As I was trying to
wake last Friday, Adam whispered in my ear, "just stay, take the day
off." I thought a minute, and after determining that there would be
nothing pressing that day, I declared it a three-day weekend. On one condition:
that we finally go climb to Pinnacle Overlook.
The highest point in the area, the hike had been on my bucket list for a while. The internet has
little documentation on climbing to Pinnacle Overlook, and prior to this day, we had gotten lost on our first two
attempts to find the trail. The third time's the
charm, and today, we would finally make it.
Instead of going
back to sleep, we got right to it, determined not to fail. Every good
hiker knows that the morning needs to begin with a sturdy breakfast, and so
we biked to our favorite spot for biscuits, eggs, and coffee. Afterward,
we hit the road and made it to our destination by noon, just as the sun was
directly above the earth.
Everything was
perfect. We couldn't have asked for a more majestic day. I'll admit I was a
little scared, having heard it was a tough climb and rather rocky. The one
trail review to be found listed it as "advanced."
But when we got to
it, I was kicking ass. I charged up the mountain, fueled by the challenge. My
heart was beating and the sweat began to bud on my temples. The burn in my buttocks felt so good, and everything around me was peaceful as
could be. The experience made me feel like I could do anything.
We reached the
first overlook at Pulpit Rock in about an hour. I hadn't had a view like
that in years. One thousand feet above the farms below, patches of brown and
green farms stitched together with tree lines. Everything looked so soft, like I
could reach out and pet it. And to think, I would have been at a desk had the
day gone any differently.
Onward from Pulpit
Rock, we continued along the Appalachian Trail’s white blazes. The path was
fairly flat from there, with little dips and ascends to keep you from
getting bored. We ran into two duos who were in it for the long haul. They were
both attempting the entire Appalachian, from Maine to Georgia on foot. Talking to them, I had to keep myself from bursting with jealousy. Inside I as all bubble and fizz. What I would give to be able to
leave it all for the woods like that. Are they loaded with money, or just plain
brave?
At a man-made
pile of rocks we finally ran into the blue blazes that would take us to the
Pinnacle. Following their direction for less than one-hundred steps led us to the
view I’d been waiting for. How many times, how many fits had I thrown, wanting
to make it to this spot. It was worth every huff and puff. This was the climb I had
been waiting for. The best view in the state. The mecca of Pennsylvania climbs.
We lingered and
climbed around like playful children before deciding to move on. Another hour
and we were back at the car, a five hour hike in total. We immediately b-lined
for town to find a cheap diner. That’s two diners in one day, we know how
to live.
