Laurel Hghlands Hiking Trail Columbus Day week

[RangerZ]

Has anybody done the LHHT in early October? I'm thinking SOBO, 7days,6 nights. Lows should stay above freezing, should be a good trip. Any wisdom out there?

[scottminot]

I've done late October. It was in the 40s and 50s and rained almost every day. SOBO is the way to go. The trail gets nicer as you go south.
I don't have too many tips but here's a few. If you're staying at the rt. 30 shelters take a walk down the access road to rt. 30 and you'll see Walat's bar, really good food.
Bring a water filter. Currently I believe all shelter area water sources are non-potable.
If the weather is bad near Seven Springs you can take shelter in the ski lodge for a while.

I've done a lot of SOBO thru-hikes and countless day hikes on the trail. I live about three miles away from the Decker Ave. shelters. Feel free to ask any questions.
There's an active Facebook page for the trail too. Lots of good people there.

[RangerZ]

I've done late October. It was in the 40s and 50s and rained almost every day. SOBO is the way to go. The trail gets nicer as you go south.
I don't have too many tips but here's a few. If you're staying at the rt. 30 shelters take a walk down the access road to rt. 30 and you'll see Walat's bar, really good food.
Bring a water filter. Currently I believe all shelter area water sources are non-potable.
If the weather is bad near Seven Springs you can take shelter in the ski lodge for a while.

I've done a lot of SOBO thru-hikes and countless day hikes on the trail. I live about three miles away from the Decker Ave. shelters. Feel free to ask any questions.
There's an active Facebook page for the trail too. Lots of good people there.

Thanks for the info. I've been doing a GoogleEarth recon tonight - I found Walat's, it looks like the only place along the trail. Thanks for the confirmation. Day 3 I might like some bar food.

I filter all my water and treat anything questionable, sometimes even if it comes out of a pipe. The park site says all the shelter water is nonpotable.

I'm looking at a short first day, just to Decker Avenue, 5.2 miles. I won't have to kill myself getting to Seward from Pittsburgh early Saturday morning, do that first hill and then another 8 miles to RT 271 shelters. What do you think?

I plan to hit Decker Avenue, RT 271, RT30, RT31, RT 653 and Ohiopyle Shelters - 5, 8, 10, 14, 14, 12 and 6 miles.

Again, thanks for the help.

[The Solemates]

I hiked this trail in November and was snowed on. Great trail. i got turned around once at seven springs because it was so foggy i couldnt see 25 feet. i couldnt tell where the trail went with all the criss-crossing trails in that area. keep your eye out in that section. have fun!

[scottminot]

I'm looking at a short first day, just to Decker Avenue, 5.2 miles. I won't have to kill myself getting to Seward from Pittsburgh early Saturday morning, do that first hill and then another 8 miles to RT 271 shelters. What do you think?

I plan to hit Decker Avenue, RT 271, RT30, RT31, RT 653 and Ohiopyle Shelters - 5, 8, 10, 14, 14, 12 and 6 miles.

Again, thanks for the help.

Sounds like a great hike! Wish I wasn't stuck working so much. I haven't been able to do a thru-hike for a few years now.

[Spirit Walker]

Do you still have to reserve your campsites/shelter spaces in advance? When we hiked it, many years ago, a ranger came to check to be sure we had permits.

[RangerZ]

Do you still have to reserve your campsites/shelter spaces in advance? When we hiked it, many years ago, a ranger came to check to be sure we had permits.

Yes -
http://www.pa.reserveworld.com/

$4 a night isn't bad. Some don't but I've never had a conflict over a reserved space.

[Jeff]

Great hike...but did not like the mile markers. Spent some afternoons just scouting for the next marker !!!

[RangerZ]

Thanks for the info. I've been doing a GoogleEarth recon tonight - I found Walat's, it looks like the only place along the trail. Thanks for the confirmation. Day 3 I might like some bar food.

I filter all my water and treat anything questionable, sometimes even if it comes out of a pipe. The park site says all the shelter water is nonpotable.

