Orange Blazes - Hiking the Mid State Trail

In the fall of 2022, I opened up my Purple Lizard Bald Eagle State Forest Map and saw that I had completed a ten-mile section of the Mid State Trail. I said to myself, “Well what the heck, may as well hike the whole thing.” I started doing some research on the trail and coming up with a game plan. The 322-mile footpath is typically thru-hiked in about 30 days. With being a single mom and having a career, I couldn’t disappear for that long. I set a goal of finishing the trail before my 40th birthday.

The MST was originally established by Penn State Outing Club in 1969 but it was the legendary Tom Thwaites who completed what is now “The Wildest Footpath in Pennsylvania.”

Some of its sections are very remote, empty of water and very, very rocky. It runs from the Mason Dixon line to the New York border where it joins up with the Finger Lakes Trail. I joined the facebook page and ordered the guidebook, along with my Lizard Maps and the Far Out App, I was well prepared on logistics.

In one of my earlier blogs, I re-capped my journey through Bald Eagle State Forest. I completed this section in the winter of 22-23. I love winter. I love the cold, I love snow and I love the stillness of winter and how it forces us to slow down. I know, I’m weird.

After I finished Bald Eagle, I figured I should start doing some more overnight backpacking trips to cover more ground. I organized a trip over Easter weekend in April 2023. I hadn’t backpacked in a long time so of course I overpacked. I was physically uncomfortable by the end of the day and I wasn’t in the best company. So, I called a friend to come pick me up. That weekend I hiked from Woolrich to Ramsey. I remember waking in my tent that morning able to see my breath with the sound of the rolling Pine Creek behind me.

As Spring continued, my feet took me through Poe Valley State Park, Penn-Roosevelt State Park and the section near Woodward. Woodward had some crazy talus fields, Poe Valley seemed like a good spot for a family to camp for a for days and Penn Roosevelt State Park swaddled me in rhododendron. Because I was doing a lot of out and backs, I jumped around quite a bit. I tried to pick up where I left off or end where I last started, or something like that! My time hiking always revolves around my son and job. It is MY time though. I love hiking but I also need it. Ambition and loyalty are the two best traits in a person. I wanted to prove to the MST that I was there to appreciate it.

My spring ended with two more hikes in Rothrock State Forest starting at Jo Hays Vista and ending at Keith Spring. So many fun things in this section! On any clear day, Jo Hays Vista looks out over our very own State College. Other than encountering my first rattlesnake of the year, I passed several beautiful vistas overlooking the green sea of what is Pennsylvania. The trail took me to iconic spots such as the iconic Roman Tower above Shingletown Gap, a forestry fire tower near with the original fire watchers cabin, and the Tom Thwaites Memorial. Erected in 2003, it stands in a quiet, cleared area where hikers can stop and appreciate not only the legend he was but everyone else who put their heart into this trail. I finished Rothrock State Forest that summer and perfectly named, it's rocky as hell. Although the original of the name is a tribute to Dr. Rothrock, considered the Father of Forestry in Pennsylvania history. 

In July of 2023, I approached completing half of the Mid State Trail. Way ahead of schedule! That summer was full of fun. My son and I did our annual Knoebels trip and I took him to his first professional soccer game. We visited family in Alaska where I attempted my first 6,000-footer, Mount Matunuska, with my brother. Heading home, I needed to tackle another journey, off trail. I had been neglecting an injury that needed surgical intervention. I carved out 3 months from work and “life” for the operation. I knew the trail would still be there and I was excited for the plans I had for me and the MST when I returned to it. Anxious and inpatient, at my two weeks post-op visit, as the surgical wrap was taken off, I asked the surgeon,” So, can I go hiking?”