One Saturday morning in late August of 2014, the Herbst family went camping in the woods of the Appalachian Mountains in Pennsylvania, or “Rocksylvania,” due to the rocky terrain. Led by their parents, Kevin and Shannon, Mackenzie age 11, Landon age 10, and Norah age 6, hiked over 5 miles in the Appalachian Mountains before eventually setting up camp in the afternoon. The Herbst children had never hiked this long nor have camped in the woods before; this truly was an adventure for them. Kevin and Shannon, however, have camped multiple times in other states besides Pennsylvania such as California, New York, Vermont, Georgia, and West Virginia. The backcountry trail they took had no cellphone service and throughout the whole trip, they only saw a few other people hiking

When asked what the most memorable part of the trip was, Kevin and Norah both agreed that running out of potable water topped the list. “We found a stream along the way back [to the car after camping in the woods the night prior] and filtered the water through a water purifier,” stated Kevin. Luckily, Kevin brought his water purifier so the family could refill their water bottles and stay hydrated in the August heat. Despite this, the trip was an adventure in itself and definitely worth the hike and night spent in nature, even if it was in a tent with four other people. It is a great bonding and team building experience as well. Plus, the Appalachian Mountains are an overlooked treasure and its underappreciated views were truly breathtaking.

As the youngest of the group, Norah, at 6-years-old, was anxious prior to the trip because of the possibility of encountering bears along the trail. Although, according to the Appalachian Trail’s website, the only bears that can be found in the eastern United States are black bears, which are about 400 to 500 pounds, and it is still a rarity that they even attack people. “When we were at L.L. Bean before we went camping, Mom [Shannon] got me a ‘bear bell,’” replied Norah, when asked if she was afraid of camping. Campers normally attach a bear bell to their backpack or other gear so if it does come into contact with a bear, the bear becomes startled. Norah, on the other hand, carried her bear bell the entire hike in her hand occasionally ringing it so the bears knew to “stay away,” as Norah states. Despite the intense heat of summer in Pennsylvania, the Appalachian Mountains are worth the hiking and camping experience. Some Pennsylvanians take for granted the beauty of nature that is in their backyard and should take on an opportunity to witness it first-hand while camping.