The Blaſphemous Bicycler

This weekend, I once again joined forces with Sophie the Adventure Dog (and the regular cast of human characters) to knock off a couple of miles on the Mid State Trail.

It snowed pretty hard for a while.

Sophie was rewarded for her bravery in the snow with a doggie biscuit.

Another 6 miles down, about 770 to go.

After hiking the Pinchot Trail Saturday, I spent the very next day on the Tuscarora Trail with Sophie the Wonder Dog, and her Human concierge.

We hiked about 9 miles through icy wind and snow squalls, then we passed a hunting cabin where some classy fellows decorated the trees with women’s undergarments.

25 miles down, 773 to go!

Saturday, Apertome and I hiked the north loop of the Pinchot Trail.

We had some wet weather to contend with, which afforded me the opportunity to try out my new poncho.

We had pretty miserable conditions, but the poncho kept me dry, except for my legs, which got thoroughly soaked in an outright downpour near the end of the hike.

I foolishly packed my camera down in the bottom of my pack, so I didn’t get any pictures, but Apertome did.

I’m particularly pleased with the smart fashion statement the poncho makes in the woods. Very “Odhinnic-Wanderer chic,” with just a hint of un-dead superhero.

Fashion aside, it was a very nice hike despite the weather. It put me 10 miles closer to the State Forest Hiking Award. 14 miles down, 784 to go!

Apertome has posted a nice write up of the day on his blog. I don’t think there’s much I could add to his account.

This morning, I donned my spiffiest hiking hat, and began my effort to hike all 798 miles of the State Forest Hiking Trails System.

I hiked the Rocky Knob Trail in the Michaux State Forest.

The trail is a fairly easy 4 mile loop. There’s only one real climb, and you are rewarded for your labor with a nice view.

If you look carefully, you will notice that the leaves are falling here in Pennsylvania.

I took my GPS along, and now the Rocky Knob Trail is in OpenStreetMap.

4 miles down, 794 left to go before I get my ceremonial walking stick.

Did you know that if you hike all 798 miles of State Forest Hiking Trails in Pennsylvania, they give you an award?

Well, they do. You get a certificate, a patch, and a “ceremonial walking stick.”

I would really like to have my very own ceremonial walking stick.

I’d also like to finish walking all of the Appalachian trail in Pennsylvania. All together, it comes out to about a thousand miles of walking.

At the end of this, I will be a grizzled old mountain man.

With a ceremonial walking stick.

You will all, no doubt, be greatly jealous of my grizzled manliness, and of my walking stick. If you ask nicely, I will whack you in the head with it.

My walking stick, that is. Not my grizzled manliness.