For today's challenge we are heading back to the Quaker Run area of ASP. The hikes that we have completed up until this time have all been short and easy. Three Sisters is a step up in both distance and difficulty.
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| Three Sisters Trailhead Kiosk |
Trail Name: Three Sisters
Trail Length: 2.2 miles
Difficulty: more difficult
Time Needed:. 1.5 hours
Three Sisters trail is located next to the Quaker Run administration building. Park in the lot next to the general store and walk across the street to the trail head. It is notoriously muddy and several structures have been built to help with navigating the wettest areas.
When you enter the trail you have a short walk to the start of the loop. If you want to have the easier ascent take the trail on the right when you come to the split. The uphill climb is longer but you will be going uphill for the first 3/4 of the hike. However if you want to climb the 500 elevation change quickly and at the start of the hike, head to the left.
I chose to take the right path. Watch the wet and mud as you walk but all of the wet spots are fairly easy to navigate. On the day of my hike there were a number of fallen trees blocking the trails both high and low (which have since been reported to the trail crews).
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| Be sure to let the appropriate people know when you come across this sort of thing. |
Keep following the path uphill and you will find a bridge that has been built over the wettest area of the trail. I used this as my resting place on the trail. You are halfway done if you have made it here (going counter clockwise on) the trail. Enjoy the quiet and listen for the woodpeckers that sound like they are everywhere around you.
The trail narrows after the bridge and is a wet uphill climb. From here the trail levels out and turns back toward the trail head. As I reached the ridge to start my descent I found another group of fallen trees.
I carefully made my way through the tangle of brush to find the another example of why we practice Leave no Trace.
Trees on both sides of the trail in this section have been carved over the years by visitors. Stop and take a look around here trust me you don't want to miss something.
Start your descent and at the bottom you will cross over the power line trail and back to the split in the trail. After you cross over the power line row the trail becomes a bit more difficult to track. Keep an eye out for the trail markers on the trees.
Three trails complete, 15 more to go.
