Since my first hike on this trail in December 2012, I've hiked all of Maps 1 though 4 and a portion of Map 5. Some of the sections on these maps I've hiked multiple times. Now, I will make a specific effort to start at the beginning and continue one section at a time to the end. With Dave's help we'll car hop our way across the state from Valley Forge to Harrisburg.
With the help of the 2023 HST Trail maps, I've divided the trail into 12 sections averaging 12 miles each. I am limited to weekends and will need to work around other weekend commitments. I'd love to finish before Memorial Day. I'll hike in rain and snow. I won't hike in thunder and lightening (not on purpose anyway) and I prefer not to hike in a torrential rain. So we'll see how weather affects our schedule.
Also, it hasn't snowed more than a dusting in almost 2 years in eastern PA. Now that I've made these plans, I feel a blizzard coming on. No, I won't hike in it but it's a good thing I miss the snow or it would be tougher to laugh at that.
For today's section we left my car at Brightside Farm Park and took Dave's car to Washington's Headquarters. My watch measured .38 mile from the rest room near the HQ parking lot to the Henry Woolman monument that marks the eastern terminus of the Horse-Shoe Trail.
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| It was not possible to get us and the monument in the same photo. |
Dave and I hiked together to the spot where the HST and the Valley Creek Trail meet (about .3 from the beginning of the HST). Dave went off on his own hike out to the Covered Bridge and I continued on to my car.
Those who follow my hiking trips on Facebook know that I take A LOT of pictures. I can't help it. I'm enamored of Mother Nature's beauty and the many animals and people I see on the trail. For this end to end adventure though I plan to limit my photo taking. At least on these first sections that I've travelled so many times already. Today I challenged myself to find something interesting to photograph at 2 mile intervals only. There were times when I wished I hadn't made that challenge to myself but I did stick with it. 😀
For those in the know of this section, the Tinman is back. On the opposite side of the trail now. It was nice to see an old friend. Tinman was not at a 2 mile interval though so no photo. Despite how much I wanted a selfie.
This section by trail map definition is 10.4 miles. There is a re-route at about mile 3 and this combined with the distance from our car brought my total mileage today to 11.44. I feel pretty good considering my last long hike was 12 miles on August 12th. Since then our outings have been inconsistent and usually in the 4-6 mile range. So yeah considering all that ... I feel pretty good. My joints and many muscles are tingly but I can walk up and downstairs without two footing it and only wobble the first few steps out of the chair. At my age, the wobble is there more often these days regardless of whether I've been hiking. Today it takes a few more steps than usual. There is no doubt I'll sleep well tonight.
The hike began a little before 8 am. It was 36 degrees with a bit of a breeze. I wore two layers on my torso with a fleece pullover on top of that. About 7 miles in I wished I had a lighter jacket to change into. I had two layers on my ears to start but was able to remove the headband at about mile 5. I packed a peanut butter and jelly sandwich cut into quarters and ate one piece at 2, 4, 6, and 8. I barely drank enough water trying to avoid the need to pee. This section does not have opportunities for that.
One section down. 11 to go.
Keep Smiling and Keep Moving -Paula
P.S for those who wonder what happened to wanting to do the Brandywine End to End in April, I've abandoned that idea. The need to maintain a certain pace to make the cutoffs is the main reason. While I can keep the pace it leaves little room to enjoy the hike. The secondary reason is the lack of consistency in our outings (mentioned above). I don't think I have enough time to work up to a single 28 mile hike.
