Mount Minsi from Delaware Water Gap
After completing Pinnacle & Pulpit on a hot September day, Mount Minsi was on tap for a cool October family hike.
Marking the eastern extent of Pennsylvania’s Blue Mountain ridge, Mount Minsi rises to 1,461 feet along the Appalachian Trail. Mount Minsi is separated from New Jersey’s Mount Tammany by the Delaware River, which carves the gap and serves as the border between the two states. [Interestingly, Pinnacle & Pulpit are part of the same ridge, similarly formed by the Schuylkill River.]
Our hike started just past Lenape Lake (elevation 480 feet) and followed the well-maintained Appalachian Trail through rhododendrons and rocky outcroppings. The unattractive summit sign sits on some chopped logs, with a nice lookout just past.
We continued another mile and a half to the radio tower, where we turned around and followed the rocky fire road back to the lake. Our total hike was about 8.5 miles round trip with 1,600 vertical feet of climbing. The weather was crystal clear but very cool, never hitting more than 50 degrees F in our 4.5 hours of hiking.
Linay Richards
October 6, 2014Great pictures – it was a awesome day for a hike. Love the one of us climbing up. Definitely need a new waterpack – Gavin’s old squirrel one is just too small on my back.