I'm looking at a short first day, just to Decker Avenue, 5.2 miles. I won't have to kill myself getting to Seward from Pittsburgh early Saturday morning, do that first hill and then another 8 miles to RT 271 shelters. What do you think?

I plan to hit Decker Avenue, RT 271, RT30, RT31, RT 653 and Ohiopyle Shelters - 5, 8, 10, 14, 14, 12 and 6 miles.

Again, thanks for the help.

Home today from my hike. I only did the northern half, 38 miles - Seward to RT 31 - from Saturday until Tuesday because it became politic that I go to work this Thursday and Friday. Work interfers with what I really want to do with my life. I'll pick up the remaining 32 miles later.

The trail is great although it could be renamed the Another Hill Trail. Its well blazed and what cross trails there are have signs, etc, it would be hard to get lost. I carried copies of the maps from the hikers guide, I'm an engineer and can't go without maps.

The climb out of Seward isn't that bad, a long 3 miles at about 7% grade. I had a pack weight of about 35 lbs with just a liter of water. It was overcast so there weren't good views down to the Conemaugh River.

Decker Avenue shelter area was okay, a long downhill off the trail. I tented near the shelters because the tenting areas weren't marked. I later found them. It approached freezing overnight but I was okay in my tent, sleeping bag and long base layer with balaclava. Ran into a couple who were just out for the night, his pack was 68 lbs and hers was 58 lbs. They had a lot of "stuff".

I was alone at the RT 271 area and again I tented near the shelters. The shelter area trail is nearly a mile from the LHHT. The DCNR provides firewood to the shelter areas but there wasn't any at 271, I scrounged up enough to make a fire in one of the shelters.

The route 30 shelter area was good also. Again tented near a shelter, cooked there and fought off a brave shelter mouse. Didn't make it to Walat's, rain slowed me down enough that I didn't have time.

The water at all of the shelter sites is unpotable. I filtered and treated. The Decker Avenue pump had good pressure, the RT 30 pump was okay. The RT 271 shelter pump didn't work, fortunately some guys at the Decker shelters told me and I got water at the RT 271 parking lot pump, it was rusty water but filtered clean - I really saw it when I backflushed the filter. Thanks to the day hiker for help at the pump, she pumped and I filled.

All of the shelters and privys that I saw were fine, well constructed. Even TP and hand sanitizer in the privys, thanks PA DCNR. I was unimpressed with all of the tenting areas that I saw. In general (a gross generalization) they weren't flat, and were far from the water and privy, etc.

The hikes were okay (Saturday 5 miles, Sunday 8 miles, Monday 10 miles) except for Tuesday, RT 30 to RT 31, 14 miles. It turned into a forced march to make it to the pick up point. When I finish the trail that first day won't be 14 miles but 8 and 6. Like Jeff says the trail has mile markers and I spent time looking, waiting for them. I kept track of my mile times, I haven't fully analyzed them yet but I was averaging 1.5 - 2 MPH. Except it dropped off to about 1 MPH towards the end yesterday, 14 miles was just about too much. If I had stayed on the trail today would have been another 14 mile day and it would have been too much for me.

A highlight was crossing the PA turnpike on the LHHT foot bridge. I've driven under it many times and finally got to see the other point of view. Didn't get any waves or honks from drivers though. There are some interesting rock formations with crevices that the trail is routed through. Beam Rocks at about MP41 would be suitable for climbing or rappelling, there are signs warning to exercise care.

The trail has split log bridges over most of the little streams, some stone or log steps on a couple of hills and split log benches occasionally. Thanks to the builders and maintainers. The foot path had rocks and roots, but this is Pennsylvania. (I want to say two things about the rocks in PA - you can occasionally find a place to sit other than the ground and you can always find a rock for your bear line.)

I'm a little disappointed with my hike - it became making the miles. Sometimes beauty and majesty (or a herd of deer) could have been just out of my peripheral vision and I didn't look to notice them. I've got to work on that.