Long Level, PA to Accomac, PA
section miles: 13 miles total miles: 119
As usual, I'm behind in real-time, and trying to catch up on these entries, so my memory is fading fast. As I post this, we are past York and just two skips from finishing at the AT.
It's been three weeks since our last section hike, and in the meantime spring has washed over the hills of the Susquehanna. The forest floor, previously buried everywhere in a dull brown layer of fall leaves, is now a verdant carpet of new growth. Beds of day lillies have sprouted up, fiddleheads are curling open, and everywhere you look Virginia bluebells and Dutchman's breeches are in bloom. Not that I'm Joe Naturalist when it comes to wildflowers. I'm more like Joe Wikipedia... I look them up when I get home.
Today, as Rene said, was a walk in the park. Literally, in that some of the most beautiful sections wound their way through the Susquehanna Heritage Parks, and figuratively, in that the hills were few and modest as promised by our acquaintences we made on the last section. It was a gray, misty, foggy day, which somehow seemed just right, as if everything about this day was soft and easy. We paid a small price in wet shoes and took our snack breaks on the hoof to keep moving, but it was all fun.
The trail stays close to the river for most of the section, venturing west a bit to wander through the Native Lands county park, and is a pleasant mix of woodlands, grassy fields, and interesting road walking. The trail also brings you to the top of Highpoint Scenic Vista & Recreation Area, which we hear has wonderful views of the Susquehanna, but today it was totally socked in. With a stiff wind and low visibility, it felt a bit like we were really on a "summit." There are some interesting archeological sites in this area, dating back to the Susquehannock Indians, and the Native Lands park provides a nice guided brochure of the trail which points out several as you pass by.
From Highpoint we made our way downhill and eventually arrived at downtown Wrightsville, stopping in at a local Italian place to get out of the weather and scarf some lunch. First time I've ever hiked with a pizza box full of left-overs tucked in my pack. Dropped in at the historic John Wright foundry to have a look at their store, which is - as you might guess - now a tourist shop for women's shoes, clothes, jewelry, and assorted jams and pretzel dips. We were expecting... I dunno, iron, I guess. They had some hooks and latches tucked away in a far corner, as if they didn't want anybody to actually buy that stuff, but further exploration led me upstairs to an outlet floor of Taiwanese seconds, pallets stacked high with various iron "things"... like metal cows with broken horns and nifty Victorian latches with no latch. The floor was creepy vacant and depressingly junky, so I quickly made my way back down to the pretzel dips and grazed patiently while Rene boosted the local economy.
The last bit of trail north of Wrightsville led us down by the river through some private settlements, ranging from simple camps to artsy homes, before arriving at the Accomac Inn where our car awaited. Throughout the day we had been passing over hills of slate bedrock, which presumably accounted for their relatively gentle topography, but here we skirted below a substantial ridge of quartzite looming above the houses. In places these outcrops formed impressive cliffs that would be a rock-climber's paradise if not situated on private land. I half-expected the trail to head straight up at some point, but thankfully, no.
That's it for our day hikes. We're far enough from home now that we'll finish the last four sections with a couple of overnight trips, so we don't spend half the day just shuttling cars back and forth. The AT seems almost in sight at this point!
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