Goal Training Hikes

This series of training hikes is intended to prepare you to take on the Challenge on Saturday June 18. These hikes not only help you build your endurance, but they also allow you to field test your gear. Your new shoes or pants may seem fine on your ten mile hikes, but only when you approach 20 miles over hilly terrain do previously imperceptible problems become incapacitating.

• Everyone is welcome on these hikes; you do not need to be entered into the Challenge to participate.
• These hikes are strenuous. The objective is to train you to be able to complete the Challenge within the allotted time, so leaders will be maintaining an average pace of about 2.4 miles per hour, or a little over 25 minutes per mile.
• There's no need to notify the hike leader of your plan to attend. Simply show up on time.
• Please bring at least a quart of water (more if the temperature will be warm) and some energy snacks (e.g. Powerbar).
• Minimum unaccompanied age is 12.
• All hikes will meet at the hike start. It is your responsibility to arrange a car shuttle with safe friends or family members beforehand so that you can be at the hike start at 8:15 AM.
• Although dogs are wonderful, please don't bring them on these hikes.
• All hikes meet at the start at 8:15 AM. Plan for later hikes to take up to nine hours (including sign-in, announcements, car shuttling, and so forth).
• The hikes are free. A suggested donation of $3 per person may be given to the hike leader on the day of the hike.

Sunday April 17 Bull Creek Road to Harrison Hills Park ELC	Leader: Joe Kostka 724-799-6290, Donna Stolz 412-303-6102	7.8 miles 03:11 duration	Climbing 1891 ft Descending 1580 ft
This hike begins at Bull Creek Road near Tarentum with a steep climb up to a nice view of the Bull Creek valley. Soon we hit Burtner Hill, one of the biggest and toughest hills on the Trail, followed by some easy, pleasant terrain and end in Harrison Hills Park.		Meet at the parking area at the intersection of Bull Creek Road and Ridge Road. Take Route 28 to Exit #14 (Tarentum). Turn north on Bull Creek Road for a very short distance, turn right on Ridge Road, then immediately turn into the parking area on the right. Map
Sunday April 24 Emmerling Park to Freeport Road	Leader: Joe DeSantis 412-303-0847, Donna Stolz 412-303-6102	8.6 miles 03:25 duration	Climbing 1749 ft Descending 1810 ft
Starting in Emmerling Park, we climb up then hit Rich Hill, Lefever Hill, and Log Cabin hill. After some road walking, we end near the Springdale Veterans Association Hall in Springdale.		Meet at the Emmerling Park lot. Take Route 28 to Exit #11 and follow Route 910 (Yellow Belt) west about 4 miles and turn right on Cove Run Road. Travel about 0.5 mile to park entrance on the right. Map
Sunday May 1 Springdale to Bull Creek Road	Leader: George Bender 412-889-3575	9.4 miles 04:14 duration	Climbing 2627 ft Descending 2588 ft
On this hike we start in Springdale and head up to Agan Park followed by some steep ups and downs - including Murray Hill and Crawford Run hill. We end with a sharp descent near Tarentum.		Meet at the Springdale High School Marion Avenue lot. Map
Sunday May 8 Emmerling Park to Crawford Run Road	Leader: George Bender 412-889-3575	13.3 miles 05:23 duration	Climbing 2949 ft Descending 3029 ft
We start in Emmerling Park and up head and down a plethora of hills including Rich Hill, Lefever Hill, Log Cabin hill, and impressively steep Murray Hill. We'll end in Creighton.		Meet at the Emmerling Park lot. Take Route 28 to Exit #11 and follow Route 910 (Yellow Belt) west about 4 miles and turn right on Cove Run Road. Travel about 0.5 mile to park entrance on the right. Map
Sunday May 15 North Park Harmar to Log Cabin Road	Leader: Doug MacPhail 412-606-5998	14.5 miles 05:43 duration	Climbing 2611 ft Descending 2965 ft
This hike begins in North Park and heads over to Emmerling Park, then up and over Rich Hill and Lefever Hill. We end at the Log Cabin Road checkpoint location.		Meet at the Harmar Shelter in North Park. Take I279 north to the McKnight Road exit and travel 6.4 miles north. Take the North Park/Ingomar Rd. exit east and turn right at the third traffic light onto Babcock Blvd., then take the next left onto Hemlock Drive, then left again into the swimming pool lot. Follow the perimeter drive all the way back and bear right. The Harmar Shelter is ahead on the left, behind the guardrail. Map
Sunday May 22 Eastern Terminus to Crawford Run Road		14.0 miles 05:53 duration	Climbing 3231 ft Descending 3635 ft
This hike starts at the eastern terminus of the Rachel Carson Trail, a part of the trail which Challengers never see. We'll hike through Harrison Hills Park, then over Burtner Hill and down Crawford Run hill to Creighton.		Meet at the parking area across Freeport Road from the eastern terminus. From Pittsburgh/northeast, take Route 28 to exit 16, turn east (right if exiting northbound) at the end of the ramp onto Millerstown Road and follow it to the traffic light at the T intersection with Freeport Road. There is a parking area on the left at this intersection.
Sunday May 29 North Park Harmar to Springdale High School	Levi Wilson 724-882-8690 Betsy Monroe 412-230-6554	18.5 miles 07:12 duration	Climbing 3312 ft Descending 3541 ft
On this hike we'll cover the first half of this year's Challenge course. Starting in North Park, we march over to Emmerling Park, then up and over Rich Hill and Lefever Hill, then Log Cabin hill, some road walking, then we finish in Springdale.		Meet at the Harmar Shelter in North Park. Take I279 north to the McKnight Road exit and travel 6.4 miles north. Take the North Park/Ingomar Rd. exit east and turn right at the third traffic light onto Babcock Blvd., then take the next left onto Hemlock Drive, then left again into the swimming pool lot. Follow the perimeter drive all the way back and bear right. The Harmar Shelter is ahead on the left, behind the guardrail. Map
Sunday June 5 Emmerling Park to Bull Creek Road	Joe DeSantis 412-303-0847	18.0 miles 07:39 duration	Climbing 4374 ft Descending 4397 ft
This hike was specifically chosen to be the most difficult hike prior to the Challenge. We begin in Emmerling Park, head up over and down Rich Hill, Lefever Hill, Log Cabin Hill, Murray Hill, Crawford Run hill, then undulate through Creighton and end at the Bull Creek Road checkpoint location near Tarentum. If you get through this, you can do it!		Meet at the Emmerling Park lot. Take Route 28 to Exit #11 and follow Route 910 (Yellow Belt) west about 4 miles and turn right on Cove Run Road. Travel about 0.5 mile to park entrance on the right. Map