Allegheny Outfitters Outdoors store and Wilderness Trip Planning Center opens!

This spring, a longtime dream of ours became a reality when we opened the Allegheny Outfitters Company Store and Wilderness Trip Planning Center in downtown Warren. 

The store will carries gear for backpacking, adventure racing, camping, canoeing, kayaking, climbing and more, from brands like Old Town, Necky, Wenonah, Deuter, GoLite, MSR, CamelBak, North Face, Nathan, KAVU, Seal Line, Therm-A-Rest, Outdoor Research, Keen and Vibram, among others.

The Wilderness Trip Planning Center, located in the store, is a free resource for anyone who is looking to take an adventure down the Allegheny River or in the Allegheny National Forest (ANF). It includes a large table, and walls covered in maps of the ANF and Allegheny River. In addition, three-dimensional topographical maps of popular trails and recreation areas in the ANF are available so users can see the elevation changes they will face on their trip, water sources they can expect to run across and other details pertinent to wilderness trip planning.

The store is a big step for our family and staff and we want it to be a force for good in our region. We hope you’ll come check it out and get involved!

See you on the river and down the trail...

North Country Trail - Allegheny National Forest: North Branch Sugar Run (321) to Route 59, Pennsylvania

What a day... a beautfiul 3.5 mile hike from North Branch Sugar Run to Route 59 on the North Country Trail. Five minutes in we realized we'd underestimated the snow depth and wished we'd brought the snowshoes. (Note to self: keep those in car at all times!) Temperatures in the mid 30s made for a super challenging hike through wet, knee-deep (and sometimes waist-deep) snow the entire trail. The adventure of a winter forest more than made up for the hard workout.

The trail takes you alongside and across Hammond Run (pictured above), a beautiful stream that boasts a couple pristine camping spots. Enormous hemlock trees towering over the trail warranted a break to take them in (above). Numerous geocaches along the way can add an extra adventure to the trip.

Snow covered trees made spotting blazes tough in spots (below). Beginner hiking tip: a tree with a double blaze (two paint marks) indicates a change of direction, or that the trail is leaving an obvious path. After you spot a double blaze, watch carefully for the next blaze. If you go more than a few steps without seeing a blaze, you may have left the trail. Stop and retrace your steps.

Starting from Sugar Run Road (321), total elevation change was roughly 800'. The uphill climb could easily be turned around to work in your favor by hiking this trail in the reverse direction, beginning your hike at Route 59 and ending at North Branch Sugar Run.

Tom's Run Loop & Tanbark Trail

 

Heart's Content Echo Forest - Tom's Run Loop

Heart's Content Tom's Run Loop 1-13-2010

The four of us rode up to Heart's Content in the Allegheny National Forest for a winter hike on 1-13-2010. We parked next to the trail head and took a look at the maps on the edge of the parking lot to help us decide which trail to take. Since the snow was about a foot deep and only one of us had snowshoes we decided to take the 3.5 mile Tom's Run loop. This trail, like all of the trails at heart's content, doubles as a cross-country skiing trail. We weren't the first to take this loop since last time it snowed so it was easy to find the start. We headed down the branch that enters the large stand of red pines first. I was told that this stand of evenly planted evergreens is called the echo forest for its symmetry. We pretty much stuck to the trail except to check out a few large boulder outcroppings that are hard to see and a tough hike to get to in the summer months. We did find a porcupine den that showed some cool signs of activities. I think we got some pictures and I will post them if any of them turned out. As we were ending the trip my boots were starting to get to me. My hiking boots took a turn for the worst this summer so I had to use my heavy winter boots. The extra weight took a toll on my legs and reminded me how important equipment is in the winter. The hike that normally would have just be the beginning of a workout turned out to be all I could handle comfortably.