1. With Jessica Smell and some kids

2. Okay, so my first point is not geological, but it is really interesting. The site of this trail causes controversy with historians. General Braddock may have camped here, George Washington may have had someone assassinated here, and a famous Indian chief named Half King was somehow involved in it all. While we were hiking, we were imaging troops camping under the big rocks in the rain, and filling canteens down by the small stream. Notice the yellow markings on the trail sign. These markings are wonderful for novice hikers like us so that we do not get lost in the woods! These markers make it easier for less experienced travelers to study some geological processes in the mountains.

3. Huge boulders are set on the face of the mountain about halfway from the top. (Friends tell me that the Appalachian Mountains are really just hills, but until I see the Rockies, they are mountains to me.) This is a fascinating sight to see. These boulders seem out of place because of their size. I can only speculate how they arrived and because I am not a geologist, I have to agree with Drs. Alley and Anandakrishnan that something much larger, like a glacier, had to move these seismic rocks.

5. This is a close up photo of one of the boulders. Michael is pointing to some carvings and variations in the rocks. The different layers in the lower part of the rock show that this rock is made of different minerals. The grooves in the rock were possibly carved by a glacier.

6. This rather grainy photo taken with my cell phone is a really up close shot of the big rock. The silver spots are really cool, although I do not know what they are. I would assume that some type of metal is present in the rock. The black marks are graffiti.

7. This is another great picture of the huge rocks that cover the face of the mountain. You cannot tell from this photo, but they are taller than they are wide. They are actually standing up on the mountain. This supports the glacier theory.

8. The entire trail is scattered with rocks of all sizes and leaves. We have already talked about the rocks and their significance, let’s take a moment and discuss the leaves. The leaves covering the surface of the mountain act as a barrier to organic components underneath. They will receive less oxygen and therefore decay slower. If we had a nice big swampy puddle here, we could dig for oil in about a million years or so. We may even get better oil if we waited longer.

9. Our decision to hike was a spontaneous one. We had planned on going to DQ (which we did after the hike). Without the right shoes, it was rather difficult in some areas. (This is not child abuse; they played it up for the camera).

10. Our last photo looks through the trees to the rest of the mountains in the area. It really was a beautiful afternoon to be out in the wilderness. We decided to explore the rest of the trails this summer. We did not have to travel far to see wonderful geological processes taking place. We noticed some in our yard before getting in the van to go to the mountains, but our back yard would not have been as interesting for you. We hope you enjoyed your hike with us in the Laurel Highlands.