Pennsylvania offers something challenging and beautiful for every type of hiker or backpacker. Here are my top 3 fall hikes in PA.

1. Rickett’s Glen State Park

flickr: skylove...busy

Aside from the typical beauty of changing foliage and abundant wildlife in this state park 25 miles west of Wilkes-Barre, PA, you’ll be awe-struck by over 25 waterfalls ranging from just a few feet to the 94-foot tall Ganoga Falls. The most popular fall hike is the Glens Natural Area Hike, a 7.4 mile loop that goes uphill roughly 1,250 feet before leveling off and descending equally back to the trailhead. Tip: Rapidly becoming one of PA’s top fall hikes means it can get pretty crowded, especially on weekends. Try a Tuesday or Wednesday if you want to experience the trail without too much human distraction.  Click here for more information on hiking Rickett’s Glen.

2. Loyalsock Trail, World’s End State Park

flickr: Nicholas_T

Located on and around the Loyalsock Creek near Forksville, PA, this stunning state park offers many short trails for day hikes, as well as a decent chunk of the 59-mile Loyalsock Trail. Whether in the steep creek valley surrounded by changing leaves along the rapids, or atop the ridge lines that converge to give you a view of the reminiscent of the “end of the world”, you’re sure to find a challenging and beautiful trail, making this a top fall hike for many in the Northeast. Tip: Try the 9.1 mile Loyalsock Trail to Alpine Falls loop for a real calf-burner with rewarding vistas at nearly every turn.

3. The Pinnacle, Appalachian Trail

flickr: kabrower

Pennsylvania’s portion of the Appalachian Trail has a well-earned reputation for being a boring, rocky, joint-busting stretch of trail with limited views of the surrounding land. There are some real gems, though, and The Pinnacle overlook near Hamburg, PA is perhaps the best vista on the Appalachian Trail in PA, and a top fall hike in the region. The Furnace Creek trail offers a 8.5 mile loop with stops at Pulpit Rock and The Pinnacle overlook, with it’s 270-degree view of the PA countryside in all it’s autumn glory.

Technorati Tags: top fall hikes, top hikes in pa, ricketts glen, loyalsock trail, worlds end state park, pinnacle appalachian trail

Ted over at the Daily Dirt reports on the CarboPouch, which boast such features as, well, BEING ABLE TO TRANSPORT BEER INTO THE WOODS!  Yah, I know…sweet.  A company appropriately named Beverage Pouch Group manufactures this wonderful product at, among other places, Germany.  Vince the ShamWow guy isn’t kidding when he says, “the Germans always make good stuff.”  Cheers, hikers!

It’s hard to find a good hiking podcast.  There’s some quality content out there, but most of it is either out of date or very rarely updated.  To save you some time, here are 5 relevant, high quality, info-packed, entertaining hiking podcasts for your listening and viewing pleasure.  I know there’s more out there, so if you’d like to rep your favorite hiking podcast, do so in the comments below!

(Note:  This list is hiking/backpacking-specific.  There are a few awesome mountaineering podcasts out there which I will feature in a future post)

1.  Backpacking Light Podcast

Audio & Video
Podcast page
Updated 1/week

If you’re into gear, this is your kind of podcast.  The team at BackpackingLight are pros and this podcast enhances their reputation.

2.  ATHiking… the Podcast

Audio
Podcast page

AT veteran Toothless provides awesome tips and advice, as well as some interesting historical info about the trail, in an often humorous, never dull style.
Updated avg 1-2/mo.

3.  Compass Points TV

Video
Podcast page
YouTube channel:  Compass Points TV
Updated 2/month

News reporter, freelance travel writer and avid hiker Dave Pidgeon takes you with him as he explores trails both domestic and international.  At times he’s filming himself “Survivorman” style, other times he’s with a hiking partner, but the content is always extremely well-done, entertaining and informative.

