To Delps we go!

Hi Ho off to Delps we go!

This was a continuation of our original NOBO; northbound hike. The trail head to Delps is actually relatively easy to find from the parking area of the Blue Mountain to Lehigh Gap trail head. It is straight across the road, just be careful as you cross because cars like to “fly” up this road!

The Beginning of the trail is about a half mile or so of going up rocks, to be honest the day before the hike i was looking forward to it, but when i finally did the hike I wasn’t feeling it in the beginning. This gave us both the opportunity to test out our new packs to get a feel for the added weight and make adjustments as needed. I had the Osprey Volt 75 Liter bag which is pretty roomy but also fills up quick depending on how you pack. So i guess it was an adjustment I had to adjust to. Plus, we’d be training in the roughest part of the AT: Rocksylvania!!!!

The trail becomes less about elevation a half mile past the rocks and becomes more of a flat trek through the woods. Among the trail you can see various camping areas and a chance to see some wildlife! The trail is also great to do on a hot day since you are covered by all the trees. the trails is also perfectly blazed for easy navigation. Eventually you will come to a small clearing and will see some rocks piled if you look to right you’ll see a sign that just plainly says “VIEW”. This is probably the BEST thing about this section.!

While heading down to the view you will find a massive fire pit and a couch made out of stone. We imagined what it would be like to have a fire and chill out there. Pas the fire pit you will come out to the view which is atop a flat rock. The view overlooks many areas including Copella. We appreciated the view and took a break to admire the view, That spot there brought me back into the hike.

We pressed on down the trail and were greeting by two fellow hikers which after being on the trail for a bit felt surreal, because it was so quiet it only felt as if Kelly and I were the only people on the mountain! You will also be greeted by signs telling you how far the Leroy Smith shelter is and where the Springs are, however due to all the hot weather and no rain, there was a paper written by another hiker which read “dry”. The trail is pretty much nearing the end when you reach those signs. The trail does come out to smith gap road, by private property. there is parking near the trail and across the road which we did. I’ve heard of people parking two miles down the road to Copella in a game lands parking lot!

As a frequent user of AllTrails, which i recommend, i also do it to research the trails ahead of time, although listed as a ten miler, it’s actually a 7.1 miler. It averages at a 3.1/5, which i can see why. The trail is relatively boring and isn’t the best when compared to it predecessors (trails). At the end of the day who cares?

Honestly hiking isn’t about rating trails and such. It’s about getting out there and discovering places you haven’t been or where most people haven’t been! The quiet and the nature up there in the mountains is sometimes the thing you need, it’s good to unplug!

On a side note, as you guys know Kelly and i have been planning on getting equipment ready to do longer hike. that required more than just out small backpacks and a bottle of water. Of course we use the internet to order stuff online but didn’t want to pay top dollar for our gear! I searched online and found a resource called: Honey! Honey is like a coupon book online, I used this to save a some money on the necessities and non necessity items, i.e: sleeping bags, compression bags, clothing, running shoes, you name it. If i find something other people can use I am happy to share it! Either click the word: HONEY or click here to access it: joinhoney.com/ref/x6es8ea

Safe travels,

Mike