THE BLACK FOREST TRAIL IN PENNSYLVANIA, July 1999

Story by Orval White, pictures courtesy Peggy Gemert

Day 2 - Peggy taking a break . Waiting for the boys.

Frank, Roger, Peggy and I backpacked the Black Forest Trail in 5 days over the extra long week end.

This loop trail is 68 km long with about 6700 ft.of hills, is in excellent condition and well blazed. There is an adequate number of campsites with water and many others without water. We had good campsites every night. Even though it was the July 4 US weekend. there was no shortage of campsites.

Many beautiful vistas, certainly the best I've ever seen in Pennsylvania. At two of our campsites bathing facilities were limited to a sponge bath and at the other two you could get total immersion. Weather turned hot and humid for the last two days but fortunately those were the two easiest days of our trip. A fairly stenuous 4 1/2 day trip,(we finished at noon on the 5th day & had a nice swim and change of clothes at nearby Ole Bull State Park (Ole Bull was a famous Norwegian violinist who attempted to settle a Norwegian colony in the area in 1852).
If you can handle hills I would say it is easier than Pukaskwa or the Coastal Trail in Lake Superior Provincial Park. because of the good condition of the trial. and the blazing that makes it easy to follow. The topographical map is good. although unfortunately it is printed on both sides of the sheet instead of one flat sheet and comes with an adequate trail guide.

Some incidents:

• Frank put his pack down beside some rocks & disturbed a timber rattlesnake which rattled at him. After that we all wore gaitors.
• Roger learned how to play poker.
• Could not start a fire the last day because it was too humid.
• Lots of blueberries on the trail.
• Did not encounter any bears.
• Some rocky declines that may be considered difficult for some.

For more information, please contact Orval White at odwhite@sympatico.ca

Please click here for more pictures of our trip.