4.  Practical Backpacking Podcast

Audio
Podcast page

This informative backpacking podcast features interviews with experts and (as the title states) practical tips and advice for backpackers at every experience level.

5.  Doing Stuff Outdoors Podcast

Audio
Podcast page
2/month
Although not specific to hiking, there’s plenty of great content here.  Start with these ‘casts:

“Hike Naked Day & Being Followed by a Horse on the Appalachian Trail”

“Hiking a Section of the Appalachian Trail with Toothless”

6.  SouthEastern Backpackers Podcast

Audio
Podcast page
Weekly updates (sometimes more)
From iTunes review page, user ShugSean writes:

With the sound of a fire popping in the background, Rylan and Golden talk about trips they have taken and trips yet to take. Pro’s and cons on gear that they have tried. You can feel the passion as they talk about their love of the piney woods. Wonderful conversational tone and these fellows don’t come off as “know it alls” about backpacking. Fun and imformative!

Add a little variety to your trail lunch with Trail Quesadillas, and the best/most easiest version is this one from TrailCooking.com. The ingredients are simple:  tortillas and 2 packs of little cheese cubes.  That’s it.  All you need is a medium-sized titanium pan (gotta keep it lightweight!), a stove and an appetite. Watch Sarah from TrailCooking make it from scratch:

Do you have a favorite trail quesadilla recipe to share?  Add to the comments below!

Photo via BackpackingLight.com

Sam Haraldson from Backpacking Light Magazine came up with the idea of making his own camera case from bubble wrap and duct tap before he tackled the Pacific Northwest Trail back in the summer of 2006.  He thought it was a dud but decided to take it anyway, and to his surprise it lasted all 1,200 miles of the PNT.  Cheap, lightweight, durable and one more example of why duct tape rocks–visit BackpackingLight.com and learn how to make your own.

Photo from NY Times

If you’re a purist who hates any kind of gadgetry on the trail, you’ve probably become increasingly frustrated over the leaps in technology that have produced smaller, lighter versions of mp3 players, gps units and cell phones, leading to their meteoric rise in use in the wilderness over the last few years.  Well, it’s about to get worse–or if you’re a gadget-lover like me, it’s about to get more AWESOME.  North Carolina-based Semprius has developed an ultra-tiny, ultrathin, ultra-bitchin’ version of a solar cell which could be interwoven into your clothes, pack, hat, or pretty much anywhere else, giving you all the power you need without having to carry around batteries or stop in town to recharge.  The possibilities are endless.  NYTimes via Treehugger

Meatball hates waking up but loves his breakfast

If you’re like me, you love backpacking to a remote location, setting up camp, cooking dinner, then falling asleep to the serene (and sometimes scary) sounds of the backwoods.  If you’re like me, you also dread the waking-up part, because that means stepping out into the cold air, cleaning up camp and walking up more mountains on legs flush with lactic acid buildup.  For you non-morning hikers, here are 5 excellent lightweight, simple to prepare, downright delicious trail recipes to make your AMs just a little easier.

Bacon & eggs in a bag

Recipe 1: Berry Berry Wrap

Berry Berry Tasty!

Summary: This one’s from One Pan Wonders. Need extra incentive to get out of your shelter and tackle the next ridge climb? Believe me, you’ll want to wake up for this.

Ingredients

• 1 plain tortilla
• 1 single serving packet cream cheese
• 1 tablespoon dried blueberries
• 1 tablespoon dried cranberries

Instructions

1. At home: wrap the tortilla in foil.  Combine the blueberries and cranberries in a zip locking plastic bag. Put the cream cheese in the bag too.
2. In camp: spread cream cheese on the tortilla. Top with the berries. Roll and eat.

Meal type: breakfast

Trailsauce rating: 4.0 stars

Of course, after making one of these delicious recipes you have to clean up.  Check out Hiking In Style for an incredibly easy, efficient way to clean up and pack your alcohol stove and cook ware (video).

What are your favorite breakfast recipes? Post in the comments below!