Rocksylvania - Appalachian Trail

imported
#1

Why is the Pennsylvania portion of the Appalachian Trail so rocky?

PA Hiker

#2

I give up. Is it because Virginia is so Bullwinkle? :cheers

Bilko

#3

Because the rest of the state is too. :smiley:

-xtn

airferret

#4

be grateful 0 its not VerMUD!!!

frogcaller

#5

During the last ice age, northern Pensylvania was right on the edge of the glacial maximum. Peridoic smaller movements of the glaciers caused an intense freeze thaw cycle which broke up the bedrock. As the glaciers rolled back and forth across PA, it turned the upper bedrock layers into the jumble of rocks that we see today.
4-cheese

4-cheese

#6

4-cheese is a smart one, I knew it had something to do with the ice age. Now, back to frogcaller, why is Vermont so muddy?

Oklib

#7

Agree the top 3rd of PA is Rocksylvania. But MOST of the bottom 3rd is as easy as most of SNP.

Want some really non-rocky trail in PA? Do the PA portion of the North Country Trail in NW PA. You’ll think you’re in heaven–most of it is nicely graded and rocks are not bad at all, plenty of pine needles in some places to cushion your step (the hemlocks up there are still in decent shape–check out the Old Growth hemlocks in Cooks Forest SP).

Skyline

#8

Could it be that it is the same reason that Massachusetts has so many mosquitoes??

FLETCH

#9

cause the fools up there don’t seem to understand how to divert the water ir at least haul some of our pennsylvania ROCKS up there to plop down in the middle for us to hike on:mad

frogcaller

#10

Stay in PA, you belong there. In terms of beauty and trail condition, Vermont is light years superior to PA. Ask any thru which state they would rather hike thru, PA or VT.

Blue Jay

#11

Vermont is also light years ahead of Massachusetts (which was Fletch’s reference point), trail condition-wise. Once you leave North Adams NOBO you can tell immediately someone else is taking care of the AT.

Skyline

#12

after having gone through the Whites, in particular Madison Hut to Pinkham Notch I will never again complain about the PA rocks. At least the terrain is relatively flat

Swift

#13

Besides what 4-cheese said, all of the states origionally tried to make their AT portion more difficult than the other states. In Norther PA this is shown clearly. I think I met 4 cheese in the gensian pond campsite. he was reading harry potter. oh well. Rocks suck.

string bean