Sunday, January 7th 2001

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Sunday January 7th, 2001
Mount Nittany - GPS Mapping Expedition

Wow . . . winter hiking is very different than any other season. I've hiked this mountain a bunch of times, but this time it was completely different.

I was amazed at the number of animal tracks that were on the trails. While I'm only beginning to be able to identify them, I believe I saw deer, rabbits, some sort of small rodents, opossum, and either a wild cat or a lost house cat. I didn't think bob cats lived in this area, but I'm pretty sure the tracks I saw were from a cat. Of course, there were numerous human and canine prints to go around.

One of the reasons I've wanted to make a map of this mountain was proven, too. I've always suspected that people don't spend enough time on the mountain to discover the 'better' trail around the west side. When you get to the top of Mount Nittany, there are a few ways to turn, and most people hang a right to find a small rock outcropping overlooking Happy Valley, with Penn State to the left and the Mount Nittany Expressway in front of them.

What most people miss, is the blue trail that leads from there. They stick to the white trail instead, and they miss a much better view towards Tussey Ridge.

Another view people miss is on a trail that bears to the left right as one reaches the top. The problem is, you have to hike quite a way to get to the view, which happens to be at the highest point of Mount Nittany, 2067 feet by GPS, 2070 on the latest USGS Topo Map. This vista overlooks the Nittany Mall and Bald Eagle Ridge in the distance . . . it's a very nice view, but it's about a half mile further than most people want to hike after trudging up the switchbacks.

I was surprised at how easy it was to hike in the snow. Sure, it was slippery, but no more than walking down a snowy sidewalk. The rocks that usually cause you to choose your footing carefully are all but covered by the snow. The cracks are nicely filled in, too, so you can pretty much walk normally, even though the North side of the mountain is fairly rocky.

The other thing I noticed was how different everything looked. I think I'd like to try a few other trails around here that I've only hiked in the Spring, Summer and Fall to see what they look like now . . . with any luck, I won't find any bear prints!

GPS Map, 90% Complete

150k
Small red crosses are campsites, white arrows are vistas
Path color is the same as blazes