Keystone Trails Association
  • About
    • News >
      • Newfoundland 2024 Trip Report
      • Newsletter Archive
      • Meet PA Hikers
      • Trail Care Stories
    • Contact
    • About KTA
    • Work For KTA
    • Strategic Plan
    • Volunteer with KTA
    • Our People
    • Our Story
    • Diversity & Inclusion
    • Press
    • Multimedia
  • GET INVOLVED
    • Advocacy >
      • Kids Trail Ambassador Program
    • Donate >
      • Monthly Giving: Keep Trails Alive
      • Planned Giving: The Heritage Society
      • Giving for the Future: Endowment Fund
      • Hike to Give: 100-Mile Trail Challenge
    • Membership
    • Events >
      • KTA Philadelphia Group Hike
      • KTA Leave No Trace Level One Training
      • Wales 2025
      • Keystone Hiking & Outdoor Weekend 2025 >
        • KHOW 2025 Program Lineup
      • 2026 St. John Trail Care >
        • 2026 St. John Lottery Interest Form
      • Backpacking for Beginners 2025
  • GET OUTDOORS
    • KTA Gear Loaner Program
    • Trails
    • Pennsylvania Hiking Trail Trailers
    • Maps
  • Trail Care Program
    • FAQs Trail Care
    • Report a Trail Issue
    • 2025 Weekday Trail Cares
    • #10 WRT
    • #11 CKT CO
    • #12 Pinchot
    • #13 BTP
    • #14 CKT CO
    • #15 GET
    • #16 CKT weekend
    • #17 2025 Trail Love ANF
    • #18 GPSP/MDTS
    • #19 CKT weekend
    • #20 A.T. section
    • Trail Love Events
    • KTA’s A.T. Section
  • Hiking Awards
  • Store
  • CLUBS
    • Hiking Clubs
    • KTA Grants-to-Clubs
    • Report Club Hours
Trail News

Black Forest Trail Slackpack Reflection

5/31/2017

1 Comment

 
by Wanda Shirk, KTA Board Member
Picture
L to R: Cathy and Dave Fauerbach, Deb Follin, Mark Crames, Sarah Patterson, Ben Cramer, Nicole Desaulniers.
Seven hikers completed the Black Forest Trail from May 19-22 on a KTA-sponsored slackpack of the 42-mile loop. The group camped in three cottages at Little Pine State Park and were guided by veteran hiker, guidebook author, and KTA council-member Ben Cramer, who had completed the BFT four times previously in his 4000+miles of hiking on Pennsylvania trails. Hikers gathered on Friday for a 6-mile, afternoon "warm-up" hike from Manor Fork Road to the Slate Run bridge. They then hiked approximately 12 mile distances on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, completing segments from Slate Run to Rt. 44, then 44 to Trout Run Road, and finally Trout Run Road back to Manor Fork Road.  
   
Trail shuttles each morning and afternoon were provided by KTA board member Wanda Shirk, who also cooked for the group at the park. Hiker-suppers included chicken breasts, pork chops, and taco salad, as well as accompanying veggies and desserts. Breakfast sandwiches and coffee got the gang off to a start each morning, and hikers packed hearty lunches, emptying the crunchy peanut butter jar and choosing as well from lunch meats, fruits, and trail bars.
     
Hikers came from three states-- Pennsylvania, New York, and Delaware.  At least half the group started with some trepidation and uncertainty about whether they were really up for the challenge of the BFT's notoriously steep ascents and descents.  Nicole, who notes that the flatness of her home state of Delaware offers no opportunity for her to train for handling hills, was particularly exultant to experience total success on the trail. In her words, "What an amazing adventure we had on the BFT! Thanks to all of you I am able to tell a tale including the completion of this trail that I was not sure possible of myself just one week ago."
     
The Black Forest Trail is known for its vistas, which include some of the best among all Pennsylvania trails. The slackpack opportunity, which is limited to six because of van capacity, filled quickly after it was announced in February. Last year's KTA spring slackpack was on the Allegheny Front Trail; next year's is projected for the Thunder Swamp Trail. In the meantime, a slackpack on the southern half of the 84-mile Susquehannock Trail System (STS) will run in July in conjunction with KTA's Prowl the Sproul. It's a great opportunity to check out places like the Hammersley Wild and the famous pool on Hammersley Run, and registration is open now.
1 Comment
Dianne McCormick
6/2/2017 09:28:58 pm

Wanda, Had hoped to meet you on the BlackForest Sat. I was out doing a backpack with my girlfriends and we were headed down to Slate Run when the KTA group went past. I asked for you but they said you weren't feeling good and had just been picked up at the road. We missed you by like 5 min. You saw our note and ribbon for our Wanda and left your card. We had two more members meeting us there to camp and hike on Sunday. Finished all my State Forest Trails now so hope to see you in Oct. at Weikert.
Dianne

Reply

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Name:
    Email:
    Confirm that you are not a bot.
    ×

    Categories

    All
    Hiking Opportunities
    Hiking Tips
    Interviews
    News
    Press Release
    Trail Care
    Trail Stories

    Archives

    June 2025
    April 2025
    March 2025
    January 2025
    December 2024
    November 2024
    October 2024
    September 2024
    August 2024
    July 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    September 2022
    July 2022
    October 2021
    March 2020
    February 2020
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    August 2016
    June 2016

    RSS Feed

    Trail News Archive

    Keystone Trails Association

    Submissions welcome!
    KTA Editorial Guidelines
    Comments Policy

Sign up for our newsletter:

Name:
Email:
Confirm that you are not a bot.
×

Learn

Hike With Us
Find a Trail
Take a Class

Contact

Contact KTA
Our Team
​Manage Your Account

Get Involved

Volunteer with Trail Care
Become a Member
Get our Newsletter
Picture
© COPYRIGHT 2023. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
  • About
    • News >
      • Newfoundland 2024 Trip Report
      • Newsletter Archive
      • Meet PA Hikers
      • Trail Care Stories
    • Contact
    • About KTA
    • Work For KTA
    • Strategic Plan
    • Volunteer with KTA
    • Our People
    • Our Story
    • Diversity & Inclusion
    • Press
    • Multimedia
  • GET INVOLVED
    • Advocacy >
      • Kids Trail Ambassador Program
    • Donate >
      • Monthly Giving: Keep Trails Alive
      • Planned Giving: The Heritage Society
      • Giving for the Future: Endowment Fund
      • Hike to Give: 100-Mile Trail Challenge
    • Membership
    • Events >
      • KTA Philadelphia Group Hike
      • KTA Leave No Trace Level One Training
      • Wales 2025
      • Keystone Hiking & Outdoor Weekend 2025 >
        • KHOW 2025 Program Lineup
      • 2026 St. John Trail Care >
        • 2026 St. John Lottery Interest Form
      • Backpacking for Beginners 2025
  • GET OUTDOORS
    • KTA Gear Loaner Program
    • Trails
    • Pennsylvania Hiking Trail Trailers
    • Maps
  • Trail Care Program
    • FAQs Trail Care
    • Report a Trail Issue
    • 2025 Weekday Trail Cares
    • #10 WRT
    • #11 CKT CO
    • #12 Pinchot
    • #13 BTP
    • #14 CKT CO
    • #15 GET
    • #16 CKT weekend
    • #17 2025 Trail Love ANF
    • #18 GPSP/MDTS
    • #19 CKT weekend
    • #20 A.T. section
    • Trail Love Events
    • KTA’s A.T. Section
  • Hiking Awards
  • Store
  • CLUBS
    • Hiking Clubs
    • KTA Grants-to-Clubs
    • Report Club Hours