Goal Training Hikes
Rachel Carson Trail Challenge Saturday June 21, 2008
These ten training hikes are intended to prepare you to take on the Challenge on June 21. We begin with a five-mile fairly level hike and build over the subsequent three months up to nearly 20 miles on the section of the trail with the most hills. These hikes not only help you build your endurance, but they also allow you to field test your gear. Your new shoes or pants may seem fine on your 10 mile hikes, but only when you approach 20 miles over hilly terrain do previously imperceptible problems become incapacitating.
- Everyone is welcome on these hikes; you do not need to be entered into the Challenge to participate.
- Be sure to let the indicated leader know you'll be attending a particular hike at least twelve (12) hours in advance.
- For each hike there is a $3 activity fee per person ($1 for Rachel Carson Trails Conservancy members). This fee will be collected by the leader on the day of the hike. On the first hike, you can sign up for all ten for $20 per person ($7 for Rachel Carson Trails Conservancy members).
- Please bring at least a quart of water (more if the temperature will be warm) and some energy snacks (e.g. Powerbar).
- Minimum age is 12.
- We will meet at the hike end point and carpool to the start point, leaving a sufficient number of cars behind to carry people back to the start when the hike is over.
- All hikes meet at 8 AM. Plan for later hikes to take up to 9 hours (7 hours for the hike plus up to 2 hours for sign-in, announcements, car shuttling, and so forth).
| Saturday, March 1 | Leader: Donna Stolz, 412-487-2328 | 5 miles | Difficulty level (1-10): 2 |
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| We start with a brief orientation and review of expectations for the series. Then we hike one lap around the North Park lake on the paved walking trail. This hike is a loop, so no car shuttle is needed. Meet at the Beaver Shelter in North Park at 8 AM. Directions: Take I279 north to the McKnight Road exit and travel 6.4 miles north. Take the North Park/Ingomar Rd. exit east and turn left at the third traffic light onto Babcock Blvd. There is a long parking lot on the left at the next intersection with Pearce Mill Road, and the Beaver Shelter is at the far end of the lot. Map | |||
| Saturday, March 8 | Leader: Barb Peterson, 412-371-2506 | 8.7 miles | Difficulty level (1-10): 3 |
| This hike starts in Dorseyville at the end of Cedar Run Road. We follow the trail west towards North Park, covering dirt roads and some short uphills. The last section leading up to North Park is a long, steady climb up, then back down to the Beaver Shelter. Meet at the Beaver Shelter in North Park at 8 AM. Directions: Take I279 north to the McKnight Road exit and travel 6.4 miles north. Take the North Park/Ingomar Rd. exit east and turn left at the third traffic light onto Babcock Blvd. There is a long parking lot on the left at the next intersection with Pearce Mill Road, and the Beaver Shelter is at the far end of the lot. Map | |||
| Saturday, March 15 | Leader: Donna Stolz, 412-487-2328 | 7 miles | Difficulty level (1-10): 4 |
| We start at the Bobwhite Shelter in Harrison Hills Park and wind through the park. Once outside the park, we pass through a horse farm, then up and down some hills - including Burtner hill. (You know it's a demanding hill if it has a name.) We end at the Bull Creek Road checkpoint location in Tarentum. Meet at the parking area at the intersection of Bull Creek Road and Ridge Road at 8 AM. Directions: Take Route 28 to Exit #14 (Tarentum). Turn north on Bull Creek Road for a very short distance, turn right on Ridge Road, then immediately turn into the parking area on the right. Map | |||
| Saturday, March 22 | Leader: Bob Mulshine, 412-741-0862 | 9.2 miles | Difficulty level (1-10): 5 |
| On this hike we start at the Bull Creek Road checkpoint location in Tarentum and quickly encounter a steep uphill climb followed by even steeper ups and downs - including Crawford Run hill and Murray Hill. We pass through Agan Park and end in Springdale. Meet at the Springdale Veterans Association Hall parking lot in Springdale at 8 AM. Directions: Take Route 28 to Exit #11 (Harmarville). After exiting onto Route 910 head towards Harmarville, turn left at the second traffic light onto Freeport Road and travel about 4 miles through 9 more traffic lights. The Springdale Veterans Association Hall entrance will be on your left just past the last light. Park on the far side of the lot. Map | |||
