WEEKLY HIKE - TROLLEY TRAIL & WEST FAIRMOUNT PARK

WEEKLY HIKE - TROLLEY TRAIL & WEST FAIRMOUNT PARK
(7 to 8.5 Miles | 500-600 Feet Elevation)

Join us for our weekly evening/night hike!

DESCRIPTION
This week our weekday hike will meander through West Fairmount Park including the iconic, and aptly named, Trolley Trail. Following the course of the old trolley line that ran through the west side of Fairmount Park for almost six decades, the trail offers a great wooded hiking experience right in the middle of the city. In addition to the main trolley trail, tonight's hike will feature smaller side trails that wind their way, and some of them really wind back and forth, through this side of the park. Those include the Mouse, Mickey Mouse, No Flow, Rose, and Kitchen Sink trails. No, I did not just make any of those up. Cool names and even cooler trails.

Along the way we'll pass by some historical locations including several of the famous mansions that line the park and from the top of Belmont Plateau catch a wonderful view, I think it's the best shot in the entire city, of Philadelphia's skyline. Additionally, putting aside the sound of traffic from roads and the Schuylkill Expressway, this hike offers us a chance to enjoy nothing by solid, woodsy outdoor trails while hiking within the city limits the entire time. Not a hard hike, but definitely a good workout, nonetheless and tougher than walking on Kelly Drive or MLK Drive.

NOTES | CONDITIONS

• This hike involves using trails that are overgrown at times, but it's safe and it won't be like that the entire time. This is meant for people in decent/average shape able to cover the distance, tackle the elevation, and do so in the time allotted.
• A few steep 10-20 foot hills here and there, but most of the elevation is continual, up and down a few feet at a time throughout most of the hike. These trails are definitely rocky and twig/root prone.
• HIGHLY RECOMMEND A TICK CHECK AFTER THE HIKE!!!
• PLEASE NOTE - THIS IS NOT A "CITY" HIKE. TRAILS THAT MAY BE WET/SLIPPERY/MUDDY IF IT IS OR HAS BEEN RAINING. THERE'S OBSTACLE CROSSINGS, STREET CROSSINGS, ROCKY/TWIGGY TRAILS, AND OTHER OBSTACLES INVOLVED.

BASIC INFO

• DAY & DATE: Tuesday July 8th
• START TIME: 7:00PM (AND WE START ON TIME!)
• STARTING LOCATION: Chamounix Equestrian Center
• ADDRESS: 98 Chamounix Dr, Philadelphia, PA 19131
• LENGTH: 7 to 8.5 miles (8.5 is target)
• ELEVATION: 600 Feet +/- (600 is target)
• SPEED: 2.75 to 3.0 Mph average
• END TIME: Target is 9:30 PM

GEAR:

• Hiking boots/shoes (sneakers okay - particularly if it's been dry for a week, but otherwise not recommend, particularly for inexperienced hikers)
• Water
• Snacks
• Appropriate clothing - hats, rain jackets, etc. as needed
• A change of clothes for after (at your discretion)
• Headlamps as a precaution for the last hour. We try not to use them unless necessary. HIGHLY RECOMMEND and ASK KINDLY that if you become a regular, you invest in a quality, $30-$45 headlamp with a NON-WHITE color (red, blue, green) with at least 2,5000 lumens on the non-white color. This helps keep your night vision and also prevents you from blinding others when you must use it. Reach out to me if you're unsure what to buy, I can offer suggestions.
• I also advise people bring hiking bags to keep your hands free and prep for hikes with rock scrambles and other obstacles
• Beer or other drink for before the hike.

MEETING SPOT

• We'll meet on the sidewalk and along the parking spots in front of the Equestrian Center. I'll post a comment when I arrive with my outfit. I generally sit in the back of my moss green SUV with the trunk hatch open until a few people show up.

PARKING

• Plenty of free parking along Chamounix Drive.
• BE CAREFUL....there's a big dip in the road as you pull into the parking spots along the street - pull in slowly!!!
• DO NOT LEAVE ANY VALUABLES IN or anything visible in your car

BATHROOMS & BREAKS

• Unfortunately, there are no bathrooms anywhere on this hike, but there's woods everywhere, so mother nature is your restroom tonight!
• We'll take a few short breaks here and there to let folks catch up, grab some water, adjust gear, etc. and we'll take a 5-minute break on Belmont Plateau so we can get some good photos of the skyline.

AFTERWARDS

• If there's interest, we can maybe do a tailgate along Chamounix Drive or got out to a local place nearby for food and drinks.

CANCELLATIONS

• I do not cancel hikes for inclement weather. It must be guaranteed thunderstorms (in open terrain), 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 forget to cancel.