Using Two Maps To Make One Mistake

Camping at Oil Creek State Park is only allowed in a few designated locations. I was opting to sleep at the Woflkiel Shelters, which was along the Gerard Hiking Trail loop. Unfortunately, the camping area was not highlighted on AllTrails. I looked up their location on Google Maps and estimated where on the trail they were. When comparing the two maps, I underestimated the distance by about two miles.

Hiking Out

Late Start On the Trail

Due to family commitments, I didn’t get on the trail until about 3:15 PM. As stated, I thought this would give me plenty of time to make it to camp, set up, eat, and get ready for bed. The trail started at the Jersey Bridge parking area and had a paved surface to start. I soon passed several people coming in the opposite direction, both on foot and on bicycles. As an added bonus, I had help keeping my pace. It was homecoming weekend in Titusville and I could hear the marching band’s drums.

Dirt Trail and Steep Climbs

Just 10 minutes into the hike, I left the paved trail to tackle the first real bit of elevation gain. While I had my trekking poles to keep me steady, I was glad to use the wooden steps and railings. The majority of this first leg of my journey had me walking along the ridge of a mountain. Numerous logs were along the trail to help curb washouts. Plus, several short wooden bridges made crossing small runs easier. Unfortunately, western PA was still in a drought so many of these were quite dry.

Trail Runners Out and About

I have been hiking quite a bit this year and encountered less than ten other hikers. Yet, on this hike, I was passed by about five trail runners. After my hike I found out there was an upcoming race, and they were out training. While I was carrying significantly more weight on my back, it was just a bit disheartening to see them navigating the trail faster and with greater ease than myself.

Hills and Switchbacks

While I had an overview of the terrain before starting, it’s difficult to determine how steep the trail will be. I was not expecting switchbacks, but there were a few about two miles into the hike. At the bottom of these switchbacks is when I realized I might have underestimated the distance to the shelters. I was expecting to see a sign for one mile to the shelters. Instead I saw it was two and a half miles.

Wildlife Sightings

This next section of the hike was similar to the first except for the amount of wildlife I saw. After coming down the switchbacks I crossed a nearly dry creek bed. The trail then went back up along another ridge. It was along this ridge that I spotted a small toad, and several whitetail deer. One of the deer was alone, but far enough away where it only watched as I hiked by. A bit later on the hike I passed a garter snake that was out on the path, catching the last rays of sunlight.

Pine Forest and Stream

Next, the trail wound through a beautiful dark pine forest. In addition, a small stream named Miller Run flowed through parts of it. The visuals and scents of the woods plus the sound of the stream made this my favorite part of the hike. For me, it felt like a setting straight out of a fairy tale.

Country Roads, Take Me Home

As the trail climbed out of the pine forest, the landscape transitioned back to a deciduous forest and eventually dumped me out on a dirt road. Instead of following the Gerard Trail, I headed up this road to the shelter parking lot. The sun was getting lower in the horizon, and while that meant I’d be cutting it close for getting camp set up, the view of the fields I passed were gorgeous.

Camp

A Hurried Setup

I arrived at the parking lot and made my way down the half mile dirt road to shelters. There were several Adirondak-style shelters, a shed with free firewood, compost toilets, and the tenting site I had reserved. The site had a fire ring and picnic table, but I hardly used them. I quickly found two trees that would work for my hammock and put out my tripod to film it. The best part is when I realized I was missing my rain tarp’s ridgeline. I tried to hide my dismay, but was relieved to know there was no chance of rain predicted. 

Cold Soak Dinner Fail

While I started cold-soaking my ramen dinner right when I got to camp, it was not long enough. 30 minutes later, it was dark and I tried to eat my dinner. Given the short timeframe, the dehydrated vegetables did not fully rehydrate and were dangerously crunchy. I didn’t think I’d break a tooth, but I didn’t want to chance anything. I was more tired than hungry, so I only ate about half of my meal before packing it in for the night.

Hanging Under the Stars

This was my first time sleeping in my hammock without a tarp overhead, and I was still nervous despite the weather forecast. I hung up my hiking clothes, changed into my pajamas, and got into my hammock. The night was chilly, but temperatures only dipped into the mid-40s.

Hike Out

Game > Hiking

I had originally planned to hike another section of the Gerard Trail back to where I parked. But, there was a more pressing matter at hand. The Steelers football game was on at 9:30 AM. This was the game airing from Ireland, and I had planned to watch the game with my family. Lucky for me, they agreed to meet me at the shelter parking lot to take me back to my vehicle.

Foggy Start

I woke up at about 7 to a dense fog covering the woods. While it did not rain, that fog made sure all the clothes I hung on my hammock straps to air out were all damp. With no other options, I donned my wet clothes and started packing up camp. Once all my gear was packed, I had my breakfast of Oats Overnight. After I finished eating, I packed up my bear canister, closed my backpack, and set out for the parking lot.

Calm Short Morning Walk

The half mile hike to the parking lot was a little more difficult than it was yesterday. I was a bit sore from the previous day’s activities, plus I was going slightly uphill. But, soon I spotted everyone and was in a warm vehicle. We headed to the lot I parked at yesterday and soon I had changed clothes, put on deodorant, and was watching some Steelers football.

What went well

• It was great to see such a variety of wildlife on the trail. Plodding along with a heavy pack and thudding trekking poles typically means I usually don’t get to see much.
• I had never encountered any trail runners, so it was exciting to see five of them on this hike.
• I’m choosing to see that forgetting my tarp ridgeline, and thus sleeping without my rain fly as a positive. While I was still nervous about waking up in the rain, the night sky was gorgeous to look at.

Even Better If

• It was sad to see so many trees skipping the “changing colors” phase with green leaves just drying up and falling off.
• Getting my mileage estimates to the shelters would have fantastic. I would have left earlier in the day so I wasn’t feeling so rushed to make it before sunset.
• I should have stopped walking to start cold soaking my dinner before I got to camp. I knew I’d be hard pressed to get everything done and my meal certainly suffered because of it.