The A.T.

The Appalachian Trail is a lengthy trail that runs from Katahdin, Maine to Springer Mountain, Georgia, a distance of 2175 miles. I would love to do the entire thing, but hiking portions of it is just as fun. One problem with the Pennsylvania section is the amount of glacial boulders. Most sections inside the borders of the state are strewn with boulder fields or just the frequent ankle-breakers in the middle of the trail. The following trail guide is a detailed description for the section between Lehigh Gap, near Palmerton, PA, and Balanced Rocks, northeast of Hamburg, PA. The sections were not done at the same time. I hiked from Lehigh Gap to Bake Oven Knob and back on a day hike, and hiked from the knob to Balanced Rocks and back on an overnight hike. I hope the guide is helpful.
From Lehigh Gap, the trail picks up on the west end of the Route-873 bridge, The trail starts of by climbing gently at first up the mountain. At the base, I was walking on dirt and loose rock. But as I got into the woods, the loose rock gave way to large glacial boulders. Some rocks were used to make a stairs to help make the trail easier, but the grade was getting steep. I went from about 400 feet of elevation to 1100 feet in only 7/10 of a mile. Here, the trails is met by a blue-blazed North Trail. I traveled on this trail on my way back from my day trip. The section that immediately branches off is very narrow, but comes out into a rocky clearing on the north side of the mountains.

I-476 from the North Trail

Some parts of the North Trail are incredibly narrow, with a steep slope on one side and a drop-off to the other. The trail meanders through tall grasses before it ascends up the mountain to rejoin the Appalachian Trail in about a mile and a half. Once atop the mountain, the Appalachian Trail stays pretty flat. I passed by one of the shelters and springs that are located along the trail.One thing that really made me happy was the amount of wild blueberries that grow along the trail. There are many campsites along the trail, where I would often stop to rest and eat. After about two and a half miles, the ridge passes over the I-476 tunnel, which I found pretty cool. Most of the trail does not get out of the trees but every now and then the pine trees gave way to tall grasses.
One of the landmarks of the trip I would say would be the power line at Lehigh Furnace Gap. I say that because I was walking in very dense woods when I popped out to this expansive clearing where to power lines cut over the ridge. I scrambled along the boulders for about fifty yards until I plunged back into the dense woods. One portion of the trail was a little weird because the trail was almost perfectly straight and lined with small trees. It looked like a never-ending pathway. One pain of this section is there is a part that feels like a drawn-out switchback that is just full of small rocks for miles. I swear I spent over 2 miles walking on rocks ranging from the size of bowling balls to the size of 50 gallon drums.

See, I told you it was rocky

The rocks were just absolute pains in the ass. However, I began my ascent to the top of Bake Oven Knob, which also is rocky but seems more like stairs. The knob has a 180 degree view to the south and to the north. It is just an excellent place to hang out for awhile. It is also easy to get to from car because there is a dirt road about a half mile to the west. That pretty much ended my day trip.

The View from Bake Oven Knob

My backpack trip took me through some pretty brutal terrain. After two miles of walking from the dirt lot by Bake Oven Knob, I reached an area known as Bear Rocks. To climb on top of the rocks, I had to scramble about 30 feet up wearing my 45 pound pack. But the view from on top of the rocks is 360 degrees. Continuing along the trail, I pass through some pretty narrow sections. One big challenge was Knife Edge. The trail follows the edge of a massive boulder for about 100 feet. The edge is very sharp, like it is a perfect triangle.

The "Edge"

It was very difficult to do with my heavy pack. The trail from there on out seems like a roller coaster, constantly going up and down. The trail is also incredibly rocky. I crossed over Route-309 where people would often wave or honk to the hikers on their way. There is a marker on this section that marks the meeting of Berks, Lehigh, and Schuylkill counties, hence Tri-county Corner.

The Marker at Tri-county Corner

Somewhere between there and Balanced Rocks, I set up my campsite. I walked to Balanced Rocks, which is just a rocky outcrop with a nice view. I returned to my camp exhausted.
Hiking the Appalachian Trail is a wonderful experience. You don’t have to walk the whole thing, but if it is near you, pick up a guide book and get out there.

