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bookmark_borderBeginning my hiking season with AllTrails

Posted on by livingtohike_1mcnzw

I want to start off by saying I am not being paid by AllTrails I am just a huge fan of the application. There is such a complimentary set of functionality in the app that I wanted to put it in the blog. For a while I have been searching for the perfect app that would allow me to focus on the hike itself, and just be a supportive tool. No one wants to do app administration when they are focused on their hike.

Winter is finally coming to an end and the hiking season, at least in Pennsylvania, is upon us. I am very excited to put the AllTrails app to the test. In addition to adding a couple of PA Trails into my memories, I also want to venture to one out of state trail this season, and I am contemplating winter hiking this year.

AllTrails also has a very cool little social network baked in, so you can follow other users and post pictures of the trails you visit. I am planning on contributing to the AllTrails community by doing reviews on the trails I, and my family visit, and uploading pictures onto my AllTrails profile as well.

More to come. I am planning my first hike for the first 55 degree an up day, which should be within a few weeks.

bookmark_borderOhiopyle PA State Park

Posted on by livingtohike_1mcnzw

I recently had a very enjoyable day out with my kids and our family friends to visit Ohiopyle PA State Park, a park which I have been wanting to experience for a while. Our experience was fantastic.

Several Great Must Visit Spots

Natural Water Slides

Our day lasted about 4 or 5 hours we started the day by visiting the natural water slides. They are made from grooves into the bedrock that you can actually slide down. My kids enjoyed these tremendously. The slides are not for little ones, you can get pretty beat up because the bottom of the slides is natural and does contain rock features that could give you cuts and bruises if you fly down them.

At this location there are a ton of families and it is a very popular spot, little ones have allot of areas in the creek bed to swim, and there is also a little cliff dive people were doing. Again use your best judgment with the little ones.

Cucumber Falls

Cucumber Falls is an awesome waterfall bluff flowing into the Youghiogheny River. It is a really nice spot to cool down and for everyone to stand under the falls. You don’t get really wet unless you want to, and on a hot day the mist is so relaxing and cool. (See Gallery).

Youghiogheny River

The last stop of the day for us was the Youghiogheny River where the kids swam and fought the currents of the river. My 8 year old was overwhelmed by the rapids but my older children seemed to handle them ok, use you best judgment.

Going Back for More

As with every park we visit there is always more to do and see I can’t wait to tackle some nature trails sometime back at Ohiopyle State Park, what a fantastic trip.

Parking

Parking is at a premium at the Cucumber Falls and the natural water slides so plan ahead, it’s always a good idea to have a secondary parking space in the back of your mind when trying to find a spot in the public parking.

Resources

  • Official Ohiopyle Map
  • GPS Coordinates
    • Natural Water Slides Parking: 39.86220627440136, -79.4949024450628
    • Cucumber Falls Parking: 39.86279541551255, -79.50275401298599
    • Youghiogheny River Parking: 39.869104504126966, -79.49444639565348

Gallery

bookmark_borderBlack Moshannon Trails for Kids

Posted on by livingtohike_1mcnzw

We had a great time going out to Black Moshannon State Park. I set a pin for the Start of the Hay Road Trail and was off by only a couple of feet. If you set coordinates, in your GPS to 40.90156568631821, -78.05769838881423 you will end up in a nice gravel parking area right by boat launch 3 along the West Side Road. To your left is the start of the bog trail which is gorgeous, to your right about 10 to 20 feet is the start to the Hay Road Trail. You will need to look for the marker post, see my pictures at the end of this article.

The Bog, Indian, and Hay Road trails are all wonderful for beginners. Indian trail, in the beginning, is heavy with roots and rock so pay special attention if you have little ones hiking with you. Hay Road trial when done in the back end of a loop is down a slight grade and has very few rocks and roots. My girls are ages 15,13, and 8. They all had no problem and really enjoyed the trails. We went on the bog trail and went up Indian Trail and looped around back down the Hay Road Trail. Be careful if you take a left onto the Moss-Hanne trail, it is 7 miles, and you want to make sure you have enough daylight to make it back.

I hope you enjoy these pictures. The next park I want to visit is Blue Knob State Park, stay tuned and keep on hiking!

Link to Black Moshannon State Park Map

bookmark_borderWelcome

Posted on by livingtohike_1mcnzw

Hello fellow hikers and people who love natural beauty. I would like to post informational things on the blog, that will help fellow hikers, especially those with children, so they can also enjoy a good hike. My pictures I will be posting on Instagram so please follow me @living2hike. I am trying to take a hike almost every weekend when time allows from my life schedule (isn’t that funny). My family loves hiking with me, and it is something that really gives me peace. This week I am planning to head to Black Moshannon State Park to enjoy the Hay Road Trail. More to come. Everyone stay healthy, safe, and love each other!

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