| Saturday, March 29 | Leader: Donna Stolz, 412-487-2328 | 10.1 miles | Difficulty level (1-10): 6 |
| Starting near the Springdale Veterans Association Hall in Springdale, we tackle the infamous "roller coaster" right away, then a little road hiking, and more hills, including Log Cabin hill, Lefever Hill, and Rich Hill. We'll stroll through Emmerling Park and end in Dorseyville. Meet in the River City Glass parking lot at the intersection of Route 910 and Cedar Run Road at 8 AM. Directions: Follow Route 910 along the Yellow Belt to 0.5 miles west of Saxonburg Blvd. intersection, opposite Sunflower Valley Market. Map | |||
| Saturday, April 12 | Leader: Donna Stolz, 412-487-2328 | 13.8 miles | Difficulty level (1-10): 6 |
| This hike starts at the eastern terminus of the Rachel Carson Trail, a part of the trail which Challengers never see. We'll hike through Harrison Hills Park, past the Bobwhite Shelter, then over Burtner Hill and down Crawford Run hill to Creighton. Meet at the parking area behind Sheetz in Creighton at 8 AM. Directions: Take Route 28 to Exit #13. At the bottom of the ramp, turn right and in about 30 feet turn right again into a gravel parking lot surrounded by a chainlink fence. Map | |||
| Saturday, April 26 | Leader: Bob Mulshine, 412-741-0862 | 14.4 miles | Difficulty level (1-10): 7 |
| We start near the Sheetz in Creighton and head west where we'll encounter a plethora of hills: impressively steep Murray Hill, the "roller coaster", Log Cabin hill, Lefever Hill, and Rich Hill. We'll pass through Emmerling Park and end in Dorseyville. Meet in the River City Glass parking lot at the intersection of Route 910 and Cedar Run Road at 8 AM. Directions: Follow Route 910 along the Yellow Belt to 0.5 miles west of Saxonburg Blvd. intersection, opposite Sunflower Valley Market. Map | |||
| Saturday, May 10 | Leader: Bob Mulshine, 412-741-0862 | 15.6 miles | Difficulty level (1-10): 7 |
| This hike begins at the Log Cabin Road checkpoint location and covers Lefever Hill and Rich Hill. We'll glide through Emmerling Park, then through Hampton and Crouse Run and into North Park. We'll end at the Cabin on Ingomar Road where the Conservancy's annual public meeting will be taking place. Food and drink will be provided! Meet at the Cabin in North Park at 8 AM. Directions: Take I279 north to the McKnight Road exit and travel 6.4 miles north. Take the North Park/Ingomar Rd. exit east and about 100 yards before the third traffic light, turn right into the parking lot. Map | |||
| Saturday, May 24 | Leader: Bob Mulshine, 412-741-0862 | 18.9 miles | Difficulty level (1-10): 8 |
| On this hike we'll cover the second half of this year's Challenge course. Starting in Springdale near the Springdale Veterans Association Hall, we'll hit the "roller coaster" right away, followed by Log Cabin hill, Lefever Hill, and Rich Hill. Then we'll stick the landing in North Park. Meet at the Beaver Shelter in North Park at 8 AM. Directions: Take I279 north to the McKnight Road exit and travel 6.4 miles north. Take the North Park/Ingomar Rd. exit east and turn left at the third traffic light onto Babcock Blvd. There is a long parking lot on the left at the next intersection with Pearce Mill Road, and the Beaver Shelter is at the far end of the lot. Map | |||
| Saturday, June 7 | Leader: Donna Stolz, 412-487-2328 | 19.3 miles | Difficulty level (1-10): 9 |
| This hike was specifically chosen to be the final, longest and most difficult hike prior to the Challenge. We begin at the Bull Creek Road checkpoint location, then head up and down through Creighton, tackling Crawford Run hill, Murray Hill, the "roller coaster", then Log Cabin hill, Lefever Hill, and Rich Hill. We'll perambulate Emmerling Park and end in Dorseyville. If you get through this, you can do it! Meet in the River City Glass parking lot at the intersection of Route 910 and Cedar Run Road at 8 AM. Directions: Follow Route 910 along the Yellow Belt to 0.5 miles west of Saxonburg Blvd. intersection, opposite Sunflower Valley Market. Map | |||