Five on Friday: Five Great Things about Tom Thwaites

By: Levi Opsatnic

Tom Thwaites 2(2)

Image Courtesy of kta-hike.org

Unfortunately, back in December, we lost one of the great pioneers of Pennsylvania Hiking, and that was a man by the name of Tom Thwaites. Tom passed away at the age of 83 years old, and led a life filled with adventure. Many know Tom as being largely responsible for blazing some of the most important and most frequently visited trails in the state of Pennsylvania. Hikers in Pennsylvania and all around the nation have made the trek to visit trails that, without the help of Tom, may not even exist.

With such a great legacy, it comes as no surprise that Tom was really loved by the Pennsylvania community, especially those of us in Centre County. Not too long ago, Jacob recounted some pretty cool stories about Tom Thwaites that were told by some of his close friends. And now, with his memorial service quickly arriving on April 4th, I’d like to dive into some of the reasons why Tom was such an integral part of hiking as well as many other significant aspects of Pennsylvania.

But before we jump into discussing Tom, if you’re a fan of him, his work, or just a lover of what he has done for Pennsylvania, then be sure to clear a spot on Saturday April 4th around 2:00 PM and stop by the Unitarian-Universalist Fellowship, (780 Waupelani Extension, in State College) to attend his memorial service.

1. Being one of Pennsylvania’s Real Trailblazers

Though Tom has both blazed trails himself and helped blaze many others, he is most noted for his work on the Mid State Trail (MST). The Mid State Trail is a 323 mile trail that now, thanks to Tom, begins at Pennsylvania’s Maryland border and runs right through the middle of the state all the way up to its end at the New York border. Being referred to as “The Wildest Trail in Pennsylvania,” the Mid State Trail is noted for its spectacular views, tough terrain, and great example of Pennsylvania’s natural beauty. Although the MST is still known for being pretty darn rugged, it really is something to think, that decades ago, Tom blazed this trail and measured out its entirety. And without his hard work, we certainly wouldn’t have the benefit of having this wonderful place right in our backyard.

2. An Author of the Outdoors

50 hikes of central pa

Image courtesy of paperbackswap.com

Surely Tom had a real knack for the outdoors, but some may not know that he did a really good job at documenting some of his favorite places. Obviously, one of Tom’s favorite subjects to write about was hiking. And his series of “Fifty Hikes” books cover a large portion of great hikes in Pennsylvania. With nearly one for every part of Pennsylvania, any of these books deserve a spot on your shelf. However, those of us in the State College area will really love flipping through “Fifty Hikes in Central Pennsylvania: Day Hikes and Backpacking Trips in the Heart of the Keystone State. In this book, Tom documents fifty hikes that are a must for any avid hiker. From tales of the trail, maps, and all the way down to important scenes of the hike, Dr. Thwaites covers it all.

3. Professor of Physics

Not only did Tom display his intelligence in the wilderness and in his writing, but he also showed it to the student body at Pennsylvania State University from 1959-1989. During this time, Tom was able to display his love for the subject of physics and pass it along to quite a few different groups of students. I wasn’t lucky enough to be a student at the time of his teaching, but I would certainly think that he was able to make even a subject like physics easy to understand and fun to learn.

4. A Drive for the Penn State Outing Club

Tom may not have been the founder of Penn State’s Outing club, but he surely acted as a driving force to get it started. Penn State’s Outing Club offers the student body a chance to get involved in Pennsylvania’s outdoors and experience some of its wonder. From going on backpacking trips (occasionally on trails that Tom made) to properly educating about nature, the Penn State Outing Club does it all. Without Tom, there’s a decent enough chance that Penn State students wouldn’t be enjoying this awesome group today.

5. Having a Love for Nature and Being a True Inspiration

I, unfortunately, never got the opportunity to meet Tom. But simply based off reading his work and hearing tales of him, I get the idea that he’s a pretty nice fellow and would have been one of the cooler people you could run into on the trail. Heck, some of the stories about Tom Thwaites that his friends had given us a few months back are more than enough to make me really wish with that he was still out there gracing the trails of Pennsylvania.

thwaites memorial

Image courtesy of gethiking.net

 

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