December 2014 
The Keystone Hiker
Preserving Pennsylvania's Footpaths since 1956
IN THIS ISSUE
LEAVE NO TRACE
HUNTING SEASON
WOOLLY ADELGID
HIKING FILMS
PHOTO CONTEST
CDC TRAIL TOOLS
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
DCNR SEEKS INPUT
UNIVERSAL ACCESS
CLUB CONNECTION
HISTORIC HIKES IN UK
NEW GUIDEBOOK
SAVE THE DATE
  
HOW TO HELP
 
 
QUICK CLICKS 
 




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HIKER NEWS
KTA WELCOMES NEW MEMBERS

kids_welcome.jpgThe KTA extends a warm welcome to our newest members! Thank you for joining Pennsylvania's only statewide hiker advocacy organization: Nancy Decker, John Doherty, Denise Erich, Suzie Fortin, Sam Fortna, Dan Glass, Mitchell Goist, Erica Holes Hammel, Laurie Krofft, Jenny Litz, Timothy Lynch, John Norbeck, Susan Roese, Dawn Schoenenberger, Angela Snyder, Jed Soyka, Andrew Thomas, Shane Thompson, Andrew Weidman, and Charles Wible.  Read more.

ENSURING THE ROAD APPEARS LESS TRAVELED 

By Eric Fies, Leave No Trace Master Educator

With more people than ever enjoying the trails and natural spaces of our great nation, instilling outdoor ethics in every user is a daunting task-one that is critical in preserving our wilderness experiences and environment. This is where you and Leave No Trace can make a difference.  Read the full article.
IT'S HUNTING SEASON IN PA

by Jim Foster, Secretary, KTA Board of Directors

Fall begins an important time for our friends in the sportsman community - many hunting seasons are in effect now. But that doesn't mean that hikers need to leave the woods. They should just take a few precautions.  Learn more.

HELP COMBAT HEMLOCK WOOLLY ADELGID

by Kate St. John

Hemlock woolly adelgids (Adelges tsugae) have no North American predators and a very unusual lifestyle.  

Originally from Japan, they kill eastern hemlocks in 4-20 years by locking onto the underside of their branches and sucking the lifeblood out of them. 

FILMS SOUGHT FOR 2015 MEMBERSHIP CELEBRATION & FILM FEST
by Jim Foster, Secretary, KTA Board of Directors

We need your help! Do you know of a compelling film featuring a hiking trail or experience in or including Pennsylvania?  Click here. 
WINTER PHOTO CONTEST


Congratulations to Wendy Engelberg for winning the 2014 KTA Winter Photo Contest with her photograph of Lake Shore Trail in Shawnee State Park! 

 

Wendy has received a one-year complimentary membership to Keystone Trails Association, and her photograph will be highlighted on KTA's Facebook Page and in our monthly digital newsletter in December, January and February. Thank you to everyone that participated - by submitting photos or by voting! - in our winter contest! 

CDC CREATES PARKS & TRAILS TOOLKIT

To encourage outdoor activity today, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) developed a parks and trails toolkit that will help communities create parks with expanded health benefits. Learn more.
HIGHLIGHTED VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

Click here to learn more about the following volunteer opportunities: Speaker's Bureau, Historian/ Archivist, and Student Intern. 

DCNR SEEKS INPUT FOR EXPLOREPATRAILS.COM

To celebrate the fifth anniversary of its Web site ExplorePATrails.com, the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) has implemented a 15-minute online survey.  Read more. 

GUIDE TO UNIVERSAL ACCESS TRAILS 

How can trail groups, local governments, and land trusts responsibly plan, develop, and operate trails that all people, including those with limited mobility, can access? What are best management practices? What is legally required?  Learn more. 

CLUB CONNECTION
ADVERTISE FOR FREE


KTA member organizations and clubs are welcome to submit a complimentary Tier 1 (84- to 100-word) advertisement for inclusion in The Keystone Hiker. Learn more.
TOOT YOUR HORNS-PLEASE!

by Dan Glass, KTA Trail Care Committee Member

I've noticed 2 things in the short time I've helped out the Standing Stone Trail Club and the KTA: how hard you guys and gals all work and how humble you all are. Both are the perfect combination of what volunteering your personal time means for a cause you believe in. We trail maintainers are an altruistic bunch who selflessly give our time for the forests and trails we love, ensuring that everyone can enjoy these special places and experience them as the perfect antidote for the "routine." Read more.
CLASSIFIED ADS
HISTORIC HIKES IN THE UNITED KINGDOM

by Paul Shaw, Treks & Trails International

Do you enjoy hiking? (If you are reading this newsletter, you surely do). Are you a fan of TV shows Downton Abbey or The Tudors, or perhaps the movie Braveheart? How about the King Arthur legend or the Roman Empire? Are you captivated by castles and cathedrals, and days of old when knights were bold?

If so, Treks & Trails International is offering four guided inn-to-inn small-group hiking trips next summer that are steeped in history and will immerse you in the gorgeous countryside of England, Scotland and Wales. Read more.
NEW GUIDEBOOK WALKS HIKERS THROUGH PREMIER TRAIL IN CENTRAL PA

by Scott Adams

The Allegheny Front Trail (AFT) is a 41.75-mile-long loop trail in western Centre County's Moshannon State Forest that roughly circles Black Moshannon State Park. 

The new Guide to the Allegheny Front Trail ($12.95, paperback, ISBN 9780985193980), by Ben Cramer, provides detailed advice for hiking the AFT. Turn-by-turn instructions, photos, and maps provide you with the information you need to enjoy the trail and the scenery of the Moshannon State Forest and the Allegheny Front. 

SAVE THE DATE
KTA Board Meeting: January 3, 2015, KTA HQ, Harrisburg, PA.

KTA Trip to Paradise (U.S. Virgin Islands): January 25-31, 2015.  3 spots open!

Spring Meeting & Hiking Weekend: April 17-19, 2015, Camp Swatara, Bethel, Berks County, PA. Registration opens February 1; weekend details will be posted on www.kta-hike.org on February 1.  

Prowl the Sproul Hiking and Camping Weekend: July 24-26, 2015. Registration opens May 1. 

Susquehanna Super Hike & Ultra Trail Run: September 12, 2015. Registration opens February 1.

Fall Meeting & Hiking Weekend: October 16-18, 2015, Doubling Gap Center, Newville, Cumberland County, PA.  Registration opens August 1.
 
*For the full Trail Care Program schedule, please visit www.kta-hike.org.
Newsletter Submissions 
This newsletter is published monthly by Keystone Trails Association.  Submissions are accepted on a rolling basis. Opinions expressed are those of the listed authors.  The Editor encourages submissions reflecting all viewpoints, but reserves the right to edit material.  You are encouraged to submit your material to Program Administrator, Shanna Klucar, at [email protected].