I had greatly enjoyed my Memorial Day weekend trip last year to Pennsylvania, finishing up the last section of the Tuscarora Trail. Sure, it had been oppressively hot, and my legs were torn up by rocks and thorns. But I loved these wild and out-of-the-way trails, and I wanted to do a similar trip this year. On that trip, I also learned about the Standing Stone Trail (SST) and the Mid-State Trail (MST). These rose to the top of my bucket list, as they could become part of a larger trail network to add to my section hike collection. But I didn’t have the PTO for the the current MST section hike attempt or any of the other PA trips posted for the holiday weekend. So I figured I should plan and post a trip of my own.
That’s how I landed on the Mid-Stone Loop. It’s a DC UL original route that, as far as I can tell, has only been done once five years ago by Whiskey Fairy, et al. The ~53-mile route combines great sections of the MST and the SST, a good way to sample both trails and satisfy my itch.
I did change the route up from last time. For one thing, I wasn’t able to reserve any of the campsites (last-minute planning + holiday weekend). So I marked possible sites from the SST website and hoped they’d work out. I also wanted to hike a few more miles on Saturday to get to a better campsite called out in the last trip report. The splits were 0.25/22/23/9 (Caltopo link). A bit more even, but with some campsites I didn’t have much intel on. Despite posting the trip only two weeks before among a crowded field of other DC UL trips, we ended up with a solid group: Ashley (“Rise and Shine”), Lily, Renae, and me.
On Friday Ashley and I left DC in the early afternoon to beat traffic. The forecast looked amazing, and I got more excited as we passed through the countryside under deep blue skies with puffy clouds. A quick stop at a Sheetz in Huntingdon, and soon we were at the trailhead at the end of Frew Road (no flooded roads, thankfully). While waiting in the parking lot, Ashley showed off her resourcefulness and helped repair a rip in my Frogg Toggs jacket (pro tip: get an ultralight sewing kit!). Lily and Renae, coming from Cleveland, arrived soon after. They are both part of a group of serious hikers in Ohio whose members now frequent our DC UL trips. They’re also joining me on the Wonderland Trail later this summer and were eager to use this as a training trip.
The first night’s site on the SST was just ~0.25 mi from the trailhead. Lily and Renae walked with us but returned to sleep in the car (Lily’s a road trip pro and has a great setup, air mattress and all). This worked out well, since the site didn’t have much space. Fine for two, but larger groups should try to get Campsite No. 7 or be ready to get creative.
Despite the tight space, it was a neat spot nestled among rock formations the area is known for. At golden hour it had a magically feel, with light filtering through the clouds and illuminating the leaves and stones. A decent overlook nearby offered a sunset view, and I noted what might’ve been American Chestnut (Castanea dentata) nearby.
It was a chilly (for May) night, with just a sprinkle of rain. We hit the trail early, passing through the scenic Rocky Ridge Natural Area before starting the ~10-mile road walk. I’ve grown to appreciate a scenic countryside road walk, and this one delivered: mismatched bee boxes, emus, and a woman walking a bouncy golden retriever puppy.
The easy walking also made for easy talking, a good opportunity to get acquainted. Renae and Lily were getting more into backpacking recently and talked about their last trip to Pictured Rocks in Michigan. Lily had recently gotten down to a ~12–15 lb base weight and Renae had been getting great deals on new gear with eBay, Facebook Marketplace, and other savvy methods. Ashley, a PCT thru-hiker, talked about her many trips out west, love for the Sierras, and appreciation for Payday bars. I was taking mental notes on tips and possible trips, realizing how well-traveled and resourceful everyone was.
It was windy and a tad cold for my Texan bones, with no climbs to warm up with. Light showers came and went, just long enough to regret putting on rain jackets. Otherwise, you couldn’t have asked for better weather. Quite the contrast from the heat and humidity last year.
We ended the road walk at Stone Valley Recreation Area. It had a summer camp vibe, with rock climbing and ropes courses in view. We lunched at a picnic table by the lake. Ashley demonstrated another pro tip by eating snacks from a bag with a long spoon, which I thought of as I washed pretzel seasoning dust off my hands in the lake. I also had fresh blueberries and an orange, a nice treat, but what I really wished I had was a beer to go with the lake view (“toes in the water,” etc.).
Soon after the lake, we hit the Ironstone Trail. Unsurprisingly, we did not glide through like the road walk. Much of the trail was overgrown and saturated with water, a mix of soupy mud and flowing water. There was a lot of careful footwork, hopping, and ducking. One botched attempt to get around a few downed trees sent us on a mini bushwhacking adventure to find the trail again.
Still, we made good time and paused past Garner Run before climbing the “Indian Steps” up to the Tussey Mountain ridge. The climb was steep (up to a 50% grade, says Caltopo) and did indeed feature stone steps. At the top, we finally joined the MST (Section 7).
I welcomed the rocks on the ridge to the mud below. We enjoyed the more scenic views, especially at boulder fields. At one, I accidentally led us just a few feet off-trail and stumbled upon four timber rattlesnakes (Crotalus horridus) sunning themselves. After gawking, we heeded the chorus of warning rattles and moved on. Lily quipped this was a sign of good luck, as it was the year of the snake and there was one for each of us.
