hiking Stony Mountain | 30 June 2009

Hiking to and on Stony Mountain in Dauphin County, central Pennsylvania, on Pennsylvania State Game Lands #211. Stony Mountain -- parts of which are found in Dauphin and Lebanon counties -- is one of the ridges of the Ridge and Valley physiographic province. The Ridge and Valley physiographic province is found in parts of Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee, South Carolina, Georgia, and Alabama.

This hike began on the Appalachian Trail, and then, after a relatively short distance (perhaps a quarter of a mile or so), we veered onto the Henry Knauber Trail. The HKT brings hikers to the top of Stony Mountain in a more or less direct hike up the north side of Stony Mountain ridge. Mistakenly, on the day of this hike, I misremembered my experience hiking here seven years before. Also, I believe that some new trails had been established since my previous hiking experience. This resulted in an unsatisfying experience in which me and my companions did not reach our goal: the Devils Race Course blockfield. (See the related videos "Devils Race Course | 13 July 2009" parts 1 and 2 to see the video record of a hiking experience that was successful in its goal.)

Some basic rules for hiking these forest trails:

(1) The Appalacian Trail is marked everywhere by large (2" X 6") vertically-oriented, rectangular white blaze marks on tree trunks at about eye-level or higher.

(2) Each blaze mark should be visible from the last blaze mark.

Keeping these simple rules in mind -- and had I been thinking -- I would have realized that turning onto the Henry Knauber Trail -- which is marked by red blazes -- was a mistake in terms of repeating my previous hiking experience.

One of the best resources to have before hiking the trails in this area, is the excellent well-produced map series titled APPALACHIAN TRAIL IN PENNSYLVANIA, specifically the map for SECTIONS 7 & 8, SUSQUEHANNA RIVER TO SWATARA GAP. The APPALACHIAN TRAIL IN PENNSYLVANIA map series is published by the Keystone Trails Association (website: www.kta-hike.org). Each map, adding in the shipping and handling, costs about $10. Get this map and give it a bit of study before heading out to this area.

The U.S. Geological Survey 1:24,000 scale topographic maps covering this area are the ENDERS, PA and GRANTVILLE, PA quadrangles.

Elevation at the bridge crossing Clark Creek (beginning of hike) is approximately 530 feet (162 meters) above sea level. Elevation along the ridge top of Stony Mountain is approximately 1620 feet (494 meters). Total elevation gain during hike = 1090 feet (332 meters). Total distance hiked on this day was approximately 4 miles (7 km).

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• hiking
• Stony
• Mountain
• Ridge
• and
• Valley
• physiographic
• province
• central
• Pennsylvania
• Dauphin
• County
• State
• Game
• Lands
• #211

[zimij325]

Yeah, that Knauber trail is a bit steep. I try to get up there once a year during the summer. I walk the racecourse looking for rattlers. It's a good day out. Rattling Run down the other side of the mountain has some cool falls.

Thanks for posting

[bapyou]

@zimij325 Hello. Thanks for the comment.

On this hike we got sort of lost. On the following attempt we were successful reaching Devil's Race Course. (See my two other videos dated July 13.)

Do you see many rattlesnakes on the Devils Race Course? We didn't see any rattlers on this hike or the next hike we did up and over Stony Mountain.

[MsSSnow]

lmaooo @ plenty of rocks in California. Yep there is. This is about 30 min from my house in PA. I am from Cali though.

[bapyou]

@MsSSnow Well alright. Thanks for watching and listening.

[kapacon]

Beautiful! Was this anywhere near Camp Shikellimy?

[bapyou]

Hello.

I don't know where Camp Shikellimy is located; so I can't say whether this area is close to it or not.

This video depicts a hike on a section of the Appalachian Trail beginning where the Trail crosses Route 325 in Dauphin County, PA, about 20 miles or so down the road from Tower City.

Our goal on this hike was the Devil's Race Course, which we did not achieve. We returned a week later & finally found our way there. I made 2 videos about that hike called Devils Race Course.

[zimij325]

@bapyou I think i saw 3 once and 1 another time. I hang along the north edge where they get good sun. You get plenty balance exersize if you walk the whole length of that thing.

[bapyou]

Hello. The forested lands we were walking through in this video, are protected land called "Game Lands;" set aside by the state of Pennsylvania for hunting and other forms of recreation.

Most of the forests in the eastern U.S. (with small exceptions) are second growth forests. If not cleared for agriculture or the establishment of urban/suburban settlements, they were logged for the creation of wood products.

By the way, the original endowment for Harvard U. was selling of forest wood.

[italokid80]

Forests of temperate climat-like many places in Europe(but more destroyed for agriculture-80% of Europe was forested before middle-age !)