MONTHLY FULL MOON HIKE - "Lower" Wissahickon + Creek Swim

DESCRIPTION

Join us for our monthly full-moon hike!

There's a certain magic about hiking at night, especially with a full moon to help light the way! Our monthly night hike takes us to the "lower" or southern stretch of Wissahickon Park this time. We will get a good workout in over 6.5 miles with 700 feet of elevation as we wind our way along the upper trails on both sides of the creek as well along the relatively flat/easy Forbidden Drive. If the weather cooperates and it's warm enough and dry, we can stop about halfway through the hike to cool down in the creek, have a snack, and crack open a beer. There should be a few places where we can get cool shots of the moon if the weather cooperates!

This hike will also involve some light, easy rock scrambling or bouldering, and is not for those who aren't physically active, and yes, we just used a double negative. :)

This is an active hike. You do not need to be an olympic level athlete, but we do keep a 2.5 to 3.5 mph pace throughout the hike so this is meant for those who are at least somewhat fit/active.

PLEASE NOTE - THIS IS NOT A "CITY" HIKE. TRAILS THAT MAY BE WET/SLIPPERY IF IT IS OR HAS BEEN RAINING. THERE'S ROCK SCRAMBLING, ROCKY/TWIGGY TRAILS, AND OBSTACLES INVOLVED.

Put on those hikingshoes, grab a bottle of water, and  get ready for an unique experience as we SEEK out beautiful blocks, EXPLORE hidden alleways, and WANDER casually around this historical and stunning urbanscape.

BASIC INFORMATION

• Start Time: 7:00 PM
• End Time: 10:00-11PM
• Distance: 6-7 Miles +/-
• Elevation - 700-800 Feet
• Meeting Location: Gustine Recreation Center - 4868 Ridge Avenue Philadelphia PA, 19129
• Meeting Note - Look for the 6^0 tall guy sitting in the back of his Moss Green SUV in the parking lot.

WHAT TO BRING (GEAR)

• Good, solid, comfortable hiking shoes that you can cover 6-7.5 miles on concrete pavements, gravel roads, and woodsy trails. We adivsed not to wear flip-flops or any other flimsy footwear. We also advise that you not wear anything that you would mind getty dirty, dusty, wet, etc., depending on conditions.
• A bottle or two of water
• A bag or other means of carrying personal items
• Headlamps - just in case it's too dark in a few sections. We HIGHLY recommend investing in a headlamp that includes a bright, at least 1,000 lumens strong, non-white light (red, green, blue work the best). This helps preserve your night vision as well as not blinding the trail for other participants.
• Cameras & cellphones (for pictures) welcome! Make sure they're fully charged!
• Snacks/sandwiches as needed (something portable like trail mix, candy bars, fruit, etc.)
• A beer for the break and/or after (depending on the forecast)
• Swimsuit/water shoes/towel (depending on the forecast)
• Change of clothes for afterwards (at your discretion)
• Appropriate clothing based on the forecasted weather conditions - temperature, precipitation, etc. for the duration of the tour/event. Please reach out to info@seekexplorewander.com with any questions or concerns about clothing or other gear to bring before any tour/event.

BREAKS/BATHROOMS

• Public bathrooms MAY be available at the start/end point but we cannot guarantee it!
• Otherwise, it's the woods if you need to use the restroom.
• We will break a few times in the woods to let people catch up and grab some water
• If the weather cooperates we will stop for 30-45 minutes during the hike to chill, dip our feet/legs into the creek, have a drink, and snack away.

PAYMENT INSTRUCTIONS

• This is a free event cosponsored by Seek-Explore-Wander and Wild Outdoor Adventures.

NO-SHOWS & LATE ARRIVALS

• No-Shows for a tour/activity may be barred from future events. No-Shows will not be granted refunds or credits of any sort.
• If you arrive late and miss the hike you will not receive a refund or credit. All participants receive an email the day before a hike/event with the guide's contact information. If you are running late, it is your job to reach out to the guide to discuss if it's possible to catch up with the group at a specific time and location BEFORE the listed start time of an event. Once an event begins it is not the guide's nor company's responsibility to respond to any phone calls, emails, text messages, etc. if you did not make it on time. Likewise, there's no guarantee that you be able to catch up with the group though we will try our best to accomodate reasonable requests due to unforseen circumstances.

CANCELLATIONS & REFUNDS

• You may cancel up to 24 Hours before the listed start time of this tour and receive a full refund. If you purchase via credit card you may not receive the transaction fee back, depending on circumstances. Please allow 3-5 business days (Monday to Friday) for all refunds to be processed.
• If you cancel after the 24 Hour deadline you will not receive a refund. No exceptions.
• The company does not cancel hikes/events for inclement weather such as light rain, cold or hot temperatures, etc. We only cancel tours/events for conditions that we consider dangerous to participants either during the tour/event or for getting to/from the meeting location. Examples would be heavy flooding conditions and/or severe thunderstorms for the duration of the tour/event, ice or thick snow before, during, or immediately after the tour/event. If/when the company decides that the weather conditions warrant cancellation of an event, all participants will receive a full refund, minus any processing fees assessed by third party credit/finance companies/apps., within 3 to 5 business days.