Dear Hiker,

Happy New Year!

Winter's cold, stillness, and sometimes white snow blankets our hiking trails. Consider joining a winter hike with a hiking group near you and check out the wonders of this season. It's during this period that the plants and animals that we enjoy on our spring hikes rest and prepare for it's arrival. Seeds and buds are dormant and will become the flowers of spring and summer and the fruits of summer and fall.​

We also have the opportunity to plant the seeds for our organization's future success and "hiking fruits."  Continuing to grow our endowment fund is essential to providing long-term financial stability to our organization.  

Please consider donating to The Keystone Trails Endowment Fund sometime this year as a lasting legacy to the mission of KTA.  KTA organizational member clubs and other groups may also contribute to the fund. Consider donating in honor or memory of a club member who has made a difference in your club or the hiking community.  

An application is available at the KTA website; linked here. Even if you can't donate to a set giving level, all contributions to the fund add up over time.  The principal remains in the endowment fund.  The earnings from the fund investments are used to support KTA's mini-grants to clubs and the organization's general operations. 

Consider KTA in your estate planning to positively impact Pennsylvania Trails for future generations.

Donors will be recognized at the awards presentation this fall.  The Board thanks you for your contribution to this important fund.

Plan your hikes for 2025 to earn one of the year's many hiking awards.  Check out our website for the details regarding each hiking award.  In addition, throughout the coming year, please consider your fellow hikers and clubs for nomination for Certificates of Achievement, Volunteer of the Year, Club of the Year, and the KTA Citation Award for Lifetime Achievement.    You can also plan to take on a 100-mile Trail Challenge during the year.

See you at the trailhead and on the trail.

For the trails and those who wander on them!

Thanks
Wayne E. Gross
President, Board of Directors 
Keystone Trails Association
​The Statewide Voice of Pennsylvania Hikers

👋 Meet Kevin, a KTA supporter from Lower Merion Township!

Q: What makes hiking in Pennsylvania special/meaningful to you?
A: "Easy access. Diverse variety of trails.  Lots of history. "

Q: What type of hiking do you typically prefer most often?
A: "Backpacking "

Q: When did you start hiking?
A: "Decades ago"

Q: What are you currently excited about in your hiking life?
A: "I’m starting the AT in Georgia this year and plan on trekking back to PA by the summer.  Next year,
I’ll resume the adventure in PA and hike to Maine. "

Q: Which hiking trails do you enjoy/recommend that are near where you live?
A: "I like to do day hikes in nearby Ridley State Park. "

Q: Which hiking trails do you recommend (anywhere in PA)?
A: "Loyalsock, Black Forest, Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail, AT, Black Forest, Old Logger’s" 

Q: What do you value most about KTA's mission?
A: "Everything!​​"

Do you care about providing, protecting, preserving, and promoting recreational hiking trails and hiking opportunities in Pennsylvania?
​That's why KTA is here! Help ensure this mission continues to be fulfilled. ​https://www.kta-hike.org/donate.html

👋 Meet John, a KTA supporter from Boiling Springs, Pa!

Q: What makes hiking in Pennsylvania special/meaningful to you?
A: "The next mile with its imaginary anticipation; the last mile for its unexpected rewards."

Q: What type of hiking do you typically prefer most often?
A: "Of late, exploring side treks from main trails. "

Q: When did you start hiking?
A: "1952-1960 and again 1972-current."

Q: What are you currently excited about in your hiking life?
A: "Exploration and discovery with buddies."

Q: Which hiking trails do you enjoy/recommend that are near where you live?
A: "AT, Michaux SF, Tuscarora SF, PaConservancy Trails (LeTort Spring, Cove Mtn} Gettysburg Battlefield, SouthMiddleton parks)"

Q: Which hiking trails do you recommend (anywhere in PA)?
A: "AT, State Forest Trails (particularly those associated with KTA's SFTA), State Park Trails" 

Q: What do you value most about KTA's mission?
A: "Creation and Maintenance of PATrails via Hiking Clubs and volunteers​.​​"

Do you care about providing, protecting, preserving, and promoting recreational hiking trails and hiking opportunities in Pennsylvania?
​That's why KTA is here! Help ensure this mission continues to be fulfilled. ​https://www.kta-hike.org/donate.html

👋 Meet David, a KTA supporter from Allegheny!

