Indian Steps, not to be confused with Thousand Steps, but both have many steps!

WE WILL MEET AT 12 NOON AT THE JO HAYS VISTA ON RTE 26 ON THE CREST OF TUSSEY MOUNTAIN ABOVE PINE GROVE MILLS AND CARPOOL TO THE TRAILHEAD (10 MINUTES AWAY) FROM HERE.

Afterwards, as a bonus, those who aren't too pooped can join us for drinks and snacks (bring your own snacks) and a bonfire and goat feeding at Henry's house in Pine Grove Mills.

This is a moderate to hard 4.5-mile loop hike up the locally renowned Indian Steps. We will continue along the Mid-State Trail, down the Pump Station Trail, and along Harry’s Valley Road back to the finish/start, completing the loop. Total elevation gain of the entire hike is about 800 vertical feet, most of which comes at the very start, where we climb the punishing "Indian steps" ("switchbacks -- we don't need no friggin' switchbacks!") up to the crest of the Tussey Mtn ridgeline.

We will be rewarded with magnificent views of Stone Valley and remnant fall foliage from several vantage points, but to attain these we will have to surmount the 600-ft elevation gain posed by ascending the notorious “Indian Steps.” These old stone steps placed long ago by who-knows-whom climb straight up the side of Tussey Mountain to its crest (the ridge-top) without a single switchback.

There is limited parking where Indian Steps starts at Harry’s Valley Road, so it’s better to minimize the number of vehicles we bring there.

So who built the Indian Steps? These took a lot of effort and hand-tools and could not have been completed overnight.

According to local hiker Vincent Corso, one legend is that they were constructed by American Indians, hence their name. This “tale was made famous by American folklorist, historian, diplomat, writer, publisher, and conservationist Henry W. Shoemaker” in his book The Indian Steps: And other Pennsylvania Mountain Stories.

Their purpose was supposedly to allow Indian warriors from the south to swiftly cross Tussey Mountain when they invaded rival tribes to the north. Yet this fascinating if dubious legend remains unconvincing to others, who argue instead that the steps were likely built by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) almost a century ago, in the 1930s. The CCC was very active in our region and built many things.

Corso’s own opinion, what he calls a guess, is that they “were in place long before the CCC.” He thinks the CCC may have worked to repair and restore them nearly a century ago.

In any case, it’s a neat facet of local Central Pennsylvania folklore, which you will get to ponder this coming Saturday as you stand there panting and wheezing for air, halfway up these brutal, lungs-cleansing steps. If not exactly a "highway to hell" or a “stairway to heaven,” at least they'll take you to splendid views of the heavens.