In May 2023, KTA hosted a trail care event to maintain the West Rim Trail. Located in the PA Wilds region, the WRT is a ~30-mile hiking trail on the western rim of the PA Grand Canyon. It is one of the 18 state forest-designated hiking trails and is blazed orange. Parts of the WRT pass through mixed Allegheny hardwoods, featuring white ash, cherry, and hemlock. In other areas, the trail winds along ridges of oak forest with abundant mountain laurel, and it also passes through boggy meadows near beaver dams.

Tom Oliver, DCNR Recreation Forester in Tioga State Forest, shares this month's exclusive trail story about the West Rim Trail: 

"I have worked pretty closely with KTA over the years here in Tioga. 

There were volunteers here this year in May working on the West Rim Trail and back in May of 2021.

In May of 2021, the volunteers worked on clearing downed trees, blazing and brush cutting mountain laurel that was crowding the trail.

May of this year was about the same minus downed trees.  I had cleared all the downed trees before their arrival. So, the crews mainly worked on brush clearing/trimming sections where the trail was getting tight.  The blazing was also finished this year!

Their work and time are incredibly valuable and appreciated.  I am the only person employed here who takes care of trails, so there is no possible way I can take care of everything myself.  Their help on West Rim Trail has improved the trail and hiking experience for all users."

Join us for trail care!
Find a trail maintenance event in your region, or travel across the state to explore a new place! View our trail maintenance schedule here.

Meet Rita and Steve! They live in Armstrong County, which is close to so many PA hiking gems! Rita and Steve are KTA members and Representatives at Large. Let's get to know them!

Q: Which hiking trails do you recommend near you?
A: "We recommend Baker Trail, North Country Trail, Clear Creek & Cook Forest State Parks, Moraine & McConnells Mills State Park."

Q: What makes hiking in Pennsylvania special/meaningful to you?
A: "Being outdoors in nature!"

Q: What type of hiking do you typically prefer most often?
A: "Daily short hikes, weekly day hikes, and a few multi-day organized hikes each year."

Q: When did you start hiking?
A:" We have been hiking together for over 20 years, but a friend recommended KTA for slack packing weekends about 3 years ago and we really enjoyed it."

​Q: What are you currently excited about in your hiking life?
A: "Organizing a trail care weekend with KTA, attending more trail care events this year and completing the NCT 100-Mile Trail Challenge."

Q: What do you value most about KTA's mission?
A: "Trail care and organized group hikes!"

Q: Are you part of any other clubs?
A: Butler Outdoor Club, Outdoor Discovery Center at Crooked Creek Lake, K-9 Walkers at Crooked Creek Lake, and NCT Butler and Clarion Chapters.

Thank you, Steve and Rita, for everything you do for PA's hikers and trails!

Curious about the group hiking events that Steve and Rita enjoy so much? Sign up for the KTA newsletter to stay in the loop with upcoming weekend adventures, slackpacking trips, trail care days, and more! https://bit.ly/ktanews

Say hello to Elizabeth, a fellow Pennsylvania hiker!

Q: What are your favorite things about hiking?
A: I love being out in nature and spending time with friends, all while getting a good workout in!

Q: What are some of your favorite hiking trails in PA, and what makes them your favorite?
A: Gallitzin State Forest has some of my favorite trails! The County Line Loop trail is probably my favorite because the vistas are incredible!

Q: What is your favorite / most memorable hiking experience?
A: My most memorable experience was my first time out on the County Line Loop trail in Gallitzin. My friend and I ran right into a black bear sow and her cub. It was terrifying, but eye-opening. My favorite hiking experience was just recently when my friend and I decided to hike in the fog and rain. It was beautiful, but so cold, and we were drenched!

Q: Do you have any advice for new hikers?
A: It doesn’t matter how long it takes you to get to where you’re going. I’m still working on getting my stamina up and it’s definitely a struggle when you’re first getting into it, but don’t give up!!

Q: Do you have a favorite nature/ hiking quote that you can share with us (either your own or someone else’s)?
A: “The very basic core of a man's living spirit is his passion for adventure. The joy of life comes from our encounters with new experiences, and hence there is no greater joy than to have an endlessly changing horizon, for each day to have a new and different sun.” - Chris McCandless
Elizabeth completed KTA's 100 Mile Trail Challenge last year, "I decided to take the 100 Mile Trail Challenge to challenge myself and to give me the motivation to tack on more miles!"

​You can sign up to complete the challenge this year at https://www.kta-hike.org/100milechallenge.html

Meet Cyril, a fellow PA hiker and KTA Representative at Large!

