Minister Creek 6-Mile Loop

I took so many pictures at Minister Creek today!  Rarely do I get a Sunday off, and I wanted to make good use of it, so I headed for one of the most popular destinations in the Allegheny National Forest.

I was aware that on a Sunday in October, the trail was bound to attract a lot of day-hikers.  And truly, I've never seen the parking lot so full of cars--or the campground so empty.  

I'm not sure why they left some of the old oil works in this region standing when they created the national forest.  Some they left, others they tore down.

It has always felt like a real gap in my knowledge of this forest that I had never done the entire 6-mile loop at Minister Creek.  But I have this weird thing where I avoid anything that seems popular or trendy.  Not sure why I do it.  I've spent my whole life avoiding crowds, and this is perhaps just an expression of that.

I've even put off watching some really excellent movies and TV shows like "Breaking Bad" and "Ted Lasso" because everyone loved them, and I don't like to follow the crowds.  

Up here in the Northlands, the only trees still holding onto their leaves are the beeches and oaks.

I came here in part because I follow a YouTuber who hosted a big get-together here for a bunch of other Pennsylvania hiking YouTubers.  He called it "The Minister Meet-Up," which of course made me think, "Hey, this guy's a minister, too!"  Then it turned out that it was only so called because it took place here at Minister Creek.

I briefly asked myself why I hadn't been invited.  Does the once-respected name of Snowbelt Parson no longer carry any heft in the world of outdoors exploration?  But then I remembered that no, of course it doesn’t.  My popular blog is a thing of the distant past, and I never graduated to YouTube.  This current blog is open to the public, but few read it. I mostly just keep it for myself.  And also, it’s a blog in a day of TikTok and YouTube.

If you don’t have a drone filming you from 30 feet above your head, you’re not part of the outdoorsy club. But I think it would be soul-draining to film myself, and talk to myself, and edit videos.  

I realize that videos give you a fuller experience...but words.  I love words.  I love them more than most other things...except birds, and trees, and all the stuff I'm taking pictures of.

So, I continue keeping a record of my treks with this antiquated blog...

The boulders are truly one of the best reasons to do the entire loop at Minister Creek.  Plus, there's a kinda scenic vista and some really pleasant camping spots at the northernmost end of the loop.

I did lose the trail in one spot, but there's no losing it where is passes between rocks the size of public buildings.

The clear blue skies, the cool temperatures, the fragrance of autumn leaves.  It was a good day to be in the forest.

I passed many other hikers today, but it didn't bother me.  Hikers tend to be likeminded; most of us don't come to the woods to make friends, but we sense a kinship with anyone else who loves what we love--like a handsome hemlock.  I did the 6 miles in just under 3 hours, and would have done it a lot faster if I hadn't stopped to take so many pictures.