Fall colors and a bear (Pennsylvania, 10/29/16)
Oct 30, 2016 0:07:35 GMT -5
Post by GaliWalker on Oct 30, 2016 0:07:35 GMT -5
Laurel Highlands, southwestern Pennsylvania (Oct 29, 2016)
My go to location for conditioning hikes near Pittsburgh is the Laurel Highlands Trail. The LHT rollercoasters its way for 70mi from Ohiopyle to Johnstown, so long mileage hikes are easily available. Even better, the numerous hills provide ample opportunities to tuck in some elevation gain (e.g. I'm able to get in around 6,000-7,000ft of gain by doing laps on some of the hills). While I've hiked this trail in almost all conditions, curiously enough I've always looked for other options during peak fall. I guess I've never wanted to 'waste' the precious fall foliage weeks on old faithful.
This morning, I finally decided to give the Laurel Highlands Trail a go. I hiked the first 7.5mi in almost prime fall conditions. After a cool start, it ended up being a gorgeous, sunny, warm day.
I spent about an hour at the 2.3mi mark, at my favorite viewpoint of the hike, enjoying the sunrise. The rest of the walk was a mix of put-my-head-down-and-hike and the occasional photo session.
The best part was encountering one of the largest black bears I've seen, as it crossed the trail about 50yds from me. This was the second bear I've run into on the Laurel Highlands Trail, but the only one I've ever managed to capture on camera.
Hiking/photography stats: 15mi, 4000ft elevation gain, 7.5hrs
Bear crossing
My go to location for conditioning hikes near Pittsburgh is the Laurel Highlands Trail. The LHT rollercoasters its way for 70mi from Ohiopyle to Johnstown, so long mileage hikes are easily available. Even better, the numerous hills provide ample opportunities to tuck in some elevation gain (e.g. I'm able to get in around 6,000-7,000ft of gain by doing laps on some of the hills). While I've hiked this trail in almost all conditions, curiously enough I've always looked for other options during peak fall. I guess I've never wanted to 'waste' the precious fall foliage weeks on old faithful.
This morning, I finally decided to give the Laurel Highlands Trail a go. I hiked the first 7.5mi in almost prime fall conditions. After a cool start, it ended up being a gorgeous, sunny, warm day.
I spent about an hour at the 2.3mi mark, at my favorite viewpoint of the hike, enjoying the sunrise. The rest of the walk was a mix of put-my-head-down-and-hike and the occasional photo session.
The best part was encountering one of the largest black bears I've seen, as it crossed the trail about 50yds from me. This was the second bear I've run into on the Laurel Highlands Trail, but the only one I've ever managed to capture on camera.
Hiking/photography stats: 15mi, 4000ft elevation gain, 7.5hrs
Bear crossing
