|
Dear Member,
Fall is a great time to get out there on a hike and bring a friend! Autumn's change in weather and colors brings on changes in many ways. 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, through trail maintenance in your club and throughout the state, advocacy on issues affecting our trails, and by just leading hikes, is making a difference at a grassroots level. I have seen so many hikes and trail care events sponsored by our member organizations. Keep up the great work! Our KTA Trail Care program continues in full swing. There are several remaining trail cares this fall. 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. It's time to start nominating members and clubs for our various service awards. The awards include Certificates of Achievement, Volunteer of the Year, Club of the Year, the Citation Award for lifetime achievement, and the Leave No Trace Award. These will be presented at our Hiking Awards Celebration on Saturday, December 6. Please go to https://www.kta-hike.org/hiking-awards.html for information to make a nomination by November 1. Make sure you plan to submit for your hiking award or encourage others who have completed hiking trails to submit for their prize, especially youth and teenagers, for the new Teen Hiker Award. The hiking awards are also listed on our website. Check them out and hike toward earning one this year. Awards will be presented at the Hiking Awards Celebration on Saturday, December 6. We have some exciting events coming up. The first is the Keystone Hiking and Outdoor Weekend (KHOW), taking place from October 17 to 19 in the PA Wilds. It offers a range of activities, including hiking, biking, writing workshops, art-making, elk bugling, and other workshops. Check out the Events page of our website. The KTA Council will be meeting. If you represent a club or organization, be sure to sign up to attend. Please note that the remaining room blocks expire on September 14 and 17. The second event is the First Annual Keystone Trails Symposium: A Retreat for Pennsylvania Organizations with Trail and Hiking Interests on Saturday, November 15th at Kings Gap Environmental Center. We would like to see all clubs and organizations represented. The event is geared toward leaders of hiking clubs and other volunteer-driven groups with a focus on trail-based recreation. This gathering is free, but limited to two representatives per organization. Lunch and morning coffee provided. Complimentary Friday night lodging is available upon request. The first five organizations with representatives registered for the event will receive a special donation from KTA. Registration opens September 5 and closes October 10. The third event is the KTA Pennsylvania Hiking Awards Celebration on Saturday, December 6th, at the Ned Smith Center for Nature and Art in Millersburg, PA. The KTA Hiking Awards honor individuals with a passion for exploring the wealth of incredible hiking trails that Pennsylvania has to offer. There is a full list of KTA hikes, events, training courses, activities, and trail care opportunities. There is so much to do. Please visit our website, sign up for one or more of our events, and bring a friend. Your gift to our Keystone Trails Endowment fund this year will make a positive impact in furthering our mission. In particular, toward the member Club mini-grants that have been presented this year. Consider planning to make a gift this year toward the Keystone Trails Endowment fund. One final note. Please read Brook's message about his retirement. We want to thank Brook for his efforts over the last four years as Executive Director for KTA. Having worked closely with him over the last several years, I want to let everyone know that KTA and furthering KTA's mission have been at the forefront of Brook's efforts. His attention to detail, grant writing, and development of our staff have been a great benefit for KTA. We wish him well in his retirement. He said he is not disappearing and will be volunteering. The Board will begin a search for the next Executive Director to fill the large boots left by Brook. We will rely on our membership and stakeholders to help spread the word once the search commences. On behalf of the Board and the membership, I want to thank our Executive Director, Brook, and all our staff for the excellent 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 Well, it’s finally happened. The ban on Sunday hunting has been repealed in Pennsylvania. I’m going to explain how we got here and how it is likely to affect those of us who like to hike in Penns Woods. Spoiler Alert: It will mean some changes for us, but it does not mean that the apocalypse has arrived.
