Our Stories

Epic 50th Birthday Hike

By David Gill

In July 2020, I was turning 50 years old and wanted to do something epic that I would remember. I planned to backpack 100 miles.

“Now where do I complete this hike?” I thought. I have completed the Quehanna Trail once before and felt due again, but that loop is only 75 miles so it wouldn’t be long enough for my plan.

I opened a few backpacking books and found the ANF 95. The North Country Trail winds nearly 100 miles through the Allegheny National Forest. I read that if I completed 95 miles, I could receive a commemorative patch from the Allegheny Outdoor Club. This was it! If I added on a few extra miles, I would have my 100.

So, I spent 10 days and 10 nights hiking 102 miles from the Maple Creek Trailhead to the New York state line, then back to the Route 346 Trailhead.

I got dropped off late in the evening and found the Maple Creek Shelter to be a great staging location to start my journey. I pitched my tent inside the shelter to ward off mosquitos and got a great night of sleep. Shelters provided by the NCTA Allegheny National Forest Chapter are well placed along the trail. Whether you use one to sleep overnight or for lunch, to get out of the sun, or to kick your boots off, the shelters are usually kept clean and dry. They also generally have a good water source nearby.

But sometimes plans don’t work out. I found the next stream bone dry. No cooked meal for me that night – just a power bar and granola for dinner. Fortunately, I found water elsewhere the next day and for the duration of the trip.

I made good time and thoroughly enjoyed this landscape. What an epic way to ring in 50 years!