At about 11:00 AM, we parked by a gate located near one of the larger parking lots in the northern section of PA State Game Lands 159. It was the perfect late-summer day, with partly cloudy skies and temperatures around 65°F.

The area we walked was near where my father and I had hunted two years earlier. It was a familiar area, but this particular road was new to me. It was just slightly overgrown, with large gravel on most of the surface. We walked about 4 miles with about 100 feet of elevation gain. A nearby area had been forested about 5 years before, and these were the roads used by the logging company to haul the timber.

Northern Section

This hike was a Y-shaped out-and-back walk, with two branches to explore. The first leg hugged the forested area, with dense woods to one side of the road and an open area to the other. The open area had occasional tall trees about 50 feet apart. The underbrush seemed even, but had a dense lattice of discarded branches, making walking very difficult. Plus, goldenrod and other vegetation had grown to about chest level.

Western Section

The other section of the road was fairly quiet, but we had to go around two downed trees. At about the mid-way point of this second section, it was a straight shot over the mountain to another parking lot where we would park during hunting seasons in the 1990s. It was helpful to understand where we were in relation to areas I had known quite well just 30 years ago.

Wildlife

On the drive up, we passed a field with several turkey vultures. All throughout the hike, we had plenty of toads and grasshoppers scurrying away from us as we walked. Then, as we were walking back from the first section, a doe darted in front of us. However, based on my experience with the space, we were not in an area where I expected to see lots of wildlife.

Heading Back

We retraced our steps and returned to the car at about 1:15 PM. While the hike was not long, we walked slowly and stopped often to look and listen for wildlife. This was not the most scenic trip around, but the weather was absolutely perfect for an afternoon hike. Additionally, I had the opportunity to spend time in the woods with my dad, who’s in his early 70s. I typically prefer to hike alone, but this was an exception I was willing to make.

What Went Well

• I had hiked roads like this on numerous occasions without trekking poles, but I was still glad to have them for the uneven spots.
• This was my first trip wearing a pair of second-hand Patagonia hiking pants. They were just the right weight for the weather and held up well to getting snagged on the occasional picker bush.
• This was also my first trip wearing my new Outdoor Research hat. It kept the sunlight off my head and neck while easily wicking away sweat.

Even Better If

• The only thing that didn’t go well on this trip was my forgetting to pack snacks. I had a light breakfast before we left, but by the end of the trip, I was quite hungry again.