A Dictionary of Handyman Lingo

The handyman lingo is part of my own vocabulary. Intensive field study and on-the-job experience leads me to what I believe is the most accurate definitions for the lingo. Many different scenarios lead to my first hand knowledge of the words. Other workers direct certain words toward me or other workers. From my observations, I discover the meanings of the words. The dictionary is not perfect, though. The words contained are only my general opinions. Different handymen across the world use different words in different contexts. As with most languages, different dialects and pronunciations exist. As far as I am concerned, my dictionary is a true accomplishment. I break a code that shrouds itself in secrecy for some time. I hope you enjoy.
Angle-of-the-dangle (n.) ~ the size, dimensions, or location of something that is remembered by purely looking at the object, a skill that comes with much experience. If you want to tell me that 2x4 is a 4x4, I’m not going to argue with you, just don’t come crying to me when my project is better than yours.
Blood-feud (n.) ~ a common occurrence in cramped places, while one is working, one or more fingers decide that they want to be bashed off of something and bleed. The event causes the worker to kick a nearby object, causing more pain in the foot making the problem worse. The worker will forget about his hand, worry about his foot, and go back to work.
Bollix (n.) ~ the favorite expletive from our friends up north. Everyone loves a country with a maple leaf on a flag. Then again, it is also the country that puts “eh” in every sentence. Also, the word pertains to the term of “endearment” for the new guy. As in, “you bollix get over here!”
Foreman (n.) ~ the one guy in a crew that thinks he knows everything, tries to teach you a better way of fixing something, breaks it in the process, then sets you back some money and doesn’t repay you. The foreman isn’t on my crew, he is not my problem.
Garbage-monger (n.) ~ one who typically stands around and does absolutely nothing while the others work their tails off, yet still receives credit. In the case of PennDOT, he is the one normally leaning on a shovel.
to Jerryrig (v.) ~ while short on proper supplies and/or time, it is the act of quickly fixing something with sub-par materials that will be properly fixed later, maybe, it depends if you’re lazy. For example, the little Dutch boy jerryrigged the leak in the dam by jamming his finger into it.
Mud-hat (n.) ~ event during masonry construction when the idiot working on top of a wall forgets to scrape the excess cement, called mud, off of a block and lets it fall onto the person working below. I might still have some bits left.
to Phanagel (v.) ~ to gently coax an object into place with some amount of force. That is if your definition of gently coaxing an object is hitting with a hammer. It works for me, when in doubt, hit or phanagel, it.
to Relax (v.) ~ while on a stressful worksite, it is generally the act of taking a large, heavy object and wailing on a smaller object until it is no more. Synonyms include the words stress relief. Any man can relax by sitting on his couch. It is a lot more fun to obliterate a cinderblock into dust with a sledge hammer.
to Sneeze-guard (v.) ~ when working under a cramped sink or other plumbing job, it is the precautionary move to pad all pipes that one will be working near. A violent sneeze could cause the head to travel in a forward motion toward a nearby pipe, causing a headache or a loss of consciousness. If you’re getting paid by the job, being unconscious is bad for business. If you’re getting paid by the hour, call it a job risk.

