Ghost Town Trail - Blairsville to Dilltown

Rae and I took advantage of this long holiday weekend and hit the trails. We had been wanting to check out the Ghost Town Trail http://www.indianacountyparks.org/trails/gtt/gtt.html in Indiana County for a while. 

This trail starts in Blairsville and ends 36 miles later in Ebensburg.  Its namesake is due to all the old towns of the pig iron days of the 1800s that have long since been demolished.  

There are markers along the way for towns like Claghorn that were once across Blacklick Creek.  This pic of the birdge once led to the town of Claghorn.  

Along the way are flipped rusty rail cars, old rail line and tracks, scenic bridges, old building foundations and of course sites of mining days.  

We started in Saylor Park just outside the town of Blairsville.  It is actually the trailhead for the Ghost Town Trail and also for the Hoodleburg Trail that runs to Indiana, PA.  We felt the trails slight uphill grade for most of the ride but averaged 10 mph with relative ease.  I had packed the fly rod with the expectation the smallmouth fishing would be good but the acid mine drainage is so bad there are still heavy dark orange pools up and down the Blacklick Cr.  This creek looks to be recovering but still has a long way to go.  There were several small tribs that looked healthy that may be worth a look on another trip.

The gem along this stretch is the old Buena Vista Furnace.  Most of the stones are in tact on 3 sides while the last is crumbling.  Its an impressively built structure that is in mayan ruin like state.  The marker told of 60 men and boy workers that ran the furnace and at its peak made 540 tons of pig iron.  

We rode 13 mi to Dilltown upon a recommendation from a couple Rae met in the parking lot familiar with the area.  It was a great suggestion as the Dillweed B&B and trailside cafe were open http://www.dillweedinc.com 

The shop is quaint and has alot of country decor gifts, jellies, candles, etc. In the rear is the cafe and with a cooler full of drinks and fresh deli sandwiches.  We werent able to get a tour as every room was rented but it had a charming feel and the staff were very friendly.  I talked with a woman from town that was the old postmaster that gave me a little history of the b&b being an old bar and how the town survived the Johnstown flood of 1977. Being a lifetime resident she had just visited the Johnstown Flood museum and was beginning McCulloughs book which I recently finished.  

The ride back was quick with the downhill grade back to Saylor Park.  We averaged 17 mph back.  I saw that the Hoodleburg Trail followed Two Lick Cr so we rode another mile or so to see if it was any better and it was much clearer and held fish.  None for me though.  

We'll definitely be back to finish this trail and the Hoodleburg.  

Padddling & Peddling Oil Creek

After biking Oil Creek to Titusville a few times, passing pool after pool of fish, we made the trip.  Its about 2 hrs from the house straight up Rt 8, so the logistics of how to get back to the car needed some thought.  The options: two vehicles, passenger train on an open air car, outfitter or bicycle.   We opted for the last.  

The water level on the gauge was at 3.2 (im a big fan of this gauge site for all my paddling http://www.learningdesign.com/cgi-local/rivergage) and recent rains had the creek muddy and moving swift.  This was a perfect height for this trip and any lower will mean lots of rock bumping.  Fishing wouldnt be the best this day.  The put-in at the bridge across from the Drake Oil Well Museum made for an easy launch.  Plenty of shared parking for paddlers and bikers of the 9.5 mi, relatively flat, paved trail that heads downstream to Petroleum.  

The current was swift and we were off.  The Drake Well Museum has an outdoor demonstration that pounds away noisily, giving us a sense of what it probably sounded like in the late 1800s.  Rae came across a deer along the shore that allowed her to paddle close while it ate.  

Oil Creek is fairly wide and picks up volume from smaller springs and tribs along the way.  The banks are tree lined and the roots of big trees keep the bank in place.  Despite how heavily wooded the creek is, there were few downed trees or strainers to navigate.  

There are several old railroad bridges and  pedestrian bridges that we paddled under.  