We cruised past the dry campsite at mile 19 (where the last DC UL group had stayed), crossed PA 26 ( skipping Jo Hays Vista… whoops), and started down the ridge towards the campsite (section 8 of the MST). The Jackson Trail kept going along the ridge, perhaps an option to mix up the route on a future trip.
We intended to use the campsite noted on the last trip report, near the Ironstone Trail junction and Beaver Pond. It was indeed a good site. The ground was dry, where as much of surrounding area was muddy, and Shaver Creek was nearby. The MST guide mentions this can be a popular site for car campers from Pine Swamp road, but luckily we had it ourselves. It turned out we would not see any other backpackers the entire trip.
With all of us together in camp, we realized there were 3 of the 4 X-Mid 1 tent configurations on display. It made for a nice comparison for me, an inevitable convert. I started to think Durstons could be the new unit for measuring campsite sizes. This site was 5-6 Durstons, more if you squeezed in. At dinner, I was impressed that Lily and Renae had brought home-cooked dehydrated meals. I also noticed Ashley had a Cosmic Brownie, which promoted a discussion on trail deserts and her showing a photo album of things she had baked herself. We didn’t end up doing a campfire as they were not allowed during this time of year, so we went to bed early. Before falling asleep that night, I recalled the sounds of frogs chirping and a (luckily) distance whip-poor-will.
We set off at about the same time the next day. No surprise, this day was harder. Rocks along the MST and SST slowed us down, along with more overgrowth and mud. The trails were at least clear of any thorny bushes or nettle, which was true for the whole trip.
We had mostly filled up on water at camp, but also found some along the trail for ~1.75 miles. Then it was back on the dry Tussey Mountain ridge. This was a longer dry section, but luckily not a big deal due to the cooler temps. More views and rattlesnakes followed. After leaving the MST and joining the SST, we took a break at a site near Detweiler Run. Here I ate the last of my snacks: half-melted Junior Mints and wasabi peas.
The Alan Seeger Natural Area lived up to the hype. This area is known for having one of the one of the few remaining groves of old-growth trees in Pennsylvania. The overflowing streams (Detweiller Run and Standing Stone Creek) and imposing rhododendron (Rhododendron maximum) made for interesting scenery. Studying the map afterwards, I would be interested to explore nearby areas, such as Bear Meadows.
We also got into into some more bushwhacking here. A very large downed tree, perhaps one of the old-growth hemlock or white pine, created a large obstacle by dragging other trees with it. We each found a different way through. Lily fearlessly tightroped along the elevated logs, Renae went all the way around, and I more-or-less pushed and crawled my way through the tangle. There was another point where the trail vanished into a stream, so we veered into the rhododendron to keep our feet dry.
We also had another notable wildlife encounter. A turkey froze near the trail, hoping we wouldn’t notice. But Lily did and said something like “turkey!”, causing it to bolt into the brush and leave behind a dozen or so poults (baby turkeys). We aww’d as they scrambled to catch up to mom. This had us joking where the father was and us listing biparental bird species (albatross, morning doves, penguins… but apparently most birds are).
The climb up to Broad Mountain was much anticipated, but not that bad. Worst was the Greenwood Furnance Tower on the top being closed “due to vandalism”. This was quite the letdown, especially since we hadn’t taken any other vista spurs.
We all got caught up at Greenwood Furnance State Park. We wouldn’t be staying the night there (again, couldn’t get reservation), so we made sure to get enough water to last us for tonight and the hike along the dry ridge tomorrow. The weather was still fantastic, but not hot enough for a dip in the lake. We mostly stopped to rest at a table by the visitor center and make use of the bathrooms. Lily and I lingered a bit longer for an early dinner. I tried her dehydrated eggs, which were scrumptious, and made me think I should try to repeat Renae’s success with thrifting a food dehydrator.
The final climb was easy enough. Ashley and Renae had scouted campsites and didn’t find the one I marked (turns out I was missing some helpful textual information), but we found a few spots near the Stone Valley overlook. While cramped and rocky, it worked. And with the view nearby, it was worth it. We sat at the overlook, ate dinner (another dehydrated meal for me), and watched a stunning sunset. At this point, we felt sure we were having the best DC UL trip that weekend!
The next day we finished our last section along the SST. Rocky and scenic, as expected. Lily snapped both of her old trekking poles in the same place and Renae lost a pole tip as well. The views were marked with signs, including one called the “Hidden Window,” which got a chuckle out of me because it was just a small boulder field with a blocked view. We unfortunately found some trash in this section, including every single individual wrapper from a Hi-Chew bag. We picked up what we saw because, as Ashley said, we want to leave trails better than we found them.
Just like the first DC UL trip, we “Frew hiked” along the road back to the cars. I had eaten every single morsel of food, a first for me, and was ready for a hot meal. We also repeated going to Original Italian Pizza in Huntingdon, a pretty darn good “vintage” pizza/Italian place with wood panel walls, a Pepsi menu board, and stained glass ceiling lamps.
Overall, we had great success repeating the Mid-Stone Loop with a slight twist. The weather was perfect, the trails were wild and challenging, and, best of all, we had a great crew of strong and enthusiastic hikers. I think there are more ways to mix this route up and I look forward to seeing how others hike it in the future.
~ Austin (“Citrus”)
DC UL Backpacking 
sounds like a nice trip Austin! Great write up
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