A Long (sorry LONG) Reflection on Christian Hope

Hope has been one of the founding principles of Christianity. The three theological virtues are hope, faith, and love. The understanding would be that the virtue should be easily explained since it has existed since the beginning. However, mystery surrounds the virtue of hope. The question remains, what is hope.
According to biblical text, faith and hope seem to be one in the same. They are interchangeable. Christians have faith in God. God cannot be seen by mere mortals. Therefore, Christians believe in what cannot be seen. The definition of faith is to believe in something without logical truth. The definition of hope is to want or expect something to happen. As Christians, we expect that our faith in God is true. We hope that God is the supreme deity that we believe in. Faith and hope can be used to complement each other or stand in the place of the other.
Hope plays an important role for the early Christians. It is their remedy for the persecutions. The hope that God would grant them salvation in heaven allows them to endure many trials. Jesus preaches that his second coming is coming soon. There is no instant gratification. Jesus promises to send the Holy Spirit to the apostles. Without hope, they would not have held fast to the words of Jesus. Also, the first Christians come from the lower classes. The aristocracy has money and power. They can have almost anything they want. They have no need to hope for anything if they can get it instantly. The lower classes need hope. They need something that can provide stability to their tumultuous lives. If a peasant had no hope for a better life, he would despair and become worthless to society. He would no longer work and become lethargic. Hope brings him happiness. If one thinks that continuing to work hard will get him a better life, he is going to work hard. Hope plays an important part of the early Christians’ lives.
Psalm 23 helps paint a picture of faith and hope. The opening statement, “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want,” supports the notion of hope. A Christian relies on the Lord for safety. He believes that everything he will ever need will be supplied by God. Grammatically, the statement shows how hope is timeless. The author of the psalm writes it in present tense, using the verb “is.” The author also uses active voice. The statement becomes more profound. The ending statement, “I shall dwell in the house of the Lord my whole life long,” finishes the psalm. The life referred to is an eternal life. The quotation sums up the Christian faith. The goal is to live a life that will be rewarded with eternal life. However, a Christian did not write the psalm, a Jew writes it. The message of the psalm is timeless also because it applies to all people of all times. The author writes it many years before the coming of Christ, but the message still applies. The psalm connects the past to the present. Two theological virtues exist before the beginning of Christianity. Since the two are in the same psalm, one cannot help but to think that the author does it intentionally.
Definitions of hope from the Bible are difficult to translate. Arguments over the matter erupt in controversy. One definition connects hope to substance. Hope becomes a physical feature instead of an abstract concept. Another definition connects hope and faith. The definition is that faith is having hope in what is to come. However, controversy erupts over which translation is correct. Whichever is correct, one idea can be said. Hope is the very life-giving substance. All of Christianity revolves around one central idea, a belief in the unknown. Many aspects of Christianity come from hope. Without hope, many beliefs that cannot be proven will cease to exist, thus collapsing Christianity as a whole.
Another definition for hope is the belief in eternal life. Eternal life for Christians is different than the other concepts of immortality. For centuries, people believe in a physical immortality. The person who is immortal will never die. He will forever walk the earth. Other religions have another concept of eternal life. The person may die but will not cease to exist. Hinduism believes in reincarnation, that is, a person dies but is reborn to enjoy the pleasures of life. But after several reincarnations, one can achieve eternal peace and happiness in the cosmos. The Christian notion of eternal life is a spiritual one. The physical body perishes but the soul continues on to everlasting life in heaven. Other religions, such as Judaism, share the belief. All forms of eternal life counteract the atheistic belief in one life to live. A person is born, lives his life, and then dies. There is no afterlife. The Christians believe that the body is the only thing to die. It is said, “You are dust, and to dust you shall return.” Christians hope for eternal life.
Hope seems to be individualistic. Everyone has their own personal goals to obtain salvation. Each person functions by himself. The person does whatever he can to obtain salvation. These actions seem somewhat selfish. The notion is wrong, though. Hope is part of the community. People share their beliefs and ideas. Some have many ideas in common. Christianity derives itself from the common beliefs people share in Christ. Redemption is communal. Hope becomes important to the group as a whole.
In the modern age, hope still exists. The human understanding far surpasses that of the old times. People think that reason replaces hope, that they can prove anything with reason and not have the need to hope in the unseen. In reality, progress creates a new need for hope. Humans hope in the future. They want a better world with newer technologies. Modern advances increase the thought of hope. With a renewal in the concept of hope, the idea transfers to religion. Reason leads to a better understanding of hope. Theologians better define doctrines using reason and faith. It is important that hope remain spiritualistic and does not become materialistic. Hope plays a new role in the modern age.
Hope displays itself throughout history. One story involves a slave by the name of Josephine Bakhita. Originally from Sudan, slave-traders kidnap her and sell her on the market. Her new masters constantly flog her. She comes to know her punishments rather well. Later on, she winds up with a Venetian family. In Italy, she comes to know paron, or God. Her new master surpasses the superiority of all her previous ones. She learns of Jesus Christ, who also bore the floggings. She learns about God placing Jesus at his right hand. She comes to know hope through Jesus. She believes that she will be rewarded for her brutal treatment in heaven. She would no longer be a slave but be redeemed. With an understanding of hope, Josephine can understand the Bible. The patriarch of Venice baptized and confirmed her. She is a Canossian sister. She wants to bring the same freedom she experienced to everyone else.
Many Jews also come to know hope during the Holocaust. Nazis put hundreds of thousands of Jews into concentration camps like Auschwitz or Dachau. The SS tears people away from their families. Extermination chambers kill hundreds immediately when they enter the camp. People no longer had freedom. The livings conditions are deplorable. Many would despair. Deep depression can cause mental problems and death. The only way to keep up one’s morale is hope. The hope for freedom and a better life keeps many alive. The Nazis really test the Jews’ hope through their military tactics. Hope succeeds when the Allies free the Jews from the camps during the campaigns across Germany.
Hope is very important to the Christian life, being one of the three of the theological virtues. Hope ties itself to faith. The two intertwine themselves. They justify a belief in the unseen. They give one a spiritual strength to conquer any problem. Accounts across history give testimony to the concept. Hope brings about the belief in the spiritual afterlife, an eternity of peace and happiness. Hope is not something that can be taken lightly. It needs to be cared for. Prayer keeps hope healthy. It puts trust in God, a being who is always present but cannot be seen. He is forever there for his people. One hopes that God will help them in his time of need. During times of trouble, people especially demonstrate their hope. Prayer becomes more frequent when someone is sick or dying. People can use hope in the wrong way. During a time of desperation, a person may turn to false hope to alleviate his pain. People can also give others false hope. In a materialistic society, one can hope for the wrong thing. Instead of having their hope in Christ, they hope for a material item. Hope needs to be nurtured. It is the most important part of our Christian beliefs.

