Pennsylvania

A Love Letter To Pennsylvania – The Trek

Published

2 years ago

June 4, 2023

A Love Letter To Pennsylvania – The Trek

Yes, You Read That Right – I Loved Pennsylvania!

It has been entirely too long since I’ve posted an update. With each passing day, the miles left behind seem unimaginable. Yet, we’ve hiked them with 20-25 lbs on our backs, up and down mountains, and through treacherous terrain. Driving those miles back home to western North Carolina could only partially serve to put the distance covered into perspective. I wrote the following about Pennsylvania many weeks ago, and felt it appropriate to not just file away my experiences in this state without reckognition. Rocksylvania, Painsylvania, 2nd longest state on the Appalachian Trail – I certainly did love you!

Because, PA Rocks!

I am not sure Pennsylvania would have been so enjoyable without the love & support of the many trail angels in PA. As an early flip flop thru-hiker starting the journey at the end of February and hiking through VA alone for the first 300+ miles, I saw no one for 10 days straight. Though I enjoyed the solitude and mentally became “my own trail magic,” I was looking forward to my daughter joining me for at least a couple weeks (and overjoyed she decided to commit to thru hiking the trail as well). We breezed through the low mileage states of WV and MD and found ourselves welcomed with an abundance of trail magic and new hiker faces in PA.

The Trail Angels

Soggy & Fila

“Soggy” and “Fila” in Waynesboro picked us up at the Mason Dixon Line, housed us, fed us, and shuttled us to and from the trail. Soggy, an ALDHA and PACT member, has section hiked 1,450 miles of the AT and completed other long distance trails to include the Trans Adirondack Route, Long Trail, and High Sierra Trail. Together, they completed the Portuguese Coastal Route. Fila has also covered some AT miles and participates in ALDHA. She opened her home for us to take a nero + a zero day and woke early to prepare an amazing breakfast for us before going to work. We were invited to relax in her home, shower, wash our clothes, and take our zero on a cold rainy day. What was even more heartwarming, was to see both Soggy and Fila standing at trailside parking with a trunk full of gatorade, oranges and fried fruit pies for thru hikers at the end of our full day back on trail. They wished us well and said their final goodbyes as we disappeared into the Caledonia forest.

Prickleberry, Lucky Penny, Fila, Nero

Prickleberry, Lucky Penny, Fila, Soggy, BougieBoss

Trail Magic Natalie & Just John

Further northbound, we were treated to a wonderful stay with “Trail Magic” Natalie and her husband “Just John” who picked us up in the quaint town of Boiling Springs with 2 other hikers – “Little Engine” from Quebec and “British Froto” from London. This generous trail angel couple are parents to two adult children, and their parental love spills over into a dedication to take care of weary thru hikers. Both have hiked portions of Shenandoah and Harper’s Ferry to 501. They have housed over 50+ thru-hikers and have thought of EVERYTHING a hiker may possibly need; shuttling, a hot shower with an abundance of toiletries, a large hiker box filled with resupply food and hiking supplies, designated space in their garage for each individual hiker’s backpack explosion, comfortable beds, a 3 course dinner, refreshments, and a nourishing breakfast before hitting the trail the following morning. Sitting at their kitchen table watching the large variety of wild birds they have attracted with several bird feeders was so relaxing and peaceful. Trail Magic Natalie has faithfully supported my thru-hike on social media from the very beginning. Her heart for the trail and other hikers is so astounding. My daughter and I felt very loved and cared for by both her and John.

British Frodo, Little Engine, Trail Magic Natalie, Just John, Prickleberry, Lucky Penny

Fresh Ground’s Leapfrog Cafe

We were fed by Fresh Ground’s Leapfrog Cafe a few times in PA; a roadside burrito dinner, breakfast at Ironmasters, and breakfast in a parking area north of Duncannon. Our food supply had run low prior to Duncannon, and the Leapfrog Cafe gave us the fuel I needed to get through the day. Fresh Ground has a servant’s heart for feeding hikers that goes far beyond raising funds, traveling hundreds of miles, and preparing meals for thousands of hikers each year. He creates a safe space at each road side stop for all who visit his table. The seating around his traveling van opens the thru hiking culture dialect for all to connect. Though Appalachian Trail hikers come from all over the world and different walks of life, we are all part of a community that care for one another. You can feel that genuine connection in Fresh Ground’s presence. You won’t find better bacon and blueberry pancakes on trail just below the golden rainbow above his van. One may never know of The Leapfrog Cafe’s whereabouts, which makes it even more trail-magical when you stumble upon it.

