Why didn't anyone tell me sooner that PA has such beautiful hikes?? In MD the default seems to be going to WV or VA, or even to the Smokies for great hiking. But PA, you made my soul so happy this past weekend. I'll be back!!

Photos are from the Loyalsock-Link loop. Just gorgeous.

Taken on the 9a early August.

Do not stay with Rough Cut Lodges, the host was awful to work with after bats got into our Airbnb (we did not ever leave the door open as she claims, her maintenance pointed out holes in the exterior of the house that bats entered through)

Did the loop in 3 days although I left myself open to pushing it to 4 because I’ve read it was challenging. It definitely was but a little bit of suffering is part of the fun. This is my new favorite backpacking loop in PA. It was beautiful, well blazed, lots of water once you drop off the ridgelines, plenty of campsites, lots of wildlife, and low traffic. Celebrated with a beer and delicious burger from Hotel Manor right by the main trail head. According to my watch Day 1 was 14.58mi & 2,986ft. Day 2 was 14.96mi & 2,533ft. Day 3 was 14.65mi & 3,301ft. AllTrails gave me 46.11 miles and 8,570 ft. Highly recommended. Grippy shoes & trekking poles go a long way.

It finally happened—we saw the northern lights on October 10th, 2024! Right here in north-central PA, deep in the woods with minimal light pollution. During two substorms, we watched as the colors shifted right before our eyes once our vision adjusted to the dark.

Some fun facts for you:

The Aurora Borealis, or Northern Lights, is one of nature's most spectacular light shows caused by charged particles from the sun colliding with Earth's atmosphere. These particles interact with gases like oxygen and nitrogen, creating vibrant displays, particularly in polar regions. But during a solar storm, even places like Pennsylvania can catch the show.

While our eyes can pick up the aurora, cameras often capture it in richer detail. Why? Cameras can hold a long exposure, gathering light over several seconds, while our eyes only process light in real time. Our vision relies on rod cells (for low-light vision) and cone cells (for color), but our rods dominate in the dim light of the aurora. Cameras use technology to gather color and light more effectively in darker conditions.

What causes the colors, you may ask?

The colors in the northern lights depend on the type of gas particles the solar particles are hitting and the altitude where these collisions happen:

Greens are the most common color, caused by oxygen at lower altitudes (around 60 miles above the Earth).

Reds occur when oxygen is hit at higher altitudes (above 150 miles).

Blues and Purples are caused by nitrogen molecules reacting with solar particles.

These variations in gas and altitude explain why the aurora can shift between colors during a single display.

For my shots, I used a shutter speed of 10-15 seconds, which allowed the camera to soak in enough light to bring out the colors and capture the sharp, downward lines of the aurora, known as pillars. It's amazing to realize that what you're seeing is the magnetic pull of solar storm particles hitting Earth’s magnetic field!

P.S. I'm selling prints of these—let me know if you're interested.

I don’t attempt long exposures very often so I figured I’d give it a shot. Such a beautiful place to enjoy in peace without all the weekend crowds.

These are some pictures I took at Pine Creek Gorge (PA Grand Canyon) this past weekend. I used to think calling it that was kind of gimicky until I saw it in person. I hiked both sides stopping at Leonard Harrison and Colton Point State Parks including the Turkey Path Trail.

I visited Worlds End State Park for the first time this past weekend and just wow! I did a loop of Loyal Sock, Double Run Nature, Link, Canyon Vista, and Cold Run trails then tent camped at site 65. I loved the creeks and waterfalls plus all of the big chunky rocks. Definitely made it one of if not my favorite of the PA State parks. I also stopped at Ricketts Glen State Park on my way home, which I had been to before but had been a while.

My first trip in a long time. Kicked my butt but in a good way. Went CCW from the park office and camped at Sones Pond.

I spent two days exploring Bald Eagle SF this week. Cold nights and beautiful views.

There are some challenging off-road drives in the forest and the hike through the railroad tunnel and along Pine Creek was spectacular.

Spent last weekend in the woods. Beautiful days with stormy nights. High(ish) water but not bad higher up. Can’t wait to get out again!

Also, found what I think is bobcat scat. Can anyone confirm?

Did a quick weekend trip from Ricketts Glen State Park to World's End State Park to Wellsboro to the Pine Gorge Rail Trail to Leonard Harrison State Park. This was two weekends ago, the leaves were already a little over but still nice