Fun in the Sand and Sun

Over the summer, I went to a Navajo Reservation in eastern Arizona. While I was there, I had a couple extra days to explore the area between the reservation and Albuquerque, New Mexico, along Interstate 40. My only limitation was I was with a group, and not everyone was able to do everything.
A couple trail ideas came out of Craig Martin’s 100 Hikes in New Mexico. Two involved some mountain climbing and the group didn’t have the time. One trail would take us up the Sandia Mountains, which overlook Albuquerque. The second would take us to the summit of Mount Taylor along I-40. Both mountains are over 10,000 feet. One trail we were able to do was in El Morro National Monument. The trail led along the base of a mesa, but the mesa had inscriptions on its base from pioneers passing through the area. The trail had a guide book that told the stories of the inscriptions at each numbered section. Two more interesting parts of New Mexico lay in El Malpais National Monument. The first was a short trail to La Ventana Arch, New Mexico’s second largest natural arch. Also in the park was an overlook on top of sandstone bluffs which viewed a massive lava field through which the Zuni-Acoma Trail passes.
However, my explorations in Arizona were far better than my ones in New Mexico. First of all, Arizona’s Window Rock is much more impressive than the arch in New Mexico. Plus, the trail led up and behind the arch so you could look through it and see the landscape. But, by far, the best trip was to Canyon de Chelly. One problem with the canyon is since the Navajo still live there, you are not free to roam the bottom of the canyon, but there is a trail called the Whitehouse Trail which takes you to impressive cliff dwellings. Surprisingly, hiking in the desert is not that strenuous. Although the air is warmer than in the Northeast, it is not as hot due to the lowered humidity. Armed with my multiple water bottles, I descended the switchbacks carved into the red rocks while losing easily hundreds of feet of elevation. The dwelling sits carved into the base of a vertical cliff. A descent into a canyon is definitely an awesome experience. Also, the scenic overlooks are incredible. The most spectacular is the one at Spider Rock. The rock is an over 800 foot spire. The overlook actually looks down upon the spire, making it seem almost small. Pretty much, the desert is an awesome place to explore. It is an environment that at least I am not used to. And if you are prepared, I a sure you will have a spectacular time. I can’t wait until I get to go back again.

A Jump Start Guide to Mountaineering

Hiking is one of my favorite hobbies. One specific activity is mountaineering. This doesn’t mean I scale Mount Everest every weekend because by mountaineering, I mean walking from the base of any mountain to the summit and back. Essentially, this little guide is just a head start on climbing higher. It is great exercise and the views are very rewarding. You can go more places on foot than the car will take you.
1) Find a Mountain
If you are going mountaineering, you are going to need a mountain. The best way to look for one depends on your location. There might be local ones or places you are going to for vacation. If you are going to a national park, you can get information about mountaineering from the park office or website. A topographic map obtained from the United States Geological Survey (USGS) might also be helpful. A couple things should be considered when picking a mountain. The first is elevation. It can pose several problems during a trip. One problem with high altitude is a lowering of oxygen in the air. It is easier to lose your breath and you get tired more easily. If it is your first time trying to summit a mountain, going beyond a mile above sea is probably not the best idea. Normally, the information about a mountain is readily available. Another problem with high altitude is being exposed to bad weather. High mountains have their summits well above the tree line. A lack of trees provides no cover in the event of any inclement weather. But one of the best ways to find a mountain is defined in the next section.
2) Find a Trail
As with any hiking trip, finding an established trail is always a great idea. Bushwhacking, essentially not using a trail at all, should only be attempted by experienced hikers. Established trails are harder to get lost on, normally follow the easiest route, and are well maintained. Trails can be found in a guide book of the area you are looking to go to or by using a trail website, like Trails.com. From these sources, you can find a trail and information for a mountain that you deem a likely candidate to climb. The trail itself will make your trip either better or worse. In a guide book, you will find all the information about a trail’s condition, the dangers involved in the mountain it goes up, and other pertinent information that can make or break your trip. An easy way to tell how hard a trail will be by its gain in altitude from start to finish, and its distance. Just because a mountain is 5000 feet tall doesn’t mean you will climb that whole distance. The easiest trails can be easily found by dividing the altitude gain (in feet) by the length of the trail (in miles). The smaller the number is, the easier the trail will be because it is how much elevation you will gain for every mile walked. Most guide books will give you the best trails to mountains that have the best views. No real point in walking up it if you can’t see around you. The view is the best part.
3) Pack Up
Ok, you found a trail in the guide book that goes up to a magnificent view, now how do you get there comfortably? In my opinion, one of the most important things is footwear. You will be scrambling over and around all sorts of rocks and obstructions to get where you want to go. The second step is make sure you have a lot of water. It may be incredibly difficult or almost impossible to find a spring to fill up at. Snacks always help give you an energy boost. Bring some layers because it is probably colder and windier at the summit compared to the base. Plus, have a camera; you are going to want it. So go, have fun, pace yourself, be safe, and EXPLORE.