Q: What makes hiking in Pennsylvania special/meaningful to you?
A: "It's where I grew up, playing in the woods, hunting, fishing! I moved to Arizona after highschool and lost touch with nature. I moved back home and realized we have one of the most beautiful states in the Union."

Q: What type of hiking do you typically prefer most often?
A: "Full day and multi day "

Q: When did you start hiking?
A: "2005"

Q: What are you currently excited about in your hiking life?
A: "Planning a thru hike of the Mid State trail."

Q: Which hiking trails do you enjoy/recommend that are near where you live?
A: "Lick Hollow to Pine Knob Lookout."

Q: Which hiking trails do you recommend (anywhere in PA)?
A: "Ricketts Glen." 

Q: What do you value most about KTA's mission?
A: "Preservation of our Open Spaces in the state.​​"

Do you care about providing, protecting, preserving, and promoting recreational hiking trails and hiking opportunities in Pennsylvania?
​That's why KTA is here! Help ensure this mission continues to be fulfilled. ​https://www.kta-hike.org/donate.html

Dear Member,

I want to thank you for your efforts in furthering our mission of providing, preserving, protecting, and promoting recreational hiking trails and hiking opportunities in Pennsylvania.

I hope you have been enjoying the colors of fall on one of many Pennsylvania hiking trails, especially those who attended the fall KTA's Keystone Hiking & Outdoor Weekend in the Susquehanna Riverlands of Pennsylvania. We want to thank our staff who put in many hours planning the weekend and programs.

At the weekend the KTA Council met to approve the KTA 2024-2025 budget, elect new board members Ezra Thrush, Pradip Bhatnagar, and Kathy Borrell, and Cyril Quatrone for his first three year term after completing one year of the three year term left vacant last year.   This brings the Board to 12 members. Their terms start November 1. The Council elected the 2024/2025 Officers: President Wayne Gross, Vice President Karen Lutz, Secretary Linda Enders-Roxberry, and Treasurer Anthony Vigliano, and carried out other business.  The Council also voted for Polly Chatterton and Tony Robbins to serve the remaining one year as Representatives At Large for Pradip and Kathy who were elected to the Board.   

We want to extend our thanks to Rob Altenburg, for his nine years of dedicated service on the Board including serving as Treasurer. I also want to thank Chair Katy Barker and the rest of the KTA Nominating Committee for seeking out new members for the Board developing a slate of officers and seeking out candidates for Representative at Large to fill the vacant spots of those elected to the Board.

We had our annual meeting and awards ceremony at the KTA's Keystone Hiking & Outdoor Weekend.  The following individuals were recognized:
Certificate of Achievement: Wanda Shirk
KTA Club of the Year: AMC-Delaware Valley Chapter
KTA Volunteer of the Year: Krista Cessna
KTA Citation Award for Lifetime Achievement: Katie Barker

Congratulations to all hiking award recipients.
Appalachian Award: Matthew Broadhecker, David Kutzor, Pallavi Vedantam
Merit Award: Cyril Quatrone
Merit II Award: Justin Funck, Cyril Quatrone
Eastern Pennsylvania Award: Kathy Borrell, Justin Funck, John Harder, Cyril Quatrone
Western Pennsylvania Award: Eric Butterbaugh, Cyril Quatrone, Mark Radzin
State Forest Trails Award:  Kathy Borrell
Young Hiker Award: Alice Butterbaugh, Elena Butterbaugh, Parker Lingenfelter, Reid Lingenfelter, and Virginia Milburn
100 Mile Trail Challenge for 2023-2024: Donna Stolz

We also want to recognize our employee Casey Schneck for his five years of service to KTA.