How did we get here? For decades, hunters have been lobbying to remove the state’s ban on Sunday hunting. KTA has been opposed to this. Another important constituency that has traditionally been against hunting on Sunday are the state farming organizations. This ban was part of the so-called “blue laws” that traditionally restricted activities like the sale of alcohol, sale of new and used cars and hunting. In PA and most other states the blue laws have gradually been repealed or relaxed. Before the repeal of Sunday hunting here, there were only three states with bans on Sunday hunting. Now only Massachusetts and Maine remain. Many political observers believe that the key to the repeal in PA was getting the farmers on board. The hunters were able to do this by adding provisions to the repeal that give private landowners more rights to restrict hunting on their land and imposed harsher penalties for violations. The ban came about in a two-step process. In 2019 the Legislature opened up hunting on three Sundays during specific hunting seasons. From 2020 through 2024 this limited calendar was in effect. Meanwhile, hunting organizations continued to lobby for total removal of the ban. This year, House Bill 1431 was introduced. It passed both Houses and was signed by Gov. Shapiro as Act 36 of 2025. When Will There Be Sunday Hunting in PA? The new law does not immediately open every Sunday to hunting. What it does is enable the Pennsylvania Game Commission to designate certain Sundays as open for hunting. The PGC recently announced which Sundays will be open for hunting in 2025. They are Sept. 14, Sept. 21, Sept. 28, Oct. 5, Oct. 12, Oct. 19, Oct. 26, Nov. 2, Nov. 9, Nov. 16, Nov. 23, Nov. 30, and Dec. 7. For 2025, these Sundays were added to the game seasons that had already been set by the PGC. It is expected that in 2026 and beyond the PGC will set the game seasons in a unified manner including Sundays. How Is Sunday Hunting Likely To Affect Hiking In Pennsylvania? I want to be clear that this portion of this article is one hiker’s informed opinion and speculation. You are welcome to consider this and form your own opinions. First, it is ALWAYS a good idea to know what game is in season and by what means it can be hunted before you go into the woods. This has always been the case. The main difference is that it used to be if you went out on a Sunday you were pretty sure that MOST game was not in season. I say most because some game has always been available to hunt on Sundays, such as coyotes all year round and crows and foxes much of the year. One way to know what’s in season is to get the PGC’s printed booklet of game seasons or check on the PGC’s website. But, in this age of smartphones, there is a MUCH easier way. Simply use your Apple or Android phone and download the PGC’s app. Then you can use the app, choose a date and it will tell you exactly which game is in season and by which means. For those not familiar with hunting, this means regular firearms (rifle, shotgun, etc.), archery and primitive weapons like muzzleloader and flintlock. In my opinion every hiker in PA should have this app on their smartphone. Next you will need to make an assessment of which concerns you or your hiking party has with hiking while hunting is going on. I am going to propose a hierarchy based on my perception of the danger and other concerns. Many hikers, including me, have some qualms about hiking in the woods while hunters are going after the most popular game using long rifles whose bullets can travel a long way. The two most popular seasons like this are rifle deer season and rifle bear season. During 2025, rifle deer season will be Nov. 29 through Dec. 13, including Sunday, Nov. 30. Rifle bear season will be Nov 22 through 25, including Sunday, Nov. 23. I will personally not be hiking in any State Game Land on these days or in any other area where there is likely to be deer or bear hunting. If you are concerned not just about possible danger, but also about loud noises, consider avoiding seasons where flintlocks or muzzleloaders are allowed, plus small game season (meaning squirrel, grouse, pheasant, turkey, etc.) where shotguns are typically used. Why is the danger much less during these seasons? The range of a flintlock, muzzleloader or shotgun is only 100 to 200 yards, far less than a long rifle. If you also have qualms about any type of hunting, regardless of danger or noise, consider adding archery season to the list of seasons to avoid. Let me leave you with a few closing thoughts. First, unless you are 100 percent certain that no hunting of any kind is permitted where you want to hike, always wear some blaze orange while hiking. Remember, something is always in season. This has always been the case. Second, please have some respect for those who choose to hunt. Most hunters are environmentalists too, and you have a vested interest in the continued viability of hunting. Why is that? Many of our best hiking trails are on State Game Lands, in whole or in part. That includes the very popular Appalachian Trail. Hunters allow you to hike on lands that were primarily set aside for their enjoyment. If you happen upon a hunter in the woods, ask her or him if they’ve had any luck. Who knows, maybe one of them will give you some venison steak. Trust me, it’s really good. So, here is my message to my fellow hikers and other non-hunter lovers of the outdoors. Don’t hide inside on Sundays. Get a blaze orange hat and vest and keep on enjoying the outdoors. - Jim Foster is a retired attorney who thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail several years ago. He is a life member and active maintainer with Appalachian Trail Conservancy, Keystone Trails Association, Cumberland Valley Appalachian Trail Club and several other trails organizations. He lives with his wife in suburban Harrisburg. Dear Trail Enthusiast,
