👋 Meet Roxanna, a KTA volunteer from York County, PA! Q: What makes hiking in Pennsylvania special/meaningful to you? A: "I grew up along the Susquehanna river and these trail have been a part of me all my life." Q: What type of hiking do you typically prefer most often? A: "All the above! A few hours, full day, multi-day, backpacking. I have done KTA Trail Challenge all but one year. I am always in the Mason Dixon. It may be trail work, all day hiking / night running." Q: When did you start hiking? A: "All my life I have been on these trails. But only started trail running/ hiking them about 30 years ago Conestoga trail was my first race and thus began my enjoyment of the trails in PA." Q: What are you currently excited about in your hiking life? A: "Currently getting ready to do a Buck Ridge Burn 1/2 in Pine Grove Furnace next, Brandy Wine Home across Delaware." Q: Which hiking trails do you enjoy/recommend that are near where you live? A: "Mason Dixon for sure!!" Q: Which hiking trails do you recommend (anywhere in PA)? A: "Conestoga trail, trails all around Lock Haven, and the Horse-Shoe Trail." Want to hike the trails Roxanna suggested? Get guides, maps, and patches from KTA's store! Q: What makes hiking in Pennsylvania special/meaningful to you?
A: "Pennsylvania is a beautiful state to be in, I love seeing green as far as the eye can see." Q: What type of hiking do you typically prefer most often? A: "Day hiking 10-12 miles is my sweet spot." Q: When did you start hiking? A: "About 30 years or so, since I married my outdoorsy husband." Q: What are you currently excited about in your hiking life? A: "I have the best hiking partners; every hiking trip is a great adventure. I am working on becoming a hike leader with the PATC to help with their women's hiking summits to facilitate women getting in the outdoors. I have taught Hiking 101 at the summits, I've had my photos featured in Appalachian Trail Social Media Posts, and currently I have two photos in the Pennsylvania Appalachian Trail guidebook." Q: Which hiking trails do you enjoy/recommend that are near where you live? A: "My current favorite is the Mason Dixon in Hellam Hills." Q: Which hiking trails do you recommend (anywhere in PA)? A: "The AT is my first love, but really any PA Trail is special, we have so many to pick from." Q: What do you value most about KTA's mission? A: "Promoting Hiking Trails to all Pennsylvanians!!!" Love the Appalachian Trail in PA like Michele? Get KTA's guide here! 👋 Meet Brendan, a KTA member and supporter from Butler County, PA! Q: What makes hiking in Pennsylvania special/meaningful to you? A: "I have been lucky enough to make some of my most precious memories on trails here in PA. I remember the pride for my state which I felt the first time taking some of my college friends to the cathedral at Cook Forest, some had never been in the woods let alone an old growth forest. I still find the lessons I learned about nature, and how to be a steward, are held dearly. Over the last two years I have been on a bit of a weight loss journey. A large portion of my success is directly attributed to my access to trails. I don’t believe it would be where I am without hiking and the volunteer groups that maintain these trails. Anytime I can share this resource and pastime with people, I’m happy." Q: What type of hiking do you typically prefer most often? A: "I think dawn hikes are best. I really enjoy seeing the world come alive. As a fisherman and birder, those times are also most productive and rewording." Q: When did you start hiking? A: "In seriousness, 2 years. Though I've "hiked" for years while fishing particularly." Q: What are you currently excited about in your hiking life? A: "Personally, I want to do a full 10 miles somewhere this year. I have been working my way up, know that might be short for some seasoned hikers, to something like that. I think it's both important to know your limits but also have stretch goals to work towards. I also had a lot of fun helping friends of mine get outdoors to hike. I would like to find ways to advocate and share this pursuit with others." Q: Which hiking trails do you enjoy/recommend that are near where you live? A: "I am a big fan of the state park system here in PA. Locally, I think Moraine and especially Jennings Environmental Education Center and McConnells Mill are prime examples of hiking for all seasons and skill levels." Q: Which hiking trails do you recommend (anywhere in PA)? A: "When recommending trails it is important to match the trail with what folks are both looking for and prepared for. For beginners or people looking to mainly just get outdoors and see wildlife, I think the North Country Trail unit is the best place to start. For longer, more intense hikes, The Minister Creek Hiking Trail or the Quehanna Wild Area is often overlooked and a serious gem." Q: What do you value most about KTA's mission? A: "Access for everyone, period. That means everything from novices, to experts. People of all abilities and inclinations. We need to have trails people can get to, use, feel safe on, and enjoy what this state has to offer." Inspired by Brendan's story? We are, too! KTA is here for hikers like Brenden and you, who come together to make Pennsylvania's hiking community. We're honored to serve the Keystone state in an effort to promote and preserve its hiking trails. Connect with us by finding an event near you. When you have 60+ miles of hiking trails to tend to, maintenance requires collaboration and effort between multiple groups and organizations!
