Douthat State Park 1/31/14--2/2/14

We took a spur of the moment trip to Douthat State Park the other week, taking advantage of the last-minute 25% discount on cabins. We shopped and packed and were ready to roll after work on Friday. With about an hour to departure, we discovered that J didn’t have to work and invited her along. She was packed in half that time and we were on the road.

 It took us just over two hours to get there and it was after dark when we rolled in. We were surprised to see how much snow remained on the ground, since it was all melted at home, but then again Douthat is in the Alleghenies and we should have known.

No worries, though, as I had nagged everyone and made sure they packed plenty of layers and cold weather gear.  We found our way to cabin 19 and were pleasantly surprised.

 

 

 

 We’d been told there were three twins, so we knew we were set for beds, but we hadn’t been able to figure out how that worked. Turns out there is a small alcove room behind the fireplace with the third twin, perfect for J, and adorable. She was very pleased.

 

   

We carried all the gear in and got settled for a relaxing evening with our books before turning in.

 

Saturday morning dawned cold, clear, sunny, and gorgeous. I fixed a big breakfast—eggs, bacon, biscuits, and the sausage gravy I’d made at home for a treat for Dave. We had a big day of hiking planned so I felt good about loading everyone up with protein and calories. I packed our usual bagel sandwiches and fruit for lunch, filled the hydration packs, and triple-checked that everyone had at least one extra warm layer packed before we headed out.

 We drove to the Visitor’s Center, hoping it would be open and we could get some guidance on trail choices given the ground conditions. It was and we had a long chat with the specialist on duty, then did some shopping in the gift shop. I bought an aluminum water bottle, a hat for Dave, and a 500 piece jigsaw puzzle for later.

As we returned to the car we noticed a slightly older couple parked next to us. They were getting ready for a hike with full backpacking gear loaded. I commented and they told us they were “in training”. I didn’t have to ask to know it was for the AT. The woman told us they had already section hiked a lot of it, including Katahdin, and were planning a thru-hike starting in March. I was very impressed and wished them a good hike. Then we took off for the parking area we’d been told to look for.

Unfortunately, that parking area was closed and locked, so we headed to the next one and from there tried to find our way to the trailhead. There was another hiker there looking as well, and we worked together to figure out we’d have to climb down a steep snow covered hill from the play area and then walk up the road to the trail.

 

 Once there we thanked him and wished him a good hike. He was a little sketchy, though, and I didn’t really like the way he kept hanging back and waiting for us even when I’d make excuses to stand there a bit longer. I took pictures and adjusted my pack several times. I knew once he got going on ahead he would lose us quickly, and eventually he took off. I was glad to have Ollie with us as he is always a bit imposing to strangers. My radar is always so much more sensitive with J is with me!

             



The trail was completely covered in snow and unfortunately poorly marked. The blazes were few and far apart. With the snow cover, the only way to tell where the trail went was to follow the footsteps of others who’d been over it recently and hope they weren’t all lost somewhere on the mountain. At one point we climbed a very steep hill with great slipping, sliding, and difficulty, only to find at the top that we were rejoining an actual trail. Ooops!

 

 

 

 We continued on to the stream to find less snow and more ice covered the rocks. Dave was less than patient with me and J until I pointed out that our boots—the same model—had practically zero tread on the bottoms compared to him. I wished fervently that I’d bought the YakTrax I’d been looking at the weekend before.

 

 It was really exhausting to be catching yourself constantly and desperately searching for footing with every step.

Eventually we reached the waterfall and were rewarded with a trickle. It was lovely, though, and clearly beautiful in the spring. We rested on the stone bench there for a moment, then decided to continue on up the path to one of the mountain overlooks.  

 

 

   

Fortunately, this path was exposed to the sun and clear of snow. The footing was pine needles and it was a blissful break from the snow. We made good time, enjoyed the view, and headed back down.

 

 

Down was even harder on the ice and snow and J and I slid feet at a time. I reminded myself to buy the kid her own set of trekking poles so I can use two when needed…and this definitely fit that bill. We made it make down, exhausted after a hike that was only about three miles. I think a pair of snowshoes would have been quite the blessing on that hike!

We decided to go looking for an open store, wanting some hot chocolate after all that time in the snow, and found the private campground at the bottom of the mountain had a little Mom and Pop place that sold ice cream cones too. We all got a cone, and a cup of vanilla for Ollie, and ate it as we drove back to cabin 19.

We spent a quiet afternoon relaxing, reading, and working in various combinations on the jigsaw puzzle, each of us taking a break when we got frustrated. Together, we got the whole thing done in one evening while we enjoyed the meatballs I’d left cooking in the crockpot.

We packed out quickly the next morning after oatmeal and drove home in time for J to work in the afternoon. We enjoyed Douthat very much and look forward to visiting again in the spring or summer.


Park Rating:
Camping      Cabin was great, didn't see the campground
Bathhouses  Didn't see them
Water           8 (nice lake, reminiscent of Hungry Mother)
Hiking         10
Riding         10 Equestrian parking and dedicated horse trails
Other           10 Nice Visitor Center, also has a store and a restaurant as well as a snack bar
Solitude       Low; great in winter but really crowded in summer