Filling up on FG’s Leapfrog Cafe burritos!

Joyce & Alyssa of Cafe on Broadway

Lucky Penny, Joyce, Alyssa, Prickleberry

A mother/daughter team who have owned and run Cafe on Broadway for 10 years were two unlikely angels. Joyce and Alyssa went out of their way to make sure we were well taken care of when we stopped in their cafe on a hot mid morning. The section through Wind Gap was particularly dry and we didn’t have enough water to boil for our morning coffee & oatmeal. We made our way off trail and walked into town for some much needed nourishment. This cafe does advertise “hiker friendliness,” but they went out of their way to show us kindness and respect despite our disheveled, stinky and dirty appearances. Both made sure we drank enough water, filled up our travel water bottles, let us clean up in the bathroom, charge our devices, and then gave us a free ride back to the trail. Their Vanilla Latte and Greek Quesadilla was to die for!!

The Hostels

Ironmasters Mansion

Ironmasters Mansion, just past the official AT halfway marker, was my daughter’s first hostel experience. She described it as what she would imagine having a house full of siblings or cousins; lights-out at hiker midnight, sharing a bathroom, listening to various snores and farts, and the smells of dirty wet feet. She joked that the mansion reminded her of a “little hiker village orphanage” and we had happily immersed ourselves in it. The hostel was 100% full the night we stayed. We were all drying out from several days of continuous rain. Ironmasters is an iconic thruhiker hostel, home to The Appalachian Trail Museum and the a Half Gallon Ice cream Challenge. The caretaker is very kind and you can’t beat a $25/$35 night stay.

Appalachian Trail Museum at Pine Grove Furnace and Ironmaster’s Mansion Hostel

The Lookout Hostel

The Lookout Hostel, just a few yards from the trail was a welcomed reprieve for our second and last zero day in PA after we had spent 11 days in a row hiking on trail. “Yardsale” and her husband purchased the property (formerly a small roadside diner) with a beautiful view. Yardsale has covered many miles on the trail with her daughter and in turn created a hiker haven that feels like a true mountain retreat. The Lookout has all the amenities a thru-hiker desires; resupply, hot shower, fresh linens, washer/dryer, free breakfast, clean loaner clothes, comfortable living space furniture, shuttling, and above all – open arm hospitality to all those who walk through the door. This is a must stop hostel in PA! Yardsale is a true gem.

The Lookout Hostel

New Faces on Trail

PA was filled with several Flip Floppers that started their journeys at Harpers Ferry in April- Hambone, Jazzy, Luna, Nate, Rooster, Wayfinder and others. We also found ourselves intertwined with a group of Springer Mtn NOBO’s just past Caledonia all the way through to the end of PA. Hikers in this bubble had pushed mileage into 35 + mile days, participated in the 4 State Challenge, and the 24 Hour Challenge.

Their high spirits triggered an athletic mindset within me that I thought I had long retired in marathon running days. We began waking and packing up camp earlier to push longer mileage. Which was all fun and games until the terrain in PA became more challenging.

Hiking in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania River near Tom’s Run Shelter

It rained on and off consistently the first week we were hiking in Pennsylvania. Though the difficult rock terrain did not begin until after Dunncannon, the trail was a river which lead to several nights in a row of drying out our trail runners just to get them soaked the very next day. It began to wear on our mental state. For the first time, I had thoughts of quitting after hiking over 800 miles.I had to pull out the tools I previously learned – my list from reading Appalachian Trials:

Why am I thru hiking?
What would it be like if I chose to quit?
NEVER make the decision to quit on a bad day.

