DISCOVER THE PRESENT

Take a Serendipity Hike in Pennsylvania

by Jean Aron

Some people may be surprised to learn that Pennsylvania is a Hiker’s Heaven. Our mountains may not be as high and majestic as the West; but our summers are not as hot as the South, nor our winters as cold as the North. With proper attire and minimal preparations our rainy days are manageable, too. Pennsylvania probably has more days in the year when it is possible to be active outdoors than in any other state. Our forests are cool, green and full of life, waiting to be discovered. Many people become more active after age 50 than they were at age 30. With careers and families well on track, the 50+ crowd is primed to enjoy life. Whatever your age, there is no better place to find yourself than in Central Pennsylvania with a few hours to spend in the woods.

Serendipity ( ser’en-dip’e-tee), noun, "The faculty of happening upon or making fortunate discoveries when not in search of them." Although opportunities abound for steep climbs, long trails, and rugged going, you need not be a power hiker to enjoy a hike. Why not take a serendipity hike. Start with a short hike or nature walk. Bear Meadows, Alan Seeger or Rocky Ridge/ Martin Gap Natural Areas are all in nearby Rothrock State Forest. "The Barrens/ State Gamelands #176 is just 3 miles west of State College. Local parks are everywhere. Choose public land, or hike on a friend’s farm where allowed, near woods or streams. Begin in your own neighborhood, or choose a destination from one of the suggested guidebooks.

You need not go alone. Local clubs offer a variety of outings. Join Ridge and Valley Outings Club for hikes, backpacks, nature walks, bicycle trips, and canoe paddling. Call 867-RVOC (7862) for information. If you can hike on weekdays, try it on Wednesday mornings with University Women’s Club Hikers, 466-9260 or on Tuesday mornings with Centre Region Senior Citizens Hiking, 231-3076. Meet others with active outdoor interests in the State College Bird Club or the Pennsylvania Native Plant Society. Watch the newspaper for announcements of activities at Shaver’s Creek and/ or Millbrook Marsh Environmental Centers. If you prefer a smaller group, just round up a friend or two, and do your own trip.

You need not travel far. Within a one-hour drive of State College you can find:

• Black Moshannon State Park, 25 miles northwest of State College, has nice easy boardwalks and a "Bog Natural Area", where you can find carnivorous (meat-eating) plants like sundew, pitcher plant, and bladderwort, as well as acres of wild blueberries ripening for the annual August munch.
• Bald Eagle S.P., 25 miles northeast of State College, features a "Butterfly Trail", where you can enjoy wildflowers, birds and butterflies.
• Greenwood Furnace S.P., 20 miles south of State College, allows you to hike through history on the Collier and Tramway Trails, and learn about Pennsylvania’s early charcoal-fed iron furnace industry.
• Poe Valley S.P., 25 miles east, or R.B. Winter S.P., 42 miles east.

All of the above parks have swimming beaches and camping. Both Poe Valley and R.B. Winter State Parks are near the Mid State Trail, a 300- km, long-distance hiking trail which cuts diagonally across the state, following the Appalachian ridge tops and the high Allegheny Plateau. A major feature of MST is its many vistas, one of which can be enjoyed from Route 26 above Pine Grove Mills overlooking State College.

Find a guidebook at a local bookstore or library to help you start exploring. Some favorites:

• The Short Hiker, by Jean Aron, 2nd edition, 1994, by mail to Jean Aron, 227 Kimport Ave., Boalsburg, PA 16827 $12.00 ppd.
• Outbound Journeys in Pennsylvania, by Marcia Bonta ,1987

and More Outbound Journeys, by Marcia Bonta ,1995

• A Viewer’s Guide to Pennsylvania Wildlife, by Kathy & Hal Korber, 1st ed.1994, published by Pennsylvania Bureau of State Parks, $13
• Fifty Hikes in Central Pennsylvania, by Tom Thwaites, 3rd ed.1995
• Pennsylvania Hiking Trails, 11th ed.1993, published by Keystone Trails Association, PO Box 251, Cogan Station, PA 17728. A summary guide to 350 trails in PA, by mail $9.00 ppd.
• Mid State Trail Maps and Guidebook, 9th ed.1995, published by Mid State Trail Association, PO Box 167, Boalsburg, PA 16827, by mail $17.60 ppd.
• Recreational Map of State College and Penn State, 1st ed.1997, published by Purple Lizard Publishing, PO Box 1082, Lemont, PA 16851 -- this is a great new resource for hikers and bicyclists; recently published by a local cartographer. Check local stores, such as Svoboda’s Books or Appalachian Outdoors, or contact the publisher. Suggested retail price is $11.99

Let it happen. Wherever you choose to hike, let it surprise you. Let it amaze you. . Many of our most memorable discoveries are found while looking for something else. Looking for a trail, we may find truth in the slow pace of a turtle. Looking for a rare flower, we may find a new friend. Looking for exercise, we are suddenly uplifted by the fluting call of a wood thrush, the flash of a scarlet tanager; we are energized by the sound of a waterfall, the scent of wild blossoms; we feel blessed by the spring arrival of white swans filling the first icy opening on the lake, or the presence of a great blue heron fishing the shallows on a misty autumn morning. Follow your heart; look, listen and feel.

Be there. Remember, present is another word for gift. Many of us are so busy remembering past events or anticipating tomorrow that we forget to live our present lives. We hear statements like: "I would really like to hike, but I don’t have the time," or "we plan to retire soon, and enjoy life," as though the rest of our lives have been only a prelude. Guess what? Soon is now. Just do it.