RE: September 26-28, 2003 Hickory Run Trip

[HersheyGirl]

 dee106
I love my down booties!  I can t wait until the end of September!  I love Fall.[8D][8D][8D]

[copcarguy]

 HersheyGirl
Hey all!!  I don t know about you guys, but it s been feeling a little fall-ish around my neck of the woods the last few days...  Can t wait to see you all in a few WEEKS!  []

[SheBantam]

 HersheyGirl
Raymond is not real thrilled with being in the mountains, with the camper.  Just how hilly is it in Hickory Run? I told him that we would have more problems with the bears than with the hills [8D].

[tlhdoc]

 HersheyGirl
Paula the park has some hills but isn t too bad.  The road into the park (western entrance off of I 80) has a few steep hills.  I only drove the eastern exit off of I 80 once and it was years ago.  I don t think there are any real steep parts on that road and I think that is the way you will come in to the park.  
 
 PS I don t think you will have any problems with bears as long as you don t leave food outside.

 tlhdoc

 

ORIGINAL:  tlhdoc
 
 Paula the park has some hills but isn t too bad.  The road into the park (western entrance off of I 80) has a few steep hills.  I only drove the eastern exit off of I 80 once and it was years ago.  I don t think there are any real steep parts on that road and I think that is the way you will come in to the park.  
 
 PS I don t think you will have any problems with bears as long as you don t leave food outside.
 

 
 Assuming (I know you should never do that)[8D] Paula is coming up the NE Extension of the turnpike. the best way to the park would be to get off the Pike at the Pocono exit turn right at the light onto 940 go approx. 2.5 to 3 mi. and turn left onto 534 and go in the same way as you.  As you mentioned there are some hills along the way but they re not too bad.
 
 Paula,
 As far as hills in the park, if you plan on walking around the park it gets steep at some spots on the way to the bottom loop near the playground.
 To avoid the hills coming back up I usually come up the sand spring trail from the dam by the playground(make sure to check out the view from behind the spillway)  to the amphitheatre.  Also the other section of the sand spring trail below the walk in tent sites gets very steep.
 
 Sorry for rambling, can you tell I love this SP??  Some day I m gonna talk the DCNR into making me the official tour guide there.[]
 
 
 BTW who said there s bears there?  I bet you won t see one....  maybe four or five but not just one[][]
 
 
 Have a great time, maybe I ll make it next time.
 
 
 Mike
 MJ in PA

[SheBantam]

 HersheyGirl
Mike, how do you do it?? Yes, I should be coming in off the NE Extension.
 
 When you said Poconos exit, you sort of confused me, I thought at first you meant Poconos Raceway exit. I had to do Map Quest. I know there is a way to get there from Jim Thorpe and Leighton, but I think I will stick to to the majors as much as possible.
 
 My one step daughter went to Job Corps near Hazelton, then moved back after graduation, the other one then moved in with her sister and then got an apartment. My son went to Red Rock Job Corps center, so I wandered the back roads finding the quickest way to Hazelton (Jim Thorpe to the road that goes into Hazelton then goes on towards Red Rock) at first I though that you were sending me in that direction, that is hilly...
 
 I told Raymond we just could not cook open on the fire, and that we had to put everything in the truck at night.
 
 As far as hiking...well that is to be seen. Ususally the hike to the restroom is about as far as I go.[]

 SheBantam

ORIGINAL:  SheBantam
 
 Mike, how do you do it?? Yes, I should be coming in off the NE Extension.
 
 When you said Poconos exit, you sort of confused me, I thought at first you meant Poconos Raceway exit. I had to do Map Quest. I know there is a way to get there from Jim Thorpe and Leighton, but I think I will stick to to the majors as much as possible.
 
 

 Paula,
 
 ESP...[]
 I just figured you re coming up from Del-a-where??? and thats the most direct route.
 Were you thinking about getting off the Pike at the exit before Pocono and taking 209 to 903 then to 534?  That is a nice scenic route but it ll add some time to your trip not to mention more hills.
 
 This is for everybody:
 
  You don t have to be paranoid about the bears, just use common sense.  You can cook over the fire just don t throw scraps or grease in the fire pit.  Just clean up and throw your trash away as soon as your finished eating, store all food covered in your TV and you shouldn t have any problems.
 I ve spent  40+ nights at this CG and never had a problem. I ve had some very close encounters with the bears there but never felt threatened by any of them.
 
 Mike
 MJ in PA

[SheBantam]

 HersheyGirl
Map quest takes me around in circles at home...but once on I 495 to I95 to 476 to I 80, it is pretty clear.
 
 there are some nasty hills outside Jim Thorpe that I perfer not to tackle, so I think I will stay on the x-ways until I HAVE to get off.
 
