PA Horseshoe Trail: Hopewell Big Woods with an Invisible Dog

This was an honor hike, a 14 mile out-and-back from Hopewell Furnace NHS through the Hopewell Big Woods and Pine Swamp, out to the company town of St. Peter''s Village and back. I hiked in remembrance of a dog who couldn't hike, could barely walk, but tried everyday to cover new ground. Honey Bear, a big black lab / Newfy mix, showed up in my yard three months ago, likely put there by someone unable to care for him any longer. I called for a mobile vet visit. A large mass on his hip was hurting him. We had to lift all 110 pounds of him into the van lab. He willingly allowed the vet and I to carry, weigh, poke and prod, and x-ray him.

Honey Bear and Monkey

He was all love from the start, smiling, tail wagging. But the prognosis was terrible - bone cancer. "A few days, maybe a few weeks, at the most a few months," said Dr. Vance. "Well, it's hospice then," I said. " If no one claims him, I'll adopt him into hospice in my home." It's been fun, though at times painful, three very full months of love.

Sadly, he passed last week- and I'm still trying to deal with how difficult his last day was. But, undeniably, he had the best three months of his life.

He was full of fun, play, cuddles, and loved short little walks around the neighborhood. He had lots to eat - so many treats! A friend gave him massages and I administered so many pain pills to keep the pain at bay.  His pet sitter loved on him like no other when I had to be away for a conference. He tried to walk - all the time. He always wanted to play fetch with Monkey, his favorite toy. He wanted to bounce and jump. Our night walks were his favorite. We'd only go around to the woods but he couldn't walk the trail off the road. It hurt too much to be on uneven ground. He wanted so badly to go farther! He'd lay down in the road at the trail entrance and rest. Dejected, he'd rise up and turn for home. So, for today's hike I'm taking him (in spirit) for a long hike and imagining him hiking along with me.

Hopewell Furnace and Forge Iron Village Visitor Center.

I made the ranger at the Visitor Center's desk cry. I didn't mean to! I explained I was doing a day section on the Horseshoe Trail and taking Honey Bear with me in my heart. She asked about him so I told her his story and she came around and hugged me. "Have a great hike!" she said through tears.

Yellow is the blaze color and the trail symbol is - guess?

The Horseshoe Trail is a long backpacking trail that arcs through several Southeastern PA counties east of the Susquehanna River. I've done several day hikes over the past few years, so I'm ticking off another 7 mile stretch with this walk through the Big Woods down to St. Peter's Village.

Hopewell Big Woods Area - my start was at Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site (top of map).

This section of trail was very well marked. New blazes, fancy trail posts, and lots of yellow horseshoes keep the hiker going in the right direction. It was good to see so much trail work done over the summer. One other trail user came past me on a trail run. But the path was muddy and lots of it was underwater from yesterday's torrential rains. He was a mess! Oh well. What would Honey Bear do? Walk right through! I quickly became a mess, too!

Beautiful new markers!

Fresh new blazes in paint, tags, and post markers.

Rain-freshened Turkey Tail fungus.

Glowing!

Late summer blossoms.

The trail followed the edges of wild meadows of State Game Lands and across a few roads then dipped down into the very wet Pine Swamp. This area of the Hopewell Big Woods is saturated and full of rocks. Historically it was a cedar swamp (called "pine" back in the day) but cedar was a prized lumber in the 1700s and very little of it survives except in a protected pocket far from the trail.

No rock-hopping but the trail was flooded and muddy alongside this small stream.

Swamp blossoms.

Meadow blossoms - Virgins Bower twining around Milkweed.

The trail was so wet and muddy! I was hiking through shoe-sucking mud giggling to myself, imagining what a big dog like Honey Bear would make of this place. Pure fun! I followed the yellow blazes through the swamp then up to an old railroad bed that passed through numerous quarry sites. Huge blocks of stone were dumped long the old rail bed. Drills marks and gunpowder holes were obvious on all of the dumped stone. The trail climbed a steep hill the dropped down into another valley where I was surrounded by old quarries, dumped stone, and pits.

Drill lines and powder holes (still blackened from blasting).

I'd arrived in the heart of  the St. Peter's Quarry (1880 - 1970), where quarry men removed the prized "black granite" blocks for transport and finishing down in the company town.  The Horseshoe  Trail wanders south, turning away from the approach trail to the town. I took a red blazed trail towards the town and soon was standing on the banks of French Creek. I imagined Honey Bear getting right in to wash the mud from his thick black fur coat.

French Creek..

Blech!!

Unfortunately for the trail and the historic quarry, access from big parking lot allows lots of vandals to spray paint the boulders and cut-stone fields. It was downright annoying!
It was e-v-e-r-y-w-h-e-r-e.
I wandered into town a little disappointed with the damage done by spray paint. My turn-around spot happened at the first place I could find a seat - the ice cream shop in St. Peter's! Ice cream was Honey Bear's absolute favorite. When I saw an old Bassett Hound coming along the sidewalk heading to the parking lot and his car, I asked his mom if I could buy him a small cone in honor of Honey Bear. She said "YES!" So much fun watching her try to keep Barney from inhaling the ice cream cone. I sat on a bench and slurped down a milkshake. YUM!

The Village Scoop - Honey Bear's addiction was ice cream!

Returning to through the Big Woods with a rare view of the mountain ahead.

I turned back after the delicious break. Barney's mom called to me from the big parking lot and said that I had made Barney's day with the ice cream cone - and hers too. She wished me well and that I should know that taking Honey Bear on his long-awaited woods walk was the best thing she's heard all week - a week when it seems no news was good. She came over and gave me a hug (the second one today!) and I gave Barney a cuddle and played with his ears. Time to head up the mountain and through the swamp and into the woods and imagine Honey Bear so tired by the time we get back that he'd sleep all the way home.

Godspeed, my brave boy. You are so missed. Let's do this again sometime, shall we?

Returning to Hopewell Furnace NHS, 14 miles out-and-back with side trails at the Quarry.