Pennsylvania Hikes: Scramble and Scenery at the Lehigh Gap
On New Years Eve, we were looking for a short hike to get some outside time in before ringing in the next decade. The Christmas holiday is wonderful to reconnect with family, but sometimes it can lead to social overload — I needed some nature R&R to recharge before getting back to the work grind. We had a limited schedule on this particular Tuesday with gym plans in the morning and dinner plans in the evening so we chose to do a short 2.5 mile circuit of hiking the Appalachian Trail at the Lehigh Gap. It turned out to be a great hike for adults, older children (with mindful parents), and dogs that are adept rock-hoppers! It was also great to see another section of PA trails with cool mountain views that are only about 1.5 hours from the Philadelphia area.
The forecast called for cloud cover but no rain. Driving past Allentown, small drops of rain began to appear on the windshield and the sky took on an ominous grey hue. As we approached the Lehigh Tunnel on I-476, the mountainside receded into low clouds. I was starting to worry that we might have to abandon our plans to climb the Gap if there were storm clouds about. Luckily the mountain side was free of clouds after crossing over the Lehigh River and arriving at the trailhead. We took advantage of this break the in the weather and set off. The sounds of cars whizzing by on Rt 248 below echoed up to us as we started the ascent along the mountain. I prefer my woods experiences to be free from the bustle of civilization, but I tried to ignore it.
Pretty quickly the trail opened to a scree field with a view of the river below and we had ascended far enough that the car noise faded to a low hum. Again, I was struck by the juxtaposition of nature along the AT with the evidence of civilization – you can see the highway crossing the river, an airport in the distance, and swaths of trees cleared for industrial purposes. The cloud cover remained over the area, but at least we started to get a great view! A woman hiking with her mom (who I guess was in her 50s-60s, good for her doing this hike!) warned us of the climb ahead being rough for dogs and I brushed it off. If Hank the adventure dog could conquer an icy Mount Marcy in the Adirondacks, no dinky little PA hill was going to affect him! 
After this view point the trail began to climb more steeply to the point where it became like a little slabby bouldering route. I love to rock climb, so getting to use my hands to ascend a hiking trail is always rewarding. The stone was slick from previous rain and while the humans had no trouble, our furry companion did do a little slipping and sliding trying to ascend the rock face, forcing me to eat my words. With some teamwork, we were able to guide him and lift him up the rocks. I wish I had thought to take a picture before starting the climb because the rock was smoother and steeper than I had anticipated. Next time, I will remember to bring my dog’s harness so we can have an easier time if we have to hoist him up a slippery section.
As we ascended to this point the cloud cover began to lift and the sun peaked through, adding a fiery glow to the mountain tops in the distance. Soon after reaching the rocky spine of the mountain some blue sky appeared through the wispy clouds! Some of the rocks had other evidence of “civilization” that I regret seeing out in nature – graffiti – but thankfully there was not a lot of it to spoil the view. (I firmly believe natural settings should be kept so using Leave No Trace principles, in this instance, Principle #7 – being considerate of other visitors looking to have a natural experience.)
The trail continued up the scree field with blue skies ahead as more grey clouds filled in behind us. It was more challenging for Hank than I thought it would be, since he had some trouble ascending the rocks without slipping. A smaller dog seemed to have no trouble, so maybe he is just out of rock hopping practice. We were a bit afraid one of his paws would slide between the rocks and tear something, so we were glad to be out of the outcropping as we continued up the AT. A family with several children tackled the climb with ease and seemed to enjoy the challenge and scenery. An adult or child could get injured if they really had a big slip and tumbled down the rock field, but overall the footing was solid and no area too exposed that this was likely.
We took a left off of the AT to descend on the Winter Trail and moved quickly off of the mountain as more dark clouds filled in, so I missed getting pictures of the cool ecosystem of pine trees and hardwood trees with dark gnarled bark growing crookedly out of the mountainside, forming a twisted, low canopy to walk under. I will have to go back to take some more pictures since my tree identification abilities are sub-par.
The weather held off for us and we made it back to the car in about 2 hours, which was longer than we anticipated but we took our time guiding Hank through the rock fields. I also had to stop several times on the Winter Trail descent as my knees were sore from the morning workout and were irritated on the steep grade (there were switchbacks but it was still a pretty decent incline!). Ascending the Winter Trail would be a good workout next time without the amusement of the rock scramble. Overall, it was a great hike with some fun scrambling and rewarding views of the river and mountains, and I would definitely do it again!
Even though it is supposed to be winter, I did find what appeared to be a black legged tick (deer tick), which can carry lyme disease. I found it crawling on my hand while driving home after petting my dog. Hilarity ensued as my husband kept the tick occupied on a paper towel for over an hour so we could dump it out the window when we came to a stop, only for me to try to see the tick and flick it back into the abyss of the car just as we finished our car ride. Hubby was very unhappy with me. Luckily we found him again trying to escape my car cupholder. Unfortunately ticks in PA are present year round, so remember to treat yourself and your pets with tick repellent. I prefer treating my clothes with permethrin (treat and let dry before you wear them!) and use flea and tick topical medication for Hank, but people wishing to avoid the chemicals can tuck shirts into pants and pants into socks and periodically check yourself during the hike as well as check prior to getting in the car — this is easiest if you are wearing light clothing. Have a good friend or partner assist you with a thorough head-to-toe exam before and after showering. Note – I don’t get paid for recommending this product, I just have proof it works!
Interested in hiking this trail or hiked it previously? Let me know in the comments!
