Appalachian Trail: Tott's Gap

Appalachian Trail at Tott's Gap (9/22/2012)

The last time we hiked the AT in Pennsylvania was way back in 2007 when we climbed Mount Minsi to gaze at Mount Tammany across the Delaware River. Today we returned to bag a couple of vistas indicated on the 2012 edition of the NYNJTC Kittatinny Map #120: Lunch Rocks and the Nelson Overlook. That was the plan anyway. But as often occurs on the AT ridges of the Kittatinnies, the weather didn't cooperate. When we arrived at the gate on the southern end of Tott's Gap Road we could see the ridge engulfed in a soupy mist. Walking up the gravel road to the AT, we couldn't see the communications tower near the intersection. And heading south on the AT we saw nothing at Lunch Rocks and nothing at the Nelson Overlook. You can see only white in the first series of vista photos.

We arrived at Kirkridge shelter just before the autumnal equinox, registering in the log and then hanging out until 10:49 AM before completing the Blue shelter trail and taking the AT back north to the gravel road and back to our car. Miraculously the mist began lifting enough to give us a hint of the vistas that could have been. We were able to see a farm below us at Nelson Overlook and the communication tower from Lunch Rocks, but little else. The best views of the day came in the two telephone line cuts near the communications tower. We were able to see nice views both east and west, albeit marred by the telephone lines.

Incidentally, since the first half of our hike was during the last 100 minutes of summer, and the second half was during the first 100 minutes of autumn can I now tell everyone I know that I hiked the Appalachian Trail from summer to autumn without stopping?

Total distance hiked was 4.8 miles in just over 3 hours.

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