Chickie's Rock, Columbia, PA, September 2013

Readers of A Taste For The Woods, if any, might have noticed my love of overlooks. I drive to them, hike to them, ride to them, and would fly to them if I grew wings. One September day I headed out to the Susquehanna River to visit Chickie's Rock, a county park north of Columbia on the Lancaster side of the water, so I could reach yet another overlook. 

As usual, I got a late start, ran some errands on the way, and arrived later than I hoped. I also took a wrong turn in Columbia and headed south along the river instead of north. I passed the National Watch and Clock Museum twice, and as usual I couldn't find the time to visit. And on arriving at the park I took a wrong turn on the Overlook Trail, climbing up a hill on a trail to the right. While the climb was worth it to wander around on the hilltop, there was no vista, only trees. 

I came down from the hill and resumed hiking on the Overlook Trail. I met a father and his two young boys and began chatting with them. This is never a smart move on my part. I combine balance challenged and clumsiness in one jumbo-sized package, and soon enough I found a tree root I didn't see. I stumbled about a dozen feet forward before I righted myself. I felt the mechanics in my artificial knees move in a way they'd not experienced since physical therapy a year before, but aside from a moment's shock I was OK. I made an impression on the kids, however, for during the rest of the hike they were cautioning me about what to avoid and how to avoid it. 

 Even after the near-fall, and the shock of the near-fall, the vista at Chickie's Rock was worth the, err, trip. The views up and down the river were breathtaking, and had I climbed down a couple of the rock scrambles I might have captured even better images.

There is a hiking trail running from the Overlook Trail to a more 'family oriented', AKA easier to visit, segment of the park a mile and a half south of Chickie's Rock. Not wanting to be caught far from the car after dark I hiked back to my vehicle and drove to the other vista. The entrance is on the left side of the road northbound from the Columbia exit off of Route 30, and only a few hundred feet of the exit. Had I come to this park first I might never have gone to the Rock itself, as the views up and down the river were wonderful. I arrived at sunset, and despite my having a point and shoot camera managed to capture some of the majesty of day's end as the sun sank behind the hills. I hiked about two and a half miles that day, but as usual when I reached an overlook I traveled much further.