Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail – PA Rt. 56 Trailhead to PA Rt. 271 Trailhead - February 16, 2013 - Member Trip Report

Hike Name:	Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail – PA Rt. 56 Trailhead to PA Rt. 271 Trailhead
Country:	United States
State:	Pennsylvania
Trip Rating:
Trip Date:	February 16, 2013
Duration:	1 day
Trail Conditions:	Fair
Trail Traffic:	Light
Trip Weather:	Cloudy
Trip Winds:	Light to Moderate
Trip Precipitation:	Snow
Trip Temperature:	High: 21-30, Low: 11-20 degrees Fahrenheit
Trip Report:	Albeit a longer hike through much deeper snow, the trail from the PA Rt. 56 Decker Avenue shelter area to the PA Rt. 271 shelter area was much flatter. There were a few small ups and downs, but for all practical purposes, no real elevation gain or loss. The hike was also a relatively uneventful one, considering the fiasco from the previous day. Nonetheless, with 12 to 14 inches of snow, it proved to be a long nine miles, and the snow continued to fall for most of the day. Obie made full use of his backcountry skis, and we made fun of him for the incessant squeaking. The joke was mainly on us though, as we had trouble keeping up with him, especially on the downhill sections. He was able to use them the entire day, and it was a fun experience watching him since this was a new twist on backcountry travel for all of us. We made it to the shelter with plenty of daylight left, and since we were so close to the trailhead where we parked the shuttle car, we decided to make a beer run and shuttle Obie's truck. Jer-bear and I headed out for the short hike to the car while Metro and Obie went about repeating the previous evening’s routine, putting up the tarps, gathering and splitting firewood, and getting the fire going. By the time we got back, much progress had been made. Jer-bear and I joined Obie for a short while gathering and splitting firewood, while Metro worked on getting the fire stoked up. It wasn’t long before we were repeating another routine from the previous night, drinking some brews and having a good time.