"There is so much to do in and around Oil Creek State Park," shares Jenn Ulmer, KTA Manager of Trail Maintenance and Training, "As you might imagine, historical displays and information on the oil boom abound – the Oil Creek Valley is the site of the world’s first commercial oil well. There’s the Drake Oil Well Museum near Titusville and the 36-mile Gerard Hiking Trail loop which encircles/travels the length of the park on both sides of Oil Creek!" This year, KTA will be heading to Oil Creek State Park with excited volunteers to join David Hallman, Park Manager at Oil Creek State Park, for a trail maintenance event! You can join us June 20-23, 2024! The park has a long historic tradition of trail maintenance, much like KTA (we're in our 40th year!). David shared with us about a long-time special group of volunteers: "Oil Creek is home to over 60 miles of trails. Thirty-six of those miles make up the Gerard Trail which loops around the entire park. The Gerard Trail is popular for several reason. One being our Adirondack backpacking shelters that hikers can reserve and spend the night. The other reason people enjoy this trail is for its sheer beauty and history. As you hike through the park you will have the pleasure of seeing remnants from the historic oil days, but you will also see how Mother Nature can heal herself and return to her former beauty. Maintaining such a trail system is a never-ending job and this is where our volunteer group the Over the Hill Gang comes in. For the past several decades the OTHG has done most of the work on this trail. They are a group made up of mostly “retired” gentlemen that meet every Wednesday to maintain this trail. They split up into groups and take a different section of trail to maintain. Work includes but is not limited to cutting fallen trees off the trail, fixing, building, and maintaining bridges, correcting drainage issues, blazing trail, and splitting firewood for our shelters. These are truly some of the best maintained trails in the State and it is all due to their efforts.This group of dedicated volunteers completes a tremendous amount of work for the park. Their selfless efforts free up our staff to complete other projects throughout the park. Without their help there would be no way we could keep up with the maintenance demands of these trails." Come to Oil Creek State park with us! You can join us June 20-23, 2024! Read more Trail Care Stories In 2023, KTA hosted a trail care event at Lancaster Conservancy's Wizard Ranch. At the time, their staff was working on clearing and creating the preserve's 247 acres. Travis Lyle, Regional Preserves Manager at Lancaster Conservancy was one of our point people during this project. Here's an update from him on Wizard Ranch's progress! "Wizard Ranch has really progressed this year. We had our first prescribed burn which was successful and we are seeing almost too much regeneration in the area at this point. That is not really that bad of a problem compared to others like invasive control! I believe we are close to 2,000 native trees, shrubs, and grasses replanted in the restoration areas so far! The steam and wetland restoration plans are also moving forward which will be exciting to see. The trails that you and the rest of the KTA crew helped us open are small parts of the larger trail network that we are installing. To get the preserve opened to the public we used parts that were close together to make two small (approx 1 mile each) loop trails starting from the parking area. This winter and spring we will be working on getting the main portions of the outer perimeter loop trail completed. There are plans for a Trails Fest event to be held there in September 2024. The Boy Scouts just had their once every four years event at the end of September with about 3,000 scouts, families and staff. It seemed like it went really well and it is a great opportunity for all of us to team up. The scouts helped do some planting and learned a lot from our community engagement staff. It is great seeing younger generations taking interest in nature and learning how they can contribute to the preservation and restoration efforts. There have been many volunteer workday events doing some trail brushing and lots of invasive removals. That work will continue into next year and beyond but it is already making a noticeable difference." Help us keep PA's trails safe and beautiful! Join us at a trail care event. Read more Trail Care Impact Stories Coming soon: a brand-new, first-of-its-kind hiking guide to the PA Wilds! Plus, you can submit your favorite trails to be considered for the book! We could not be