Hiking The Katellen Trail

Ok, I'm going to try to start regularly posting on this thing and see how it goes.

So today I hiked up the Katellen trail - which is a side trail to the Appalachian Trail between Smith Gap and Wind Gap in the Eastern PA region for those of you out of the area. I love the AT. I have not done a lot of it, but I am fascinated with the idea of it, and the idea that you could technically (and many have) walk from Georgia to Maine. That is just awesome. Anyway, so I tend to hike the sections of the AT around my house fairly often. These sections are Little Gap, Smith Gap, and Wind Gap. About two years ago I discovered the Delps Trail, which is another side trail leading up to the AT. I'm also into the idea of these side trails - the fact that you can start at ground level and climb up the mountain and hook up with the trail is pretty cool. Anyway - so I did Delps probably a half dozen times or so in the last year. It's a great conditioning workout. I love it.

But today it was time to try the Katellen trail. I had read about it but never tried it until today. About two weeks ago we were coming back from watching the LV marathon and I decided to try to find the parking lot to the gamelands. I found it, marked it in my GPS and made my plans to come out and hike the trail today. I got started a little later than I normally like (I'm an early morning hiker by trade - I love the silence and peacefulness you only seem to get at that time of day) but it ended up being a great hike. The trail itself was more gradual than Delps was. Still a good climb (the GPS showed about 680' climb in elevation) but it was not the harsh vertical that Delps is. From a workout standpoint, somewhat of a disappointment. But from a "take the rest of the family or friends I know who like to hike" standpoint - it was good. I saw a ton of birds and chipmunks. And got to see the Leroy Smith shelter on the way up. Plus there are a bunch of really cool looking tent sites just outside the shelter on the way up. I'm now thinking about a backpacking overnight excursion.

When you get to the top, the power line cuts through, so there is an open swath of the top of the mountain for a little bit - it was covered with goldenrod and other late summer scrub. The AT then picks up with the familiar white blazes with a sign - 15 miles south to Little gap, 14.5 miles north to the Kirkridge shelter. I walked south for about 1/4 mile and found this cool old mountain road path which went north towards the Kunkletown side of the mountain. Walked for about 1/2 mile and then turned around because it was getting to be time to head home. Looks like an awesome trail to walk with the kids and friends once the leaves are all turned and fall is in full swing.

All in all it was a good trail. I'm trying to figure out how to incorporate the tente sites into a backpacking trip where I can do a night or two out - I've been dying to do that and if I do, I will chronicle it here. I'll definitely be hiking Katellen again - possibly as soon as next Saturday.