This little story is my trip up Diamond Hill, in Connemara National Park in Ireland. The mountain had a summit of 1450 feet. The trail prettymuch began at sea level and started off gradually. It casually led through the grasses and over small streams. After awhile, the trail let to the loop trail that goes up and over the summit of the mountain. That is when the trail got rough. It started off with a steep climb over packed dirt which led to several switchbacks cut into the stone. Then the trail turned into a natural staircase which led to a false summit. A false summit is a term for what appears to be the very end of the trail from below, but once reached, you can see you still have to climb a little higher. The summit was not far off, probably like another 400 feet. The view from the top was absolutely phenomenal, but the wind was bitterly cold. I spent some time on the summit taking pictures before I got too cold and needed to go back down. Overall, well worth the trip.

This is the trail that led up to the summit loop trail with the summit in the background.

This is the view from the summit, you can see the trail up on the left side. The trail begins down by the lake.

Meteor Shower '09

Everyone loves a good meteor shower. Seeing shooting stars rain down from the heavens just mesmerizes us. As an amateur astronomer, I try my best to see them when I can.
Meteor showers roughly occur at the same time every year. Each shower is made of debris in space that the Earth passes through at regular intervals. The larger and denser the debris cloud is, the more spectacular the meteor shower will be. The showers are normally named for the constellations they seem to emit from. I missed watching the Leonids in November due to overcast skies. The Leonids normally put on a very good show but I was not able to watch it. The optimal viewing time for the Geminids occurred around midnight on the night of December 13-14. The night did not look promising because of the weather. It had been raining all day and later became quite foggy. However, I got a break when the eastern horizon cleared up around 1 o'clock and stayed relatively clear until 2. During that time, I saw about 20-30 meteors of all sizes and colors. One of my goals was to take a picture of a meteor which is quite the difficult task. The Geminids took up almost the whole eastern horizon so it was difficult to find a single spot on which to train my camera. Very early in the year I tried to take a picture of the Quadrantids in January. That shower was easier due to the fact that the meteors came from a very compact region in the northwest sky. It is difficult to capture meteors on camera because the light from them does not last very long. But I was pleased with the little bit of the shower I got to see. Hopefully the weather and moon will cooperate for the Quadranids in early January. See if you can spot the meteor in this picture (Trust me, there is one there).