more honored and excited to be working with PA Wilds on this project! As the press release states, "Lace up your hiking boots! The PA Wilds Center for Entrepreneurship has partnered with the Keystone Trails Association (KTA) to develop and publish a Pennsylvania Wilds-branded hiking guidebook for the Pennsylvania Wilds region." Brook Lenker, KTA Executive Director, had this to say about the project under development: “KTA members have always valued the PA Wilds region because it is packed with some of Pennsylvania’s most beautiful hiking trails. The mention of names like the Black Forest, Susquehannock, and Quehanna – just a few of the signature footpaths in the PA Wilds – evoke excitement and anticipation for so many hiking enthusiasts. For decades, our volunteer-driven Trail Care Program, now in its 40th year, has helped to maintain these and other area trails and we will soon be hiring a Regional Trail Care Rep in the PA Wilds. Needless to say, we’re honored and excited to be part of this project and promote these hiking gems!” Read the full press release here: https://www.pawildscenter.org/blog/pa-wilds-center-keystone-trails-association-hiking-book-feedback/ Are you looking for something new this year to get you outside? Volunteering to maintain beloved Pennsylvania hiking trails could be the key to your 2024! I recently discovered my passion for hiking and the outdoors as an adult and through that, my passion for volunteering for outdoorsy organizations. I love Pennsylvania and want to preserve the amazing nature in our state for all generations to come. However, there’s not just altruistic motivations for my volunteerism. Volunteering is good for me too! Below is my list of benefits I’ve discovered when volunteering for outdoor organizations in Pennsylvania! Meet new friends (who are guaranteed to be outdoorsy)! Meeting new people is HARD as an adult. As someone who’s uprooted their life three times in my late 20’s/early 30’s, I can promise you that. One of the best ways to suss someone out as a new potential bestie is to attend a structured activity - like volunteering! You have a task to discuss and work through together - it breaks much of the awkwardness new interactions can have. Also, I’ve never met someone who came to a trail work day who wasn’t interested in an outdoorsy hobby (and often more than one!). I’ve met some amazing friends through attending just one outdoor volunteer event! That sense of accomplishment - If you’re the type of person (like me) whose job is sending endless emails and staring at spreadsheets, sometimes it’s hard to see tangible progress or action from the work you do. Trail work is NOT like that. At the end of a day of trail work, you’ll be able to see progress and change from when you started. That is a sense of accomplishment that is unmatched in modern society. Get outside - Sometimes it’s just hard to get outside regularly. Our life commitments and small and large screens are constantly calling us back to the safety and comfort of our couch. By committing to a volunteer day, you’ll be held accountable for getting outside. Because your couch just is WAY more comfortable when crashing on it is a reward for hard work! Find your passion - I’m a huge proponent of “you don’t know you don’t like it until you try”. In my own outdoor journey, I NEVER would have thought I would like sleeping outside and not showering for multiple days in a row. Even though I love hiking, I didn’t try backpacking for the longest time because I thought I would hate it. But I love backpacking now and I wasted all that time not trying it because of my limiting mindset. Give trail work a try, it could be your new favorite hobby. Help future generations enjoy the outdoors - Most of the trails in our state are not maintained by paid employees, but rather regular people who give up their free time to improve and maintain the trail. Without regular citizens giving up their time, many of these trails would quickly become unusable. If you love being outside, I feel like there is a moral and social obligation to keep those outside spaces amazing for all users - current and future! There are tons of outdoor organizations to volunteer with in Pennsylvania so there is no shortage of opportunities! However, the Keystone Trails Association’s Trail Care Program is celebrating its 40th Anniversary this year, making it the perfect time to get involved! Because KTA is a statewide organization, its Trail Care Program hosts events all over Pennsylvania. This makes it pretty easy to find an event close to you, or use a trail care event as an opportunity to explore a new trail!
