Driving Across PA. Shades of DEATH?
May. 25th, 2026 07:21 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
canyonwalkerMay Family Visit Travelog #9
Hickory Run State Park · Mon 25 May 2026. 10am.
Today we embarked on a trip within a trip. We're visiting Hawk's parents near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. For the past 6 days we've been at their house. But this morning we hopped in our rental car and drove a couple hours north to do some hiking. We'll do a few hikes today, stay overnight at a hotel in Wilkes-Barre, and then do more hiking tomorrow before returning to my inlaws' place until Saturday.
Our first stop today is at Hickory Run State Park. The drive here was concerning as we passed through rain and heavy fog most of the way. The forecast called for rain to be finished by dawn today but clearly Mother Nature did not agree with the meteorologists. The heavy fog on I-81 through central PA reminded me of a white-knuckle nighttime drive I did through that stretch when I was 20. It was easier dealing with the fog in the dayime this time. And fortunately the rain did abate by about 10am. The heavy fog lifted, too.
Driving through Hickory Run State Park we spotted signs for a trail named Shades of Death. "That sounds so metal," I quipped to the park ranger at the visitors center, a man so young he probably doesn't know what "metal" means unless someone posted on TikTok about their cringe uncle thinking he's still cool for wearing band t-shirts from 40 years ago while fat and balding and complaining about the cost of Medicare. "What's there?"
The ranger explained that it's a trail through a section of forest where the pine trees grow close and shade the sun so much that little else can grow on the ground below them.
"Oh, so it's just an old growth forest," I thought to myself. Mature trees with canopies blocking the sun so there's no undergrowth is a common phenomenon that usually doesn't get a dire descriptor. And this old-growth forest isn't even that old if it's pine trees. Shit, I've got redwoods growing in my back yard. I didn't say any of this aloud because I didn't care to start a biology debate with a kid who was probably already comparing me to his cringe uncle. 🤣
Well, as you might surmise from what I just wrote, we decided Shades of Death wasn't worth our time to hike, totally metal name or no. Instead we'll drive on a few more miles to our intended first hike for today, Hawk Falls. Stay tuned!
Hickory Run State Park · Mon 25 May 2026. 10am.
Today we embarked on a trip within a trip. We're visiting Hawk's parents near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. For the past 6 days we've been at their house. But this morning we hopped in our rental car and drove a couple hours north to do some hiking. We'll do a few hikes today, stay overnight at a hotel in Wilkes-Barre, and then do more hiking tomorrow before returning to my inlaws' place until Saturday.
Our first stop today is at Hickory Run State Park. The drive here was concerning as we passed through rain and heavy fog most of the way. The forecast called for rain to be finished by dawn today but clearly Mother Nature did not agree with the meteorologists. The heavy fog on I-81 through central PA reminded me of a white-knuckle nighttime drive I did through that stretch when I was 20. It was easier dealing with the fog in the dayime this time. And fortunately the rain did abate by about 10am. The heavy fog lifted, too.
Driving through Hickory Run State Park we spotted signs for a trail named Shades of Death. "That sounds so metal," I quipped to the park ranger at the visitors center, a man so young he probably doesn't know what "metal" means unless someone posted on TikTok about their cringe uncle thinking he's still cool for wearing band t-shirts from 40 years ago while fat and balding and complaining about the cost of Medicare. "What's there?"
The ranger explained that it's a trail through a section of forest where the pine trees grow close and shade the sun so much that little else can grow on the ground below them.
"Oh, so it's just an old growth forest," I thought to myself. Mature trees with canopies blocking the sun so there's no undergrowth is a common phenomenon that usually doesn't get a dire descriptor. And this old-growth forest isn't even that old if it's pine trees. Shit, I've got redwoods growing in my back yard. I didn't say any of this aloud because I didn't care to start a biology debate with a kid who was probably already comparing me to his cringe uncle. 🤣
Well, as you might surmise from what I just wrote, we decided Shades of Death wasn't worth our time to hike, totally metal name or no. Instead we'll drive on a few more miles to our intended first hike for today, Hawk Falls. Stay tuned!
no subject
Date: 2026-05-26 04:05 am (UTC)I hope the Hawk Falls hike featured zero Hawk falls.
no subject
Date: 2026-05-26 11:42 am (UTC)