Alex McCafferty 
Trip Report What: Rachel Carson Trail Challenge 2024 Where: Rachel Carson Trail between North Park and Harrison Hills Park When: 6/22/2024 Distance: 37.8 miles Conditions: high of 93, low of 75, partly cloudy Rachel Carson It would be remiss for me to not mention Rachel Carson, to whom this trail is dedicated. I did not … Read more
Trip Report Did you know there is a Grand Canyon in Pennsylvania? It’s true, and it is way cooler than the one in Arizona (temperature wise). It’s officially known as Pine Creek Gorge and is a true hidden gem. There is a popular biking trail called the Pine Creek Rail Trail that travels through the … Read more
Trip Report Our annual, week-long backpacking excursions continue! This time a record five people decided to waste their vacation days walking in a circle: myself, Amy, Tim, Dan, and Alex VR. For sake of clarity, I will henceforth be referring to myself as Alex 1, and Alex VR as Alex 2 (please note: I … Read more
Trip Report My brother Tyler is getting married in June and I wanted to plan a lowkey bachelor getaway for his upcoming wedding! Not much of a party though, it was originally supposed to be a weekend expedition to the Sierras. We did some research and managed to score a permit to hike the Rae … Read more
It’s hard to believe it has been nearly a year since we began hiking AT. Amy and I enjoyed a long winter season of relaxing and regaining all of the weight we previously lost, but felt it was time to plan our first hike since our descent of Katahdin. We missed everything about our life … Read more
9/23 – Day 146 9.7 miles from Abol Pines to The Birches Thru-hikers can camp in Baxter State Park without an advance reservation at a site called The Birches. Only the first twelve hikers each day can reserve a spot and you cannot stay more than one night. While it is possible to summit … Read more
9/16 – Day 139 4.2 miles from Lake Hebron to Shaw’s Hiker Hostel It was a quick, two hour hike to the road from our lakeside campsite. Notably, it was a chilly morning and still very windy. We began hiking in all of our layers before beginning to shed them one-by-one after we walked … Read more
9/9 – Day 132 14.3 miles from Little Swift River Pond to Redington Stream Campsite Our tent was hit with an aerial assault in the early morning. Pinecones! Red squirrels were loosing a barrage of cones from an overhead tree, slamming into our tarp and landing on the ground around us. Whether we were caught … Read more
9/2 – Day 125 10.4 miles from Top Notch Inn to Middle Carter Peak After a lazy morning, we packed up and stopped at White Mountain Café for some tasty breakfast sandwiches. Spout went to a local gear store to replace her broken trekking poles. Afterwards, we hitched back to the trail and began … Read more
8/27 – Day 119 17.0 miles from Hikers Welcome Hostel to Eliza Brook Shelter Spout came to my bunk and shook me awake at 6:30am. The entire bunkroom of hikers was ready stirring. We packed up, payed for the half dozen soft drinks we consumed, then set off down the road towards the trail. … Read more