Donut Hole Part 3
In the morning I felt some better, although not perfect. My feet were the biggest issue and some ibuprofen helped a bit. So I decided to press on. It is hard to put into words this section of the trail, woodsy, but with cross-country ski trails or similar paths passing through it. After a while, I started seeing electronic devices (small box-like devices with cables attached) along the trail (I had seen the same devices near the Hyner Run Sate Park section, too). These are used by the fracking companies for some type of monitoring. The dirt roads were now evidently (the trail followed some of these now) being widened in this area. Late in the morning, I reached a stream where a bridge was apparently being built, I had to scramble over stones to cross. Just after I crossed, a DCNR vehicle came up and three people got out. I said hello and one person spoke to me. He explained that a bridge was being built and that the trail was going to be relocated away from the area, I believe he said it would be moved to the southeast several miles.After commenting on my apparent pace (he seemed impressed when I told him how far I had come), he recommended getting water at a nearby hunting camp that was just five minutes walk away (and used by the owner of a famous retail store). I did just that, as it had spring water, but because the trail was not obvious from the camp, it took a few minutes to get my bearings and get back on the trail.
Midday, I stopped for lunch in the vicinity of Rattlesnake Run (I did not see any btw). The trail was hard to follow here, the blazes were sometimes too widely spaced. As I knew the trail followed the stream, that made it easier to keep my bearings. Anyway, like the day before, I tried to take a nap (without success), but did get some rest. Shortly after resuming my hike, I reached a fairly steep uphill section. After this the trail stayed fairly level a awhile and the hiking was pleasant and a bit warm. Eventually the trail started downhill at a good clip, some of this trail was a bit overgrown. Eventually the trail reached bottom and I knew I was in Whetham. I crossed railroad tracks and came out on a road/bridge where a large hunting camp (with pickup) could be seen. Very soon after this (with the trail following a dirt road) I spotted a group of young adults car camping and playing their stereo a bit loud. Normally, I would have simply ignored them, but I walked up to them and asked for a soda (I had a great craving for one and little did they know I would have accepted another if they had provided one). I chatted a bit, drank the soda they gave and hiked on. Five minutes or so after leaving the car campers, it started to rain, I started wondering where I could camp for the night as the sky was very threatening. There were no obvious spots to be seen (the trail was still on a dirt road). Then it started to pour. At this point I ran to a spot up off the road (far from the best spot I have chosen) grabbed my tarp out of the backpack and covered myself up with it. The intensity of the rain made me wonder if I would need to pull my sleeping bag out of the pack and just sleep on the ground there as I was. But, eventually the rain let up and I was able to put my hammock and tarp (albeit in a less than ideal fashion) up. I had no dinner (I really did not feel like eating, but did have some chocolate milk - that tasted good). I put up my food bag (again less than ideal) and got in my hammock. That night my sleep was interrupted by a train (remember the train tracks I mentioned earlier) and some sort of strange humming/buzzing noise which I can not describe now; I just assumed it was either associated with the train tracks or the car campers.
The next morning I resumed my hike and after a short time the trail left the dirt road and headed uphill. The hiking went over varying types of trail, some in woods, some along forest roads, and some on woods roads. At lunch time I reached the one vista for the day, an overlook of the river (West Branch of the Susquehanna) and PA route 120 in the distance. Below is the video I took from there.
Since this was the last day of the hike I pushed on. The hiking was pleasant from here on and when the trail started heading downhill I knew I was on the last leg of the hike. When I finally reached my parked truck at around 3pm I was very relieved, but a little sad, the adventure was over. Like my Northville-Placid hike I had a craving for a milkshake which I satisfied at a national fast food chain restaurant (not to be named) in Lockhaven. From there I drove to my Mom's place.