THE BUCKTAIL PATH
I drove back up to Pennsylvania to be with Christy for July 4th. On Saturday, we headed for Sinemahoning to spend the day at her parent's camp. We always look forward to relaxing out there. As usual, I took the opportunity to do some hiking.
The past couple of years I've done some dayhikes in the Quehanna Wild Area nearby. This year though, I decided to try something different. A relatively new trail, the Bucktail Path, runs along the ridge high above camp. I decided to sample a portion of it.
My goal was a wild area that contains old-growth hemlock. My map showed a road near the area, but I couldn't find it. After some deliberation, I opted for plan B. I drove up a forest road, which wound it's way to the top of the ridge. According to my map, I'd intersect the trail at the crest. I reached the top, and found a primitive parking area and several trails. As I parked, a large, dark animal crossed the trail ahead of me.
I didn't have time to grab my camera, so I jumped out of the car and hurried down the trail. At first the animal was elusive, but then it showed itself as it climbed a hill. Sure enough, it was a black bear. It was rather small, probably an adolescent. It was moving away from me, and I decided that it might be prudent not to chase after it. I was just glad that the dog was still in the car.
I returned to the trailhead and surveyed the situation. The Bucktail Path followed an old roadway. It was grown over with waist high grass, and might as well have been named the Lyme Disease Trail. It looked like it was a good 4 miles down to the old growth forest, and I didn't have that much time. I decided to save it for winter.
The path I followed the bear on appeared to descend, ironically enough, down to Sinemahoning Creek and camp. It looked like a nice walk. Too bad my car would still be at the top. I did walk it a short distance. It passed through an old logged area and into the woods. Along the edge of the logged area were some trees that looked like Aspens, but they could've been Birches. I have a tough time telling them apart.
I returned to the car and decided to try Plan C. I drove a couple of miles farther down the road, and stopped at an intersection. I parked, and picked up the Bucktail Path again. This time the trail climbed through the woods, though there wasn't much actual trail. The route was blazed, but there was no tread. It was more of a marked bushwack. I climbed for 30 minutes and reached a summit and a firetower. I was disappointed to find the tower behind a locked fence. The fence was rather poorly locked, and it would have been easy to slip through. However, there was a well-stocked cabin nearby, and the tower was obviously staffed, at least part of the time. I decided not to push my luck, and headed back for the car.
It had been an exciting afternoon, though there hadn't been much actual hiking. Still it was great to be out in the woods, and it's always exciting to see a bear. Plus, I can't think of many places where you can hike on the 4th of July weekend without seeing another soul.
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