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."

On Friday, October 4, 14 intrepid individuals met in Ohiopyle to tackle the southern half of the stunning 70-mile Laurel Highlands Trail. The event was sponsored by Keystone Trails Association (KTA), and known as a slackpack; participants stayed in a motel at night, and were transported to and from the trail each day. KTA also sponsors international hiking trips, day hikes, backpacking journeys, trail maintenance weekends, and so much more.

Several of the participants met Friday morning to tour the world renowned Fallingwater. This is a house designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1935, built partly over a waterfall. A very informative tour guide led the group through the grounds, house, and guest house. We learned many fun and interesting facts. One fun factoid was that Wright was greatly irritated when people did not have furniture arranged in what he considered was the perfect style. When visiting people, he would often rearrange a room. It was for this reason he often built furniture into the room so that it could not be moved. 

We were welcomed to the Ohiopyle Suites Friday afternoon by KTA staff Casey Schneck and Haley Feaster, and Terry Marshall, our hike leader. (His co-leader and daughter, Shawna Burger, would be joining us later that evening.) Our initial hike was a nice short 7.5-mile warmup with a little less than 1000 ft elevation gain. Haley drove us to the trailhead in the maiden voyage of the new KTA van.  There were not many views, but the woods were beautiful, and we did circumnavigate a rather large Bullrush Pond. After our return, the entire group gathered, with Shawna joining us, for a repast at the Twisted Spoke Café.

The next morning started out with a gourmet breakfast served up by the Bittersweet Café. They also provided us with sumptuous lunches for the trail. On this second day we traversed 12.3 miles, gaining 1500 ft altitude. Whereas yesterday the group stuck together, today a faster group went ahead led by Shawna, and her father, running sweep, led a group that preferred a slower pace. The trail goes through Seven Springs Ski Resort which had some amazing views. Towards the end of the hike we passed through giant rock “walls”. A cemetery was on the trail a few feet from the trailhead. The stones were so old and weather-worn, we could not make out any dates. We were on our own for dinner that night, but a few people went to the Pumpkin Festival.

On Sunday we started with a simple, but nutritious and delicious breakfast cooked by Casey. Our hike was about 11.5 miles with 1750 ft elevation. We had an amazing view of the Youghiogheny River. Someone also pointed out some Lions Mane, a mushroom that has a long history of medicinal use in East Asia. The group took a break at one of the amazing shelter areas on the trail. These areas contain five Adirondack shelters with fireplaces in the shelter AND a fire ring outside. They have men’s and women’s pit toilets, a water pump, and plenty of chopped firewood. After lunch the group split into two again, and the faster group returned to the cars, changed into crocs, and convened at Falls City Pub and Restaurant (right at the base of the trail) for some libations. As the slower group appeared the faster group gathered in two opposing lines with hiking sticks raised to form a tunnel of victory! A fitting end to a challenging but fun-filled weekend.

David W. “Cyril” Quatrone, aka FourFeet

Dear Member,

Get out there and bring a friend on a hike!   

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. Each of you make a difference on Pennsylvania hiking trails and hikers.  

Our 40th anniversary KTA Trail Care program in 2024 marches on into fall with many more opportunities to give back to the trails you love so much. Plan to participate in one or more of the remaining trail cares - even if it’s for only one day. Check out our website for details.

We are looking for nominations for individuals and clubs for Certificates of Achievement, Volunteer of the Year, Club of the Year, and the Citation Award for lifetime achievement. Nominations for these awards are due by September 15. Surely there are great things happening by our volunteers and clubs that we wish to recognize.

Make sure you plan to submit for your hiking award or encorage others who have completed hiking trails to submit for their award. The hiking awards are also listed on our website.  

Your gift to our Keystone Trails Endowment fund this year will make a positive impact in furthering our mission. In particular, toward member Club mini grants that have been making an impact in the local clubs on various trails. Plan to make a gift now. Recognition of the gifts will be made at the Fall Annual Meeting.  

