Standing Stone Trail, section 1

The Standing Stone is one of many shorter long-distance trails in Pennsylvania. It is 85 rugged miles in south-central PA and can be done as a backpack or a series of day hikes. I've been eyeing it with interest for some time now, and it turns out that one of my friends in the New York Ramblers had been as well. So he put together a weekend trip to do the southernmost two (of nine) sections.

We stayed in a cabin at Cowan's Gap. This was my second stay there, and I can heartily recommend the cabins. They are reasonably priced and comfortable, accommodating up to four people or a family group (if larger). The southern terminus of the trail is in the park, within walking distance of the camping area.

After our arrival on Friday, we walked from our cabin around the lake. In doing so, we covered the first and easiest half mile of section 1.

On Saturday morning, the real work began. First we set up a car shuttle. Then we headed out from our cabin, picking up the trail where it touches the road. From there it is a mile-long uphill. I had done this part previously and knew what to expect; while it's a climb, it's an old road and thus offers smooth terrain.

At the overlook, which was where I had turned around previously, I was pleased to see that the vegetation had been trimmed back to allow a view.

Not too long after, the trail reached the ridge and the end of the old road. The trail follows the ridge on top of Cove Mountain. So the trail was "flat" for a while in the sense of no major elevation changes, but it was very rocky and bouldery. It required attentive hiking. The day was also starting to get warmer, but luckily there was a nice breeze at the top. There were also many views along the way.

Our descent was more gradual, with occasional overgrown areas. Vanderbilt's Folly amused me, and I had to get a picture.

The final stretch was badly overgrown fields - although to be sure I think keeping them clear would be a full-time job.

From our cabin to our car was 9.75 miles and 1,200 feet of elevation gain, although 1,000 of that was in the first big hill. And we got done and back to our cabin before the wind and rainstorm blew in!