Discovering The Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail & The Hiiker App

Julia Sheehan
Nov 3, 2020
8 min read

Updated: Aug 23, 2021

According to the DCNR website,"The 70-mile hiking trail stretches along Laurel Mountain from the picturesque Youghiogheny River at Ohiopyle State Park to the Conemaugh Gorge in Johnstown, Pa."

This trail runs through state parks, state forests, game lands and other public lands, including a ski resort. The trail is marked with signature yellow blazes. With 6 trail heads, access to the LHHT is not a problem. One can choose to go out for a day hike, or thru-hike the entire 70 miles of trail in one go!Of course you know that I had to thru-hike this trail.

As we all know 2020 has been less than ideal for everyone, and especially painful for those of us who live for our backpacking adventures. we know that backpacking soothes our wandering souls. This year, without a long trail to hike, I was fearful that I might wither away.

I had discovered the LHHT years before when my parents moved to a farm just down the road from one of the trail heads. As the 2020 hiking season drew near a close, I made the decision that I would attempt to thru-hike this trail during peak foliage, the first week of October.

I set aside 6 days to complete the trail, as I had not done much backpacking this year. After researching this trail, I knew that I had to reserve my campsites each night at one of the 8 designated camping/shelter areas. These areas usually all had, a water source/pump, shelters, a privy, woodpile and tent sites. I made my reservations in advance.

Shortly before I started the trail, the good folks at Hiiker reached out to me asking if I had navigation for this trail. I had a large and bulky paper map that I had done my planning with. They offered to supply me with access to their LHHT map on their app. I was super excited to have a better way to track this trail. I was super excited that this trail was loaded into their system, as is it not well travelled or well known.

DAY 1 | 6 Miles

After making my reservations, packing my gear, taking my car to the northern terminus, I had my mom drop me off at the souther terminus in Ohiopyle around 1:00pm. I was expecting peak foliage, as my research showed that normally the first week of October provided hanging leaves. I was slightly disappointed as many of the leaves were still green.

I had 6 miles to camp, and plenty of time tog et there. I spent the majority of the afternoon enjoying the warm weather, the fresh air and the ability to be hiker trash for a few days. On the first ascent, there was a beautiful view of the river below. I was greeted with cement mile markers almost every mile of the trail, always reminding me exactly where I was.

After reviewing the Hiiker app, I learned that almost all of the elevation was in the first 7-8 mils of trail. I knew that this first day was going to get my butt into gear.

I set up camp in an isolated section of the Ohiopyle Shelter area. I managed to set my tent up, sleep system and eat dinner all before the sun went down. On the menu was spanish rice from Knorr, one of my favorite trail dinners. I spent the next few hours reading a book on my kindle app on my phone. As I dozed off to sleep, I was happy to be on the ground, in my tent; home at last.

Day 2 | 25 Miles

I woke up at 6:00am, it was still dark. After falling back to sleep to wait until the sun was up, I woke again at 8:00am. I packed up camp, made some warm coffee and lukewarm oatmeal, and was on trail in a few minutes. As I broke camp, I was greeted with bright hazy rays of sun beaming through the trees. I felt as though I was in a mystical world, with dragons and knights. The air felt fresh and yet suspended. I walked through the fog, able to catch spiderwebs in the suns rays. It was awe-inspiring. I stood in the misty forest smiling as though I had just slain the dragon and saved the princess.

As the sun shooed the fog away, the fog cleared and I was immediately enthralled in my next delight. FERNS! Ferns, ferns, ferns, as far as the eye can see. They were orange, yellow and green, spreading across the forest floor. I was also constantly looking up. The leaves were varying degrees of orange, red, yellow and green.

I passed a lake and had lunch, Junior Mints and Doritos. It felt so good to be out on trail again. I felt like my body had a purpose again! My legs carrying me north, even if only for 70 miles. After lunch I came upon a graveyard. As I briefly inspected the graves, I noticed that most of the graves were illegible, due to weather stripping the stones of the engraving. The most recent had died in 1894. I thought allowed about the type of lives these deceased had lived. Where they pioneers? Did they farm and hunt the lands that I was hiking on? Did they enjoy living a secluded life alone in the wilderness? Had they endured hardships? I shuddered as I walked away, feeling eerie about how old this cemetery was.

I came across another view! From this ledge I could see the city of Pittsburgh, where I lived. It was weird seeing my home from a trail. I felt so far away and yet so close. It reminded me of the time I had spent on the Appalachain Trail and yet this time was different. I stood on the rock outcropping and took in the view before me, with Pittsburgh a tiny little lump on the horizon.

