He would not be far from the halfway point of Pine Grove Furnace at this point. Hikers can stop here to rest and tradition has them eating a half gallon of ice cream. Seems he was seen before trenching there. By another hiker I wonder?
Pine Grove Furnace General Store's Half-Gallon Challenge - AppalachianTrail.com
*Autocorrect changed my word and I did not catch it - I did mean reaching there, not trenching there.
DH and I have hiked these parts of the AT and I don't recall it being extremely difficult. Of course, it is still possible to become lost or injured on any trail. There seem to be many shelters along the way, picnic grounds and entrance points for the AT. Perhaps he took a break and headed off into a town or took a side trail. JMO
Here is a link with description of trail from PA-MD border to Rocky Mountain Shelter. Last few days (until this rainy weekend) have been warm and sunny so I'd think there'd be day hikers as well as thru-hikers out there already. Hoping there are more sightings of him and he is safe.
AT in PA - Michaux State Forest
After crossing the Maryland border, which is the "Mason-Dixon Line", the trail reaches Pen Mar Road in 0.1 miles, which is the start of this section. Between 1763 and 1767 Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon surveyed the border between Pennslyvania and Maryland to resolve a dispute between the then "provinces". The Mason-Dixon Line became known at the border between northern and southern states.
From Pen Mar Road (traveling north), at 0.1 miles turn left off power line ROW and descend into the woods. At 0.4 miles, pass an old stone wall on the left then cross old trolley line road bed that once served Pen Mar Park. At 0.6 miles cross Falls Creek on a bridge.
At 1.0 miles cross Buena Vista Road and at 2.2 miles the trail crosses Old PA 16. The AT soon crosses the southern boundary of Michaux State Forest and crosses Red Run on a log bridge. At 2.5 miles the trail crosses PA 16. At 2.7 miles the trail turns left and follows Mentzer Gap Road for 200 feet.
At 3.1 miles the trail crosses Rattlesnake Run Road. At 4.6 miles the trail passes Deer Lick Shelters. There are two shelters, built in the 1940s, that sleep four in each shelter and a privy nearby. At 7.0 miles the trail crosses East Branch of Antietam Creek with Antietam Shelter to the right. The shelter was built in 1940, sleeps six with a privy nearby.
At 7.1 miles the trail reaches the edge of Old Forge Picnic Grounds. There is parking for ten cars nearby and water. At 7.4 miles the trail crosses Rattlesnake Run Road. At 8.0 miles the trail turns right on paved Old Forge Road and soon turns left off the road. This is a popular trailhead for day hikers who explore Chimney Rocks.
At 8.2 miles the Tumbling Run Shelters are 100 feet to the left. The two shelters were built in 1988-1989, each sleeps four and a privy is located nearby. At 9.5 miles reach the junction of a blue blazed trail near the summit of Buzzard Peak that leads to Chimney Rocks.
At 12.1 miles cross Snowy Mountain Road. At 12.7 miles turn left on Swamp Road and in 500 feet turn right off the road. At 13.1 miles cross PA 233. At 14.8 miles reach a blue blazed side trail that leads 0.3 miles downhill to the Rocky Mountain Shelters. The two shelters, built in 1989, sleep four in each shelter and a privy nearby.
