Background:
So, I'm a runner. You know-those people who go out there and, for some odd reason, love beating up their bodies for "fun".
It leaves you fast, but looking like this:
That is one of the fastest 1500 meter runners / mile runners in the world over the last ten years. UPDATE: He got popped for doping in 2019
Anyways, this is a Geocache, not a running blog. Forgive me for my meanderings. That may be the first of a few.
So here I was. A beautiful Monday afternoon, and I had just played ultimate frisbee for almost two hours. But I decided that the two miles I sprinted back and forth across a field (according to my GPS watch) wasn't enough. So I looked on Alltrails to find another place I hadn't run yet - Lehman trail.
Unbeknownst to me, this was in a small section of Buchanan State forest, tucked away behind (and far above) the Letterkenny Army Depot. I found my parking spot (listed in the waypoints), and began my run. I got about five feet before becoming distracted by a trail post that said "Scenic..." and off I was. Somehow I made it all the way up this tiny trail before looking to my left - IF YOU CAN RESIST, it is worth the surprise when you get to the top. I was blown away. And naturally, my first thought was, "IT IS MY DUTY TO SHARE THIS WITH FELLOW GEOCACHERS".
Cache Info:
So here we are. I hope you enjoy the short hike and beautiful vista, better known as Clark's Knob. It stands at about 2,300 feet above sea level and 1,600 feet above Chambersburg, but I don't think there's a spot around that gives you such easy access to solitude. Enjoy the absolute silence at the highest point in the Blue Mountain range. There is, surprisingly, a beautiful bench from which you can enjoy the view. Remember to take a picture and post it in your log!
Driving to the spot is relatively easy - I go there in a Prius all the time so 4 wheel drive is not necessary during the Summer, but DEFINITELY IS REQUIRED DURING THE WINTER IF THERE IS SNOW. During snowstorms, may require snowmobile. If you are not comfortable driving on gravel roads, this one is not for you.
Run Summary:
Now for those of you who are curious, I didn't get paralyzed by the beauty. I soon recovered my composure and ran up the road to the top of the mountain, discovering a couple other places of interest - one of which will soon be the home of another cache, so stay tuned.
There are a couple old, out of use cell towers that now just clutter up the view of the top of the mountain up there. You can see them from 30 miles away - amazing they weren't taken down when they stripped all the electronics out of them.
Ran about four miles, including a dip down the Berger Trail - that was a terrible idea. Basically goes straight up and down the mountain. Do not run this trail. Running back down I was able to maintain ~5:15 mile pace. Going up was a different story...But I felt this was a nice place to hide my first cache - the kind that got me fascinated about caching in the first place.
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CACHE PLACED WITH PERMISSION -- DCNR -- Buchanan State Forest District 2
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