I had initially decided to hike 18 miles to a shelter area I had found on the Hiiker App, but changed my mind after a call from my mom. She called and said that they would pick me up at a cross road to take me home for a scallop alfredo dinner and a warm bed and a shower!

With under 10 miles left for the day, I walked through Seven Springs Ski Resort. I had been there only in the winter before. It was surprisingly amazing walking over the slopes all alone. I could see the leaves changing on the surrounding hillsides and the smoke billowing up from the fireplaces inside the homes in the distance.

I made it to the cross road where my mother had agreed to meet me with minutes of daylight left. The sun quickly faded as I stood on the side of the gravel road waiting for my mom to show up. As I saw her near, I grew excited and started waving, she must not have seen me because she drove right by. I was able to call her and tell her that I was in fact now behind her, on the side of the road getting stiffer in the knees and ankles by the minute. She picked me up, whisked me off to her house, where I showered, ate a hot meal and fell asleep feeling accomplished.

DAY 3 | 14 Miles

My mom dropped me off where she had retrieved me the night before early in the morning. My legs and back were stiff from the milage I had accomplished the day before. The morning was brisk and yet fresh. I had all the delicious smells of autumn gracing my nose. The rainbow of leaves along the ground kept me happy. I passed through a section of trail where yellow leaves continually fella round me. I stopped for a long time watching the leaves gently float down to the ground. I reached the half way point in the morning. 35 miles in the bag.

I noticed at the half way point there was a mailbox next to a large boulder. Why would there be a mailbox in the forest? A hiker log DUH! I took it out and threw in some cheesy words about getting lost and being found. For lunch I had a tuna and Dorito tortilla.

Shortly after lunch I walked over the Pennsylvania Turnpike by bridge. I had driven under this bridge daily when I commuted to work from Somerset PA before living in the city. I had always wondered what it was like to travel each direction from that bridge every time I drove under it. I always vowed one day that I would know.

After continuing on I found an old trail log hanging on a tree, one that I had written in over a year before as I was just getting started in my backpacking adventures. My post read, " Snowy, Dreamy day. Don't count the every mile, make every mile count. No trail name yet. Julia."

There is something about fall that just sits deep with me. I'm not sure if its the fact that nature is lulling itself to sleep and recover for next year, but I feel the death of this season and the hope of next season at my fingertips. I consulted my Hiiker app and settled at the Route 30 Shelter.

Day 4 | 25 Miles

The rain from last night scattered throughout the early morning. My left knee ached as I broke camp. I hiked through a silent and foggy fern gully with tall trees scattered about. It felt as though someone was following me. It was misty and so silent. I kept turning around half expecting a demon, or masked murderer ready to chase me. After I realized I was psyching myself out, I noticed some crows cawing loudly, and suddenly it didn't feel so quiet and eerie.

The sun never arrived and I was sweating but always chilly. I cruised through the last 25 miles, because the weather was subpar, and there were no real exciting views to be viewed. I got to a shelter spur trail for and was going to hangout for lunch, I used my Hiiker app and realized the shelter was actually over one mile off trail, and decided to simply eat sitting on the side of the trail. The water I needed was going to have to wait. For lunch I had Mike N Ikes and Tuna and finished off my Doritos. I initially was planning on doing 19 miles today and 6 the next. When the weather was staying cool, I was half tempted to push further.

When I got to the shelter I had planned on camping at, 6 miles from the northern terminus, I decided that I did not want to sleep in the chilly night after having a chilly day. I pushed the last 5 miles with achy knees and swollen feet. As I finished my adventure on the LHHT I reminisced about my days on the AT and how I longed for a trail system to be open to thru-hikers next year. My soul felt at home, at ease on trail.

In the last few miles of the trail, I was able to see my hometown from the forest. It was wild having my old life and my new life intertwined. Seeing my old world from my new world so to speak. As I reached the parking lot, I smiled at my small yet mighty accomplishment.

DISCOVERING HIIKER

As I started my trek of the LHHT, The folks at Hiiker reached out to me asking if I had navigation for this trail. As I only had an old map, they offered me to use their map and navigation of the LHHT. It was super helpful because I was able to measure distances, see where shelter areas were and so much more!

Once I returned home I was able to really see how many trails this app had to offer! You know I love my navigation apps and Guthook was a life saver on the AT, but there are so many smaller trails that aren't included. The LHHT wasn't even completed on AllTrails, another popular hiking navigation app. This app was super helpful!

Some of the notable features of this app: