Allegheny Trail Alliance Hike the Gap - May 21, 2004

Hike the GAP

May 21—Southside to Point State Park

All are invited to celebrate National Trails Day, Venture Outdoors Day, and progress made on the Great Allegheny Passage by Hiking the GAP on May 21st. Join us for a 5-mile hike on Friday, May 21, starting at 11:30 under the Glenwood Bridge on the southside of Pittsburgh, we’ll walk along built and unbuilt sections as we head downtown. You’re invited to do the whole hike or sections and we would encourage bringing food and drinks along with you.

Leading the hike will be Ed Talone from American Hiking Society. Ed is an avid long-distance hiker, having logged over 40,000 miles. He has hiked all 15,850 miles of the National Scenic Trail system and has hiked the entire Passage three times. Ed was an early, and perhaps the first, person to have through-hiked the entire length from Cumberland to Pittsburgh. 

The hike will begin at on an unbuilt section—a "gap" in the GAP-- at Caruso's Scrap Metal on Baldwin Road. Hikers to gather at 11 am with 11:30 starting time. Hike continues to Point State Park. It will include the built Southside Section of the Three Rivers Heritage Trail. A short program will take place at the UPMC Sports Center at Hot Metal Bridge Street and Carson Street at approximately 1:30 pm. Hikers will cross the Hot Metal Bridge at 2:30. The Hike will continue onto the Eliza Furnace Trail. Then on to the Point.

To register, or for details on the schedule and parking, contact the ATA at 888-ATA-BIKE (282-2453).  This hike kicks off the final weekend of the Great Outdoors Week 

Coincidentally, May 21 is the anniversary of the last passenger ride on the Western Maryland. The Western Pennsylvania Conservancy organized a special trip to garner support for the idea of converting the soon-to-be abandoned railroad into a trail. Now, 29 years later, we’re hiking the corridor to make the final push into Pittsburgh.

Great Outdoors Week: May 13-23

Come on outside! Outdoor community groups make a special effort this week to bring new folks in to their activities. Don’t miss Venture Outdoors Festival, Saturday May 22. The largest festival of its kind in the region. 

[Overview Map] [ATA Information]

This page is part of the Allegheny Trail Alliance's site in support of the Great Allegheny Passage, a motor-free recreational rail trail connecting Pittsburgh PA and Cumberland MD. Copyright © 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001by Allegheny Trail Alliance, Bill Metzger, Mary Shaw, and Roy Weil. Amenity information courtesy of FreeWheeling Easy. We encourage you to create links to this site and to print copies of the maps for your personal use. We prohibit other uses of this site, especially if they generate spam or other mass communications -- see our Privacy Policy.. This page was last modified on 12/04/03. Send email to ATA or contact the ATA or member trails.