Bake Oven Knob

Lehigh Gap; The climb out of Palmerton, PA

On our last day in PA hiking into Delaware Water Gap we were treated with a beautiful parting gift from this state. A young black bear playfully ran across the trail. In the distance we watched mama bear curiously acknowledge our presence. She slowly walked in the other direction as to give us permission to hike on before she rejoined her cub.
Instagram Video of our Pennsylvania Bear Encounter on The Appalachian Trail

A perfect gift for mother’s day as my daughter and I finished the second longest state on the Appalachian Trail together. Pennsylvania will forever be one of my favorites.

“Climb the mountain not to plant your flag, but to embrace the challenge, enjoy the air and behold the view. Climb it so you can see the world, not so the world can see you.” ~David McCullough Jr.

Happy Adventuring,

Joanne Gigliotti, “Lucky Penny” on the AT

Affiliate Disclosure

This website contains affiliate links, which means The Trek may receive a percentage of any product or service you purchase using the links in the articles or advertisements. The buyer pays the same price as they would otherwise, and your purchase helps to support The Trek’s ongoing goal to serve you quality backpacking advice and information. Thanks for your support!

To learn more, please visit the About This Site page.

Source link

Pennsylvania

Fire breaks out overnight in Quakertown

Published

7 hours ago

January 17, 2025

Press Room

We’re following a developing story out of Quakertown.

Crews have been on the scene of a fire in Bucks County.

The fire was reported around midnight at the 100 block of Pacific Drive in Quakertown.

The fire is reported to have broken out inside a commercial building.

Dispatchers say firefighters from multiple companies were working on putting out hotspots once the bulk of the fire was out.

We are working to learn more details on what caused the fire and if there are any injuries.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

Source link

Pennsylvania

Pa. Consumer Advocate resigns, claiming utilities lobbied for his ouster

Published

15 hours ago

January 17, 2025

Press Room

Pa. Consumer Advocate resigns, claiming utilities lobbied for his ouster

Talk of lobbying against Cicero by utilities

The investor publication speculated Sunday’s win would likely mean a move to a “more moderate” Consumer Advocate.

“We view this as an indicator of the water industry’s strong political influence in Pennsylvania, which is a key factor that has enabled the state to consistently rank among the most attractive states for water utilities to do business,” Northcoast Research wrote.

The letter of support for Cicero includes signatures by the Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Association, which represents more than 700 municipal authorities statewide, the publicly owned Chester Water Authority, the Pennsylvania Utility Law Project, Community Legal Services and several housing, health and environmental organizations.

In his resignation letter, Cicero said the “utilities’ actions” and Sunday’s decision to open the position to other candidates “cannot be separated.”

“Collectively, they challenge the integrity and independence of the office and erode the public trust in the impartiality of the regulatory process and signal a concerning shift, where public accountability and consumer protection are subordinate to corporate interests,” Cicero wrote.

Sunday’s statement did not directly address these allegations, but said his administration will prioritize “having a capable, unbiased and apolitical” Consumer Advocate to protect the interests of consumers.

“Its work is vital to all Pennsylvanians, especially the most vulnerable among us,” Sunday said. “I look forward to an open and transparent process that includes feedback from all interested parties and individuals.”

A spokesperson for Sunday’s transition team declined to answer questions about whether utilities had asked Sunday to replace Cicero.

Several utilities are represented on Sunday’s transition committee. Members include David Kralle, a registered lobbyist for Peoples Gas, Aqua Pennsylvania and parent company Essential Utilities; David Fisfis, general counsel and vice president of energy policy at Duquesne Light Company; and Carolina DiGiorgio, vice president of government and external relations at PECO.

Sunday is also inviting consumer advocacy organizations to join the transition committee and seeking feedback on what to look for in the next Consumer Advocate, he said in his statement.

PECO and Duquesne Light did not respond to a request for comment.

Aqua America declined to comment on Cicero’s resignation as well as on Kralle’s participation in Sunday’s transition committee.

In a statement, American Water said it was not involved in the process.

“Pennsylvania American Water is committed to transparency and maintaining the trust of our customers and stakeholders,” spokesperson Gary Lobaugh said in an email. “Pennsylvania American Water has not been involved in any efforts to influence the selection or retention of the Consumer Advocate. Our focus remains on providing reliable and high-quality service to our customers, and we respect the independent processes that govern the appointment of the Consumer Advocate.”

