Spring Flowers in the Snow: Our First Miles on the Mid State Trail

 

Bot, House the Cat, and Amos at the Mason-Dixon line - the trail's southern terminus

Thanks to the weather, we have had an epic start to the trail. What started as a brisk morning at home in Milford, PA, gradually turned into a blustery, bone-chilling day as temperatures plummeted. It seemed with each pit stop we made on our nearly five-hour drive, it only got colder. As we drove onward, too, the mountains only grew larger, until we were quite literally driving through tunnels cut through the mountains themselves. When finally we wound down a narrow valley road cradled between rolling green pastures and looming ridges, we could just about taste the trail, and when we reached an intersection on Black Valley Road with a sign that read: Welcome to Pennsylvania, we knew we reached the trail’s start. Scott, my dad, Amos, and myself spilled from the car. It was a quick goodbye due to the temps and poor lil Amos’ legs were shivering in the cold wind as I strapped on his modest backpack. I kissed my love, Scott, goodbye - a hard one for me given that we have hiked the last two long trails, the Long Path and Florida Trail, together, but I knew it would only be roughly a week and a half until I would see him again.

Hittin' the trail

As we walked PA 326 and turned onto a gravel lane, what I thought were flower petals from the blossoming trees danced on the wind, then I realized they were snowflakes. We dropped packs so that my father could dig out some gloves. As he rummaged through his pack, I took in the scene – a sweeping valley adorned with redbud trees in bloom and lime green smudges of trees bearing young leaves. Up the hill was a big ol’ barn and farmhouse, a Mennonite woman in a dress and bonnet walking through the yard. At my feet were the pink mouth-shaped flowers of henbit and those blue and lavender ones of ground ivy, purple dead nettle too. Spice bush flowered at my shoulder, its twigs wearing tutus of yellow blossoms. And, all around me the snow blew. A little tabby cat wandered up to us, rubbed up on my father and walked right on up to Amos, touching noses. A good omen indeed.

A fearless and loving tabby cat - a good omen indeed

Henbit (Lamium amplexicaule) - edible raw or cooked

Spicebush flowers, aka feverbush (Lindera benzoin) - twigs make a delicious tea, helpful in raising body temperature

That night and the next were bitter cold and we awoke to snow both mornings and wind that blew so hard that little piles of dry flakes had collected in the corners of my tent. Amos rocked it like a trail dog champ and kept warm in his jacket and sleeping bag (rated to 32 degrees) and we snuggled tight together. My father took to his hand warmers and every article of clothing he’d brought. He has a tendency to overpack – but this time he was grateful for it all.

Amos wrapped snug in his sleeping bag

The start of actual trail through Buchannan State Forest was lovely and free of the many rocks that I know this trail holds. The trail was a bed of dry dense moss lined with mountain laurel – Pennsylvania’s state flower and from what I have seen so far, could be deemed the Mid State Trail’s official flower too, although they have yet to blossom -  blueberry bushes with clusters of bells at their twig tips, and wintergreen were scattered throughout. 

Young blueberry leaves and flowers (Vaccinium)

Wintergreen aka Teaberry (Gaultheria procumbens) - so much to say about this one, let's start with edible minty-tasting berries

Walking along Tussey ridge was beautiful, the sun shone bright at least giving us the semblance of warmth, and the trail was grassy and wide. Sassafras trees lined our path, each one just beginning to burst with yellow blossoms. This is one of my favorite trees. It’s roots and twigs are medicinal, excellent as a diaphoretic and digestive aid, Native Americans considered it a blood purifier – an herb to enliven the body – and it makes one heck of a tasty tea. Sassafras is also one of our ol’ time rootbeer plants – a tea was made using sassafras roots and wild sarsaparilla roots, then sweetened with black birch syrup and fermented, and there you have it, truly root beer.

Sassafras flowers (Sassafras albidum) elegantly supported on twigs resembling a candelabra

Martin Hill was a doozy, however, and I wondered if I might be in North Carolina or Tennessee as I looked out at the layers of mountains behind me as we climbed switchbacks up the mountainside. Martin Hill is the highest point on the Mid State Trail – 829 meters (roughly 2700 feet) high – and, according to the guidebook, higher than any point on the Appalachian Trail from the Shenandoahs to Mount Greylock in Massachusetts. Impressive, indeed. Here we snapped some pics in victory and staggered about for a good bit trying to find just where the trail went.

View from Martin Hill - highest point on the Mid State Trail (829 meters)

Bot and House the Cat on trail on Martin Hill - how many 75-year old men could climb that beast!

A steep descent carried us into Sweet Root Natural Area – a stunning holler through which Sweet Root Run carves its way. Here, I found some of the largest witch hazel trees I have ever seen. The edges of the creek were rife with edible and medicinal plants as were its mossy rock tops – wild anise, chickweed, mayapple, violets, and liverleaf to name just a few. Periodically, like great guardians stood towering yellow birch trees, their snaking roots reaching out over rock and water. Mountain laurel persisted, as did spicebush, and then appeared rhododendron in the rockiest part of the creek’s path.

Liverleaf (Hepatica americana) - historically used in the treatment of liver conditions in accordance with the doctrine of signatures (the lobes of the leaf are shaped like a liver) - however there is no scientific evidence that it is effective in healing the liver. 

Chickweed (Stellaria media) - so much to say about this greenie too, but most importantly, it is delicious raw

However, at Rainsburg Gap, I had to reluctantly say goodbye to my companions. I decided this trail is wild indeed, and as much as I wanted Amos to carry on with me, I knew sections two and three were notorious for its gnarly rocky terrain. Scott came to swoop him up and my dad decided to go along for the ride and make some gear changes at home before returning to the trail. My pack has been filled to the brim with nearly a week of dry food and a couple cans of wet (every hiker’s nightmare), and although I bought some of that fancy dehydrated stuff, Amos wouldn't have it. I have learned, in fact, when Amos hikes, he requires wet or he’ll just go hungry and pout. So although, I will miss my companions badly, I will most certainly have a lighter pack! And, in roughly a week, Amos will return to me. At least I got another bonus visit with Scott.

Amos in Scott's truck - all ready to go home - he looks a lil bummed though, doesn't he?

Tussey Ridge, here I come! These next couple of sections are allegedly quite challenging, strewn with rocks and lacking water for many miles. But that's alright, I got this. Better that my men be safe at home anyway - I am certain none are all too disappointed to be missing it! Here's to discovering Tussey all the more.