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[at-l] Laurel Highlands trip report...



Skyline and I hiked 8 wonderful miles along the ridge of the Laurel
Highlands (Western Pennsylvania) yesterday.  We placed a car at each end and
had the best weather possible.  This was my first time on the Laurel
Highlands Trail.  If only the AT was so sedate!  We hiked through fields of
ferns, snaggles of brambles (say that 10 times straight), carpets of
evergreen needles, and in, up, and around fields of HUGE boulders.  We saw
no wildlife, but we did hear some scrambling of little chipmunk or squirrel
feet.  We stopped at one shelter for lunch.  Actually, it was a nest of
shelters (probably 6), with tenting also.  Each shelter is small (fitting 3
or 4 folks comfortably) with fireplaces.  If spending the night at these
facilities, one must make prior arrangements, and pay a fee.  The trail
itself is well marked with yellow blazes.  There is always a blaze in view
ahead, often two or three.  The reason for this may be overzealous blazers,
or the ridgeline may be often overcast, thus requiring more blazes.  I
generally do not like excessive blazing, but I will make no judgment here
until I hike the trail in inclement weather...

We ended our hike just as the sky opened and dropped buckets of water.
Skyline then us drove to my van.  My van had a flat tire, and since I had
used the spare for a flat a few weeks ago, I had no spare.  So Skyline was
kind enough to take me and my previous flat tire home to my parents house,
where I am staying during a short hiatus from the trail.  Today I got the
tire fixed and my father and I traveled back up the mountains to my van and
changed the tire.  I then treated my father to a Subway sub.  He assured
everyone in the sub shop that this was a first.  He's kids people, he's a
kidder...

pittsburgh

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