Day 94. Impediments

Mile 1003 – Stealth To Mile 1020 – Stealth

We had been warned about some flooding along this section and today we found out why. Beavers have built a dam in this area, placing a good chunk of trail and surrounding woods right in the middle of a large bog. We spent some time trying to find a way around, but shortly concluded we would need to just go through it. A humorous note pinned to a tree by another hiker who tried and failed to find an alternative route confirmed this.

Flooded trail

We did our best to avoid the deepest mud, but that only helped a little. Fortunately, there was a clear water source just a couple of miles on the other side so we could wash up a little.

It was about this time that Rocket started compiling a list of the attributes of the trail in PA that she was not fond of. Pollution, flooding, rocks, mud, the graffiti and trash left on the trail in many popular areas, etc. It was a pretty long list by the time she was done. I had to agree that, so far, Pennsylvania has not been my favorite either. On the other hand, those difficulties help to make the good moments stand out even more, such as this pleasant walk through a freshly mowed field:

Random trees in a field

It was so simple that we probably would have missed the beauty of it if not for the stark contrast.