TBA- with Joel Platt, 412-521-5244. This Ramble is not connected with the Sierra Club. Sierra Club takes no responsibility, and makes no representations or warranties about the quality, safety, supervision or management of this trip. It is published here as a public service.

Photo courtesy of KitAy

As most readers will know, the Panther Hollow watershed is a major feature of the terrain around Oakland and Schenley Park. The watershed is quite a large area and covers much of the park. Unfortunately, with the deterioration of the stormwater pipes and the development around the watershed, adequate drainage has become a problem for the health of the park– not runoff too slow, but too fast. That is the reason for the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy to hold a ‘Healthy yards, healthy watershed’ workshop on March 5, where homeowners will learn about the Panther Hollow Watershed, how to design residential rain gardens, and basic techniques for stream restoration in the park. For details, see the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy website.

Hike, intermediate, on the scenic Indian Creek Valley Trail (a level bike path in summer). We will start at Indianhead and hike north to Champion and possibly beyond to Jones Mill and return. The total round-trip distance will be on the order of 11-12 miles or less if the group decides. If the snow is deep, we go XC skiing at the Laurel Ridge State Park XC ski area instead. Suggested carpool fee $8 for the 45-mile drive (each way). Meet at Gateway Middle School at 9 AM. Call Donna Allen, 412-372-2993.

TBA-Judy Kosslow, 412-327-8707. This Ramble is not connected with the Sierra Club. Sierra Club takes no responsibility, and makes no representations or warranties about the quality, safety, supervision or management of this trip. It is published here as a public service.

A local food grower/buyer event …..

March 10, 2011
Chatham University

Showcasing the finest, freshest local food that western PA has to offer.

Sponsored by Penn State University- Cooperative Extension, and Chatham University Food Studies Program.

For more info contact Heather Mikulas at hem12 at psu dot edu or 412-423-8633.

TBA-Jean Canfield, 412-661-3998. This Ramble is not connected with the Sierra Club. Sierra Club takes no responsibility, and makes no representations or warranties about the quality, safety, supervision or management of this trip. It is published here as a public service.

A rare opportunity to hear the dean of Shale Gas Drilling experts ….

‘Unconventional Gas Development from

Shale Plays: Myths and Realities’

Professor R. Ingraffea,
School of Civil and Environmental Engineering,
Cornell University

3:00 to 4:00 pm, Friday, March 18

921 Benedum Hall,
Swanson School of Engineering
3700 O’Hara Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15261

ABSTRACT: We will explore some myths and realities concerning large-scale development of the unconventional natural gas resource in Marcellus and other shale deposits in the Northeast. On a local scale, these concern geological aspects of the plays, and the resulting development and use of directional drilling, high-volume, slickwater, hydraulic fracturing, multi-well pad arrangements, and the impacts of these technologies on waste production and disposal. On a global scale, we will also explore the cumulative impact of unconventional gas development on greenhouse gas loading of the atmosphere.

Black’s Run on Barking Slopes; this is a 10-11 mile-long loop hike starting in Oakmont’s Dark Hollow Woods and making use of numerous trails and non-trails. The highlight is Allegheny Land Trust’s 230-acre Barking Slopes Biological Diversity Area located on the left descending bank of the Allegheny River. Awesome views of the river valley are available from the trails. The property includes the ridge and steep slopes along the river as well as the relatively steep-walled, forested valley and stream known as Black’s Run. This hike is rated as strenuous and you should not come unless you have hiked a similar distance on hilly terrain within the last 12 months. Call Jim Ritchie at 412-576-0849 for more information and reservations.

Do a moderate 7+mile loop hike in Deer Lake County Park. Distance depends on weather conditions. The trail goes past the County Observatory and a small lake. Meet in Harmarville behind Bob Evans Restaurant. Ask the leaders about meeting time. Call Judy or Don Ziegler, 412-826-0519.
Sun. Jan. 30 ~ Do a 6+ mile loop hike in Harrison Hills Regional Park. Weather conditions may affect the distance traveled. Meet in Harmarville behind Bob Evans Restaurant. Ask the leaders about meeting time. Call Judy or Don Ziegler, 412-826-0519.

TBA-Earl McCabe, 412-761-1844. This Ramble is not connected with the Sierra Club. Sierra Club takes no responsibility, and makes no representations or warranties about the quality, safety, supervision or management of this trip. It is published here as a public service.

Land navigation scavenger hunt on a large scale (5000 acres) using topographic map and compass.
The Raccoongaine
Sunday, March 27, 2011 – 11 AM
Raccoon Creek State Park
(30 miles West of Pittsburgh)
3-hr and 6-hr foot race mini-rogaine (orienteering – scavenger hunt)

In a rogaine-style format, individuals or teams have a fixed time (3 or 6 hours in this event) to visit as many checkpoints as possible; walking, running and resting as they see fit. The checkpoints are spread over a large area, and are pre-marked on a map issued shortly before the start of the event. Point values for visiting each control vary (and are specified in advance) depending on such factors as distance from the start/finish area, elevation, navigational complexity.

