TRAIL WORK


Building the trail we work all day
Out on the mountain far away
Up where the stars and clouds are near
And city tensions disappear
Building the trail we live again
Almost as free as frontier men
Out on the trail we live supreme
In deep fulfillment of a dream.

"Trail Builders"
by
Earl V. Shaffer

Poet, Musician, Soldier, Hiker, Co-Founder of SATC
Reproduced by courtesy of Earl Shaffer Foundation

SATC and CVATC volunteers care for 57 miles of recreational footpaths in the Harrisburg and Carlisle areas. Each year, our clubs report well over one thousand hours of volunteer work to our affiliated organizations, Appalachian Trail Conservancy and Keystone Trails Association

Volunteers blaze trees, cut excessive growth, clear down trees, install erosion control measures, remove invasive vegetation, and remove trash/debris. Trail construction and maintenance is conducted in cooperation with the landowner / land management agencies, primarily the Pennsylvania Game Commission, Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR), and the National Park Service.

  1. Twenty miles of Appalachian Trail (AT) from PA Route 225 to Rausch Gap north of Harrisburg. This section follows the crest of Peters Mountain, descends to Clarks Valley, crosses PA 325 and Clarks Creek, climbs onto Sharp Mountain in SGL 211 then descends to Rausch Gap in "St. Anthony's Wilderness."
  2. The Victoria Trail from route 325 to the AT.
  3. The Shikillimy Trail, which is a 0.94 mile side trail to the AT from route 325.
  4. The Darlington Trail, which is an 7.7-mile orange blazed trail on Blue and Little Mountains in State Game Lands #170. This trail connects with the AT and the Tuscarora Trail.
  5. A portion of the Horse-Shoe Trail.
  6. The Appalachian Trail (AT) from the top of Blue (aka North) Mountain south to Center Point Knob on South Mountain is the responsibility of CVATC.

Hand tools, gloves and instruction are provided on maintenance and construction outings; no experience is necessary.

Power tools are operated only by certified individuals. Occasional workshops are available to learn advanced construction techniques, and to obtain certification of special tools, such as a chain saw.

Trail maintenance is coordinated by the SATC Trailmaster, the volunteer in charge of SATC's trailwork, and by CVATC's Trailmaster.

 

PA Capital Region Hiking and Activity Schedule | Scheduled Trail Maintenance 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 CVATC | Join SATC | Contact SATC

Current Trailwork Opportunities

The Appalachian Trail and the other footpaths we enjoy in Central Pennsylvania,
wouldn’t exist without the volunteers who maintain them.

SATC coordinates the efforts of individual volunteers who care specifically for assigned footpath sections.
Scheduled group activities occur in the spring, summer, and fall.
These group activities are announced on this web page when scheduled quarterly with other Club activities,
and also by e-mail direct from the Club's Trailmaster to Club member and other volunteers
who have indicated a specific interest or who have previously participated in SATC's maintenance activities.
Click here to contact the volunteer Trailmaster and add your name to the alert list!


2008

 

September 20, Saturday, 9:00 AM
CVATC Work Trip

MEET ONLY at the Scott Farm on Bernheisel Bridge Road, Middlesex Twp. near Carlisle, off Rte 11.
Leader: Craig Dunn, 761-7723

 

October 5, Sunday, 9:00 AM
SATC Work Trip
20 hwy miles

Work will be on AT near Rausch Gap. Wear old clothes and boots. Dress appropriately for predicted weather. Tools and safety gear provided. For more details on type of work, contact leader.
MEET ONLY at Funcks Family Restaurant rear parking area (Rte 934, exit 85 off I-81). We will drive to nearby Memorial Lake SP and then carpool to trail. No half-day option.
Leader: Jeff Buehler, 657-8281, athikerjb@aol.com

 

October 18, Saturday, 9:00 AM
CVATC Work Trip

MEET ONLY at the Scott Farm on Bernheisel Bridge Road, Middlesex Twp. near Carlisle, off Rte 11.
Leader: Craig Dunn, 761-7723

 

October 19, Sunday, 9:00 AM
SATC Work Trip
20 hwy miles

Work will be on AT near Rausch Gap. Wear old clothes and boots. Dress appropriately for predicted weather. Tools and safety gear provided. For more details on type of work, contact leader.
MEET ONLY at Funcks Family Restaurant rear parking area (Rte 934, exit 85 off I-81). We will drive to nearby Memorial Lake SP and then carpool to trail. No half-day option.
Leader: Jeff Buehler, 657-8281, athikerjb@aol.com

 

November 2, Sunday, 9:00 AM
SATC Work Trip
20 hwy miles

Work will be on AT near Rausch Gap. Wear old clothes and boots. Dress appropriately for predicted weather. Tools and safety gear provided. For more details on type of work, contact leader.
MEET ONLY at Funcks Family Restaurant rear parking area (Rte 934, exit 85 off I-81). We will drive to nearby Memorial Lake SP and then carpool to trail. No half-day option.
Leader: Jeff Buehler, 657-8281, athikerjb@aol.com

 

November 16, Sunday, 9:00 AM
SATC Work Trip
20 hwy miles

Work will be on AT near Rausch Gap. Wear old clothes and boots. Dress appropriately for predicted weather. Tools and safety gear provided. For more details on type of work, contact leader.
MEET ONLY at Funcks Family Restaurant rear parking area (Rte 934, exit 85 off I-81). We will drive to nearby Memorial Lake SP and then carpool to trail. No half-day option.
Leader: Jeff Buehler, 657-8281, athikerjb@aol.com


Ongoing:

Workers NEEDED for impromptu work trips!

Between ice storms, hurricanes,
and sometimes even unusually good weather for ongoing projects,
your help is needed for more than what's listed here.

Please consider giving the Club Trailmaster your name so he can call on you as needed.

Call Jeff Buehler, 717 657-8281

 

Ironmaster's Mansion Hostel needs your help

Recent budget cutbacks and the poor economy have devastated the funds needed to keep the hostel alive and serving the hiking community.
Located in Pine Grove Furnace State Park, just a short drive from the Harrisburg area, it has provided low-cost overnight stays and space available for meetings, workshops, and parties since its debut as a hostel in 1982.
We are in desperate need of not only donations, but also volunteers to do the many tasks that range the gamut for this historic treasure of the trail.
To volunteer or make reservations, please contact the hostel at: 717 486-7575.
Please help save this important treasure of our area before it's too late!

Read The Register, Appalachian Trail Conservancy's newsletter for Trail maintainers and others with a special interest in the volunteer stewardship of the A.T.

Find more trailwork opportunities at the following links:

 

Just like our footpaths, this page is always under construction and in need of maintenance. Check back soon!

PA Capital Region Hiking and Activity Schedule | Scheduled Trail Maintenance 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 CVATC | Join SATC | Contact SATC

 

Edited by Peter Fleszar, last updated September 17, 2008