President's Trailhead by Wayne Gross - March 2025

Dear Member and Friend of KTA,

Spring is soon here! The maple sap flows here in the Poconos – a harbinger of a Pennsylvania spring yet to come. 

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. At a pivotal grassroots level, each of you is making a difference. Whether through trail maintenance, volunteering with local hiking clubs, adding your voice to advocacy issues affecting our trails, or leading a local hike, we thank you.

Plan your hikes for 2025 to earn one of the many hiking awards this year. 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.

Local clubs who are in need of a grant to support club trail projects, please apply for a 2025 KTA mini-grant. These funds are from the 2025 interest disbursement from our Keystone Trails Endowment fund. We want to see these funds go to help clubs make a real impact locally on our beautiful Pennsylvania Hiking Trails.

The Board and I wish to give a special shout-out to our Executive Director, Brook Lenker, who has been navigating us through the many changes that have been occurring - all for the better and our entire dedicated staff.

A full list of 2025 KTA events, activities, and trail care opportunities exists.  Please visit our website and add these events to your calendar, sign up for one or more, and bring a friend.  Better yet, support KTA by purchasing your 2025 KTA calendar at our online store and add your favorite KTA activities.

We have our upcoming KTA Spring Hiking Weekend at Raystown Lake on April 25-27. The registration is filling up fast. If you want to be part of this exciting weekend of activities, please register now. Hoping to see you there.

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

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