2/25/04- The trail crosses US 11 over a pedestrian bridge. There is no parking whatsoever at this location. Starting north the trail travels through a narrow parcel of wooded land for .6m before crossing along the border of an open field. Near by is a power substation located in the same field. You can hear the loud noise of traffic. You exit the field down a rutted road pathway. This ends at Bernhensel Bridge road. The trail takes a left parallel along the road in the direction of a bridge that crosses over I81. There is a wide driveway before the bridge that leads down to a large dairy farm. The only potential parking area at this juncture of the trail would be a recreational field located to your right, south ¼ mile along Berhensal Bridge Road, across the road from the entrance road to the power substation. Total distance traveled .7 miles.

2/26/04- Crossing over I81 along Berhensal Bridge Road the trail crosses to the east side of the bridge before leaving the paved road. The trail then continues to move further away from the road as it crosses a large field. The trail travels parallel to the road for .3 miles. Blaze posts direct the way. The trail then rejoins the road, then immediately crosses over again to the other side at a corner. The trail then enters the first of three open cow pastures at a large farm. Utilizing fence ladders, the distance across the field is .3 miles. There are blaze posts in each field directing the way. The trail enters an area of low brush, before making its way into a wooded area. At this point you are following along the flood plain of the nearby Conudoquinet Creek. As the trail moves further along, you began to draw once more closer to the Berhensal Bridge Road, until you are right below the guide rail. The trail emerges out of the woods where the road has made a sweeping curve, before crosses a bridge over the Conudoquinet Creek. There is a footpath along the road-side. After crossing over the creek bridge, the trail then takes a sharp right across the road and immediately enters the woods. Total distance traveled 1.5 miles.

3/3/04- After crossing over the Conudoquinet Creek bridge, on the side the Berhensal Bridge Road, the trail then takes a sharp left as it leaves the footpath and travels under the bridge. The trail follows the profile of the river as it takes a level path and makes its way through a thinly wooded area. The trail was muddy from recently melted snow. Boards had been placed on wet sections of the trail. Trail maintenance had provided drainage outlets. The trail crossed over stream beds over well constructed foot bridges. The trail leaves the wooded area after .3m, goes over a foot bridge and then travels along side a grown field for a short portion, before entering back into a new growth area. After .7 the trail crosses over a gas right-away and then as the Conudoquinet Creek bends to the right the trail then bends away to the left and follows along side a stream bed. The trail exits the wooded area at Sherwood drive, turns east .1m, and crosses over the road. It then climbs up a set of steps and then re-enters the woods. The trail stays above the stream bed as it follows its way through a wooded area above the stream bed. After another .4m the trail passes over a gas right-way, a house to the right, and then turns left as it crosses over a large foot bridge and runs along the border of a well overgrown field for a short ways. The trail then crosses over the creek over well placed rocks and takes a slight ascend. It goes through a stone slave wall. Traffic sounds start to become loud at this point. Passing first a house to the right, then one to the left the trail winds its ways for .3 miles from the creek crossing until it emerges at route 944. This is a busy highway on a hill portion of road bed, with parking signs posted on both sides of the highway. Total distance traveled 2 miles

