or: Why it Took Thirteen Hours Over Three Weeks to Hike the First Seven Miles of the Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail

Trail Gallery
Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail Official Page

Okay, a couple of fine points first:

• I’m not a backpacker. I bought a truck so I’d have room to carry all my stuff on a 3 day/2 night camping trip. I’m not about to carry my life on my back for weeks at a time. In the words of Brett Weston: “If it’s more than 20 yards from the car, it’s not a photograph.” So, when I plan to hike a long trail, it’s got to have accessable trailheads not too many miles apart. Whatever distance I hike in, I’ll have to hike out. The 70 mile Laurel Highlands Trail will eventually take me 140 miles to finish.
• The kids stopped hiking with me years ago, as I cannot resist the urge, at any given moment, to strike out directly across country. “What’s this? Looks like a shortcut…” Turn left at the rock that looks like a bear. Turn right at the bear that looks like a rock, and, three weeks later…
• I’m an old, fat, lazy smoker, and it takes me a long time to get up one of these hills.

So, back in 2008, I figure it’s time to tackle the Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail. A nice thing about wandering around Johnstown and PA’s Southern Alleghenies is that, no matter how alone you think you are, no matter how far out in the wilds you may be; if you travel in a straight line, you’re never more than a thirty to sixty minute walk from a paved road. The plan is to hike the first 5 miles of trail, straight up the ridge, to the Decker Avenue fire tower. Next leg, I can drive up to the tower and continue south to PA Rt. 271. 10-12 miles today and maybe 16 or so miles next time.

Well, I get half-way up the ridge, huffing and puffing all the way, and I see this guy standing by a pile of boulders. “What’s up?” “Oh, the kids are down checking out the old iron furnace.” “Iron furnace?” I’d had no idea there were ruins on the steep slope. So, I left the trail and headed downhill (not thinking I’d have to go back up again) and checked out the old iron furnace too. By the time I was satisfied, it was close to Steeler game time, so, puffing and huffing, head for home and save the rest of the climb for another day.

Second Attempt- One week later and my kind of weather, seriously: bitter cold, high winds and snow squalls. I finally reach the top of the ridge, overlooking Morrellville and the Conemaugh Valley, biting wind huffing and puffing nearly as hard as I am, exhausted, iced to the bone, numb, like Lawrence’s frozen bird; and never having felt more alive in my life. Life is good. First leg is over and I’m well on my way to Ohiopyle. I’m looking forward to the next trip, which should get me half-way from the tower array to the Ligonier Pike.

Thanksgiving Sunday: snow on the ground, but clear skies and bright sun. I drive to the fire tower, spend a few minutes looking for the trail, and, finding it, head south. I get about three miles in, discovering and exploring the shelter area on the way. The time at the shelters cut into my hiking time and it’s warming up quite a bit. Reaching a power line leading from New Florence generating station, I see, down slope about a hundred yards, a quad track. “Oh. Looks like a shortcut…” Two hours later, before I realize what I’ve done, I’m back down at Big Spring Reservoir, the Peach Orchard, the Northern Terminus, the bottom of the Laurel Ridge, and I have to hike up that stinking mountain ONE MORE TIME to get back to my truck! And, huffing and puffing, I loved every minute of it.

Enjoy the pics while I research my next trip.

A few years back, the Lovely Miss Brenda and I rode the Johnstown Inclined Plane down to the FolkFest (now the Ameriserv Flood City Music Festival) while The Boy (Budd/Zach), who was along for the ride, insisted on hiking down the Yoder Hill trail. When he caught up with us later, he encouraged me to make the trek myself, which I finally did a month ago.

I’ve been intrigued with urban trails ever since Budd’s Mom and I lived on Boston’s Riverway, and would walk the Olmstead greenway over to Fenway for a Sox game, or up to Jamaica Pond for, well, whatever it was we used to do on summer Sunday afternoons there. I also enjoyed late, when we moved to Waltham, biking the trails along the Charles (love that dirty water) in either direction. There’s something secretive about being surrounded by green while catching glimpses of skyscrapers and apartment buildings through the foliage. The Inclined Plane Trail took me back, and I enjoyed it thoroughly.

Best advice I can provide is to plan your hike so you ride the Inclined Plane up the steep Yoder Hill and walk down the trail. Much nicer views between, say, November and April, when the leaves are down. Check it out in the Inclined Plane Trail gallery here or by clicking any of the images below.

I got down to the creek about 7:00am and found a couple of folks and 2 dogs camped on the banks, but no fishermen. My original assumption was that fishermen don’t get up as early as photographers do. It was only when I got to work the following Monday that I learned Opening Day doesn’t start till 8:00am. It was my first jaunt down the 1/4 mile long Fisherman’s Path (accessed from Clear Shade Road) and I found myself about 50 yards further upstream than I had ever been. So this was the splash dams that my brother and his buddy, Larry Kmeil, had talked about: a broad glade of ponds, reeds and shrubs right in front of my camera. With no fishermen around, I took a few shots of the Creek and the adjacent John P. Saylor Trail and headed out. Ascending out of the glen, I finally saw my first fishermen of the day, on their way down to the creek.

The photo of the Flight 93 Memorial is certainly the non sequiter it appears to be in this gallery, but I wanted to scope the fishing action along the Stonycreek, and thought, while I was in the area, I’d try to reshoot a photo I had taken a couple years before and wasn’t happy with. Who knew they had moved the Memorial across the road and completely altered the composition? As for Opening Day, anglers dotted the Stonycreek from Shanksville, near it’s source, down through Kantner, Hooversville and at least as far as Hollsopple. Thirty years ago, this river was orange and dead. Now look at it. Hollsopple looked like a real fine party going on, and I regret I didn’t have more time to spend there.

One more point to make (okay, a couple more): heading back to Johnstown along 403 and feeling a little peckish, I was trying to work out a scenario for lunch. Cheap and lazy as I am, with my time as well as my money, I hesitated to stop at Sheetz or some other “fast food emporium (there’s a reason they call it JUNK food). Well, God bless the Conemaugh Township Fire Department. Making my way through Tire Hill, there stands a woman at the side of the road waving a sub in my face. Hallelujah! Good food cheap AND quick. Pretty smart having a sub sale on Opening Day,

Finally, if you’re interested in learning more about trout fishing in the highlands, check out the Mountain Laurel Chapter of Trout Unlimited. Good info and pics and a chance to join up.

Enjoy the photos.

This is Buttermilk Falls in Moxham, not to be confused with the falls in Indiana County or the town just below Idlewild Park. Either up from the bottom or down from the top, the climb is pretty much verticle, and don’t think it’s easy scrambling up or down while humping 30 pounds of photo equipment on your back (soon to become a recurring theme on LL). I’m planning to get back, though, when there’s more water running or snow falling. It’s worth the effort, especially if you enjoy the photos.