June is Bustin' Out All Over again! It's summer, get out for a hike, bring a friend, and invite a family! It was a couple of days after college graduation in May 40 years ago, I found myself loaded with a backpack and hiking up the approach trail to Springer Mountain to begin a thru-hike on the Appalachian Trail. But how did I end up there? It was from being introduced to the AT while a youth. It was a Scout Troop leader who would take us Scouts on weekend hikes and week-long 50-mile backpack trips on the Appalachian Trail. It was an elderly lady at my church, a member of ATC, who would bring her copy of Trailway News that she had read, marked, and footnoted articles for me to read, inspiring a young person to dream. Why do I bring this up? It's because we each have a role in mentoring young people and the next generation of hikers to lace up their boots, pick up their pack, Pulaski, and tools to hike a trail, make memories, and give back through trail care, donations, or volunteering their special skill sets. If you enjoy hiking, you may want to share the experience with others and work to preserve it for those you may never meet, who can walk a trail you helped maintain. Congratulations to our eleven club recipients of the KTA Grants to Clubs who are making a difference in preserving our trail experiences. There are so many outstanding things happening in our local trail clubs. Grant funds, part of the annual interest distribution from our endowment fund, are making a real "feet on the ground" impact on trails throughout Pennsylvania. Our KTA Trail Care program for 2025 is in full swing. Plan to participate in one or more of the remaining trail maintenance events that Jenn Ulmer and the Trail Care Committee have lined up for us, and invite a friend. Check out our website for details. KTA Trail Care is using Panther Run Cabin in Sproul State Forest as a base for our trail maintenance events in the PA Wilds. Be sure to attend a Trail Care in that area to visit the cabin. The Scott Farm, located along the Appalachian Trail, will eventually become KTA's headquarters. KTA has been preparing the Scott Farm Trailhead Master Site Plan in collaboration with our consultants. We hope to have the master plan available soon. It's not too soon to start thinking about nominating members and clubs for our various service awards. They include Certificates of Achievement, Volunteer of the Year, Club of the Year, the new Leave No Trace Award, and the Citation Award for lifetime achievement. These will be presented at our KTA Hiking Awards Celebration. The celebration will occur on Saturday, December 6, at the beautiful Ned Smith Center for Nature and Art in Millersburg, PA. Please put his date on your calendar for a special day of celebration. Please see our website for a listing and description of these awards. The Awards Committee will be seeking nominations for these awards. Start considering members and clubs to nominate. We have some of the most outstanding volunteers in our hiking organizations. Please consider nominating someone or a club that you think is worthy of recognition. Be sure to log your miles to keep track of your miles for one of the several Hiking Awards. We have special awards for the Young Hiker Award and the Teen Hiker Award. A comprehensive list of KTA hikes, events, webinars, activities, and trail care opportunities is available. There is so much to do. Please visit our website and sign up for one or more, and bring a friend. Our KTA Fall Council meeting will be nestled among the many hikes and activities at the Keystone Hiking & Outdoor Weekend in the Pennsylvania Wilds on October 17-19. Please add these dates to your calendar and visit our website to register, allowing you to plan your attendance. On behalf of the Board and the membership, I want to thank Brook and all our staff for the excellent job they are doing to further our mission. 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 Howard, a KTA supporter from Montgomery County!
Q: What makes hiking in Pennsylvania special/meaningful to you? A: "Grew up in a very densely populated area and when I discovered the AT many years ago it opened me up to the beauty and magic of the forests of Pennsylvania." Q: What type of hiking do you typically prefer most often? A: "Mostly full day hikes and night hikes " Q: When did you start hiking? A: "30 years ago." Q: What are you currently excited about in your hiking life? A: "I'll be leading two hikes during the KTA Spring Hiking Weekend. In the coming year, I plan to hike all the maintained sections of the Appalachian Trail that are looked after by the Blue Mountain Eagle Climbing Club and the Allentown Hiking Club." Q: Which hiking trails do you enjoy/recommend that are near where you live? A: "Wissahickon Valley Park - Wissahickon Gorge North Loop" Q: Which hiking trails do you recommend (anywhere in PA)? A: "The Pinnacle AT Hike from Hawk Mountain Road and Port Clinton AT Hike to Eckville" Q: What do you value most about KTA's mission? A: "KTA's commitment to supporting and educating hiking and trail maintaining clubs and providing timely education and information." 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 Timothy, a KTA supporter from Marysville, Pa!
Q: What makes hiking in Pennsylvania special/meaningful to you? A: "I love being outdoors and seeing what is just around the next corner, rock or hill." Q: What type of hiking do you typically prefer most often? A: "Day Hikes, Multi- Day Hikes, and long- distance backpacking " Q: When did you start hiking? A: "20 years ago." Q: What are you currently excited about in your hiking life? A: "I am getting ready to hike the Camino Del Norte in the North of Spain (500+ miles)" Q: Which hiking trails do you enjoy/recommend that are near where you live? A: "I enjoy hiking on the Darlington Trail and the AT both of which are in my backyard" Q: Which hiking trails do you recommend (anywhere in PA)? A: "North Rim Trail (PA Little Grand Canyon out side of Wellsboro, PA)" Q: What do you value most about KTA's mission? A: "The more that people see the great hiking trails the PA has to offer, the more they will support them." 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 Richard, a KTA supporter from Berks County!
