Outdoors — Andy Arthur.org

Why I Want to Move to Pennsylvania

Andy | May 20, 2026

I really like the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and it’s culture. Reminds me a lot of the New York of yesteryear. Yet, unlike New York State, where the urban culture of New York City, with its nanny-state laws and regulations, seems to have such a grip over the State, Pennsylvania seems to be a lot more wild and free. Public servants tend to be friendlier their, the public land seems to be more better maintained and open for more varied uses, and the state seems to be more open to the ideas and beliefs of rural folk like myself.

I like a lot of things about Pennsylvania. It has vast tracts of public land in the North-Western portion of the commonwealth, and a healthy base of agriculture in other regions. A lot of state is very rural, and the Capitol of the state is far less metropolitan then New York. While Philadelphia may be a metropolitan center of commonwealth, other areas like Pittsburgh and Scranton are far more working class and connected with the farm land around it.

…even the small things in Pennsylvania are nice.

There is minimal state gun control statues, no need to get a pistol permit and pay money to have every handgun in one’s house listed on a statewide registry. You want a gun in Pennsylvania, you pay money, and it’s yours.The right to farm is strongly upheld, and their isn’t a culture that wants to go after all hunting, fishing, ATVs, snowmobiles, wood boilers, burn barrels, coal furnaces, or natural gas drilling. Rural folk in Pennsylvania do what they need to do, without being looked down at and controlled by the urban folk.

I could see some day moving to Pennsylvania, owning some land out in the sticks. Doing a little hobby farming, raising some cattle and chickens and other animals, have being bonfires and burning whatever I want. Owning lots of guns, having a big pickup truck, a quad, and all of other toys of the good rural life. Taxes are lower in Pennsylvania. A culture that isn’t so controlling of everything.

The Freedom of Pennsylvania. A state I really like.

Middleburgh Cliff

Andy | May 15, 2026

Directly to the East of Middleburgh there is a long narrow landform known as “The Cliff”. It’s a 500 foot high hill, with about 40 feet high cliffs, overlooking Middleburgh and Schoharie to the west. Cotton Hill sits above it to the east. While privately owned by the owners of the dairy farms in the valley below, the Long Path crosses it and you can use it to explore the cliffs.

As you climb the hill on the Long Path, looking backyards there are broken views.

When your almost to the top of the Cliffs, there is a quick scramble over this ridge. This is a section that is very much hand and knees, you’ll probably toss your pack up and then climb up to retrieve it.

After you get to the top, you have some views to the south, including Vromans Nose.

Further along the trail you get some broken and then improving views of the Schoharie Valley just north of the Middleburgh. In the background is Middleburgh Roundtop Valley, and where NY 145 climbs the ridge to get over to East Cobelskill.

The agricultural flat lands south of Middleburgh.

The new more suburban section of Middleburgh, with the older village in the background. I never understood why people would live out in the sticks, but also live in a suburban subdivision in a classic small village.

A dairy farm along NY 30 north of Middleburgh.

All and all, this hike doesn’t provide amazing remote lands, but still has some interesting agricultural views of the fertile Schoharie Valley. Taking no longer then a total of a 45 minutes round trip, it’s a nice hike to do with Vromans Nose or take the trail farther west to Cotton Hill Lean-To.

View Cliff of Middleburgh in a larger map

Harmon Hill

Andy | May 14, 2026

Harmon Hill is a short but steep hike outside of Bennington, VT. You go up some 1,200 feet in a little over 1.7 miles from the parking area deep in the Dunville Hollow just west of Bennington for modest views up north and west of Bennington.

The trail up it is part of the Long Trail, which is duplexed with the Applachian Trail in Vermont. Here is the sign near the parking area.

It is a steep 1 mile as you make most of the 1,200 ascent. There are not much views as you climb out of the Dunville Hollow, just a lot of rock-steps and steep switch backs as one climbs up the mountain.

Likens along the trail.

A destination sign tells you that you’ve reached the Pioneer Valley section of the Long Trail and are starting the Bennington section.

When you come to the top you have an interesting view of Mount Anthony, Bennington, and in the far distance the Champlain Valley and the Adirondacks.

You can see the Bennington Monument and the surround farms near Bennington from the mountain.

Towards the North, you can see some of the Adirondacks towering over the much lower range of the Green Mountains, including Grass Mountain.

This is the second peak of Harmon Hill, which is view less. I hiked to Harmon Hill and the viewless points further south on the Long Trail.

Here is a map of the hike.

Hiking Back to Pharaoh Mountain from Crane Lake Road

Andy | March 17, 2026

Pharaoh Mountain is located about 10 miles east of Schroon Lake, and can be accessed from the Long Swing / Pharaoh Mountain Trail from the North along with a much steeper and longer trail from Pharaoh Lake from south.

If you choose to take the infamous and rough Crane Pond Truck Trail to it’s end, and then park at Crane Pond, it’s only about a 3 1/2 mile hike up the mountain. If you stop at Alder Pond, and don’t drive through the shallow end of Alder Pond to get to the last mile of Crane Pond Road, then it’s a 4 1/2 mile hike each way.

Below is Alder Pond. It was an amazing morning, as the rain let up and started to clear off. The truck trail cuts through the end of the pond, and with the recent rains, it was deeper then I wanted to take my old pickup through.

At end of Crane Pond Road is Crane Pond (not surpisingly!) There is a parking area here, and Crane Pond is known for it’s good fishing and beauty.

Reaching Glidden Marsh on the Pharaoh Mountain Trail. Pharoah Mountain is in the distance, with the peak sticking up. Most of the trail is relatively flat, until you reach the mountain, and then you start climbing.

About halfway up there, there is the most charming little water fall.

As you climb, views become progressively better.

Reaching the summit, there are views in almost all directions, although you have to wonder around the top of the mountain to get all views. Here is looking North-East toward Ticonderoga. You can see Lake Champlain in the distance — barely, along with Crane Pond, Alder Pond, Oxbow Lake, and other features up close.

On the northernly view, you have nice views of the High Peaks Region of the Adirondacks, with Mount Marcy and Alonquin Mountains peaking out top.

To the south-west, there are view of Gore Mountain (ski trails still with snow on it as of April 11).

There also is a primative campsite on top of Pharaoh Mountain.

To the South-East there is Pharaoh Lake, which I did not visit, but the maps show about 5 lean-tos surround it.

Desolate Swamp is quite purty from the mountain.

After hiking up the mountain, I took a side trip to the beautiful Oxbow Pond, and the other side of Glidden Marsh. Here is the Long-Swing Trail along the edge of Glidden Marsh, near the turn off to Oxbow Lake.

Oxbow Lake is so beautiful, and probably real deep.

The Oxbow Lean-To. It looks well used, but is in good shape, and has a decent outhouse a little ways from it, a fire pit, along with lots of water for cooking in the nearby pond.