VMO: Allegheny Front Trail (~40mi)

The Allegheny Front Trail in central PA offers 40 mi of moderate walking including 5k of elevation gain. By DC UL skewed standards, this is a moderate trip, but most people haven't been out hiking or backpacking recently. The intended splits are 3/21/15, but I would like to knock out what we can on Saturday given the hours of daylight. Last time, we did splits of 0/28/12.

If you haven't been keeping up with doing cardio during the shutdown, then this trip probably isn't for you. In addition, some folks on the STS noted that " there really isn't a treadmill that can train you for miles of PA side hills.", so expect some tender feet.

Please note the COVID-19 club policies:

• All participants should clearly and honestly communicate any concerns they have regarding their potential exposure. Stay home if you have symptoms consistent with COVID-19, if you have been in close contact with anyone who has displayed such symptoms, or otherwise believe that you might have been exposed.
• Attendees should bring a mask (Buff, bandanna, etc.) on our trips and plan to wear it if backpacking in an area where it is impossible to stay six feet apart from other hikers.
• No official carpool will be set. Attendees should assume responsibility for getting themselves to the trailhead. We understand that this may impact accessibility to trip participation for those DC UL members without a car.
• Consider your recent fitness level before RSVPing for this trip, especially if you have not been hiking recently. If a trip leader hasn't been out on a hike with you recently, the leader may reach out to discuss the trip in more detail with you to ensure you are prepared.
• We will follow all PA guidance. Things look good now, hence the opening procedures. If this were to change, we of course will adhere to any new guidance and consider canceling the trip.
• For more on DC UL’s COVID-19 policy, click this link: https://dculbackpacking.com/about/covid-19-guidelines/

Due to the separate driving and camping, expect to be self reliant.

The loop is described in U-Turn's book as trip # 16. Here are on-line resources for the trip:

2014 running of this trip: https://www.meetup.com/DC-UL-Backpacking/events/176740722/
trip report: https://www.meetup.com/DC-UL-Backpacking/messages/boards/thread/44135572/#120235632
Karan's GPS at caltopo: http://caltopo.com/m/397P
Scanned description: http://files.meetup.com/1502009/Allegheny%20Front%20Trail%20Package.pdf

Descriptions of it divided into East and West loops:
http://midatlantichikes.com/aft-w.htm
http://www.midatlantichikes.com/id186.html

Note that the Moshannon Creek is mine / acid polluted, so don't use it as a water source.

We'll run it counter-clockwise as the last group ran it. We'll park at the Eastern trailhead on PA 504, which is the "Main Trailhead" on the "AFT Package" pdf above. Use the directions in the PDF or the google link in Karan's description for directions, as the listed "Moshannon State Forest" address is for their administrative building. Google maps shows "Rattlesnake Fire Tower, Black Moshannon State Park, Philipsburg, PA 16866" as a point of reference very close to the trailhead.

We'll meet at the trailhead. Note that the event start time is the time to meet at the trailhead, not the time in DC. If you don't catch us at the trailhead, then we'll link up on the trail. I probably won't have cellphone coverage out there though.

Sunrise / Sunset: 5:45 am / 8:38 pm

State College, PA is reasonably close for weather forecasts: https://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?lat=40.7937&lon=-77.8607#.Xs5EDhYpArN
Note: it's likely that we'll be doing the hike in during a thunderstorm.

By RSVPing for this trip, you acknowledge that you’ve read our COVID-19 guidelines and that you agree to DC UL's liability waiver terms. (https://dculbackpacking.com/about/liability-waiver)

After or while signing up, please email or message me with your cell phone number.