A Consumer Advocate who scrutinized the water sale process

Acquisitions of aging municipal water supplies by investor-owned utilities are increasing across the United States and in Pennsylvania as some municipalities struggle to upgrade infrastructure to meet new drinking water standards.

But purchases of municipal systems by companies often come with a higher cost to consumers — something Cicero has not been quiet about. Several states, including Pennsylvania, have passed fair market value laws, which allow companies to factor in the potential future value of a utility when purchasing it, pay above the price and essentially recover the cost of inflated acquisition prices through rate increases.

A Cornell University study of the 500 largest community water systems in the U.S. found that Pennsylvania has some of the highest utility bills following privatization.

Investor-owned utilities often argue privatization is necessary to “save” struggling municipal-owned systems. Though Cicero does not oppose privatization when necessary, he has argued Pennsylvania’s fair market value law allows companies to purchase “perfectly viable” systems for the sake of making more money.

“We are not anti-privatization, and we are not against well-thought-out consolidation and regionalization,” he said during a 2023 state House committee hearing on legislation aiming to amend the state’s fair market value laws. “What we oppose is privatization for its own sake — and privatization and consolidation at any cost or regardless of the cost to consumers.”

On a number of occasions, Cicero has pointed to dramatically increasing water and wastewater costs in Pennsylvania. In fact, fair market value laws have cost consumers more than $85 million more each year than they would have paid without the law.

Cicero’s Office of Consumer Advocate has settled several privatization cases before the PUC, essentially agreeing to allow them to go forward. But he has thrown a wrench in at least two.

In 2023, the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court sided with Cicero and reversed the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission’s approval of Aqua Pennsylvania’s purchase of East Whiteland Township’s sewer system for nearly $55 million. Cicero argued the PUC failed to prove the acquisition would provide a public benefit, and that it would raise wastewater costs for thousands of ratepayers.

Early last year, when Pennsylvania American Water applied to the PUC to buy the borough of Brentwood’s sewer system, Cicero urged the commission to approve the application only if it would provide “substantial, affirmative benefits to the public.” He argued PA American had not met its burden of proof that the acquisition would benefit the public interest. The PUC ultimately denied PA American’s acquisition request.

Source link

Pennsylvania

Body camera video shows Pennsylvania police officers rescue 2 dogs trapped in frozen pond

Published

23 hours ago

January 16, 2025

Press Room

Body camera video shows Pennsylvania police officers rescue 2 dogs trapped in frozen pond

Police in Easttown Township, Pennsylvania, are being called heroes after body camera video captured them saving two dogs from an icy pond.

The daring rescue happened Friday around 3 p.m. on Waynesbrooke Road.

In the video, you can hear the sad sound of one of the dogs whimpering as the officers spring into action to rescue the animals from the freezing water.

Officers say when they got to the scene they found two black labs. One of them was not far from the bank, they say, but the other needed to be rescued first after swimming to a much deeper end of the pond.

“If they weren’t able to get themselves out, they may have drowned,” said Charles Burdsall, one of the responding officers.

Burdsall says it was the first call they ever received for a water rescue in Easttown Township. He says their hearts were racing the entire time but they didn’t think twice, knowing every second mattered to save the dogs.

“The only goal at the time was to get the dog out of the pond,” Burdsall said.

Their focus was not only to get the dogs out but to do so without breaking the ice. Luckily, the officers say neighbors were able to give them a ladder and a pole that proved to be exactly what they needed to pull the dogs out.

“[The dog’s] neck was touching the ice. [Burdsall] couldn’t get too close to the dog. We figured the ice was thinner there and we didn’t want him falling in. It was a pretty amped up situation,” Kevin Oreskovich with Easttown Township Police said.

The dogs are doing fine and were reunited with their owner, the officers said.

The officers are now being celebrated as heroes.

“It was rewarding. It felt good,” Oreskovich said.

“Being able to help them when they were in distress,” Burdsall said, “that was big for me.”

Source link