Outdoor Adventure Friends

**Moderate to advanced hike; sorry no beginners**

Join me in revisiting the Norvin State Forest. The trails here were impressive to me the last time I visited. Various terrain, lots of rolling hills and impressive scenic overlooks. This hike will be "exploratory" in nature. That means to expect the unexpected. Safety will always be a priority and there will be bailout points along the way. But please only sign up if you are the type of hiker that likes and wants a challenge!

End time is best estimate.

THE GOOD:
We will see the Chikahoki Falls and the following scenic overlooks: Carris Hill, Yoo Hoo point, Ball Mountain and Wyanokie High Point.
There will also be some rock scrambling at Osio Rock and other items of interest along the way. Snacks and pics in the stone living room!

THE BAD:
Bears and snakes.....I have read many comments about the bears. So we will need to keep eye out and be prepared in case. Recommending bear spray for this hike. There are signs all over stating the bear activity, but no bad incidents reported. Lets keep it that way!
Hoping snakes are hibernating at this point.
Parking fills up, so we need to be there early. I usually start Sunday hikes later, but we won't get parking then.

GEAR REQUIRED:
1- Proper footwear which is hiking boots or trail runners due to rocky and slippery conditions.
2- Appropriate clothing for conditions- pay attention to weather forecast
3- WATER or other source of hydration; food as needed- foods you can eat on the run if needed, but we will stop briefly to fuel up.
4- Hiking poles and bags as needed.
5- Bear spray not a bad idea

PARKING AND MEETING LOCATION: Parking is limited and this hike is about 2.5 hours from Phila. So we need to carpool where possible. Can use comment section to assist with this. Please don't commit to be a driver and bail....not cool!
We will meet and park at the Outer Parking Lot of The New Weiss Center- See Meetup PIN. GPS coordinates for the outer parking lot are: 41.0698407, -74.321792
PLEASE FAMILIARIZE YOURSELF WITH DRIVING DIRECTIONS AND DO A SATELLITE VIEW OF PARKING AREAS AHEAD OF TIME. Allow plenty of time for timely arrival. Also, do not park on side of road. They ticket from what I read.

GUEST and ATTENDANCE POLICY: All attendees must be members of Outdoor Adventure Friends. This is for communication purposes to ensure that those in attendance understand exactly what they are signing up for. Please be courteous and change your rsvp in a timely fashion if you can no longer attend an event. Repeated no shows or a history of signing up and dropping off excessively when there is a wait list will exclude you from being moved off of future wait lists and special events
PLEASE NOTE: I cannot respond to calls, texts, emails, messages on meetup, or comments on the event page once we start hiking. Please plan accordingly.
NOTICE: Meetup organizers are not professionally trained. By attending an event you are agreeing that YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR OWN SAFETY AT ALL TIMES. No member of the group EXCEPT YOURSELF can be held responsible for any damages, accidents, or liabilities incurred while hiking with us.

** 6:15 SHARP departure**

This weeks night hike will take us to the Upper Wissahickon along the creek and over to the Chesnut Hill side of the woods. I will plan the route on some less traveled paths...
We will be covering about 6 miles and plan to move at about 3.2- 3.5mph with very few stops.

Gear required: hiking footwear as there will be plenty of rocks and roots and HEADLAMPS - Red lights if possible, but ok if you need white light.

Light rain or shine event. Heavy rain or storms will cancel.

PARKING AND MEETING LOCATION: We will meet at the corner of Brierdale Rd and Cathedral Rd, side closest to the shopping center parking lot (see Meetup location Pin). There is parking on plenty of parking on Cathedral Rd.

Guest policy: I strongly prefer that anyone planning to attend events joins Outdoor Adventure Friends. This is for communication purposes. Meetup is free …..

Please note: I cannot respond to calls, texts, emails, messages on meetup, or comments on the event page once we start hiking. Plan accordingly. I highly advise allowing extra time for arrival to avoid last minute chaos....:)

NOTICE: Meetup organizers are not professionally trained. By attending an event you are agreeing that YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR OWN SAFETY AT ALL TIMES. No member of the group EXCEPT YOURSELF can be held responsible for any damages, accidents, or liabilities incurred while hiking with us.

