Hearts Content - Allegheny Nat. Forest

[Trouttrekker]

Sun. April 24: Hiked the Heart's Content 12 mile loop with friends - a warm-up for a spring and summer of Pennsylvania outings. I'd never been here before but realized right away that this area is maintained in wilderness condition, meaning, primarily, that blow-downs are not chain-sawed out of the way and only some of the logs are hacked away with axes. I can't complain - it was quiet but it did take us much longer than anticipated. The 12 miles occupied us for nearly 7 hours due to 3 factors, probably: slower members of our party, frequent spring blow-downs or my habit of laying down for macro photography from time to time. All in all, a great outing and some in the party saw a live porcupine for the first time. Temperatures were perfect and fingerling brook trout populated the few tiny streams encountered.

I'll be hiking (and contributing) more now, most likely. I've been very busy launching a book about trails and trout called The Dying Fish lately. I don't know if I'm talking mostly to seasoned hikers or to tenderfoots (tenderfeet?) here on this forum but remember, you don't know what you've missed if you don't at least get out there!

[wspscott]

Is that a porcupine? In a tree? Do they climb trees?

[toejam]

You need some volunteers with crosscut saws - much more efficient than axes.

20 hours ago, Trouttrekker said:

you don't know what you've missed if you don't at least get out there!

Got that right! Good luck with the book and getting out more.

[Kerosene]

16 hours ago, wspscott said:

Is that a porcupine? In a tree? Do they climb trees?

Yes, yes they do.  They also gnaw the salt from your sweat you left when you sat down on the privy or shelter.  Porkies are pretty common in the northernmost U.S.  I remember not getting much sleep at Kid Gore Shelter on the Long Trail in central Vermont in August 1979 when a "prickle" of porcupines descended on the shelter as the sun was setting; we didn't get a lot of sleep that night trying to keep them away.

[Moondaddie]

ANF is a great place! There is no shortage of porcupines there either! Caught this little stinker trying to chew on my porch the other night.

[shotgunpapa]

I have never seen one in the wild but I bet they hurt if they put them quills in you.

have seen hedge hogs before.