Woodland Wanderings 'Like coming back home': Hiker captures love for Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail in book, on website

Aug. 5—SOMERSET, Pa. — Dane Cramer has taken countless steps on the Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail.

He has completed at least 11 thru-hikes on the 70-mile footpath that stretches from near Seward to Ohiopyle, along with countless shorter journeys.

Cramer wrote on his website — featheredprop.com — that it would be "impossible" to estimate exactly how many miles he has hiked on the LHHT.

He first backpacked on the trail, which he refers to as "the L double-H T," around 1992, and he still often returns to the path, located 15 minutes or so from his Somerset County residence.

"It's like coming back home every time," Cramer said during a recent interview.

He said the region is "fortunate to have such a cool trail" that provides "rugged" and "demanding" hiking in some sections, while also offering parts that are easier for casual walks in the woods.

"Every foot of that trail is kind of endearing to me," Cramer said.

Cramer encourages others to go out on the trail, especially backpacking, which involves hikers carrying the supplies they need for overnight camping — a process that usually requires trial and error in learning what is necessary and what can be done without.

"You've just got to do it," he said. "Everybody learns from their mistakes, and I think that's the greatest way to get better at it. ... You can plan and plan and plan all day long, but, at some point, you've just got to go try it."

Cramer captured his love for the LHHT, which passes through four counties, in his book "Romancing the Trail: Six Days Atop Laurel Ridge" — which chronicles his first end-to-end hike. The book includes a passage about how the trail inspires Cramer.

"When I was a young boy, I often looked at the blue- tinted range, which seemed so far away, and found myself swept up in imagination over the secrets that were surely hidden in its hills and hollows," he wrote.

"Therefore, having felt its lure for a considerably long time, I was quite content with the plan to spend the next six days stepping over its rocks, sleeping in its gullies, and wandering beneath its rich, leafy coverings."

After the long journey, Cramer concludes the book with the thought: "I could not deny the strong longing to return and walk some more."

Time to 'venture out'

Cramer is among the thousands of people who hike on the LHHT every year, but determining a precise number is not possible.

Backpackers need to make reservations to stay in the Adirondack-style shelters overnight, and visitors are encouraged to fill out cards with their information, including number of people in a party, before heading out.

None of that is necessary, though, especially if somebody just takes a brief walk for an hour or so.

The LHHT is part of the Laurel Hill State Park complex, which is used by an estimated 500,000 visitors annually, according to Kimberly Peck, an environmental education specialist with the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation & Natural Resources.

Alan and Georgette Nelson, from Northampton County, are among the many people who have traveled along the path so far in 2023.

"I first heard about it back when I did some training in the Johnstown area," said Alan Nelson, who hiked the approximately 2,200-mile Appalachian Trail in 1988. "I explored a little bit at that time, found out about it, its existence, got curious about it and wanted to hike it ever since I found out about it.

"Finally ... we were able to allot the time to do it."

The Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail is one of the many trails visited by the Nelsons.

"We just wanted to venture out onto different trails," Georgette Nelson said.

Marci Mowery, president of the Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation, has also hiked on the trail.

"For me, I'm an avid outdoorswoman," Mowery said. "I really appreciate spending time in the outdoors. ... It's so important for people to spend time in the outdoors. It's good for their physical health, but it's also good for mental and emotional health."

There are challenging thru-hikes, weekend outings with some camping, leisurely day walks.

And then there is the grueling Laurel Highlands Ultra, a 70.5-mile, one-day run held annually in June.

In 1979, brothers Joe and Paul Butchko, along with a few friends, tried to complete the trail in a single day, but nobody got past 57 miles.

The first official ultra took place in 1980, with seven runners starting and four making it to the finish line in Seward, including inaugural champion D.C. Nokes, who covered the course in 14:05:00.

Courtney Campbell established the current men's record with a time of 10:43:34 in 1998.

Leah Yingling holds the women's record with her time of 13:17:48 in 2019.

This year, 159 people started the race and 109 finished.

"It's a challenge," said Dann LG, one of the ultra's organizers. "It's a long-term goal. It takes that determination. It's something that is a little bit of a goal, similar to a marathon."

LG said word of mouth helps attract competitors to the ultra.

"I don't want to sound too cliché, but I think the thing that brings people into the sport is other people. ... It's really an awesome community of people, both this race specifically, but then in general with ultra running," LG said. "There's a really cool balance of competition and then kind of camaraderie."

The event also includes a 70.5-mile relay, a 50-kilometer individual race and a 50-kilometer relay.