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The Keystone Hiker - September 2016
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Activity Deadline Extended! The Titusville and Oil Creek Train Tickets are now due by September 10!
Sign up as soon as possible. Popular Lodges are filling up, and so are activities!
Sign up, stay near friends, and play together!
Registration is open and we included quite the deal for Weekend Package holders. Keep Reading...
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Join Joe and Sara on this one-of-a-kind hiking weekend.
The group is small and the giant animals are waiting.
On a scouting mission for the weekend,
during a bad time of year and the worst time of day,
Joe and Sara drove by a female elk, who was calling just off the road. Imagine what it will be like during the good season!
Read more...
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There were many beautiful shots of Autumn in Pennsylvania submitted for the 2016 KTA Fall Photo Facebook Contest. The winner, Steve Aldridge, won a 1-year membership with KTA, and his photo is featured at the top of this newsletter, where it will stay through November.
Click/Tap to see it in full resolution.
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We are beyond grateful for the generosity of these 2 organizations. We will be thankful every time we look at our ledger and see that we saved money on copies.
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Visit KTA's office in Mechanicsburg for a special deal from OutGearRec, the hammock manufacturer out of Boiling Springs!
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Letter from KTA's Summer Intern
by Sarah Kownacki
This summer, I had the pleasure of being KTA's intern/program aid. Starting in May, I filled in wherever Joe and Sara needed me. This included lots of database and marketing work but also many exciting projects. For the Trail Challenge coming up, I reached out to many organizations and colleges to ask for volunteers, secured a company to create the medallions for Trail Challenge finishers, and sent appeals to potential sponsors of the event.
Keep Reading...
"You're already missed!" - Sara and Joe
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by Wanda Shirk, President, KTA Board of Directors, and Nominations Committee Chair
The Nominating Committee for Keystone Trails Association presents the following candidates
subject to election by KTA Council
at the Annual Meeting, October 15, 2016,
at Whitehall Camp and Conference Center. Keep Reading...
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by D.M. Cross
Dear Mr. Neville:
As a landowner in the northern tier of PA for 40 years, I've read with interest most recently about the promotion of ATVs and the development of trails on state forest lands in PA. It's hard to argue that ATV's are one of the fastest growing forms of recreation, with approximately 1 million new off-road vehicles purchased annually in the U.S. That said, that kind of growth and usage can have a significant consequential impact on our state lands without momentous advanced forethought, planning and regulation.
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Dear Fellow Hiker,
In the summer of 2000 I set out on an adventure that changed my life: a solo backpack of the 85-mile Susquehannock Trail System loop. At age 50, I was a complete amateur.
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The Keystone Trails Association office is all a-twitter with Trail Challenge-this and Trail Challenge-that. Joe and Sara are sorting t-shirts, the local Kiwanis are threading medallions, volunteers are getting assignments and we are so excited to do our best for everyone on September 10! And, the page is re-designed to be more user-friendly. Check it out:
Read more...
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Hikers share their Prowl the Sproul photos!
To the right is a photo from 2015, from Hyner View, looking down on the campers at Western Clinton Sportsmen's Association. Follow
THIS LINK for pictures from 2016's Prowl the Sproul, uploaded by hikers to the Meetup page. Thanks for sharing!
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This Month's Must-Read:
A Call From On-High
by E.J. Beck
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photo courtesy NHLR.org |
In a prior life, until 15 years ago, my wife, Bernie, and I did a lot of volunteer work on Pennsylvania's hiking trails. We were very involved with KTA-in fact, we were involved with KTA's Trail Care, tasked with building and maintaining hiking trails, for many years.
We'd camp, usually at a state park or state forest, on a Friday evening; on Saturday, we'd work all day-from 8:00 until 4:00 or so-and return to camp for dinner and an evening of campfire camaraderie; and then, on Sunday, we'd work from 8:00 until about noon, say "See you next month," and go home.
Keep Reading...
