Next month I will be heading out to PA to hike the STS loop. I had started it 2 years ago, but the first night out, had the freak experience of my stove not mating properly to my fuel can, so I bailed, rather than spend the whole week without a stove. I got back to my car and had to find a walmart to replace either my stove, or can or both. I replaced the can, which mated to my stove fine, and instead of going back to the STS, I did the Quehanna trail for the second time.
Pennsylvania has some beautiful trails, some of which are loops, which make logistics easy.
The STS is no different, it is an 83 mile loop that is about as remote as it gets on the east coast,and includes Hammersley Wild Area, one of the longest roadless stretches of trail in the east. I expect to do it over 6-7 days, and expect to see more wildlife than people.

tomcatsadventures.com/2020/06/…MVCYnpTyi5qAgllcZSX8d_2xk

I'm heading back to the STS loop tomorrow to finish it.
Last time out I bailed out at Cross Fork, because my phone was dead(which is also my camera), and I had forgotten my charging cord.This time out, I'm starting at Ol Bull State Park, which is around 25 miles before Cross Fork, and heading clockwise through Hammersley Wild Area
They say the third time is the charm.
It's a beautiful trail, not well traveled, but their trail club does an awesome job.
I called yesterday to arrange a shuttle, and when I asked how much, she told me she just does it for free, and any donation is purely voluntary.

It was just too hot.
I left my car at Denton Hill and got a shuttle to Ole Bull State Park from a lady, Wanda, who also happens to be the President of the Susquehannock trail club. I climbed 5 miles up the hill to stay at Spook Hollow Shelter,where I stayed in the spring.The trail was very different now, green ferns carpeting the forest floor, and with the trees all leafed out, little in the way of views. The spring I had found then was now dry, as were some of the other springs and streams, so water was a bit of an issue. In the morning I got water from a spring house near a hunting camp a.mile down, and carried almost 4 liters, as I wasn't sure when the next source would be. Turned out to be a good move, didn't find water till mid afternoon, and I was sweating buckets. I stayed at Scoval Branch shelter again, as in the spring, but the source there was dry as well..luckily, there was a full gallon cached at the shelter, so I had enough for dinner and breakfast.
That night a chipmunk decided to make scratching noises on the shelter walls at random times during the night and i slept off and on till dawn. I was hot, tired, sweaty,and decided I'd get some lunch in Cross Fork and see if I could get a room at the motel for the night.The stretch of trail between Scoval branch and Cross fork was badly overgrown with nettles and ferns, and the footing was tedious. I got to cross fork right before noon, and got a ham and cheese hero at the store. After lunch, i headed over to the motel to see about a room, but there as some music festival coming in that weekend and the owner told me he couldn't accommodate me.
So I started to head up the hill to Hammersley wild area, but almost instantly remembered I'd forgotten to dump my trash and headed back to town.I went back to the store where I had gotten lunch as the sky started to darken. It was 1:30 and I had to do 5+ miles to the next campsite, including a 1200 ft climb out of Cross Fork.I was feeling tired and sweaty, and decided I'd had enough.I called Wanda to see if she could shuttle me back to my car, and she told me she would be there in an hour. I got a large cup of Handmade Chocolate ice cream and sat outside to wait. Just as Wanda arrived, the skies opened up and the rain came down in sheets. Wanda then made an offer for me to stay at her house for the next few nights, and she would slack pack the remaining sections of the trail every day so that I could finish.It was an amazingly generous offer, and I thought about it, but with the forecast for the next few days still in the mid 90s, i had to decline, and told her I may take up her offer again in the spring.
She dropped me at my car at the Northern Gateway. She didn't charge for the shuttles, but I gave her $20 each time for gas money. Wanda is a true trail angel.
I drove to Williamsport and booked a night in a holiday inn. Showered and went out to have a nice steak dinner.

The next morning, I wasn't ready to go home yet, so I checked my maps for a hike where it might be a bit cooler. I found Bald Eagle State Park about a 45 minute ride away, with campgrounds. I hoped it might be a bit cooler near the lake, so I drove out there to check it out. Campsites need to be reserved, so I went into the park office to check availability, and the ranger was able to pick out a spot for me in the campground on the southern side of the lake. He told me I had to wait until after 12 to check into the site, so I had a few hours to kill. I went down to the lake side and hung out near the beach area for a few hours, as the temperature continued to climb.
Around 12:30, I drove to the campground on the other side of the lake. It wasn't a bad site, had a water pump nearby, and rest rooms a short walk away, but it was already in the mid 90s,and I really couldn't see just sitting there in the heat until nightfall, there was no view of the lake from the site,so I decide I'd had enough.

It was now a little late for me to drive the 5 1/2 hours home, so I booked a room at Shawnee Inn on the Delaware, and break my trip into 2 parts.
I got there about a half hour before the heavens opened up and a violent t storm moved through.
Another hot shower and good dinner later, i slept well that night, and returned home Thursday.

I still have yet to do what is supposed to be the nicest stretch of the trail.

This trail has little in the way of rewards, almost no views, no waterfalls, but those streams were heaven in the heat

A couple of notes for those considering doing the STS.
If you start out at the Northern Gateway in Denton Hill State Park, the town of Cross Fork is just past the midway mark, and a good place to leave a food drop.
The trail is challenging, with a number of 2-300 ft hills that you travel up and down, making it more challenging than it looks.
Certain areas are difficult for maintainers to get to. I found the trail easier in the early spring than summer, when trails became overgrown in spots. Also,what limited views there are are clearer in the spring before the trees leaf out.
Water was abundant in early April. Many sources were dry last week.
And if you need a shuttle, Wanda was just amazing. She does not charge anything for shuttles, but will accept donations.She has section hiked much of the AT, and is president of the STC.
All 3 times I've been out on this trail, i met no other hikers.
I had no cell service at all(ATT) although they told me verizon may be able to get a signal in spots). The small store in town let me use their phone to call Wanda.