Hiking Pennsylvania's Best

Often times in life I find some of the best information from simple conversation.  Amidst a casual conversation between My 1SG & me, I came to find that he also truly enjoys Hiking, although specifically the outdoors.  He's a big hunter & Outdoors-man, so naturally we got to this subject rather quickly.  He told me of a great spot up from South Mountain, so I figured on going to check it out.  He's a local of the town, so all the local spots he knows like the back of his hand.

I figure we'll hike up the trail round 2:00pm this Saturday, the 23. Apparently this Shaffer Rock has a huge rock face, so I'm considering bringing my rappelling/climbing stuff. I figure we'll climb for a while, do chow up there, have a Devo, & some classes on survival, camping, nature, edible wild food, etc. Hike back down & be out by Dusk or whenever we feel like it.

Sunset is 7:55pm, so we have 4-5 hours to play with. It'll be 70 F.  There may be a thunderstorm in the afternoon, so you can optionally bring a poncho or something.

"Shaffer Rock", aka "The Hermitage"

(Click above link for more info, if needed)

Coming from the east or west on 30, one will want to find 233 running through Caledonia State Park and intersecting 30 there. Take 233 south to South Mountain Restoration Center. Go through SMRC until Old Forge Road is on your right. Take this several miles to after the AT crossses the road you will see Swift Run Road on your right (dirt). Take this up hill for a short period till there is a large pull off on a sharp left turn. Follow the blue blazes for 20 to 30 yards and break left to the ledge of the main face. 

New Boots

I'm considering getting some new boots for the winter.  The ones I have now are by far unsatisfactory.  I decided I wanted a 6" height, waterproof, either dark brown or black, & 11.5"  I have to decide between 1 of these boots, but I can't.  :(
That's where you come in.  Help me out, & give me some other perspectives.

Helly-Hansen-Norse-Winter-Black

Smith & Wesson Men's Defender 6" Side Zip Duty Boot

Rocky Duty Men's Alpha Force 6" Swat Boot

Oakley Men's Tactical Six Hiking Boot

Magnum Men's Stealth Force 6.0 Wp Boot

Parade - CHABA

This is a song that I heard about a year ago while in Iraq.  It was used as an ending for the Anime, Naruto.  It's actually an incredibly awesome anime that is paired with an equally incredible song.  I really like the old school sound to it.  I listen to almost all kinds of music from many places, and Japanese music really has a special place in my heart.  (Especially since I can speak a decent amount)

It's called  "Parade"  by  "Chaba"
Here is the Youtube vid:



Here are the Lyrics:  (Full URL here: http://www.kiwi-musume.com/lyrics/chaba/parade.html )
__________________________________________

The wind blows and it hurts, my love won’t go away
What should I take with me? There’s only one
It’ll never come again, never come again, it’d be stupid to throw it away
That innocent image
Surely won’t end…

Set your heart in love on fire, cross through a thousand dreams
Run right and left, through the world you hold in your hand
The clouds scatter and the sun goes down again
And the one-person parade begins to move
An adventure, a lucky day, heartbeat rising, light and darkness, an encounter, life, mutual love

If you say something, the words make me
Smell your hair, inhale it, and cuddle up closer
I don’t know, I don’t know, I won’t know just from appearance
So I want, I want to get deeper
It’s like a dream…

Set your heart in love on fire, cross through a thousand dreams
Run right and left, through the miracle of meeting
The clouds scatter and the sun goes down again
And two parades melt into the night sky

There’s a night everyone’s waiting for, deep in their pockets
I hope you’ve found someone who lights you up, swims to you when you hold out your arms
With the same scenery as you

Set your heart in love on fire, cross through a thousand dreams
Run right and left, through the world you hold in your hand
The clouds scatter and the sun goes down again
This incomplete parade moves everywhere
Mikansei no pareedo de doko made mo
An adventure, a lucky day, heartbeat rising, light and darkness, an encounter, life, mutual love...

___________________________________________________

Annual Spring Bible Forum

This year’s topic:

LESSONS FROM THE

BOOK OF REVELATION

Speaker: Joe Works of Fairlawn NJ

June 11^th, 12^th, and 13^th

Friday & Saturday: 7:30 pm

Sunday: 9:30&10:30 am, & 5:00 pm

presented by

the Gettysburg Church of Christ

No admission fees, and no solicitation of funds

Q&A to follow the Fri. and Sat. evening lectures

For further info, call 334-2217 or 677-8882

The Gods of the Copybook Headings

~Rudyard Kipling, 1919

As I pass through my incarnations in every age and race,
I Make my proper prostrations to the Gods of the Market-Place.
Peering through reverent fingers I watch them flourish and fall,
And the Gods of the Copybook Headings, I notice, outlast them all.

We were living in trees when they met us. They showed us each in turn
That Water would certainly wet us, as Fire would certainly burn:
But we found them lacking in Uplift, Vision and Breadth of Mind,
So we left them to teach the Gorillas while we followed the March of Mankind.

We moved as the Spirit listed. They never altered their pace,
Being neither cloud nor wind-borne like the Gods of the Market-Place.
But they always caught up with our progress, and presently word would come
That a tribe had been wiped off its icefield, or the lights had gone out in Rome.

With the Hopes that our World is built on they were utterly out of touch
They denied that the Moon was Stilton; they denied she was even Dutch
They denied that Wishes were Horses; they denied that a Pig had Wings.
So we worshipped the Gods of the Market Who promised these beautiful things.

When the Cambrian measures were forming, They promised perpetual peace.
They swore, if we gave them our weapons, that the wars of the tribes would cease.
But when we disarmed They sold us and delivered us bound to our foe,
And the Gods of the Copybook Heading said: "Stick to the Devil you know."

On the first Feminian Sandstones we were promised the Fuller Life
(Which started by loving our neighbour and ended by loving his wife)
Till our women had no more children and the men lost reason and faith,
And the Gods of the Copybook Headings said: "The Wages of Sin is Death."

In the Carboniferous Epoch we were promised abundance for all,
By robbing selected Peter to pay for collective Paul;
But, though we had plenty of money, there was nothing our money could buy,
And the Gods of the Copybook Headings said: "If you don't work you die."

Then the Gods of the Market tumbled, and their smooth-tongued wizards withdrew,
And the hearts of the meanest were humbled and began to believe it was true
That All is not Gold that Glitters, and Two and Two make Four --
And the Gods of the Copybook Headings limped up to explain it once more.

* * * * *

As it will be in the future, it was at the birth of Man --
There are only four things certain since Social Progress began --
That the Dog returns to his Vomit and the Sow returns to her Mire,
And the burnt Fool's bandaged finger goes wabbling back to the Fire --
And that after this is accomplished, and the brave new world begins
When all men are paid for existing and no man must pay for his sins
As surely as Water will wet us, as surely as Fire will burn
The Gods of the Copybook Headings with terror and slaughter return!