After spending the last two summers guiding clients on Alaska's waterways, it's my chance to fall to the back of the line and follow somebody else into the woods.
But instead of traveling 3,000 miles west and another 1,000 miles north to water filled with salmon, halibut and forearm-sized trout, I'm hopping in my truck and heading a couple of hours north into the heart of Penn's woods.
Best of all, you can join me.
When Curt Ashenfelter called last week and told me what his group was planning, I knew the offer was too good to resist. As the executive director of the Keystone Trails Association (KTA), this guy knows Pennsylvania's hiking trails. A chance to follow somebody like him on a guided hike is a rare opportunity.
If you've ever embarked on a hike across a new trail or through new territory, you know the hiking is sometimes the easiest part. It takes a lot of work to make a day or weekend jaunt in an area you're unfamiliar with truly successful.
You have to pack food, figure out where to start, where to sleep and most importantly how to get back to where you started. Many of us are always saying we want to explore new areas, but we don't have the time and resources to plan a relaxing, stress-free hike.
That's where Ashenfelter and the KTA come in. The group is planning a great opportunity for local hiking enthusiasts to participate on a guided hike through some of the most scenic sections of central
You don't have to worry about food, lodging, transportation or even which trail to take. The KTA and its guides -- a mix of local experts and DCNR personnel -- have it taken care of. The group has more than a dozen hikes to choose from, with difficulty levels ranging from stroll-in-the-park easy to you-gotta-be-kidding-me hard.
It all happens between July 17 and July 19 inside the Sproul State Forest in Clinton County. For a modest fee, the KTA is providing five meals (including a wine-and-cheese reception on Friday), camping and even kayaking opportunities on the west branch of the Susquehanna River.
If you've ever wanted to explore the area and hike some of Pennsylvania's most scenic trails, this is a fantastic opportunity. It's finally a chance to blame getting hopelessly lost in the woods on somebody else.
For more information on sixth annual Prowl the Sproul hiking weekend, check out KTA's Web site at www.kta-hike.org or call the group's program administrator, Becky Schreiber, at 717-238-7017.
Andy Snyder writes about the outdoors for The York Dispatch. He can be reached at sports@yorkdispatch.com. Read his blog, "The Outdoors Insider," at the Blogzone at yorkdispatch.com.
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