Weekly Hike - Lower Wissahickon Park

WEEKLY HIKE - LOWER WISSAHICKON PARK
(7.00 Miles +/- | 700 Feet of Elevation)

Join us for our weekly, weekday evening hike!

Back to the woods this week as we hike the "lower" or most southern stretch of Wissahickon Park in Philadelphia. We will cover around between six and a half to seven miles and get about 700 feet of elevation in on this hike. There's an iconic and leg shaking set of stairs at the start and a few decent hills to get the heartbeats going throughout the hike. Along the way we will see some famous landmarks scattered throughout this stretch of the park including the Hermit's Cave, Lover's Leap, and Rittenhouse Town, and more, all while getting in a great workout. This is an excellent hike to bring a backpack with some extra weight in it for some additional conditioning. Our total distance will depend on our pace for if we can set a good pace we can add in some extra mileage, including some light/easy rock scrambling great for beginners who want to start doing longer, more fun weekend hikes.

DISTANCE | ELEVATION | PACE

• Distance - 7.00 Miles +/- (7.00 is target)
• Elevation - 700 Feet +/- (700 is target)
• Pace - about 3.0 mph average throughout the evening. That means parts will be faster on flat ground or non-rocky down hills, and a bit slower uphill and on uneven terrain

OBSTACLES | SPECIAL NOTES

• This is a "woodsy" or "outdoorsy" hike. That means uneven trails, rocky trails, tree roots and rocks that can trip you, bite you, or cause you to trip if you're not paying attention. We'll also have a few decent hills and plenty of elevation. Definitely still want to bring a headlamp (non-white, 1,500+ lumens) with you in you don't have avid night hiker night vision
• Please note this hike will also involve a few "obstacles" (easy, nothing scary or dangerous), including a beginner level minute long rock scramble up, an old steep stone staircase, a slippery asf metal bridge, slippery even when it hasn't rained for a month, and plenty of hills and rocky trails.

BASIC INFO

• DAY & DATE: Wednesday April 23rd
• START TIME: 7:00PM (AND WE START ON TIME!)
• STARTING LOCATION: Gustine Recreation Center
• ADDRESS: 4868 Ridge Avenue Philadelphia PA, 19129
• PARKING - Free parking at the rec center & along Ridge Avenue
• LENGTH: 7 Miles +/- (6.76 is target)
• ELEVATION: 675 Feet +/- (675 is target)
• PACE/SPEED: 3.0 MPH average
• END TIME: Target is 9:30pm.

GEAR:

• Hiking boots/shoes (sneakers not recommended for this)
• Water
• Appropriate clothing - warm layers, hats, rain jackets, etc. as needed
• A change of clothes and/or towel for after (at your discretion)
• Headlamps (only for the end and only if you need them)
• WE STRONGLY ADVISE purchasing a headlamp with a 1,500 to 2,000 lumen or more NON-WHITE color (blue, gree, red ) if you want to be a regular. Email or message me for recommendations if you're not sure what to buy! Boruit makes good ones for $30-$40 on Amazon if you have Prime
• I also advise people bring hiking bags - you need to be hands free on a hike like this and for experience on tougher hikes
• Snacks (as you see fit)
• Beer or other drink for before the hike.

PARKING

• STARTING LOCATION: Gustine Recreation Center
• ADDRESS: 4868 Ridge Avenue Philadelphia PA, 19129
• Free parking in the recreation center or along Ridge Avenue
• DO NOT LEAVE VALUABLES or anything visible in your car.

BATHROOMS/BREAKS

• Bathrooms MAY available at the starting/end point. But the area has plenty of trees!
• No bathrooms on the hike - nature is your restroom tonight!
• We'll stop a few times for great photo opportunities/vistas and a few times for people to catch their breath, adjust gear, grab some water, and not lose us on turns...otherwise we'll keep it moving!

AFTERWARDS

• Afterwards we will head to a place in nearby or to my house in East Falls for some food and drinks.

CANCELLATIONS

• I do not cancel hikes for inclement weather. It must be pour down showers, enough snow/ice to make getting to/from a hike dangerous, etc. If I ever do need to cancel or postpone a hike I try to do so as early as possible.
• You may cancel at anytime up to and including the start time of the hike. Cancellations without contacting me after the start of an event counts as a no-show. More than 3 no-shows gets you removed from the group. If something happens, I get it, reach out and just tell me after. I've been there - hungover, busy, etc. Just be polite, and brief, if you miss and forget to cancel.