President's Trailhead, November 2024

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