 I will probably leave DE around noon on that Friday. Raymond will probably not be up there until Saturday AM with Jeffrey and Cookie. He does not want to do the Blue Route at Rush hour nor does he want to try to find the campground/camper after dark.
 
 Where are the grocerys, if any nearby or do I have to go to Hazelton(Walmart Supercenter)?

[bearbait]

HersheyGirl

[HersheyGirl]

 HersheyGirl
I am so happy to hear that you are coming Lee.  Can t wait to see you again.[8D][8D][8D]

[tlhdoc]

 HersheyGirl
Lee WELCOME.  I am so glad you are going to camp with us on the trip.[]

 HersheyGirl
Tracy, Are we making any plans for friday night ? Also I m very concerned about the bears with my 5 year old almost to where my wife doesn t want us to go !
 
 Can I get some advice when there what I should do about securing our site from Bears and please tell me that no one has benn hurt by these bears !
 
 Also how are the showers ?
 
 On a closing note, one more comment to Paula I just drove through Hickory Run and the roads in the sites are unpaved and very rocky, you think the road into Yogi Bear in Elmer was rough hehe !  The good news is that I found the unpaved road to be very short drive to the sites. I also stopped @ the sp store to learn they just shot one bear ( with Sleeping Bullets  ) and one bear more was on the loose with a campers cooler taken from a pick-up bed, while the campers where setting up !
 See why I m concerned about the bears !
 

[DiW]

 HersheyGirl
When we were there last year, there was a bear that kept coming out of the woods to " visit"  site 253 (the people left fat drippings in their firering). The bear kept to itself except when stupid campers came running after it to take its photo. The bear would then take off (not attack). My 9yo was riding her bike toward our site once and this bear came running past her. I would have freaked out but it was obvious the bear was trying to get away. My DD just rode into our site and the bear kept going. It simply wanted to run into the woods. The silly people actually followed the bear into the woods (they will be the first ones complaining about the dangerous bears). There was another bear that hung out at the garbage bin. We detoured around him whenever possible. Not sure if HR still has those open garbage bins - would make more sense to have closed bins like they had at the TN rally. We cooked outside all weekend but cleaned up when we were done and brought our trash to the trash bin. Kept coolers and toiletries in van so we didn t " invite"  the bears to our site. We didn t eat inside the popup.
 
 It should be a good trip. I can t wait. BTW, my 14yo DS had a bear at his bus stop earlier this week.
 Diane

[tlhdoc]

 Guest

ORIGINAL:  Guest
 
 Tracy, Are we making any plans for friday night ? Also I m very concerned about the bears with my 5 year old almost to where my wife doesn t want us to go !
 
 To my knowledge no one has been hurt by a bear at the park.  As far as Friday night I will not get there until 7 to 8 PM.  Usually some one will be there early and be all set up.  Then the next person shows up and the first one will go over and say HI.  This will go on all evening until everyone gets there.  If you are there just stop by someone s site and introduce yourself.   Our group tends to be informal, so I don t want to try and regulate what everyone does.  Some of us know part of the group, but I don t think anyone knows everybody.  Hopefully someone will have a fire going and the group will gather together, but it is up to each family. I will have the tee shirts and will deliver them or you can stop over and get them.  
 
 Can I get some advice when there what I should do about securing our site from Bears and please tell me that no one has benn hurt by these bears !
 
 The park office gives out a flier on what to do.  The main things are to keep food in you vehicle and to cover it.  The bears know what a cooler is.  Keep toiletries in the car too.  I did keep food in the refrig in the PU and the dry good in the PU where they live all season long.  I should have put them in the TV, but I didn t.  
 
 We are talking about black bears, not the more aggressive grizzle bears they have out west.  They are looking for easy food, not the campers.
 
 Also how are the showers ?
 
 The showers are OK, the bath houses are not new.  The shower is in the bath house with the toilets.
 
 I also stopped @ the sp store to learn they just shot one bear ( with Sleeping Bullets  ) and one bear more was on the loose with a campers cooler taken from a pick-up bed, while the campers where setting up !
 See why I m concerned about the bears !
 
 It took the cooler, not the camper.[]
 
 If I felt that there was any danger I would not be going.  The park is a big park and there are a lot of campsites.  If you throw your trash away and don t leave food out you shouldn t have any problems.
 
 
 Di I think they switched the type of dumpsters in all PA parks where there are bears.  They have a sliding door on the side now.  You don t throw the trash in the top anymore.
 
 

[tlhdoc]

 HersheyGirl
A note for Friday night.  If people are interested we can all bring cookies or some sort of snack to share.
 
 FYI If I have the front curtain open or the outside light on, that means I am awake and you are welcome to stop in.