Map: Allegheny Trail Alliance

One of the gems for cyclists and hikers in the Pittsburgh region is the Great Allegheny Passage trail from Pittsburgh to Washington DC. The trail has been a long time a-building, but with two bridges being constructed over the railroad tracks in Whitaker and Duquesne, the trail takes an important step towards the planned Nov 11, 2011 completion date. All that is left is an agreement for the trail right-of-way at the Sandcastle site in West Homestead.

Gargoyle and architecture walk of Oakland. Bring a lunch or try a restaurant along Craig St. If it’s hot, we will spend more time inside the buildings.  Meet at the usual place so we can carpool to park at the big synagog across from WQED. Joan Roolf: 412-496-4925. 

Visit Highland Park - an area that’s being planned to be renovated (not park property, but adjacent to it and important to everyone using this area for recreation).  Bag lunch at Gen’s house, she will provide drinks and cookies. Genevieve Mann: 412-661-5947.

Come on the second of three DCNR trail maintenance trips of the summer-fall season. On this trip we will be working on the trails of Roaring Run Natural Area and the North Woods XC ski area. Usually about 20 outdoor groups join these trips. We usually quit around 3 PM. DCNR has been experiencing severe budget cuts in recent years. So keeping its trail system in good order is a difficult task without the help of trail users in these difficult times. Contact Dave Mottorn 724-327-7582 (dpmottorn@windstream.net). We usually meet at the Duff Park parking lot in Murrysville to form carpools.

Come on the third of three DCNR trail maintenance trips of the summer-fall season. On this trip we will be working on the trails of the Laurel Mountain area off US 30. Usually about 20 outdoor groups join these trips. We usually quit around 3 PM. After that we will have a fall picnic (catered). DCNR has been experiencing severe budget cuts in recent years. So keeping its trail system in good order is a difficult task without the help of trail users in these difficult times. Contact Dave Mottorn 724-327-7582 (dpmottorn@windstream.net). We usually meet at the Duff Park parking lot in Murrysville to form carpools.

We will be hiking an 8-mile loop in the Mountain Streams area of Laurel Ridge. We will start on the eastern corner of the loop along Tunnel Road and ease our way down the hogback to Indian Creek. This is abandoned trail so you may expect to climb over fallen trees and through high grass. This is a new route discovered on our hike here last year. We’ll return by way of rough trail along the edge of a clear cut area looking for the opportunity to bushwack using map and compass back up to a high trail running parallel to our current route. This may involve a damp, if not wet, crossing of Little Run. We will have next to the babbling Indian Creek before we will make the long slow climb out of the valley and back to our cars - an outstanding cardiovascular workout. Summer’s over, this is fall so temps should be pleasant and the trails should be dry, unless there is a lot of rain before the hike. Call Jim Ritchie at 412.576.0849 for more information, reservations, or directions to the meeting spot. More information is available at the Pittsburgh Hiking Meetup Group at Meetup.com.

Cycle the Ghost Town Trail from Dilltown to Blacklick and return. (About 24 miles round trip). We will see an old iron furnace on that section of trail. Ghost Town Trail is being extended in both directions. $7.00 carpool + $2/ bike carried, 50 miles. Meet at Gateway Middle School at 9 AM. Call Donna Allen, 412-372-2993.

