Hittin' the Pennsylvania Wilds Mega Loop

 

Paws on the PAW

It's that time. The forest is calling. Before us a trail unfurls, weaving through hollows, cresting rocky mountains, crossing creek and river. We'll walk every mile. And when we're done, we'll end up right back where we started. Though, I am certain we won't be the same. 

This weekend Amos and I will embark on a relatively new trail, the nearly 300-mile Pennsylvania Wilds Mega Loop, aka the PAW Mega Loop, or simply the PAW for short. This route was conceived by the PAW Mega Loop Committee, which is comprised of dedicated members of the Keystone Trails Association. The route has undergone a variety of changes over the years, all in an effort to guide the hiker into the most exceptional natural areas that the Pennsylvania Wilds has to offer. The PAW began as a linear route, a sort of choose-your-own-adventure, and today is a loop. And it's still in the works. 

The Pennsylvania Wilds are home to a treasure trove of long-distance hiking trails. The PAW Mega Loop utilizes portions of these trails and connects them via secondary trails, forest roads, and timber paths. Some of which have yet to be fully cut and prepped for the hiker. There is much I do not know about this route, but I can rattle off the established trails that I'll be exploring. I'll begin on the Susquehannock Trail System and head clockwise to the Black Forest Trail, the West Rim Trail and the Mid State Trail. I'll then weave down the Donut Hole Trail and over to the Chuck Keiper Trail. A patchwork of paths, some not cleared and not yet blazed, and lightly traveled roads will lead me into the Quehanna Wild Area and onto the Quehanna Trail. From there, it's over to the Old Sinnemahoing Trail, and back to the Donut Hole, by which will lead me back to the Susquehannock Trail in the village of Cross Fork. After a detour through the Hammersly Wild Area, I'll return once more to the Susquehannock Trail, traveling clockwise back to the beginning.

That's if all goes according to plan. There are many uncertainties about this route. It is circuitous, requiring about a dozen maps and a large handful of guidebooks and apps. We'll be hiking into late October, temps are likely to drop sometime. And services are slim. Every resupply, all seven of them, will be via a maildrop. I hope I remembered everything! But most importantly, this is not just only my hike. This is Amos' hike. And he calls the shots.

Amos Moses had serious surgery on his cruciate ligament back in March. The vet warned me there were no guarantees that he'd ever hike a long-distance hike again. Today, I am grateful to declare our very cautious vet has officially cleared him for another long trek. That's right, Amos will put paws on the PAW! We have been graced with more hikes together.  

We hit the trail this weekend! I've got Pete Fleszar's informal guide to the trail, a navigation device, all the maps, and even some borrowed guidebooks courtesy of Jenn Ulmer. And the pack is bursting at the seams (remember I'm packing for two). Thank you to the PAW Mega Loop Committee and the Keystone Trails Association for all they do to make journeys like mine possible. PA WILDS here we come!