CTS: A 6.66 – A 14.60 Images + Report

New Pics!
Erbs Covered Bridge Images from my third day on the trai, part of my project to update the trail maps for the Conestoga Trail System. It was a gorgeous day: mid 60s and cloudless blue skies. Winds in the 5 – 12 mph range. I got in about 8 miles and then had my wife and kids pick me up for the return trip to the truck. That sure is a better way to do things instead of backtracking. Click on the pic to the left for the Gallery.

Trail Report:
The trail seems to be in fair condition, but is soggy in a lot of places. That’s to be expected along a creek bed in early Spring–we have had a bunch of rain in the past 2 weeks. Look out for electric fences! In this stretch there are several of them that you have to cross under/over as you make your way through the fields. Also, cows and horses leave behind some big piles of stuff, so tread carefully. The section from A 7.23 – A 8.10 is in need of some new or refreshed blazes. In particular once you cross Hackman Road make sure to stay on the left hand side of the treeline, along the edge of the field, and then turn right at the end of the treeline. The section from A 10.30 – A 11.00 (no blazes or cutting) is pretty rough, lots of dead-falls and snags to work through and some of the bank is being cut away by the stream. The stream is running high right now and pretty muddy. Most of the fisherman I saw today reported they had little success casting for trout.

    Some Random Thoughts:

  • It is amazing that gnats can come out so quickly, it was in the 40s early this morning and there was not a bug in sight, but by mid-afternoon they were out in force along the lowlands.
  • Also saw a ton of fisherman today, but still haven’t seen anyone hiking the CTS. Of course lots of people don’t even know that the CTS exists even if they walk or drive it every day. As I was starting out at A 6.66 (Snavely orginal mill location) I talked with the property owner for a few minutes. He had no idea that the CTS wraps right around three sides of his property, his reaction was ‘so that’s what those orange markers are for’. I ran into a couple of other folks who gave me a few strange looks as I passed them on the road side. Of course there was a tremendous volume of traffic on the back roads on a sunny Friday during fishing season: convertibles and motorcyclists abound.
  • Looking back at the pics from the past three hikes, they really don’t do the trail or the creeks justice. I should probably carry my real digital camera instead of using my camera phone but I don’t want to lose my camera to a sudden spill in the creek either. Having a zoom would be nice though. I’ll see what I can do for the next time.

1 thought on “CTS: A 6.66 – A 14.60 Images + Report

  1. Mile 6.6 is not the Original Snavely’s Mill.That was Located near mile 6.0 and is now the site of the modern multi story mill. It is still an operating mill and quite busy, operating 24/7. They get there raw materials by rail car and unload into truck at the Freight station siding in Lititz at water street(behind the Ambulance company) and then truck the wheat to the mill.
    While the building at mile 6.6 once was a mill, it is now a private residence. We would love to get the trail relocated off the road and along the creek at that point.
    I worked on clearing the section between Hackman road and Clay road the last two weeks, I will need another session to get it in better shape.

    NOte!!!! I suggest to anyone parking along the roadside, that you leave a note on your dash, stating that your hiking the conestoga trail. we’ve had a case where a hiker returned to his car to find out that it had been towed. Some of the local police officers don’t know about the trail, and that people actually use it. The new signs, usually posted at road crossings is part of our efforts to increase awareness of the trail and encourage more people to use it.
    Ken Fillo, Lancaster hiking club trail maint. co ordinator.

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