Here are just a few reasons KTA’s Trail Care Program is special:
To find and sign up for a volunteer event near you, check out KTA’s 2024 Trail Care Program Schedule at www.kta-hike.org/trail-care-program. Happy hiking! Author Bio: Tory is a Western Pennsylvania local who discovered hiking as an adult and hiked over 400 miles in Pennsylvania in 2023. She loves backpacking, adventuring with her dog, and maintains that food tastes better on trail. Tory shares her adventures exploring our beautiful state on socials at @torytalkstrails and her blog at www.mytrailsaremany.com. The following testimony was offered by KTA's executive director at the January 27, 2024 meeting of the Pennsylvania Game Commission. The testimony refers to a plan by the agency to reintroduce the American Marten. A Commission biologist, Tom Keller, delivered a program about this initiative at KTA's Spring Hiking Weekend in Wellsboro in April 2023.
Note: The PA Game Commission tabled the reintroduction plan. (1/29/24) 👋 Meet Trish, a KTA member and supporter from south central PA! Q: What makes hiking in Pennsylvania special/meaningful to you? A: "Year-round hiking is such a special experience. I love that we get to see the beauty of the outdoors in every season, and that each hike has a unique natural landscape - whether it’s the large boulders lining the Appalachian mountains, the many streams, ponds, lakes, and rivers, and the amazing wildlife - PA has an incredible wealth of ecodiversity all year long, and it’s incredible to observe and be a part of." Q: What type of hiking do you typically prefer most often? A: "I enjoy full day hikes, spending time outside most of the day and really taking in all the nature I can, right outside my front door. Within 30 minutes I can get to dozens of trails, including the AT!" Q: When did you start hiking? A: "I’ve been a hiker all my life, growing up outside Mt Holly Springs, I was surrounded by woods and nature. I wouldn’t have it any other way." Q: What are you currently excited about in your hiking life? A: "While I have MANY trails on my list, I’m looking forward to potentially hiking the Rachel Carson trail! I’ve done the KTA challenge 2 years in a row so this would be an amazing new challenge to add to my hiking adventures." Q: Which hiking trails do you enjoy/recommend that are near where you live? A: "The Cumberland Valley Overlook is a great out-and-back trail that’s super close, I also really love the Pole Steeple trail in Michaux State Forest, which is a childhood favorite and one I never get bored of. It’s my go-to when I want to think, enjoy, or just take visitors who want to see some gorgeous vistas and boulder some rocks at the top!" Q: Which hiking trails do you recommend (anywhere in PA)? A: "I love everything around Ricketts Glen State Park, it’s an impossible task to find a bad hike or trail - everything is gorgeous there!" Q: What do you value most about KTA's mission? A: "I love the fact that KTA educates people on ways to preserve and enjoy the trails. I find that the more people know about the planet we all live on, the more they’re inclined to take care of it so that we can enjoy nature’s beauty for many years to come!" 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. 👋 Meet Charlie, a KTA member from south central PA! He is also involved with the Yellow Breeches Watershed Association. Q: What makes hiking in Pennsylvania special/meaningful to you? A: "I love being in the woods, all times of the year. I grew up in Miami, FL., a very special place, but it doesn’t have hardwood forests, rolling hills, or waterfalls. I have shared many wonderful hikes with my wife, our kids and the boys’ scout troop. Among our family’s favorite memories are fall hikes in Gifford Pinchot SP and Boyd’s Big Tree Conservation Area. Boulders, newts, trees, and water!" Q: What type of hiking do you typically prefer most often? A: "Short hikes, usually late in the morning." Q: When did you start hiking? A: "In 1998, when I moved to SC PA and met my forever hiking partner, Lesli." Q: What are you currently excited about in your hiking life? A: "I want to start collecting waterfalls and viewing fungi. We always love seeing birds, too." Q: Which hiking trails do you enjoy/recommend that are near where you live? A: "White Rocks in Mechanicsburg." Q: Which hiking trails do you recommend (anywhere in PA)? A: "I loved hiking in Hickory Run State Park with our scouts. There is a waterfall and a boulder field." Q: What do you value most about KTA's mission? A: "Promoting hiking because when you teach someone to love the woods then they will protect and preserve them, too." You can help preserve Pennsylvania's beautiful forests that Charlie and thousands of other hikers love! Learn about our Trail Care Program and how you can easily get involved! |
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April 2024
Keystone Trails AssociationSubmissions welcome! |