The plan is to meet at the southern terminus parking area in Lanesville (near Freeport) (40 40.563N 79 41.497W), hike in for 1.5 hours, turn around and walk out. We'll meet up and start at 9:00. For accountability sake, I'd like to get a list of all participants. We'll plan to finish up at 12:00 and head out for "debriefing and cocktails" at Red Robin at Pittsburgh Mills (http://www.redrobin.com). For those of you that can walk faster than 5 mph, if you hit the next trailhead (Monroe Rd) (40 42.491N 79 42.805), I would turn around and head back. The "fast movers" will be our designated leads and our slowest will be the "sweeps". At the 1.5 hour mark, those roles will switch and we can walk out with the same number of people we walked in with.
Those on the forum, please feel free to invite others as well. If you want to do this as a BOB hike, go right ahead. I will be hiking with part of my kit.
For those not keen on just hiking, there are plenty of nice little vistas for some winter photography and geocaching along the way. (Plus, we should also get some photos of the event as well. We can post them here on this thread.) For birders, I've spotted Belted Kingfishers along the creek.
I would also suggest car pooling, as the trailhead parking lot can get filled quick. My suggested meeting place would be Red Robin, since they have a larger parking lot and that is the intended finishing point.
As for weapons, there are bears and coyotes out there. I really don't see the need for any heavy weaponry. The folks on the trail are pretty nice, to include the dogs. (I did have some rope disappear while fishing along the trail, but that's another story.) The trail is used by bikers (if there's no snow) or cross-country skiers (when we have a good layer). While fishing, I did once experience some local nationals fish by shooting at them with a .22.
Medical Plan
We shouldn't need anything more complex beyond basic field first aid. See the directions below for Allegheny Valley Hospital at 1301 Carlisle St, Natrona Heights 15065. Please bring along your FAK. There is no place to land a helo anywhere so medevac is likely out of the question.
Comm Plan
For those of you with GMRS or FRS radios, let's have someone pick a channel here on the forum or when we meet up. We can use those to mark the 1.5 hour time and anything else along the way.
Checklist
Here's my checklist of what to bring:
Food for food bank donation (or cash)
Appropriate footwear
Appropriate winter clothes (dress for the weather and in layers. I shouldn't need to type this.)
Water
First Aid Kit
High calorie snacks (if you are so inclined)
Camera
GMRS radio
GPS (for geocaching)
Directions
Directions to Lanesville Trailhead from Pittsburgh
Head north on Rt. 28
Take exit 17 to the intersection with 356
At the stop sign, make a left
Go about a mile. You should be headed downhill.
You will come to a stoplight. At the stoplight, turn left. Do not cross the bridge. That will take you into Freeport and no one wants that.
After you have made the left, you are on Main St. You will see signs for the trail parking.
Follow Main St. to Old Mill Rd. Turn right on Old Mill Rd.
You will see the parking area on the left by the split rail fence.
Directions to Red Robin
Reverse directions to Rt. 28
Take Rt. 28 south to exit 12A/ Pittsburgh Mills
At the end of the ramp turn right
At the next light, turn right
At the next light, turn right
You will see Red Robin on the right
Park somewhere in that area
Directions to Allegheny Valley Hospital (AVH)
Reverse above directions to Rt. 28.
Go south on Rt. 28
Take exit 15 Natrona Heights/ Burtner Rd
At the end of the ramp turn left under the overpass
Make the first right after the other off ramp (you will go over a creek) That will put you on Pleasantville Rd.
Pleasantville Rd will twist and turn and you will eventually see the hospital on the right
Turn right on Carlise St
Turn right into hospital
If you miss the turn onto Pleasantville, then
Head up the hill to the intersection with Freeport Rd.
Turn right at the light
Follow Freeport Rd south to Alabama Ave (you should see signs for the hospital)
Turn right on Alabama
Turn right on Carlise St
Turn left into hospital