There are remnants of older rail lines, bridge piers, dams and foundations all along this short paddle. Aling the bike trail their are interpretive markers that describe the towns that are no longer there.  Some of them sounded like they were pretty lively and some pretty rough. Without the lessons posted along the way, you would never know as the birds and water are all that remain.  

We stopped a few times on a few rocky shorelines and islands to stretch.  There were plenty of places to do so as we paddled along.  Aside from shallow sections, there was only one drop/ chute that was remotely challenging early on.  Not sure if it was a sunken pier or just alot of debris that caused this fast hydraulic but it was completely navigable.  

Our trip ended around 3 pm at Petroleum Center.  There is a signed takeout up stream of the bridge but w/ my bike chained at the parking lot closer to the bridge, we decided to take out at the bridge.  There was an overgrown path that connected to the nature trail we chose that was thorny and not maintained.  Dad & Rae later found a much nicer takeout just a few more yards downstream that would hVe made it alot easier.  

After we took out and got the boats on dry land, i headed for my bike and began the ride back to the put-in to bring the car back.  The trail is all paved and has some moderate grade to it.  The rain earlier in the day kept alot of people out of the park Im suspecting so I was able to make great time, seeing from higher ground the creek we had just traveled.  Its such a different perspective being on the water.  

This was a a great trip on Oil Creek and I always like spending time with Dad & Rae.  Fishing could have been a little better but being the only ones on the water and having great weather made up for it.  We drove back up to Titusville for a bite and some craft beers at Blue Canoe Brewing - a perfect fimish to our trip.  

Day 3 Rt 30 to Rt 31 and the Laurel Highlands hiking trail is official

After Ron and I returned to the shelter area from Walat's, we were greeted by another hiker who was just planning to stay for the night. He didn't seem overly prepared with most of his gear hanging out from his pack and a handgun tucked into his backpack strap.  He was nice enough and eventually we heard him pumping the water pump at the shelter area which we knew was going to be a chore. At some point we ended up helping him get water after about 60 pumps.  We met the park ranger (Barby) who came around to check reservations and she spent some time talking with us in general about the job and working a part-time job at a local PD, family and the fact that she graduated a year before Ron from slippery rock. She was very nice to spend a few minutes with us answering questions about the trail and maintenance & tomorrow's forecasted stormy weather.  We could tell the humidity was building and the bugs were getting active so we decided to make fire to keep the bugs at bay with the smoke. It was a rough night sleep with the heat and we had a 16 mile day ahead of us - maybe that weighed too heavy on us. We started off at 5 AM and were on the trail by about 5:45.  This section of trail was very scenic and you have the opportunity for some nice overlooks and rock formations as you go through beam rocks.  Beam Rocks is a cluster of 70 foot tall climbing rock that some of the local climbers use ropes and equipment to climb. There were several different patches of these types rocks as part of the trail which makes it interesting. We had a few climbs to make on this trail what seemed one after another. We made it to the turnpike bridge took a few photos and grabbed a bite for lunch and processed some additional water to make the last seven or 8 miles. By about noon we could start to hear thunder and by 1230 we had a constant downpour the last a few hours as we needed to make it to Route 31.  The blisters on my feet became more excessive on my left foot pinky toe second toe and back of heal all were becoming more challenging on this section of trail. Felt like a snails pace up until about the last 2 miles and I was able to find some motivation & knock these last few sloppy miles quickly.  

Today was probably one of the more challenging experiences for me. Not having hiked any more than 12 miles on any particular trail (aside from day one of course) this is the longest I have ever hiked. My feet reminded me of that throughout today. I enjoyed the section probably the most of all three that we did on this trip for the views in the varied terrain. I will probably do this section of trail again sometime in the future.  Probably after all the bandages and ointments wear off :)  

After we were done Ron and I drove my car that was parked at the route 31 parking area up to Johnstown into the trailhead at Seward. Fortunately when we arrived no damage to the car and no break in. The storm was quickly approaching the trailhead and we parted ways. This was a great trip and it was good to finish what we started back in September and knock out the last 40 miles this weekend.