Contributors to the Keystone Trail Endowment fund over the last year were recognized with special certifiates and a special Endowment fund patch. The new Keystone Trail Endowment fund recognition plaque was presented recognizing all contributors to the fund. The plaque will be on display at the KTA office and eventually at the new KTA office at the Scott Farm. The interest from the endowment fund will go to club mini-grants in 2025 and toward general operation costs. KTA distributed eleven mini-grants to clubs in 2024 from the endowment proceeds to help trails throughout the state. 

A sincere thank you to the following Endowment Fund Contributors for 2024: George Probst Estate, Guardian; Al and Barbara Wiemann, Keystone Hiker; Wanda Shirk, Sustainer; and David “Cyril” Quatrone, Life Membership.

And a special thanks to all those who participated in our 40th anniversary Trail Care program throughout this year. Participants were recognized at the awards ceremony. We had a large increase in participation this year.

It's not too early to start working on your hiking awards for 2025! In addition, throughout the coming year, please consider your fellow hikers and clubs for nomination for Certificates of Achievement, Volunteer of the Year, Club of the Year, and the KTA Citation Award for Lifetime Achievement.  You can also plan to take on a 100-Mile Trail Challenge during the coming year. There is a new hiking award just for teenagers approved by the Board, the Teen Hiker Award.  Who will be the first to receive it at next fall's KTA awards presentations?

In the meantime, save the date for our Spring Hiking Weekend at Raystown Lake, April 25 to 27, 2025.

For the trails and those who wander on them!

Thanks
Wayne E. Gross
President, Board of Directors 
Keystone Trails Association
The Statewide voice of Pennsylvania Hikers

👋 Meet Dave, a KTA supporter from Venango County! 

Q: What makes hiking in Pennsylvania special/meaningful to you?
A: "PA has a great variety of scenic trails for all levels of hikers. And for me personally, hiking in PA is a way for me to escape all the distractions of life and have some personal reflection time and some quiet time with God."

Q: What type of hiking do you typically prefer most often?
A: "multi-day backpacking; and some full day, half day hikes. In 2019 at the age of 63, I completed a thru-hike of the A.T. with my 3 sons, ages 22, 24, 26 at the time."

Q: When did you start hiking?
A: "1974"

Q: What are you currently excited about in your hiking life?
A: "Completing the North Country Trail in PA, hiking the Black Forest Trail (for the 4th time) and the Susquehannock Trail this spring. Also, introducing youth from our church to backpacking for the first time."

Q: Which hiking trails do you enjoy/recommend that are near where you live?
A: "Minister Creek Trail, Gerard Hiking Trail in Oil Creek SP, Kennerdell Tract in Clear Creek State Forest."

Q: Which hiking trails do you recommend (anywhere in PA)?
A: "Black Forest Trail, Loyalsock Trail, Quehanna Trail, Susquehannock Trail and of course the A.T. in PA." 

Q: What do you value most about KTA's mission?
A: "Maintaining and upgrading the hiking trails and opportunities in PA. PA has one of the top hiking trail systems in eastern USA.​"

Do you care about providing, protecting, preserving, and promoting recreational hiking trails and hiking opportunities in Pennsylvania?
​That's why KTA is here! Help ensure this mission continues to be fulfilled. ​https://www.kta-hike.org/donate.html

👋 Meet Kent & Rachel, KTA supporters from Berks County! 

Q: What makes hiking in Pennsylvania special/meaningful to you?
A: "PA has so many beautiful forests and challenging trails. Hiking here is great exercise for the body and therapy for the mind."

Q: What type of hiking do you typically prefer most often?
A: "We spend many weeknights and most weekends day-hiking in and around Berks County. "


​Q: When did you start hiking?
A: "I started hiking in college and have enjoyed it my whole adult life. During COVID shutdowns it became a great activity and we began tracking our miles and number of hikes per year."