3/10/04- At Ridge road there is a large foot bridge on the north side as you enter the woods. After winding through this wooded area for less then .3m the trail turns right and briefly travels along the corner of a corn field before passing through a boundary into and along side a large field. There are stately homes across the field to the left. The trail then enters a area of brush before arriving at a foot bridge. A large algae covered pond was on the left. Distanced travel is less then a mile at this point. The trail then soon exits the woods as it crosses over Old Stonehouse road and then travels over a fence ladder into a field. Traveling through the middle of this field for .2m the path reenters a wooded area, with a small cemetery surrounded by an old rusted fence and old faded head stones to the right. The trail exits down a small hill into a field and turns left. If you look to your right you will see a large slave wall. The trail goes down the middle of this smaller field and then through a long large field for .2m, before entering a more remotely wooded area. The trail then crosses over Appalachian Drive and reenters a narrow wooded area. After crossing a dirt access road the trail drops down out of the woods onto Appalachian Drive once more. The trail turns left and goes .2m along the road as it crosses a bridge over the I76 Pennsylvania turnpike. The trail turns to the left off the road at the end of a slave wall and enters along side a large corn field. Before exiting the road if you were to look across the road, hided in the tree line is a picnic table provided for the weary hiker. The trail goes down the end of the field and then turns right down the side traveling for a distance of .3 miles. Then it crosses over set of railroad tracks and along side a field for .2m before turning left as it at enters a new growth area, crosses a right-away and continues through a narrow wooded area. After crossing through a slave wall the trail arrives at a foot bridge that crosses over Route11. Total distance traveled 3 miles.

3/11/04- The trail crosses Route 641 Trindle Road, with a large Appalachian Trail sign situated on the south side of the road. Traveling north I crossed through the middle of a large open corn field and through a boundary into a smaller corn field. The trail briefly crosses along side a third corn field before the path enters and winds its way through a new growth wooded area. There were several dog and horse tracks in this area. After traveling for .4m I exited the woods and the trail continued down the side of a rather large corn field. Stately homes were off in the distance to the right. After traveling the length of this field and turning right to go down the far end for .4m, the trail then crosses a access road, before it then briefly reenter the woods and emerges onto Ridge road. Total distance traveled 1.3 miles.

3/24/04-The trial crosses Lisborn Road, a narrow county road. There is an excellent parking area here, the best I.ve so far encountered in this area. The trail bends to the right as it crosses along side a field and through the corner of another field, before bending to the left as it reenters a wooded area at .2m. The path of travel is straight as you go further along into the woods. This is when you began to notice that the trail actually travels along side a very old slave wall that is grown over with brambles in some places and is a pile of stones in other areas. This slave wall is a feature of much of this section, as the trail finds path on either side for the next .5m. The trail crosses through the wall, then crosses over Boyer Road at .5m and reenters the woods. After paralleling the wall for another .2 miles, the woods begin to narrow as the trail crosses over a stream bed on a flat wooded platform bridge. The trail winds up hill, with a farm barn to the left. At a break in the stone wall the trail turns left and down the side of a field, before turning right once more and crossing over the center top of this dome shaped field. The trail descends to the left to a road crossing near an Appalachian Trail sign on Trindle Road Route 641. Total distance traveled .9 miles.

4/14/04-The trial crosses York Road, Route 74, a narrow county road. There are still the remains of two sides of a stone structure, existing near where the trail crosses the road. The trail passes through a narrow grass corridor before it arrives at a fence ladder at less then .1 miles. It crosses through the middle of a grassy field for less then .2 miles and then once more over another fence ladder. The trail then winds along the edge of a thinly wooded area. It exits along side a large corn field. The trail then travels along the length of this field for .4 miles, before arriving at Lisborn Road, a narrow county road. Total distance traveled 1 mile.

4/16/04 In preparation of a scheduled hike at the Stony Creek Rail Trail the following day, I decided to camp on the AT above the town of Dauphin, PA. I parked at a large parking area on the north side of a pedestrian AT bridge crossing over Route 225. Hiking north, the trail winds through wooded area. It passes immediately along side a utility building. It then travels a level course through the woods before taking a very slight down, then likewise gradual up. The trail splits at this point, going to either side of a large rock outcropping. At the center of this area to the west sits a high tension electrical tower. Primitive camp sites are situated on either side of this rocky area. I found a level cleared area to the west side, before the tower, to spend the night. I had youth company earlier in the night, so I wouldn't recommend this location if you prefer not to be disturbed. Total distance traveled 1 mile.

This concludes my time spent taking in the local AT near Carlisle, PA. I found it an absolutely great way to occupy an evening, before closing up in a motel room.

Charlie J

All images by Charlie Johnson.