Day 2 - 11 mi rt 271 to rt 30

Had a great fire last nght at the Rt 271 shelter. Night temps got into the high 40s and we were both comfortable in our light sleeping gear.  Started this am off w/ a 1 mi hike to the trail then it was mostly level hiking for a few miles.  Came across two really neat rock sections that we hiked through. Hiked through a section being logged by the amish - very skilled w/ their chainsaws.  We crossed paths w/ alot of day hikers today, maybe 15 or so and one thru hiker that was coming from Ohiopyle and was going to hike to Seward then do a return trip.  Nutz!  The blister was manageable today w/ moleskin, duct tape and three pairs of socks.  We heard that water was scarce at 30 shelters so we UV processed and  filled our camelbacks at Machine Run - about 3 mi from our shelter.  The last few miles were a mix of steep hills both up and down.  We made it to our shelter by 3 and setup for the night, gathering fire wood.  We decided to hike about 3/4 mi further to Rt 30 and headed to Walats for a few beverages and giant burgers.  Back at the shelter and ready to settle in for the night.   

Day 1 on the Laurel Highland Hiking Trail

Ron Henshaw and I hiked the LHHT last September from Rt 31 to Ohiopyle.  We both wanted to knock out the last 40 mi of this trail and this weekend looked perfect!  We drove to Rt 31 & left a vehicle and made the hour drive to Seward, just outside of Johnstown.  We had a good night truck camping last night near the trailhead. We initially couldnt find it so a cop showed us and said there was a car broken into in that lot last wknd. We woke early and were on the trail by 715.  Started the am with a 3 mi climb and the views of the Conemaugh River valley were nice, although heavy foliage this time of year obstructed many views.  The Conemaugh power plant was really cranking, making its own weather.   Met 5 people onnthe trail, a couple running, a guy that was wrapping up his last 6 mi after starting in Ohiopyle last Sunday and a father / son just doing a quick overnighter at the 56 shelter.  The solo hiker had lots of rain and saw no people.  We stopped for lunch at about 5 mi before our shelter for the night.  Ive got my first blister from hiking ever and its massive on the back of my heel...nothing that a little duct tape cant cure :)  The LHHT on these 14 mi was a nice hike with varied terrain from rock surface, open meadow to gravel road.  The first water source was at our shelter from a stream that runs through the camp.  We processed our water using two different UV systems and are all ready for tomorrow and to have dinner.  These shelters have fireplaces so we'll be warm as the temps are expected to get dip into the upper 40s.    

Day 6 video recap Hermann, MO to St Charles

Day 6 video recap of the Katy Trail ride from Hermann, MO to St Charles. Trail is officially on the books. http://youtu.be/FfimcI1syWA

Day 6 Augusta to St Charles Last Day

The smell of good coffee woke us early at the Lindenhoff B&B this morning.  Our hosts prepared a fantastic breakfast melon with mint, agave juice and lime, followed up w/ strawberry and blueberry topped french toast filled w/ cream cheese and jam, and a baked egg dish that had cream and havarti cheese.  Im always interested to learn how the hosts got into the b&b life and a downward economy and that feeling of working for oneself was their motivation.  One from our group ended up at the hospital this am working through kidney stones and was released by early afternoon.  We were on the trail by 830 and thought we might get wet this am with the forecast looking rather ominous.  We rode about 7 mi to Defiance and the bike store was open for me to grab two tubes, just for that peace of mind.  We passed a few more planted fields and crossed some small streams as in days passed.  There was a large limestone bluff that looked like an amphitheatre that was interesting. Rae has a tradition of getting  her pic beside the mileage marker of her age, so a stop was in order.  The one big difference as we wrapped up the last few miles were the amount of subdivisions and people on the trail.  We knew we had reached St Charles when Frontier Park was ahead of us.  What a great trip this has been with great weather and company along the way.