Goal Training Hikes

Rachel Carson Trail Challenge Saturday June 19, 2010

These eight training hikes are intended to prepare you to take on the Challenge on June 19. 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.
  • You do not need to notify the hike leader that you plan to attend. Simply show up on time.
  • Please bring at least a quart of water (more if the hike is long or temperature will be warm) and some energy snacks (e.g. Powerbar).
  • Minimum unaccompanied 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 (except April 18). 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).
  • The hikes are free. A suggested donation of $3 per person may be given to the hike leader on the day of the hike.

Sunday, April 18Leader: Donna Stolz 412-303-61027.1 milesElevation change: 3408 ft.
We start at the Rachel Carson Homestead in Springdale, after a short presentation there, and follow paved roads out of Springdale, up and over Log Cabin Hill, LeFever Hill, and Rich Hill and end in Emmerling Parkl. Meet at the Emmerling Park lot at 9:15 AM. Directions: Take Route 28 to Exit #11 and follow Route 910 (Yellow Belt) west about 4 miles and turn right on Cove Run Road. Travel about 0.5 mile to park entrance on the right. Map
Sunday, April 25Leader: Donna Stolz 412-303-61028.5 milesElevation change: 4347 ft.
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
Sunday, May 2Leader: Donna Stolz 412-303-61027.7 milesElevation change: 3621 ft.
Starting near the Springdale Veterans Association Hall in Springdale, we get in some road hiking and then come the hills, including Log Cabin hill, Lefever Hill, and Rich Hill. We'll stroll through Emmerling Park and end in Dorseyville. Meet in the Eichenlaub Landscaping company parking lot on Saxonburg Boulevard at 8 AM. Directions: Follow Route 910 along the Yellow Belt to the Saxonburg Blvd. intersection and turn north for 0.2 miles. Map
Sunday, May 9Leader: Donna Stolz 412-303-610213.5 milesElevation change: 6192 ft.
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
Sunday, May 16Leader: Donna Stolz 412-303-610213.3 milesElevation change: 5959 ft.
We start near the Sheetz in Creighton and head west where we'll encounter a plethora of hills: impressively steep Murray Hill, Agan Park, Log Cabin hill, Lefever Hill, and Rich Hill. We'll pass through Emmerling Park and end in Dorseyville. Meet in the Eichenlaub Landscaping company parking lot on Saxonburg Boulevard at 8 AM. Directions: Follow Route 910 along the Yellow Belt to the Saxonburg Blvd. intersection and turn north for 0.2 miles. Map
Sunday, May 23Leader: Donna Stolz 412-303-610214.5 milesElevation change: 5163 ft.
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, ending at 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
Sunday, May 30Leader: Donna Stolz 412-303-610218.5 milesElevation change: 6873 ft.
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 hike through Springdale then hit 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
Sunday, June 6Leader: Bob Mulshine 717-421-838119.8 milesElevation change: 9059 ft.
This hike was specifically chosen to be the final, longest and most difficult hike prior to the Challenge. We begin 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 hills - including Burtner hill, Crawford hill, Murray hill, and Log Cabin hill. We end at the Log Cabin Road checkpoint location. Meet at Log Cabin Road parking area at 8 AM. Take Route 28 to Exit #12. Turn right at the end of the ramp, then right at the stop sign onto Little Deer Creek Road (aka Russellton Road). Travel about 1.5 miles and turn right on Log Cabin Road. Park about 100 yards ahead on the right. Map