Walking with the Walrus
NEW FREEDOM PA USA VOLKSMARCH
SUNDAY, JUNE 15, 1997
On a gloriously beautiful Fathers Day Sunday, I traveled with my faithful
cohorts, canine companions India and Peaches, and my daughter Robin to New Freedom PA to walk the 10 KM volksmarch,
sponsored by the York White Rose Wanderers. I met up with my friends Bobby Miller and Al Krienik at Bobby's house in close-by northern Maryland, and we traveled on interesting back roads through the
countryside to the start point at the New Freedom Community Center. Plenty
of parking, and an inside start point with all the necessary facilities, including food, which Robin and I sampled before starting the walk.
There was a 5 km, 10 km, and 20 km option to walk. We chose the usual 10 km
trail. I later found out that the 20 km trail was not just twice around the 10 km trail, but a continuation to another town, Glen Rock, along the Rails to Trails path, which was the main attraction for today's activities.
Registration was simple and organized well, and we were out on the well-marked trail quickly. We traveled on some town streets, following the streamers, through a nice neighborhood, then down a hill to a bridge which crossed the rails to trail. We headed along the rails to trail but on a road paralleling it for about a mile till just before the Maryland border, where we turned around and onto
the rails to trail.
The rails to trail basically had one old rail on one side and a gravel path on our walking side. We shared the trail today with a lot of bikers, they usually outnumbered us on the trail. We alternated
between nicely wooded, shaded sections with sunny, open parts. Eventually we really opened up
to the downtown New Freedom section, where an unmanned checkpoint had water and a punch device for our start cards. We talked for a few minutes with a local club member on his bike. I
wondered why they didn't have a bike event with this prime walking event,
and he said they did not think about a bike event till it was too late in the sanctioning scheme of things. Also I am not sure any of the club members have a lot of experience on putting on a bike
event. Anyway, a bike event
will be definitely considered next time.
After the checkpoint, we passed by the old rail station, where they still
have dinner and mystery
theatre trains emanating from, and also further on, old train cars,
cabooses, and locomotives
on the second rail. Eventually we were back in the woods, crossing over a
few roads, stopping
by a lemonade stand for a refreshing drink, and giving the pooches a shot
at a local watering hole
that several kids were enjoying. India and Peaches did indeed cool
themselves off, but mostly just
their feet. There were also small streams running along the trail in many
spots, which gave them
the extra chances to catch a drink. Soon after the watering hole, we were
at the turnaround/only
staffed checkpoint at the small town of Railroad, PA. We met more nice club
members there, under
a shade tree on this most pleasant day. We also were advised of the
existence of Captain Bob's, an
ice cream shoppe, just a few feet away so we refreshed ourselves there with
some cold delights.
20 km walkers continued from this point on the rails to trail to the town
of Glen Rock. It sounded like
many of the 500+ walkers attending this 2 day event did actually do the
entire 20 km trail.
After returning to the unmanned checkpoint in downtown New Freedom, we
turned onto the main
street through town, Route 851, towards the finish. An old tradition of
having an uphill portion right
at the end finished off this outstanding event in grand style. The trail
was great, well-marked when
and where it had to be, plenty of help by the members of the York White
Rose Wanderers, and a
superb day weather-wise really helped make this most enjoyable. This was my
first Pennsylvania
event this year, and I got a new PA County tee shirt after finishing the
walk, along with a couple of
club t-shirts for Robin and I. Too bad they didn't have doggie t-shirts!
Peaches and India also
enjoyed the trail, as I could tell from their great smiles and sleepy,
contented manner on the way
home. It was also great to see all the great PA walkers on the trail today;
since I don't get up to this
great state I don't see them all that often. Thanks so much to the York
White Rose Wanderers
for sponsoring this volkswalking event! I hope to return with Robin soon
with our newly purchased
bikes; this is a great biking trail too! This probably will be my last walk
before convention, so who
knows when and where I will be reporting on my next walk!
Seneca Valley Sugarloafers
AVA Walking Events and Clubs
About.com Washington DC
About.com Baltimore, MD
US National and State Parks
Previous Walking With The Walrus:
Kensington, Maryland April 12, 1997C and O Canal April 19, 1997
St. Michaels, Maryland April 26, 1997
Rockville, Maryland, Gunston Hall Plantation, Virginia, May 3-4
Eastern Neck National Wildlife Refuge, May 10
C&O Canal and Mt. Airy, May 17-18
Guy Mason Park, DC, May 24
Flower Valley/Rockville MD, May 31
Washington DC National Trail Day Walk, June 7
