KTA's Panther Run Cabin
The weekend of September 27, National Public Lands Day, volunteers from all around the state (and beyond!) descended upon Allegheny National Forest. Those that camped Friday night at Loleta Recreation Area's Sugar Camp Group Site enjoyed a fantastic catered supper from Luigi's Ristorante in Dubois, and then had a fun time getting to know each other and concocting some s'mores around a campfire. Saturday brought breakfast, project sign-ups, and introductions to some partners, followed by a safety talk from ANF foresters.
A total of 35 people participated in four projects:
Everyone enjoyed camping at Loleta Recreational Area! Thanks to our partners at Allegheny National Forest and the North Country Trails Association for their assistance with this great event, and to Athletic Brewing for the grant support.
A total of 35 people participated in four projects:
- sidehill remediation on the North Country Trail near Salmon Creek,
- trail widening and clearing on Loleta Trail,
- puncheon construction on the Sojourn Songbird Trail at Buzzard Swamp, and
- a moveable bridge/puncheon on Seldom Seen Trail at Beaver Meadows.
Everyone enjoyed camping at Loleta Recreational Area! Thanks to our partners at Allegheny National Forest and the North Country Trails Association for their assistance with this great event, and to Athletic Brewing for the grant support.
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This project was financed in part by an @athleticbrewing Two for the Trails grant. Athletic Brewing is on a mission to protect the great outdoors by donating up to $2 million annually through their Two for the Trails program.
#AthleticBrewing #TwoForTheTrails #BCorp #GrantRecipient Athletic Brewing Company LLC. Milford, CT and San Diego, CA. Near Beer <0.5% alc/vol. |
JUNE 2024: Trail Love: Michaux Edition
With assistance from many partners, KTA initiated a new format for a Trail Care Event in 2024. The inaugural Trail Love Weekend was held in the Michaux State Forest to coincide with National Trails Day on June 1, 2024. After an optional campout the night before, more than 50 enthusiastic volunteers converged that memorable Saturday, forming seven crews working at multiple sites on four local trail systems. Projects included new trail construction, stair building, trail trimming (brushing), campsite restoration, sign installation, water diversion structures, and more. Of the volunteers who responded to the question, 15 indicated zero experience with trail maintenance prior to Trail Love, and feedback was exceedingly positive. Hearty meals, dignitary remarks, tie-dye T-shirts, and post-fieldwork musical entertainment were part of the mix.
KTA's Trail Love partnership encompassed a robust network of organizations, including South Mountain Partnership, Friends of Michaux, Friends of Pine Grove, Friends of Kings Gap, Central Pennsylvania Conservancy, Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Bureau of Forestry, Bureau of State Parks, and the Appalachian Trail Museum. A South Mountain Partnership Mini-Grant was awarded to the Keystone Trails Association for the planning and development of the Trail Love event.
KTA's Trail Love partnership encompassed a robust network of organizations, including South Mountain Partnership, Friends of Michaux, Friends of Pine Grove, Friends of Kings Gap, Central Pennsylvania Conservancy, Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Bureau of Forestry, Bureau of State Parks, and the Appalachian Trail Museum. A South Mountain Partnership Mini-Grant was awarded to the Keystone Trails Association for the planning and development of the Trail Love event.
Photos from Trail Love: Top left: steps construction on Koppenhaver Trail in Pine Grove Furnace State Park (Jenn Ulmer photo); Top middle: Crews choosing tools at Hearth Tender Trail trail digging (photo from volunteer photographer Brandon Raubenstine); Top right: Signs installed on Buck Ridge Trail near Kings Gap (photo Haley Feaster), Bottom: group photo (photo from Brandon).