Q: What makes hiking in Pennsylvania special/meaningful to you? A: "I usually hike with my dog who immensely enjoys being on trails. Hiking also helps me control type 2 diabetes and my moods." Q: What type of hiking do you typically prefer most often? A: "Short AM/PM hikes within 30 minutes of home for fitness and longer ones up to 10 miles once in a while. Daily goal is at least 1-2 hours walking/hiking. " Q: When did you start hiking? A: "About 63 years ago." Q: What are you currently excited about in your hiking life? A: "I am a phytoecologist who is bio-blitzing the AT near home. New organisms are always exciting. I also like the alone time in the off-season." Q: Which hiking trails do you enjoy/recommend that are near where you live? A: "Parts of the AT and related trails along Blue Mountain between the Swatara and Lehigh Rivers in addition to the local dirt roads in SGL110. " Q: Which hiking trails do you recommend (anywhere in PA)? A: "Any place there are no hunters or vehicles." Q: What do you value most about KTA's mission? A: "Protecting trails!" 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 Dear Member & Friends,
Spring is upon us! Get out for a hike and bring a friend! 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, through trail maintenance in your club and throughout the state, advocacy on issues affecting our trails, and by leading hikes, are making a difference at a grassroots level. There is a lot going on with KTA in 2025 as we progress on the second year of our five-year strategic plan. Efforts continue with Scott Farm planning; the site will eventually become KTA's headquarters. The Board has approved the lease of the Panther Run Cabin in Sproul State Forest as a base for our Trail Care efforts in the PA Wilds. Through the efforts of our Executive Director, Brook Lenker, KTA has completed an application a hopeful 2026- 2027 DCNR grant. 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. There is a full list of KTA events, activities, and trail care opportunities. Please visit our website and sign up for one or more and bring a friend. We have our upcoming KTA Spring Hiking Weekend at Raystown Lake on April 25-27, 2025. A few activities still have space available. Please take an opportunity to go to our website and sign up by April 14 to attend. Hoping to see you there. 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 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 Our participants shared their unforgettable Keystone Trails International Trip to St. John through beautiful haikus and stunning photos! Each poem captures a moment of the breathtaking scenery and heartfelt connections made along the way. Here’s a glimpse of their creative expressions! Dear Hiker,
Happy New Year! Winter's cold, stillness, and sometimes white snow blankets our hiking trails. Consider joining a winter hike with a hiking group near you and check out the wonders of this season. It's during this period that the plants and animals that we enjoy on our spring hikes rest and prepare for it's arrival. Seeds and buds are dormant and will become the flowers of spring and summer and the fruits of summer and fall. We also have the opportunity to plant the seeds for our organization's future success and "hiking fruits." Continuing to grow our endowment fund is essential to providing long-term financial stability to our organization. Please consider donating to The Keystone Trails Endowment Fund sometime this year as a lasting legacy to the mission of KTA. KTA organizational member clubs and other groups may also contribute to the fund. Consider donating in honor or memory of a club member who has made a difference in your club or the hiking community. An application is available at the KTA website; linked here. Even if you can't donate to a set giving level, all contributions to the fund add up over time. The principal remains in the endowment fund. The earnings from the fund investments are used to support KTA's mini-grants to clubs and the organization's general operations. Consider KTA in your estate planning to positively impact Pennsylvania Trails for future generations. Donors will be recognized at the awards presentation this fall. The Board thanks you for your contribution to this important fund. Plan your hikes for 2025 to earn one of the year's many hiking awards. 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. 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 |
Categories
All
Keystone Trails AssociationSubmissions welcome! |
Keystone Trails Association
- About
-
GET INVOLVED
- GET OUTDOORS
-
Trail Care Program
- FAQs Trail Care
- Report a Trail Issue
- Trail Love Events
- KTA’s A.T. Section
- 2026 Weekday Trail Cares
- 2026 April/May Cabin Care/ Aid Station
- 2026 #01 WMRT/RGST
- 2026 #02 MST-Woolrich
- 2026 #03 CKT CO
- 2026 #04 Tia. SF Trails
- 2026 #05 Women's Susq Riverlands
- 2026 #06 Trail Love KRCL
- 2026 #07 MST-Everett
- 2026 #11 Women's Sproul
- 2026 #18 Women's PGFSP/MSF
- Hiking Awards
- Store
- Keystone Hiking & Outdoor Weekend Activity Proposal
RSS Feed
Sign up for our newsletter: |
|
Learn |
Contact |
|