Be sure to register now for our KTA Fall Annual Meeting will be nestled among the many hikes and activities at the Keystone  Hiking & Outdoor Weekend in the Susquehanna Riverlands of Pennsylvania on October 18-20. This will be a great family event. Plan to sign up and bring a friend.  

At our fall membership meeting we will recognize individuals who have completed hiking awards throughout the year so please be sure to submit your applications which are available on our website. We will recognize those who have attended our Trail Cares throughout the year. There will be recognitions for our Keystone Trail Endowment donors, Certificates of Achievement, Volunteer of the Year, Club of the Year, and the KTA Citation Award for Lifetime Achievement recipient. 

On behalf of the Board and the membership I want to thank our Executive Director, Brook, and all our staff for the wonderful job they are doing to further our mission. 

For the trails and those who wander on them! See you on the Trail!

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

KTA's Nominations Committee has nominated Ezra Thrush, Pradip Bhatnagar, and Kathy Borrell for KTA's board. Voting will take place at the fall board meeting during the Keystone Hiking and Outdoors Weekend in the Susquehanna Riverlands, PA. Get to know Ezra, Pradip and Kathy below!

Pradip Bhatnagar

"I was born in India in a small town. After finishing my M.Sc. in Organic Chemistry, I came to the US and obtained my MS and a Ph.D. in Medicinal Chemistry from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Did postdoctoral research at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, and became an Associate Research Professor at the  University of California San Francisco. Joined Beckman Instrument for couple of years. This company merged with SmithKline Beckman (which is now GSK). The company moved me to the Philadelphia area. After a career of two and a half decades,  that included six months of living in Oslo Norway and Linz, Austria, I moved back to India to head research for Ranbaxy and Daiichi Sankyo- India. Retired after 8 years and returned back to my home in Exton, PA. Since my return, I have been trying to get a small biotech company (focused on brain tumors) off the ground. 

I did not have much opportunity to enjoy outdoor activity during my professional life. However, in 2018 I joined Chester County Trail Club and currently serve on the Board of Chester County Trail club as a liaison for KTA. Now I am hooked on hiking and backpacking and trail maintenance. Beside hiking on local trails in south-eastern Pennsylvania, managed to do about 400 miles of A.T., 36 miles of End-to-End Brandywine trail, 26 miles of Blue Marsh Trail, Allegheny Front Trail and Bucktail Path, Loyalsock Trail, Old Loggers Path and trails in Allegheny National Forest.  I have assisted in maintaining and fixing Brandywine Trail, Horse-Shoe Trail, Mid-County Trail, Struble Trail and Marsh Creek State Park trails. 

I have been living in Exton, PA, for the last 36 years.  I am lucky to have a wonderful personal life with my wife Pat and two daughters (grown up now) Priti and Pooja. I am proud to say that my older daughter Priti had been  a test pilot for the US Navy for twelve years and currently flies for National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and my younger daughter is a dedicated Occupational Therapist helping senior citizens and special-need children in overcoming complexities in their lives." 


Ezra P. Thrush

Ezra P. Thrush, MPA, serves as Senior Advisor for PennFuture. In this role, using 15 years' experience, he advocates for strong environmental, energy, conservation, and agriculture policy. Specifically, Ezra leads federal work including the Farm Bill and appropriations, and regulatory, solar, electric vehicles, democracy, and conservation funding issues, among others, in Pennsylvania. He has served in nonprofit and private government affairs, legislative and executive branch, fundraising and donor development, board director, and political campaign roles and holds close relationships with policymakers and key stakeholders from both major parties in both Harrisburg & Washington.

Before returning to PennFuture, Ezra served as the Shapiro Administration’s first Policy Director at the PA Department of Environmental Protection. There, he worked closely with the Office of Governor Josh Shapiro and the DEP executive staff to advance a host of issues including environmental justice, permitting, clean and renewable energy, watersheds and drinking water, mining, the oil & gas program, air quality, PFAS, climate, and infrastructure.