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by Jeff Mitchell, KTA Board of Directors
I recently did something I don't normally do- start a hike in the early evening. I decided to find a hike with a sunset and walk the trails through twilight, or what hikers call the "magic hour". I soon decided on the Eales Preserve at Moosic Mountain, which protects part of a vast heath barren- some of the largest in the northeastern US. Keep reading...
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Highlighted in the August 17, 2016 DCNR Resource Newsletter, this wonderful profile of Karen Verchimak describes how she visited and hiked in every single State Park in Pennsylvania. Read it HERE!
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Reserve Your Room or Campsite and Sign Up For Incredible Tours!
Situated near Allegheny National Forest; Beaver Creek Nature Area; and Cook, Clear Creek and Oil Creek State Parks, and close to the Allegheny River, this spot has something for all types of outdoor-enthusiasts. Hikes range from 1 mile to 12, from easy to difficult. Also, choose between bicycle, Segway, and boat tours, and we'll post a Kids Activity Schedule soon. Lodging and food provided together at an expansive camp and conference center!
Read more...
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by Sara Haxby, KTA Program Administrator
Cumberland Valley Visitors Bureau offers a Seasonal Application Program (SNAP) for expedited grants. Through the bureau's SNAP, we applied for and were awarded a tourism grant to print a new KTA brochure with updated information, as well as create signage for display on the giant front windows of our new office. Thanks to these additions, KTA is now more visible and our literature more up-to-date. Stop by and see!
Member clubs: if you'd like us to ship you a stack of our new brochures, please contact Sara at [email protected] or reply to this newsletter.
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by Joe Healey
The August 19-21 KTA Trail Care for the Mid State Trail (MST), Woolrich Region, arrived at Ravensburg State Park, Clinton County, around 3:00 Friday afternoon. An early crew had started work at 9:00 Friday morning, as a new recruit, Alex Curtze, could work only on Friday since he was moving back to college that weekend. Tom Bastian, Dave Walp, and Alex brushwhacked near the Hairy Johns Picnic Area just off Pennsylvania Route 45. Good job, guys!
Keep reading...
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by Ed Lawrence
Despite a rainy forecast, along with high heat, 6 people heeded the call for KTA Trail Care volunteers to bring their skill sets to Beltzville State Park, Carbon County, for a Code Orange workday on August 6.
Joined by 4 park staff, including Park Manager Devin Buzard, the blended crew handily accomplished the goal of making the Trinity Gorge Trail more accessible to park hikers by digging in a set of switchbacks to replace a steep section of trail.
Keep reading...
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Reminder to clubs and committees
The KTA Board Room in Mechanicsburg is available anytime at no charge.
Reply with inquiries. Thank you!
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by Jim Foster, KTA Board of Directors, Secretary
The Philadelphia Trail Club (PTC) has given KTA tools to help maintain the Appalachian Trail (AT). KTA recently assumed responsibility for maintaining the AT section that PTC had overseen. This section, about 10 miles, stretches from Lehigh Furnace Gap to Little Gap and straddles Lehigh, Carbon, and Northampton Counties.
Keep Reading...
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(If you represent a member club and would like your event posted here, on the KTA website, or on our Facebook page, please email me about it at [email protected])
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2 Ways to Shop and Support Keystone Trails Association
KTA publishes and sells maps, guidebooks, books, and patches related to hiking trails inPennsylvania. Members receive at least a 10% discount!
Or- choose KTA when you shop on Amazon Smile. Click the ad to sign up. It doesn't cost
you any extra: Amazon donates 0.5% of the purchase price to Keystone Trails Association.
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Newsletter Submissions
This newsletter is published monthly by Keystone Trails Association. Submissions are accepted on a rolling basis. Opinions expressed are those of the listed authors. The Editor encourages submissions reflecting all viewpoints, but reserves the right to edit material. You are encouraged to submit material (even just a trail closing or care alert!) to the Program Administrator, Sara Haxby, at [email protected]. The deadline for newsletter submissions is the 15th of the prior month. Submissions received after that time will be considered for the next month.
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