Did you ever hike the trail above the Greentree entrance to the Fort Pitt tunnels, the Pittsburgh side of Mt. Washington, the myriad of steps on Pittsburgh’s Southside or the trail in Frick Park down to the Monongahela River?
A few of the seasoned (old) hikers at BHCC were thinking there might be some members who aren’t aware of all the hiking trails around the area. The plan is for Parish Life to coordinate and lead the trips. The hope is there may be some places you have never visited. Even if you have been to a Pittsburgh, county or state park, you may not have been on all of the trails. Even if you have, it can be a good idea to get outdoors for a couple of hours. Most of the trips will last about two hours or approximately 5-6 miles. Some parks may allow for loops where members can limit the trips to one hour. Some may be appropriate for smaller children but, even if they are not, this would be an opportunity for parents to take turns getting outdoors.
The goal is to try to have one trip a month. More details about each trip will published in the bulletins and newsletter. In general, we will meet at the church and carpool to the trail. We will begin by hitting more of the local trails and then expand if interest continues.
Please contact Glenn Child if you have questions.
The initial schedule is as follows:
September 8 – Wingfield Pines Restoration Area (Bridgeville/Upper St. Clair) – 4 miles, mostly flat (see description below)
October 6 – Mt. Washington – Emerald View Trail and others – some hills
November 3 – South Side Steps – Will be climbing up and going down multiple sets of steps. The longest stairs will be several hundred steps.
December 8 – Kane Woods – Whiskey Point Trail – Shorter 2-3 miles; some steep climbs. This can be changed to a less hilly trail based on weather.
THIS MONTH’S TRAIL – September 8 – Wingfield Pines Restoration Area – This area is on Mayfield Road opposite the Upper St. Clair recreation center. It’s a unique wetland area with a passive acid mine drainage treatment system and is next to Chartiers Creek. Once you get down the access road, the trails are flat. It will probably take less than two hours to do but you will be able to stop after one hour. The following website has a description of the trail, along with a nice historic write-up – https://alleghenylandtrust.org/green-space/wingfield-pines/. We will meet in the church parking lot on September 8 at 8:00 a.m.