**Moderate to advance hikers only as this is a relatively long and hard hike**

We are heading back to this local hot spot- Mt Tammany and Sunfish Pond loop....except there will some deviation from the "norm" to increase distance and elevation.....the hike is situated in the beautiful Delaware Gap area for those new to the area and/or hiking in general. We will encounter some exceptional views and beautiful scenery along the trail system. BUT in order to see the views we will immediately be challenged with a monstrous straight up climb to the top- 1 mile straight up.......

Pace on hills will be steady and pace on flats/downhills will be between 3.2- 3.5 mph . I do not stop often....only short pauses to check and make sure we are all holding up ok. PLEASE,PLEASE BE SURE YOU ARE UP FOR THE PACE AND ELEVATION. I am a welcoming host and we will wait at the very top of Mt. Tammany and a couple other scenic areas. BUT we can only wait so long as it gets cold quickly after the climb and we need to keep moving. I will post the route in the comments the day of hike so that anyone really struggling can find their way back or shorten the route for themselves.
We will have short break around noon to refuel...not too long due to cold,etc End time is best estimate....

This is a popular area and parking can fill up. Hence a 9am start. Please arrive early as we will start on time. Not fair to ask group to wait for that one person who couldn't get it together. Don't be that person.....lol

GEAR REQUIRED: hiking footwear, proper clothing in layers for weather conditions, food and water to stay hydrated and energized and micro spikes should there be snow/ice on ground or threat of snow.

NOTE: must have access to Alltrails or any other form of navigation should you need to break off from the group.

Light rain or shine event. Heavy rain or storms will cancel.

PARKING AND MEETING LOCATION: Parking is at the Mt Tammany Red Dot trailhead parking lot. If lot is full, there is another lot called the Appalachian Trailhead parking lot next to it. You will have to park and walk over to the Red Dot lot. Please familiarize yourself with this area ahead of time and see Meetup pin.

GUEST POLICY: All attendees must be members of Outdoor Adventure Friends. This is for communication purposes to ensure that those in attendance understand exactly what they are signing up for. Meetup is free …..
PLEASE NOTE: I cannot respond to calls, texts, emails, messages on meetup, or comments on the event page once we start hiking. Plan accordingly.
NOTICE: Meetup organizers are not professionally trained. By attending an event you are agreeing that YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR OWN SAFETY AT ALL TIMES. No member of the group EXCEPT YOURSELF can be held responsible for any damages, accidents, or liabilities incurred while hiking with us.

** 6:15pm SHARP starting time!**

This weeks night hike will take us on an adventure through the Wissahickon. One of those expect the unexpected hikes....IYKYK We will be moving at a pace of 3.2- 3.5mph covering 6+ miles with about 800 feet of elevation.

Some hiking translations for new folks:

1. Exploration: I really have no idea where the trails are and we may wind up lost in Timbuktu
2. Adventure: I know the trails and want to spice things up
3. Special Ed adventure: I want to add spice to the spice

(In all seriousness, you will NEVER be required to hike above your ability)

We do our best to stick together and look out for one another. But if you are struggling and way off the main pack of hikers, you may need to find your way back to car. Best to have a buddy if you are unsure.

Gear required: hiking footwear as there will be plenty of rocks and roots. Water as needed and headlamp.

Light rain or shine event. Heavy rain or storms will cancel.

PARKING AND MEETING LOCATION: We will meet at the corner of Brierdale Rd and Cathedral Rd, side closest to the shopping center parking lot (see Meetup location Pin). There is parking on plenty of parking on Cathedral Rd

NOTICE: Meetup organizers are not professionally trained. By attending an event you are agreeing that YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR OWN SAFETY AT ALL TIMES. No member of the group EXCEPT YOURSELF can be held responsible for any damages, accidents, or liabilities incurred while hiking with us.