Ridiculous Rankings

For some odd reason, Americans are obsessed with putting things into some kind of hierarchy. We just like lists. Lists make it easier for us to find the best product to buy or see who is a better athlete or who is the hottest person In Hollywood. Some rankings are crucial in helping us make critical decisions. However, some are just absolutely inane. You can find some kind of ranking for almost anything you can imagine. But, who makes these rankings? Who determines what’s better than most? Well, the following rankings come from the A.V. Club’s website. Let’s try to figure this mystery out.
One of the rankings that caught my attention was the “Our Favorite Film Scenes of the ‘00s.” Taking a look at the list, one thing jumped out at me. Most of the movies on the first page I have never heard of before. I’m not a movie buff but I at least know what has been playing in the theaters. How can something be our favorite movie scene when we don’t really know the movie? One scene that did catch my eye was the “Exchanging of Business Cards- American Psycho.” I’ve scene the movie a couple times and have loved it. But the scene where he freaks out over the business card and proceeds to destroy his competitor with an axe seems just hysterical. I can agree with the A.V. writers who commented how they can’t look at a business card anymore without seeing Christian Bale in your head. Brutally massacring people seems to just stick in your head I guess.
Another list had the best bad movies of the decade. I haven’t seen any of the movies on the list, but now probably won’t see them because of the list. But say one of these movies is your favorite movie, how does that make you feel that your favorite movie is put on a list of things that suck. Rankings have power unforeseen. But, in my opinion, the writers forgot a movie. I think they should have included Zombie Night. I think it is the most poorly shot, ill directed movie I have ever seen. I think it is just awful. But if you love that movie, go right ahead and keep loving it because I won’t.
The list of best movies is comprised of fifty movies. Out of all of them I have only seen three. I saw Kill Bill Vol. 1, American Psycho, and the Dark Knight. I thought they were good movies and so did the writers. Aside from that, I don’t really have any other opinions except that the Hangover should be on there.
I have to give the writers a hand for what they did with the music rankings. Very few lists I’ve seen that list the best music only represent a small selection of genres. Not only do they have a list of best albums of a lot of genres, they have rankings for separate genres. The best music list has some of the music I listen to, mostly rock and metal, but I still appreciate the other genres. The list of metal depresses me though. Some music I don’t classify as metal. I also think they left some bands out but that’s just me. But I must agree, System of a Down’s Toxicity deserves to be on the list of the best.
So far, I like the list of best TV shows. I think The Sopranos blew it in its finale, but I don’t watch it so I’m not going to argue. Lost is a show you either love or hate. There isn’t much room for gray area. Well, I love it so I like that it’s on the list. I’m sad that Futurama is gone from us and I don’t understand how the Tim and Eric Awesome Show doesn’t give people seizures. Was Scrubs a candidate for this list?
Their list of best TV shows from shows not on any other list entertains me. South Park’s “Scott Tenorman Must Die” episode is fantastic. I wish they used the “Hand Banana” episode for Aqua Teen Hunger Force, probably because it’s my favorite episode. I think they should’ve included an episode from Testees, or Family Guy.
One list they have is the “Best Made-for-TV movies.” At first, I wasn’t sure what exactly the list would contain but two of the ones that are on the list I loved. The first is Planet Earth. I have never seen such an extensive collection of footage from the most desolate places on Earth. I’ve learned so much from watching it. The other one I loved is Band of Brothers. I love learning about World War II and I loved Saving Private Ryan. Throughout the series, I felt like I was part of the company. I felt like I knew each one of them personally. It superbly made.
As for their list of video games, it is acceptable. Rock Band is definitely one of the top games on my list. I also enjoyed that the writers included one of the trippiest games of all time, Portal. I am sad though that they missed Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, or any others from the series.
There are a lot of lists on the A.V. Clubs’ website about the best of the decade, so go check it out to see if your favorites soared or flopped. But from what I have realized, if someone has no prior knowledge of a subject, he will trust that list more than the person who knows everything on it. Let’s just hope that the experts are the ones making the lists.

Fishing Craze

In my English class, we read an article by Stutz called Ancient Lives. The selection we read involved the migration of horseshoe crabs and shad fishing. The author describes the excitement of shad fishing on the Delaware River.
I have gone shad fishing on the Delaware, and it is certainly an experience. I went fishing by the forks, where the Lehigh and Delaware Rivers meet. There is a waterfall there, so the noise becomes quite annoying after awhile. One method used to catch shad is to use a lot of split shot on the line to get the lure to the bottom of the fast-flowing water. The bottom of the river is rocky, so it is a common occurrence for your lure to get hung up. Another method is by using a downrigger. A downrigger is a large weight that is lowered to the river bottom. The line and lure is fixed to the weight so that when a fish grabs the lure, the line releases from the weight. But in my opinion, that kind of fishing is rather boring.
Salmon fishing in Alaska is something really worth trying. Depending on the week during the summer run, one can catch nice sized pinks, silvers, and reds. I caught about 40 fish in a couple hours during the run. But the ultimate challenge is fishing for king salmon. These monstrous fish can grow easily to four feet. They are also strong fighters. They can snap 80-pound test line like it is twine. Plus, the streams they swim in are normally fast flowing glacial streams. Alaskan fishing definitely is extreme.
Shad fishing in the Delaware is fun, but Alaskan fishing is so much more intense. The fish are more abundant and fight for longer. The shad may be fun, but salmon make or break a fisherman.