Amy's Adventures: Hiking Mount Nittany

Mount Nittany is the big mountain that's the cornerstone of the area: of Penn State University, of State College, and of Happy Valley. The elevation isn't really all that high, but it is part of the Allegheny region of the Appalachian mountains. [or something like that.] It's the mountain for which the Penn State Nittany Lion is named -- the mountain lion that once roamed Mt. Nittany.

Anyway, enough of that. The hike.

You may or may not remember when I posted back in the fall about our attempt at hiking Mt. Nittany. And you also may or may not remember that we failed. Pretty much big time. Turns out, it's not so easy to hike rocky terrain when you're wearing an extra fifty pounds, most of which makes you completely front-heavy, infringes upon your lung space, and makes your ankles swell.

So recently, we gave it another shot. Mike asked me if I was going to carry Ella. Um, no. I was privileged enough to carry her around for nine-plus months, so it was his turn.

We drove to the base of the mountain, slathered on the sunscreen, and began our hike.

Just in case you're ever in the area and you decide to hike this mountain, take our advice: don't take the short route. It's shorter, yes. But what they don't tell you is that it's rocky, steep, and killer. The map is very deceiving. [i thought we were in the appalachians, not the rockies!] After a few quick breaks and over an hour, we finally made it to the top. I can't lie -- the summit was kind of anti-climactic. We looked around a little, then headed down the other way. It was about a half-mile longer, but so much easier. It's the kind of trail you want to walk; the kind you enjoy walking. Much more enjoyable; much quicker.

It was a fantastic two-hour hike; a great way to spend our afternoon. Ella enjoyed it at least as much as we did, and she even fell asleep on the walk back down. [but next time you're in town, you get to backpack-hike with her.]