"Trace",

I lived in Erie for 38 years 'til I moved to 'Vegas in '04. I've backpacked all over Pennsylvania, including the North Country "Trail", which is now in bad disrepair.

1.. BELIEVE ME, there is no trail that leads from Erie to Pittsburg. You'll have to bushwhack many miles. Not good for a 1st timer.

2. Yes, this is WAY too far for you to do W/O lightweight equipment and a lot of conditioning and several introductory weekend trips.

3. If your friend wants you, a Tenderfoot, to do this I question his or her judgement. Remember, you're depending on that "experienced" person's judgement the entire trip. (BTW, do this and you'll soon discover why a newbie backpacker is called a "Tenderfoot".)

Eric