Q: When did you start hiking?
A: "I hiked as a boy scout (I was an Eagle) but didn't hike much as an adult. I eventually weighed 540 pounds and hiking was not that feasible. About 10 years ago a former student took me to Ricketts Glenn. I loved it, and I went back there 4 or 5 times a year (it was almost a 2-hour drive for me). I didn't know of any other hiking trails, and wished there were trails near me. During Covid, I found out about Trexler Game Preserve and hiked every mile of that park several times. Again loving it, but wishing there were more trails to hike. I finally saw and purchased a book of 50 hikes in the Philadelphia Area (from South Jersey to the Lancaster Area) and started doing them. I recently finished my 48th hike from that book!"

Q: What are you currently excited about in your hiking life?
A: "I have been doing some trail maintenance, and hope to become more qualified to do certain things in that region. I am also trying to hike every mile of every trail on the KTA map (as well as the entire AT)."

Q: What makes hiking in Pennsylvania special/meaningful to you?
A: "Well first and foremost it is where I fell in love with hiking, and it has the AT. It is a strange thing, but when I drive down I 78 or I 81 and I look at the ridge, I have this feeling of wow, that's my true home.
Also, meeting hikers, both those chance meetings you have on the trail, or while doing trail magic, and the relationships you develop with a hiker partner. I just started doing the Mason Dixon with Wanda Shirk, and we spent our first three days laughing, talking, arguing (friendly), and just enjoying each other. We got into personal stuff that usually you wouldn't talk about with someone you had just recently met. Hikers are great."

​Last year Cyril received multiple KTA hiking awards! Find out which awards you can earn here: kta-hike.org/hiking-awards.html

Without regular trail maintenance, wonder-full moments like the following from Logan Goddard, a DCNR Service Forester, Delaware District, would not be possible. Thanks to KTA's Trail Care Program, the Thunder Swamp Trail System remains an oasis for wildlife and hikers!

In August 2023, KTA's Trail Care Program focused on clearing heavy blowdowns and brushing/lopping the trail in the Pennel Run and Stillwater Natural Areas, as well as rehabbing a couple of side trails.

Below, Goddard recalls a curious encounter with a community of eastern newts along the Thunder Swamp Trail:

"I had the pleasure of exploring a couple miles of the Thunder Swamp trail system in late September. It is on the surface a quiet trail which immediately endears the visitor with both it’s gentle rolling landscape and quiet atmosphere. This welcome break from the world is both tranquil and fascinating, as it hosts a rich level of biodiversity just waiting to be discovered.

Many are aware of the eastern newt (Notophthalmus viridescens), a curious orange salamander that is often easily found in areas with high water quality. It wasn’t until my time in Thunder Swamp that it occurred to me just how funny these creatures really are.

Despite their bright orange coloration and size, the eastern newt often tries to hide from potential threats. Usually, they pull off this instinctive survival mechanism with the skill and mastery of a child who hasn’t quite figured out where the human goes when playing peek-a-boo. After seeing this particular newt, I assumed that this was simply a case of catching him at an awkward moment and assumed that there were surely dozens if not hundreds that were more capable. So I began to pay attention, and – like many times in the forest – I was generously rewarded for my interest. It seemed every time I stopped, I could find 5-6 newts within 10 feet of me, often, in the same curious state of half-visibility.

Within 40 minutes of actively searching for this comedy of survival, I hit the jackpot. In the middle of the trail a five-inch mushroom was in its prime, and yet, a small fleck of orange drew my curiosity. I – in the nosy need-to-know that few can match – looked under the mushroom. I was rewarded with a dozen eyes staring back at me, a mass of bodies quickly untangled, and a foot race was on as SIX newts fled from the giant who had just disturbed their quiet rest.

On its surface, this is a cute story about an accidental discovery leading to seeing something a little unusual. But it is more than that, every outdoorsman has at some point begun paying attention to something new – game trails, bird calls, arrowheads, mushrooms, geology – and almost immediately, everyone has been rewarded with something they wouldn’t have seen had they not been focused on finding out more. This is the nature of our forests, a beautiful complex ecosystem which loves to hide its secrets and tease visitors with the promise of more, if only they’re willing to look for it."

Celebrate 40 years with us! Join the movement to protect PA's hiking trails. 
It wouldn't be surprising if you have stories of your own just like this one. It's our mission to protect and preserve PA's hiking trails so moments like these can continue for generations to come!

​Is that your hope too?

If so, we encourage and invite you, as we celebrate 40 years of maintaining PA's hiking trails, to join us for a special trail care event this year!

On Sunday December 3, 2023, KTA had the opportunity to show our appreciation (and that of hikers statewide) at the 1st Annual Trail Care Volunteer Celebration! We started with some pizza and other goodies while socializing and viewing photos from this year's work. Then, Manager of Trail Maintenance and Training, Jenn Ulmer, presented a slideshow with some stats and accomplishments and preliminary plans for next year.