Starting at about 3.5 miles, I saw "tracks" across the trail, like something slid down the hill. Shortly afterwards I started seeing balls of snow about as big as my head on the trail. The tracks ended in these balls of snow. Apparently, the snow was rolling off the rock ledges above me and gathering more snow at it rolled downhill, (think of how you make a snowman). I had never seen that in nature before. 

Others have written about the trail being overgrown in places. While that wasn't an issue for me this early on the season, I could definitely see some areas where the trail will be overgrown once the underbrush leafs out. The trail was fairly well blazed, I only lost the trail once and that was because I was following my feet instead of the blazes

To summarize, this is a very difficult trail, do not attempt unless you are in good physical condition. It will challenge your knees, ankles and core stability. Plan at least 5 hours to do the 7.5 mile loop. Wear boots with excellent ankle support and water resistance. There is no cell service and no bail out trails, if you get in trouble, you will have to get yourself out.

This lovely waterfall is the highlight of the trail and is located about 1.3 miles from the parking area. 

Musser Gap Trail

Today was a nice day to explore Musser Gap. I've never been here before and I can say that the trail offers the entire spectrum of Pennsylvania trail types. There is everything from jeep trail to typical central PA ankle twisting rock.

Similarly to Mt. Nittany, there are a number is springs and runs that cross, parellel and join the trail, so wear waterproof boots for this one. There is one sizeable stream that crosses the trail and requires finding a spot to cross. 

This trail is popular with mountain bikers, and dogs run off leash,  so keep an eye out. The trail is wide and easy to follow up until the power line cut, from there to the intersection with the Mid -State Trail, I enjoyed classic PA ridge hiking.

The Musser Gap Trail joins the Mid State at Hubler Gap Vista, a nice rolling view to the south (away from State College and into Rothrock ). You can see towards SC on the way back down, if the leaves are off the trees.

There are a couple other new trails to explore the next time I head  out that way, the Frog Hollow Trail and the Mountain Mist Trail look interesting.

Little Buffalo State Park

First Day Hike

Beautiful park, we only made about 1.5 miles on the Buffalo Ridge Trail and Fisherman's Trail. Tired kids will do that to a hike. Nice day with flurries off and on. It feels like winter is finally settling in.

The Fisherman's Trail is really easy and great to do with little kids. There are a series of "gnome homes" to find and check out along the way.

Definitely want to come back in the summer and explore more.

Walnut Springs Park

View from one of the bridges towards a spring. Jeannie Peters (c) 2014

A great post-Christmas hike on December 27, 2014. We wanted to go somewhere that was easy to access, quick to get to, and doable for our group that included a 15 month and 4 year old, as well as a 9 year old and 12 year old and 6 fit adults.  

Walnut Springs Park was a great choice because it is located just off the end of Easterly Parkway in State College. The trails are well maintained thanks to local Boy Scout Troop 83. It is flat and includes many interesting things to see that help keep the little ones interested.

This is a great trail any time of year, however it can get muddy at times due to wet or damp conditions and high use. There are several bridges to cross, several strategically placed benches to sit and enjoy the view, as well as a lookout for observing wildlife. 

A plant survey was competed in 2007 and can be found on the CRPR website. 2007 Plant Survey  There are a wide variety of trees, shrubs, vines and ferns. The namesake Black Walnut Trees are ubiquitous. Watch your footing in the fall when they drop their nuts.  The tennis ball sized walnuts are covered in a thick green skin and are easy to roll an ankle on.  They also feed the park's many animal visitors, chipmunks, deer and squirrels.  Look up as you walk through the park and you are likely to see squirrels and chipmunks racing through the tree branches.  If you sit a while on one of the benches along the creek you may hear or see a woodpecker.  Their tap, tap, tapping on dead and dying trees is a ploy to get to the insects that live in them.

Do be careful at all times of the year and stay on the trail.  Staying on the trail is one way to preserve the beautiful wilderness for others, and one of the principles of Front Country Leave No Trace.  It also ensures that you are less likely to experience one of the downsides of getting out in the wilderness, Poison Ivy.  Poison Ivy has 3  shiny leaves and generally creeps along the ground.  However, there is a climbing variety as well, that tends to be more potent.  Virginia Creeper is another (non-poisonous) vine and can be identified by its 5 leaves.  

Walnut Springs is an urban wetland, and of great ecological value. As you walk the trail you will saunter past two of the Springs.  There are benches conveniently near them so you can stop and rest weary feet.  At the top of the park (the end nearest to University Drive) you will see that the park actually is a settlement basin for the runoff from Easterly Parkway.  Look closely and you will see the culvert where the rainwater comes out and depending on the time of year, and recent rainfall, you can follow the truck tracks to the creek bed.  You can see where the sediments (road salt, gravel, and litter) settle out before the water is allowed to pass into the watershed.  In at least two locations you can see the cement walls with boards in between them to control the flow of water.  This helps with flood control at the downstream location and with settlement at the upstream one.    

From Route 26 (East College Avenue in State College, PA) take University Drive south to Easterly Parkway.  Turn Left onto Walnut Spring Lane. Drive to the end and park in the parking lot.  From the Parking Lot, take the Gravel path on the left, down the hill.  Continue on the path to the second intersection.  There is a sign telling you that if you continue straight, you will enter Thompson's Woods Preserve.  Turn left here and go across the Stream on the bridge.  Bear around to the left and follow the path upstream past the flood control area.  You will come to a turn off on your left, you can either cross the stream again and continue upstream, or turn back.  If you continue upstream (on either side of the stream) you will come to a spring, an area where water seeps out of the Earth.  Stop and watch for a while, listen to the birds, watch the water flow and think about how lucky we are to have this urban wilderness.  When you get to University Drive, cross to the other side of the park to explore the side you haven't walked yet, or take Walnut Spring Lane back to the parking lot and your car.  If you take the trails back (in either a circle,  figure 8 or out and back, watch for the sign to turn right and back up the gravel path to the parking lot.  If you find yourself in an area that is more field like, or under power lines, you have entered Thompson's Woods preserve, you can follow the power lines back to your car.  Watch your step, someone walks their dog along this path and apparently feels that it is sufficiently "wild" that they don't have to clean up afterwards. 

 PLEASE! if you bring your animal, follow the park rules, (and Leave No Trace Guidelines) and clean up after your pet.  It is the most considerate thing you can do so that others can enjoy the area as much as you have. In addition, the park provides baggies for picking up after your dog. Just grab a couple from the dispenser at the entrance to the park. 

When you return to your car, have a drink of water and a light snack, you've been in the woods hiking for a while!