Lorrie Preston photo
This structure, once known as the "Earl Shaffer Shelter" in honor of the first recorded A.T. thru-hiker and co-founder of SATC, and the man who led SATC in building it starting in 1959, through 1961 into 1962, lost this name in mid-1983 when its namesake proclaimed it to be "too fancy" (a floor had later been installed) and not in keeping with his vision of the A.T. See the Fall 1983 Bushwack Bulletin for more details.
A Request from
the ATMS:
A short account of Earl's shelter on Peter's Mountain is needed: the date, the
manner of construction, the anecdotes, and so on. Please send any contributions
of text (even little snippets) to
cduane@boatsign.com
Long since functionally replaced by a structure even less in keeping with Earl's preferences, on August 2, 2008 it was removed and began its move to the new A.T. museum. The floor was removed first to uncover for photographs of the structure that Earl intended. A large boulder was then seen to protrude from the dirt floor. It was then reported that was why the floor was installed; to cover the rock!
Link to photos (including "Earl's Pillow") of this unique event.
This page seeks to share some of the memories of those, like Earl, whose footsteps we follow.
SATC Calendar
of Hikes and Other Events
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SATC | Nearby Trails:
Map/Guide Sources | PA Camping & Fire
Rules | Trail Alerts | PA
Hunting Seasons
SATC Archives and History | Landscape
Preservation and Conservation Issues | Links
to Other Web Sites | Join SATC | Contact
SATC
Click here for the history of the first 35 years or so of SATC, from 1954, written by Ralph Kinter, one of the co-founders of SATC over fifty years ago. Learn how SATC became a local leader in landscape preservation before it became a buzzword or even before there were land trusts...
Issues of the Bushwack Bulletin, SATC's newsletter, are in Adobe Acrobat (version 6.0 and later) format. If you don't have Adobe Reader installed, visit here to download a free copy of the software and install it. Issues listed in BOLD type exceed 1 MB in size and you may want to think twice about clicking if you're on dialup.
Only highly selected issues prior to the modern computer age have been scanned to date. The current issue is available only to members, so join us!
Some twenty years ago, one of the most eagerly awaited features of the Bushwack Bulletin was a detailed map (usually drawn by Ralph Kinter) of a favored hiking destination in the Harrisburg area.
We are pleased to provide the descriptions of the 36 "Our Favorite Hikes," but PLEASE be aware that in many cases the trails described there have been relocated or even closed.
Hence, we provide these twenty year old maps and hike descriptions for entertainment and historical purposes only.
Now that you've read all that, click here.
In the 6th edition (1972) of the book Pennsylvania Hiking Trails periodically issued by KTA, SATC's Darlington Trail was among those described. At that time the route was 25 miles long and extended on both sides of the Susquehanna River.
Now, it is 7.74 miles long, only on the west side of the river, and only on public land. It is a beautiful, but much shorter hike.
Read the old and current descriptions, and judge thirty years of intervening progress for yourself. If this is not your idea of "progress," please support SATC's landscape preservation efforts.
The 2004 to 2009 Hike Code System identifies: PACE -TERRAIN - MILEAGE
1 -
Leisurely (nature or historical walk; frequent stops for observation)
2 - Moderate (steady, 1 to 2 miles per hour (mph))
3 - Brisk (steady, 2 to 3 mph)
4 - Fast (3 to 4 mph; very short breaks; a workout)
A -
Solid pavement/sidewalk
B - Soft ground/sand/carriage trails; nearly
level; few rocks or obstructions (roots)
C - Some rocks/roots/obstructions; climbs and
descents totaling up to 1000 feet possible
D - Steep hills, rocks/roots/obstructions likely;
frequent climbs and descents with a total of more than 1000 feet
E - Extremely difficult; some or all of
these features possible or likely:
Estimate by leader
2-C-10.3 (Moderate pace, 1 to 2 mph; some rocks/roots or obstructions, up to 1000 feet elevation change, 10.3 miles)
|
Code
|
Short
Description
|
Miles
|
Climbs
|
|
A
|
Easy
(excellent for beginners)
|
Up
to 6
|
Very
little
|
|
B
|
Fairly
easy (good for beginners)
|
Up
to 6
|
Some
easy
|
|
B+
|
Moderate
|
Up
to 6
|
More
difficult
|
|
C
|
Fairly
moderate
|
7
to 9
|
Very
little
|
|
C+
|
Strenuous
|
7
to 9
|
Several
significant
|
|
D
|
More
strenuous
|
10
to 12
|
Very
little
|
|
D+
|
Very
strenuous
|
10
to 12
|
Several
significant
|
|
E
|
Difficult
|
Over
12
|
Very
little
|
|
E+
|
Very
difficult
|
Over
12
|
Very
rugged
|
For example: “Easy with moderate to fast pace” or “Easy with nature stops” or “Good footpath” or “Rocky and rough”.
SATC Calendar
of Hikes and Other Events
Home | About
SATC | Nearby Trails:
Map/Guide Sources | PA Camping & Fire
Rules | Trail Alerts | PA
Hunting Seasons
SATC Archives and History | Landscape
Preservation and Conservation Issues | Links
to Other Web Sites | Join SATC | Contact
SATC
This page is http://www.satc-hike.org/arch-his.htm
February 14, 2010