Our last day was another short one, what with packing up the camp site and driving home, so we picked a short but fun-looking trail - the Tunnel Trail. This easy trail through laurel-covered hills leads to a railroad tunnel that was started but never completed.
The laurel was only just starting to bloom, but it would have been spectacular in a week or two.
The tunnel itself was cool and refreshing.
We were eager to get more miles in toward the TT60 Challenge, so on day two, we drove to one of the few trailheads where the hike didn't start with a massive elevation gain. This was where section 6 ends and section 5 starts, and we headed down section 5.
The first part of the hike was on an old road. While it had elevation gain, it was relatively easy going. The trail then left the road and narrowed to a mossy tunnel. This was still pleasant.
It then opened up to an area formerly of hemlocks, now dead. Ferns had taken over, although there were enough trees to provide shade. The trail steeply but briefly headed uphill, and then proceeded to follow a ridge for much farther than we had time to do.
The ridgetop trail badly needed maintenance - it was overgrown and rocky. After an encounter with a harmless rat snake, we were on the lookout for any more of its pals. Despite the overall flatness of the ridgetop, it was slow going. Plus, it was hot and humid.
After lunch, we decided to call it quits and turn around.
A four-day trip to Pennsylvania was cut down to three thanks to bad weather. But we made it up there and got the tent up at Fowler's Hollow campground with time to do a shorter hike on the first day. We oped to save on any further driving by just taking the Fowler's Hollow trail out of camp to the Tuscarora Trail.
The trail follows a stream (Fowler's Run), and is probably normally relatively easy tread, but on this day it was very wet and muddy from the aforementioned bad weather. But it was pretty. This trail then ends on logging roads, which we followed to the Tuscarora. We then walked on the Tuscarora for a wee .05 to a shelter. Finally, we returned via the same route.
The Tuscarora, even the tiny bit we were on, was in rough shape. A small bridge had slid out of place, and it was overgrown. But the shelter was nicely maintained.
