LHHT adventure...

[trailblaze]

Planning a Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail trip this spring.

Not sure on the date, as i plan on doing this on a "nice" weather weekend.

I am starting right above Ohio Pyle off maple summit road....and stopping somewhere near Lynn Run/ Laurel Summit. Leaving Friday morn and getting picked up sometime Sunday. It's about a 30-40 mile trek.

Anyone done this before, or want to?

Any tips.

[trailblaze]

umm didn't somebody on here do one of these long hikes??? i am trying to figure something out.....

[wozz]

I did a 70 mile hike out west and several short hikes on the Laurel Highlands Trail but not in that area. What type of information are you looking for?

[gilly95]

i did the lhht end to end but it was many moons ago lol.. the big things ii remeber is if you start out at ohio pyle the first 2 miles are strait up.. and the 3ed or 4th camp has liquid iron instead of water lol... let me make a couple phone calls but if i remeber corectly there is a trail book with facts and information....

[TimMichaels]

I just recently did a through-hike there. I actually ran it "backwards" by starting in Seward and heading south. The DCNR has some really great maps of the trail available, though I forget where I picked up my copy. I would try the Laurel Ridge State Park office on Rt 653 or the District Ranger Station on Rt 30 in Laughlintown: they should have them there. The map is very detailed and includes all water sources, shelter areas, and points of interest etc and it breaks it down mile by mile including a good elevation profile. There's some websites too that have good information if you search a bit, I know Kordite has detailed most segments topographically over at www.localhikes.com so that would be a good start for info.

Two tips for food: the Ohiopyle trailhead is right near the Falls City Pub which has great food and booze but only open in the evenings. A very cheap breakfast can be had in twon at the Falls City Inn just across the river. Further north, the Seven Springs Lodge is only a half mile or so off the trail and might be worth stopping at if you trudge on further north than what you plan.

FYI: You'll be hiking by far the toughest stretch of the trail; even worse than ascending the Conemaugh Gorge near Seward and Machine Run near Rt. 30.

[trailblaze]

thanks guys...

i was thinking of bypassing the climb out of ohio pyle and getting dropped either off of maple road, or at the 653 trail head...

i was wondering if the shelters had wood available at all times, or certain times of the year...

i plan on going the weekend before and dropping a few gallons of water near my second night camp site... that way i can lighten my load and take a one day supply of clean water from the start, refilling at 7springs, then at my hide away on the second night...

i'll check out the ranger station on 30 and the office on 653... i just needed a better trail map, as the one i have only covers about 30% of the part i am hiking..

[anodyne33]

thanks guys...

i was thinking of bypassing the climb out of ohio pyle and getting dropped either off of maple road, or at the 653 trail head...

i was wondering if the shelters had wood available at all times, or certain times of the year...

i plan on going the weekend before and dropping a few gallons of water near my second night camp site... that way i can lighten my load and take a one day supply of clean water from the start, refilling at 7springs, then at my hide away on the second night...

i'll check out the ranger station on 30 and the office on 653... i just needed a better trail map, as the one i have only covers about 30% of the part i am hiking..

There's a great book on the LHHT. It's yellow and I can't remember the name of the top of my head, but it's got tons of info about the flora and fauna along the entire trail, and is also the comprehensive guide book for it. I got it at EMS when they were still in Monroeville, but REI also carries it. I'll see if I can find my copy when I get home tonight.

[BAD_GNR]

I've got that same book that anodyne's talking about. If you're going to the M&G, I can bring it if I go. Most of it is out on the net -

http://www.franusich.com/trails/lhht/ - Official park trail map.

http://www.shol.com/featheredprop/index.htm - great site, has detailed descriptions of almost every mile. Link to a webcam with current weather.

I've done the whole thing, usually only go out there in the winter, it's a great place for winter backpacking. If you go in the snow, there's no reason to take water. My personal favorite two day trip is from 31 to 30. The hollows leading up to the turnpike are really pretty in the winter, the bridge over the turnpike can be amusing, the turnpike shelters are very isolated, and there are a lot of cool rock formations closer to 30, and Beam rocks. 30 to the turnpike is also about the flatest (easiest) section of trail, if you're new to this.

[cjw94xk]

Depending on when you do it I could be game. PM me when you get a better idea.

[koenig]

I did the latter half of the trail over christmas with a bunch off buddies. If you can afford it pick up a water filter, all of the water sources needed to be filtered on the second half of the trail. I'll post up more when I get a chance.

[anodyne33]

Matt, I found my copy of the Sierra Club book I was talking about. Shoot me a line if you'd like to borrow it.
shane

[trailblaze]

i've found a very detailed trail map off...

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgu...US271%26sa%3DN

hope that link works...

anyway... i think the trail maps i've got will help me out... i mean shit.. you really can't get lost on the LHHT. haha

[trailblaze]

i am going to do a small part of the LHHT next weekend.


that is all....

[jeepin ruby]

Ive hiked every part of that trail more times than I can count and all I can say is the end near Ohiopyle is BRUTAL!! Straight up or straight down!! I stick to the RT30/31 end nowadays. (Im fat, old, and outta shape) Good luck!

Im tring to plan a trip down to Dolly Sod in WV sometime this year. Seems all my friends are getting fat and lazy too

You just going for a day hike or all weekend?

[trailblaze]

sat morn till sunday sometime.

getting dropped at the rt 653 park entrance and walking to 7 springs.