This is one of the highest, most rugged, and most scenic parts of the West Va. Highlands. Lots of spectacular views. Prior backpacking experience is required because the Plains are no place for beginners - even for leisurely trips like this one. We will cover only about 16 miles total, because there is so much to see and do that we will need lots of time to explore. We will start at the upper trailhead of South Prong Trail, then take Hidden Passage Trail to Seneca Meadows where hopefully we can camp at the Rim campsite right on the Eastern Continental Divide. This is one of the most spectacular campsites on the MNF. The tenting area offers a 3000 vertical ft. view of the North Fork of the South Branch of the Potomac. Seneca Rocks, the Fore Knobs and some remote high mountain pastures are also far below us. Further east can be seen most of North Fork Mountain, and numerous ridges beyond to the Shenandoah Mountains on the far horizon. A view into the deep, steep-walled, wild canyon of the headwaters of Roaring Creek is near where we fetch water. Coyotes may serenade us in the late evening. Day 2 will take us up Roaring Plains Trail to the Spruce Campsite on the rim of the deep, wild and steep-walled Long Run. It, too, is on the Eastern Continental Divide. Mt. Porte Crayon and Haystack Knob can be seen along the rim of Long Run, and the venturesome may attempt an ascent of Mt. Porte Crayon (West Va’s 7th highest mountain). The “roaring winds” are often experienced in the Spruce Campsite in late evening. Not far from the campsite is an overlook that looks down on Dolly Sods Wilderness, Cabin Mountain, Canaan Valley, and Allegheny Front. Day 3 will take us down Boar’s Nest Trail and across South Fork of Red Creek (water levels permitting). Weather (even summer weather) on this high part of the Eastern Continental Divide can be severe. We need to be cautious. A $25 carpool fee is suggested for the 150 mile round trip from Monroeville. Limit: 10. If you want to learn more about this area, read pages 161 to 173 of Edition 8 of Monongahela National Forest Hiking Guide put out by the West Va. Highlands Conservancy as a paperback or as a CD. Visit http://www.wvhighlands.org. Contact Bruce Sundquist at 724-327-8737 or bsundquist1@windstream.net. A detailed trip sheet plus road directions plus topo maps will be provided. Depart Monroeville at 7 AM Saturday; return about 6 or 7 PM Monday (depending on whether we stop for supper).

Come with us as we enter Roaring Run Natural Area by the almost-forgotten Pike Run entrance. Fight your way up the North Loop to the top of Painter Rock Hill. Last year, we saw a rattlesnake at Painter Rock. Explore vistas and rocks on the western slopes of Laurel Ridge. This is an 8-mile loop hike exploring Roaring Run This is a moderately-paced hike with frequent one-minute stops, not a race; we will stop to sniff the rocks, view the views, and eat anything edible we find in the woods. If everyone’s feeling frisky, we may bushwack down the ridge on some abandoned logging roads to Roaring Run. Plan to stay together as a group, no hikers left behind. Intermediate difficulty, may be hot - bring 2 quarts of water. I don’t expect to see any mud. It’s hilly at Roaring Run so bring your lungs. We will meet at 9 AM at Gateway Middle School in Monroeville; call Jim for further details at 412.576.0849. More information is available at the Pittsburgh Hiking Meetup Group at Meetup.com.

This 8-mile loop hike in North Park starts at Beaver Shelter on Babcock Blvd. and loops through all the lands south of Ingomar Rd and Wildwood Road. This includes a 2-mile section of the infamous Rachel Carson Trail as it winds its way up an unnamed tributary of Pine Creek, into the Hemlocks, across South Ridge and West Ridge. We’ll also see the Pine Creek Spillway, the “Indian Caves”, and maybe the old Wildwood downhill ski area. Lots of lunch spots, lots of rest rooms. Most of the hike is shaded under the tree canopy. Call Jim Ritchie at 412.576.0849 for more information, reservations, or directions to the meeting spot. More information is available at the Pittsburgh Hiking Meetup Group at Meetup.com.

The Quebec Run defacto wild area of Forbes State Forest on Chestnut Ridge is one of the most popular areas for hiking and backpacking in southwestern Pa. Its many clean, clear mountain streams, mature forests and excellent trail system are some of the attractions. Five portals with parking lots are located along the rim of the area. In early July the area offers a special bonus for visitors. Many of the lower walls of the deep, steep-walled stream valleys are blanked with dense thickets of rhododendron - in full bloom. The streams and the shade often offer a fairly cool walk even in July. On this trip we will cover a loop 9.3 miles long that attempts to cover most (but not all) of the of the streamside trails through the more colorful displays of rhododendrons. (We wil miss the display along Long Run.) The trails offer fairly easy, mostly streamside walking, with only two significant hills. We may stop at the remains of an ancient grist mill and its aqueduct. If the group is a bit slow, or the temperature is higher than expected, we can take a few shortcuts. Those who like backpacking will be able to check out all the best streamside campsites. $10 recommended carpool fee - 65 miles from Monroeville. Meet at Gateway Middle School in Monroeville at 8 AM. Contact Bruce Sundquist at 724-327-8737 or bsundquist1@windstream.net. This will be a joint Allegheny Group - Meetup trip. Limit: 20. Those interested could stop at Valley Dairy (a Connellsville restaurant) for a snack or supper.