Q: What are you currently excited about in your hiking life?
A: "We are planning to complete the Susquehannock Trail System loop, the Horse-Shoe Trail, and also hike in more PA state parks this summer. Together with our dog Ripple we have hiked over 3,000 miles in the past three years! "

Q: Which hiking trails do you enjoy/recommend that are near where you live?
A: "We are lucky to have the Pinnacle nearby and love hiking the AT and other trails near there.  My favorite trail in that area is the Furnace Creek trail."

Q: Which hiking trails do you recommend (anywhere in PA)?
A: "Susquehannock Trail System, Golden Eagle Trail, Mid State Trail, hiking in Ricketts Glen State Park, hiking around the Lebanon Reservoir, The Conestoga Trail and The Mason-Dixon Trail." 

Q: What do you value most about KTA's mission?
A: "We appreciate the volunteers and workers that help keep the trails in great shape!"

Do you care about providing, protecting, preserving, and promoting recreational hiking trails and hiking opportunities in Pennsylvania?
​That's why KTA is here! Help ensure this mission continues to be fulfilled. ​https://www.kta-hike.org/donate.html

👋 Meet Jason, a KTA supporter from Telford, PA! 

Q: What makes hiking in Pennsylvania special/meaningful to you?
A: "great connectedness of trails that lead through state forests and historical locations."

Q: What type of hiking do you typically prefer most often?
A: "backpacking; over the last two seasons, I've been section hiking the A.T. in PA"

Q: When did you start hiking?
A: "I've been hiking since I was a kid in the '80s; even though I've backpacked most of my life, I've really spent significantly more time doing it since 2019."

Q: What are you currently excited about in your hiking life?
A: "I want to complete the entirety of the A.T. in PA in both the north and south directions."

Q: Which hiking trails do you enjoy/recommend that are near where you live?
A: "Anything in Green Lane Park"

Q: Which hiking trails do you recommend (anywhere in PA)?
A: "Old Loggers Path; The West Rim Trail in the grand canyon;  A.T. section that goes through Yellow Springs, PA" 

Q: What do you value most about KTA's mission?
A: "It's great to have a way of meeting up with and accessing a group of like-minded people in order to do things that benefit the PA hiking community."

Do you care about providing, protecting, preserving, and promoting recreational hiking trails and hiking opportunities in Pennsylvania?
​That's why KTA is here! Help ensure this mission continues to be fulfilled. ​https://www.kta-hike.org/donate.html

"I think I have always been an outdoor person since growing up in a rural area in central PA. Hiking is one of my favorite outdoor activities but I also enjoy kayaking and riding bikes. 
I have worked in a lot of different jobs, stay at home mom, unit clerk in a hospital, computer programmer and help desk to name a few, while raising four children. 
Since I retired, I am in the process of section hiking the A.T., with over 1000 miles to date. I also have helped with trail care with KTA which gets me out on trails I don’t know. I have gotten to see so much more of PA and made new friends from all over PA. 
I have also been an onsite cheerleader for the Frozen Snot for several years and help the local coordinator maintain a portion of the Mid State Trail. 
I am looking forward to doing more miles on the A.T. in the future and learning how to better care for PA trails. "

​"My first exposure to KTA was the September 2010 Super Hike, now known as the Trail Challenge. On the bus ride to the starting location, I met Ed Lawrence, who told me about the trail maintenance program. I signed up for the next event in September on the Loyalsock Trail. Since then, I have attended every Trail Care event except a few code orange events. Eventually, I started to lead some of the events and later transported the tools. After a backpacking accident that prevented me from being able to do a lot of the work, I started to cook a meal for everyone on Friday nights. I have backpacked many of the major trails, some multiple times over the years.

This all came about from needing to spend a lot of vacation time in July 2010. I got to a trailhead very late in the day near Hamburg, PA, and met a hike leader coming back from a day hike I would do on my own. She asked me if I knew about KTA. I did not, and when I returned to the campground where I was staying, I looked up KTA and signed up for the Super Hike."