Previously, Ezra served as PennFuture’s Vice President of Government Affairs, among several other roles in campaigns, outreach, and advocacy. In 2022, Thrush was instrumental in securing a historic $900 million increase in funding for clean water and energy efficiency investments, benefiting Pennsylvanians across the Commonwealth. Because of this, Ezra was appointed to the Shapiro-Davis Transition Team and its Energy & Environment Committee where he advised campaign and administration officials. Ezra was named to City and State PA’s 2023 Pennsylvania Government Relations Power 100 List, denoting the most influential lobbyists in the Commonwealth.

Ezra has a widely respected expertise on Pennsylvania's environmental policy, climate, energy, agriculture, and conservation issues. His extensive policy knowledge and understanding of on-the-ground issues have effectively advanced environmental progress across the state, all while forming close working relationships with legislators, executive branch officials, policymakers, and stakeholders of both major parties as well as federal and municipal officials. 

Ezra is particularly proud of his background presenting testimony to Congress multiple times, drafting and advancing the REVIVE the CCC Act with Senator Bob Casey, securing clean energy and conservation investments in the Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act, the Inflation Reduction Act, and two iterations of the federal Farm Bill. At the state level, Ezra helped pass legislation to establish the Commonwealth’s new Clean Streams Fund, historic increases for the Growing Greener program, alongside numerous clean energy and climate policies and racked up several decisive defensive wins.
Thrush holds a Master's degree in Public Administration from Shippensburg University, concentrating in public policy and nonprofit management. Ezra continues to regularly lecture at local and regional colleges and universities on these issues. He is an avid outdoorsman and active volunteer with the Boy Scouts of America, National Outdoor Leadership School, and the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics. And for fun, Ezra enjoys fly-fishing, golfing, Orioles baseball, live music & theatre, hiking, camping, and spending time with his rescue dog, nephews, and family.

Kathy Borrell:

"I've lived in Chester County, PA, all my life. Growing up, we were always outside playing. This helped steer me towards getting a degree in Health & Physical Education and working in the field of education.

About 19 years ago, feeling a need to be outdoors more, I joined the Chester County Trail Club. I'm presently their Club President along with being the Wednesday Hike Coordinator. I lead hikes, do trail maintenance, and participate in their Adopt-A-Highway program. I've been the club trail master (most miles hiked in a year), 12 times, and in June 2022, I achieved a club milestone of 25,000 miles. Aside from KTA, I hold memberships in the AMC, ATC, GMC, the Boy Scouts of America (as a scouter and merit badge counselor), and my church.

Hiking has taken me on numerous adventures, here and abroad. Overseas trips have included Ireland, Iceland, Scotland, New Zealand, Austria, and Patagonia; but the highlight was going to and summiting Mt. Kilimanjaro. I've been to many of the U.S. National Parks (Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, Olympic, Rainer, Yosemite, and others) but my favorite trails have always been the ones in PA.

I've earned 5 of the KTA Hiking Awards and presently working towards finishing the State Forest Trails Award. I've completed the A.T., Long Trail, Susquehannock Trail System, Mid State Trail, and numerous other PA trails. Several years ago, I started coming to KTA weekends, and instantly felt welcomed into the fold of like-minded hiking individuals."

👋 Meet Edward, a KTA supporter from Mount Holly Springs!

Q: What makes hiking in Pennsylvania special/meaningful to you?
A: "The Appalachian Trail runs through the town I live in. Both the South and North Mountain and the valley in between have provided many memorable moments. "

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

Q: When did you start hiking?
A: "I've been hiking since I was a little kid in one form or another. Probably the early 1980s"

Q: What are you currently excited about in your hiking life?
A: "I'm looking forward to completing the Appalachian Trail up to the Susquehanna River."

Q: Which hiking trails do you enjoy/recommend that are near where you live?
A: "There is a trail that does not have a sign but it appears on maps. It's called the Blueberry Trail. I always see wildlife there including a porcupine once coming down a tree."

Q: Which hiking trails do you recommend (anywhere in PA)?
A: "Appalachian Trail, Darlington Trail and the Blueberry Trail." 

Q: What do you value most about KTA's mission?
A: "Protecting and preserving​"

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