Come on a 12-mile loop hike that visits Frick Park, Schenley Park, and Homewood Cemetery with its outside garden and the graves of lots of notables in Pittsburgh’s history. Meet at the trailhead - the parking lot of the Frick Park Tennis Courts on south Braddock Avenue just south of Forbes. Call John Dern, 412-856-4642.

Come on the first of three DCNR trail-maintenance trips of the summer-fall season. On this trip we will be working on the trails and warming hut facilities on Laurel Mountain off US30. Usually about 20 outdoor groups join these trips. We usually quit around 3 PM. DCNR has been experiencing severe budget cuts in recent years. So keeping its trail system in good order is a difficult task without the help of trail users in these difficult times. Contact Dave Mottorn 724-327-7582 (dpmottorn@windstream.net). We usually meet at the Duff Park parking lot in Murrysville to form carpools.

Come Experience the Wild of the Proposed Chestnut Ridge Wilderness First-Hand Sunday, June 6th!

For those interested in seeing the wild beauty of the proposed Chestnut Ridge Wilderness Area first hand, Friends of Allegheny Wilderness is offering a day-long hike through the area on Sunday, June 6th. This is an off-trail hike of eight to ten miles in length. Hikers should be in reasonable physical condition, and bring all of their own food, water, and gear. There is no charge for this hike.

Chestnut Ridge is a beautiful 5,200-acre area in Allegheny National Forest that has been proposed for future wilderness designation.

The day-long hike will begin at 10:00 am, and will take us through the lowlands of the North Branch Sugar Run valley, the top of the ridgeline where hundreds of young America chestnut trees grow, to the north end rock outcrops and overview of the Willow Creek valley, and more. Expect also to see signs of potential oil development that threatens the natural integrity of the area. We will come across survey stakes & flagging which represent potential future well sites and access roads. This will be the sobering part of our journey that will inspire everyone to resolve to protect the area in perpetuity.

Sturdy hiking shoes or boots are a must. Please also bring a good supply of drinking water. And come dressed for the weather.

To RSVP, or for more information, contact FAW at 814-723-0620 or info at pawild dot org.

This Ramble is not connected with the Sierra Club. Sierra Club takes no responsibility, and makes no representations or warranties about the quality, safety, supervision or management of this trip. It is published here as a public service.

Murrysville,PA- Looking for family fun that includes physical activity, education and is close to home? Don’t know much about geocaching? Then the annual geocaching event Caching with the Conservancy 2010 from 8:00am-5:00pm on May 22, 2010 at Townsend Park on Twin Oakes Lane, Murrysville, is for you.

What is Geocaching? It is a high tech scavenger hunt. A geocache is hidden, often in a challenging location, one of exceptional beauty, or historical interest. Then the cache owner posts the latitude & longitude on the Internet and participants, using a GPS, go hunting for it. If found they sign a log to record their visit and may choose to trade knickknacks.

This year’s Caching with the Conservancy 2010 will feature geocaching specific presentations, temporary geocaches, temporary geocaches specifically for kids, and a geocaching competition. Additionally, a scheduled hike for newcomers to the sport will introduce some of the tricks to finding a geocache. There will be temporary geocaches hidden throughout Murrysville.

In addition to the geocaching related activities, other events will include interactive presentations and related activities and crafts will be offered throughout the day. These will highlight ways to enjoy the parks and reserves. Scheduled naturalist led hikes will be offered at the various reserves held by the Conservancy.

One featured speaker is Bill Powers, a local entrepreneur, who has revolutionized nature study with his methods and whose work has been requested by such organizations as the World Wildlife Fund.

Event is open to the public, but some events require pre-registration due to limited space. For complete schedule, locations of reserves and registration information click HERE.

This event is not connected with the Sierra Club. Sierra Club takes no responsibility, and makes no representations or warranties about the quality, safety, supervision or management of this trip. It is published here as a public service.