I got a text last Thursday night from a good friend, asking if I wanted to join him on a hike of Mount Nittany in the morning. We met the next morning at Irving’s in State College, caught up a bit over coffee, and drove to Lemont.

It’s been a while since I’ve been on Mount Nittany, and the hike was a good one both for connecting with the Mountain and with my friend. We spent about three hours of the morning traveling the Blue trail, the White trail, and periodically enjoying the overlooks.

We also visited the Life Estate square inches, which I probably hadn’t visited since 2010 or so. I hope the Mount Nittany Conservancy spruces up the presentation of this spot a bit, maybe replacing the signpost with a small rock plaque telling this part of the Mountain’s story.

Later at the Mike Lynch Overlook we ran into an entire field trip of young people enjoying a rest after their hike. It was the fullest I’ve ever seen Lynch’s overlook.

Arriving, we were the only ones at the trailhead. Leaving, we were simply one of more than a dozen parked cars. The Mountain is popular.