Participants in a Rogaine come from diverse backgrounds: adventure racers, hikers, walkers, cross-country runners, trail runners, ultra runners, orienteerers, and family groups. Widely varying levels of competitive intensity are found, going from the casual stroller who wants a little variety added to the weekend hike to the serious athlete. Map reading skill is perhaps the most important technique needed. Route planning strategy is also very important since there won’t be time to get all the controls, so the choice of which to try for is crucial in maximizing scores.

Time: Event starts at 11AM., Sunday, March 27, 2011. The registration desk opens at 9:00 AM. Maps will be
distributed at 10:00 AM. There is a mandatory meeting at 10:45 AM at the start location for all participants.

Organizers: Western Pennsylvania Orienteering Club – website: www.WPOC.org

Start/Finish area: Rec Hall in Raccoon Creek State Park. Located 30 miles West of Pittsburgh, near the town of Frankfort Springs. Rec Hall is located 1.3 miles west of the park headquarters, located on route 18. Directions: From Pittsburgh, take Parkway West (I-376) in direction towards the airport. Change to Route 22 West, and exit at Route 18. Follow Route 18 for 6 miles to the north to park headquarters, and follow signs and road for 1.3 miles West to Rec Hall (GPS coordinates: N 40 30.570 , W 080 26.800)

Provided Equipment: A special-purpose topographic map on a large sheet at a 1:15,000 scale and 5 meter contour interval. with a large plastic bag will be provided to each participant. In addition, to each team or solo competitor, a checkpoint control punch card, and a checkpoint description sheet are also provided to each team or solo competitor. Water is available at the base camp and at selected points marked on the map. Food will be available at end of event. Recommended equipment: compass, whistle, water bottle or camelback, watch, snack food, sunscreen.

Rules: No help from others is allowed during the race away from the base camp. If in a team, team members must stay within sight and speaking distance throughout the event. Portable GPS systems are allowed as long as the intention is to simply record the route taken, for later analysis and sharing.

Checkpoints: Each checkpoint is marked by an orange/white control, a triangular prism with sides approximately one foot
square. The control flags will usually be visible from some distance, not intentionally concealed, but also not in view of trails or roads. There will be about 50 control points distributed in the state park area.

Scoring: The point value of all control points visited is totaled. The late penalty will be 10 points for every minute late. Tie scores will be decided by the order of finishing times. If in a team, all members of the team must be present at finish.

Awards Categories: Primary award categories will be Men, Women and Mixed, Masters (age over 40), Super veterans (age over 55), teams or individuals.

Fees: Entries postmarked by 3/17/2011 will pay a fee of $25 per person for the 6-hr events and $15 for the 3 hour event. After that date, the fees are $35 for the 6-hr event, and $25 for the 3-hr event. Race day registration is allowed. For WPOC members, there is a discount of $5/$3 for the 6hr/3hr event.

Registration: Register online at http://www.cosc.iup.edu/wpoc/raccoongaine2011.htm , or mail your entry to WPOC c/o Jim Wolfe, 1904 Bates Drive, Johnstown, PA 15905. Checks should be made out to “WPOC”. E-mail of registrar is jlwolfe@atlanticbb.net

Online social groups On facebook: “Raccongaine II”. On Yahoo groups: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/RaccoonGaine.

Contact: Alexis Rzewski
e-mail: arzewski@hotmail.com
phone: 412 441 1232

TBA-Judy Stark, 412-363-0462. This Ramble is not connected with the Sierra Club. Sierra Club takes no responsibility, and makes no representations or warranties about the quality, safety, supervision or management of this trip. It is published here as a public service.

Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Refreshments 5:30-6 pm
Forum 6-9 pm

Chatham University – Eddy Theater
104 Woodland Road
Pittsburgh, PA 15232

• Who are the people affected everyday by air pollution? Hear their stories.
• What questions do you have? Get the answers.
• What can you do? Learn about solutions.

Don Hopey and David Templeton, authors of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s “Mapping Mortality” series, will lead an evening forum with individuals featured in the articles. This event will pull the people from the pages to share their struggles and concerns. A question and answer session will follow, allowing the audience to ask questions of the authors, the featured individuals and air quality experts. Finally, rounding out the evening, local environmental leaders will discuss current regulations and what actions we can take to improve our environment and public health.

Brought to you by: Center for Coalfield Justice, Clean Water Action, Environmental Integrity Project, Group Against Smog and Pollution, Penn Environment, PennFuture, Sierra Club Allegheny Group, and Women for a Healthy Environment.

For more information, contact Randy Francisco at 412.802.6161, randy[dot]Francisco[at]sierraclub[dot]org