I’m combining two segments today. I did one walk, from Emmerling to 910. Then I went to my son’s soccer game, and now I’m doing my second walk. And there’s another change. For this segment, I usually get dropped off at the landfill, and go either left or right on the trail. But today I’m starting at the bottom of Log Cabin Hill and hiking straight through, past the landfill, to Emmerling Park.
I had a good lunch at the soccer field: a generous serving of chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream, some beef brisket, and two big bottles of water.
The beginning of the walk is a mix of bird song and gunfire. Welcome to western PA. And for the first time since I’ve been hiking here, a train passes over that train tunnel I have to walk through. It’s so noisy, but not with birds.
It’s about 4:45pm when I begin my walk. It’s late-ish, but I think that’s a fantastic time. I’m not an early riser and I have a little routine I like to follow in the morning. So I’m not one of those people out before the sun rises. And I feel like a very interesting variety of birds shows up as the afternoon deepens.
I climb up and up. At one summit, I look back and see Log Cabin Hill. I’ve gone up this hill twice. The next time I hike it, I’ll be coming down.
I come to a spot in the woods that just seems like the entire forest is littered with fallen twigs branches and entire trees. We have had rough wind storms here.
I grit my teeth and make my way through the one really tough ledgy bit and now I’m overlooking the landfill. The bird sounds pick up, including Killdeer, Red-winged blackbirds, and Titmice.
Then I hear a peacock! I assume someone has one to guard their property. Fancy.
I get an alert on my phone. Low battery! VERY low. Oh dear. I rely on my phone a lot. I use it for my eBird of course. But also for taking these voice notes. And for recording songs on Merlin. And for getting into my car to drive home!
I plug in my battery booster and discover…it’s not juiced up. It’s time to be very stingy with my phone. I stop taking voice notes until I can see my car.
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…
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I’m almost to my car. I creep down the last steep hill and emerge from the woods into Emmerling Park where people are pushing baby strollers and walking purse-dogs. I imagine I look like I’ve been lost for several days. I’m sweaty and tired and hot and a little muddy.
I did hear the turkey in the woods again, and it gave me a jolt. I also found a new-to-me switchback that made one tough hill easier. But the other hills were just as tough as always.
In general, the trail was dry and easy to navigate, but also unsatisfying quiet. I was hoping for some more action as I finish along the creek in Emmerling Park. I see a bobber and some fishing line tangled in a branch. I wish the people who left it there had gone into the water to get it.
I stare longingly at this waterfall. Just imagine how refreshing it would to lay against it, letting the cool water bubble over me.
My phone battery isn’t the only thing running low. My battery is a drained, too. But I’m glad I did it.
I completed a little over 6 miles of hiking today, if you combine both my walks. Of course I took it at birding pace, not hiking pace. But I am tired. My legs are cooked. Could I do this distance six times in one day? If I ever wanted to try the challenge, I would have to!
24 species, and no first of years, but a great hike.
Checklist 1
RCT - Log Cabin to Emmerling, Allegheny, Pennsylvania, US
Apr 12, 2026 4:32 PM - 6:34 PM
Protocol: Traveling
5.428 kilometer(s)
24 species
Wild Turkey 1
Killdeer 3
Turkey Vulture 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker 3
Downy Woodpecker 2
Pileated Woodpecker 2
Northern Flicker 3
Blue Jay 7
American Crow 6
Carolina Chickadee 8
Black-capped Chickadee 7
Tufted Titmouse 8
American Robin 15
House Finch 2
American Goldfinch 5
Chipping Sparrow 1
Field Sparrow 2
Dark-eyed Junco 2
White-throated Sparrow 5
Song Sparrow 3
Eastern Towhee 6
Red-winged Blackbird 13
Brown-headed Cowbird 1
Northern Cardinal 14
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S320912491