Welcome to the Blogosphere

Welcome! If you have stumbled upon this blog, then you've encountered the potentially first unofficial post for The Wildernest outdoor outfitters, located in Lancaster, PA. I'm Chris, and I've worked part time for the store for the past nine years. In the previous nine years (and before), I've been able to trek a few thousand miles on trails in PA and the east coast, now the journey has become a trek to the blogosphere! You may get to meet other employees and the store's owner in future posts.

So, what will you find at the Wildernest 'Blog? Well, that is still to be determined in some ways. You'll probably get to know us a little better, learn about gear and products, read about relevant hiking information and find out about trails through trips I'll share. In many ways, you may help design this blog - what do you want to hear?

How often will I post? I don't have all the answers right now, so why don't I tell you about the Standing Stone Trail, where I went for a quick overnighter this past weekend. It was supposed to be a two-night trip - something I organize every year with a friend for some guys at my church - but my quite pregnant wife wasn't keen on taking care of our other three boys ages six and under for two nights alone. (What, by the fourth child I am supposed to realize that scheduling a trip when your wife is eight months pregnant is not wise?!)

Anyway, the founders and maintainers of the SST are looking to turn it into a "premier" Pennsylvania trail. That led to many wry "yeah, this is premier" quotes while walking, but all in all the trail was a great moderate hike. Not quite premier, but I'd call it a hidden gem for those of us in south central PA who are looking for something a bit different from our usual AT haunts. We hiked from the northern terminus at Greenwood Furnace State Park to where the trail crosses 655 about 21 miles later. The northern end is quite rocky with a good bit of boulder hopping, but nothing that a seasoned PA hiker would find as a surprise. Don't expect water for the first 8-10 miles of that northern ridge run. A friend and I started Saturday morning and played catch up with the rest of the group that left the night before; we caught up with them early afternoon and they were getting a bit thirsty... The rest of the stretch to 655 had water much more readily available. One part of the trail that was a bit sketchy was some apparent rerouting before you pop out at the dead-end portion of Frew Road. A bit of logic and map-reading easily had us headed in the right direction before too long. I'd definitely recommend it for our south-central PA backpackers; I'd also recommend using the public use map for Rothrock State Forest to get a big picture for shuttling. There were some great vistas and other sites along the trail - I'll plan on uploading some pictures here when I think about it. I'm looking forward to finishing this trail in sections in the next couple of years.

So, what's on tap next? I hope you are willing to stay tuned and find out as this blog develops. Post comments and feel free to contact me at thewildernestchris@gmail.com.