Susquehanna Appalachian Trail Club - SATC
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    • About SATC
    • Our Leadership Team
    • SATC History
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    • Land Preservation & Conservation
  • Hiking
    • Hiking Schedule
    • Hiking Guidelines
    • Hike Description Codes
    • SATC Maps
    • Hiking In Central Pennsylvania
    • Hike Leader Documents
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  • Trail
    • Trail Maintenance
    • Volunteer Opportunities
    • Check In/Check Out Form
    • SATC Dedicated Volunteers
    • A.T. Relocation 2022
    • Construction of Peters Mountain Shelter
    • Cove Mountain Project
    • Mt Holly Preserve Project
    • Oak Park Nature Trail Project
    • Giant Boot Award
    • Report a Problem
    • A. T. Alerts
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SATC Through The First 69 Years

                                                     SATC HISTORY

​Earl Shaffer was the first person to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail  in 1948.  A few years later, in 1954, he co-founded Susquehanna Appalachian Trail Club (SATC) to:
  • Provide members & guests the opportunity to enjoy, and to become educated about, nature through hiking and other outdoor recreational activities.
  • Build and maintain trails and shelters for public use.
  • Aid in the conservation of wild lands and wildlife.

Today, we have approximately 300 members who enjoy hiking and trail work.  We are one of 30 volunteer groups that maintain the 2,193 miles of the Appalachian Trail (A.T.)

​A written history compiled in 2005 of SATC's first 35 years, beginning in 1954, was written by Ralph Kinter, one of the co-founders. Find out the reason why SATC came to be, discover the reason our newsletter's name  Bushwack Bulletin is "spelled" wrong; learn how at the first installation hike at Hawk Rock the group was shot at; be proud of how SATC became a local leader in landscape preservation before it became a buzzword or even before there were land trusts.  Our club's written history is not only informative, but quite amusing at times.  Please take time to read it by downloading the pdf below.





SATC Past Presidents

1954 - 1956     Ralph Kinter
1956 - 1958     Ruth Boller

1958 - 1960     Don Brady
1960 - 1961      Earl Shaffer
1960 - 1962     Saul Synder
1962 - 1964    H. Ellis Kreider
1964 - 1966    Pat Heim
1966 - 1968.   George Sleesman 

1968 - 1970     Robert Meckley
1970 - 1972     Lois Lucas
1972 - 1974     Warren Sleighter
1974 - 1975     Hazel "Pat" Heim

1975 - 1976     Allen Zerfoss
1976 - 1978     John Wozniak
1978 - 1979     Mary Ludes
                               Barbara Cole
1979 - 1982    Craig Dunn
1982 - 1983     Robert Keck

1983 - 1986     Carol Witzeman
1986 - 1990     Jim Oxley
                                Craig Dunn
1990 - 1991     Michael Fanus
1991 - 1993     Bob Keyes
1993 - 1995     Thyra Sperry
1995 - 1997     Jeff Buehler
1997 - 1999     Jane Greber
1999 - 2004     Katie (Jones)  Barker
2004 - 2008     Barb Harvey
2008 - 2012     Karen Balaban
2012 - 2014     Trisha Sanders
2014 - 2018     Cindy Radich
​2018 - 2022    Gail Brossman
2022 - 2023    Andrea Viazanko
2023 -  2024    Bob Keen
 
2024 -                  Mark Press
SATC's Written History
satc_club_history.pdf
File Size: 175 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

 A History of AT Shelters in South Central Pa - by Jeff Buehler
old_at_shelters_in_south_central_pa_for_the_web_site_12-2-23.pdf
File Size: 1197 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File


​Earl Shaffer Shelter
     
​
This structure, once known as the "Earl Shaffer Shelter" in honor of the first recorded A.T. thru-hiker, co-founder of SATC, and the man who led SATC in building it starting in 1959, and finishing in 1962. Read about how the shelter lost this name in mid-1983 when Earl proclaimed it to be "too fancy" (a floor had been installed) and not in keeping with his vision of the A.T. in the Fall 1983 Bushwack Bulletin (as well as any of our other past newsletters) for more details and information by reviewing our Past Newsletters.
Picture
Picture
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  A.T. museum. The floor was removed first to uncover for photographs of the structure that Earl intended. A large boulder (dubbed "Earl's Pillow") was then seen to protrude from the dirt floor. Reportedly, that was why the floor was installed: to cover the rock!
 Charlie Duane has posted photos and videos that record the dismantling project of this unique event.   
 


Darlington Trail, a route no more, but less...

SATC's Darlington Trail was among those described in the 6th (1972) edition of the book Pennsylvania Hiking Trails that is periodically issued by the Keystone Trails Association. 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. 
​    
​Below are
the old and current descriptions of the trail. Read and judge the thirty years of intervening progress for yourself. If this is not your idea of "progress," please support SATC's landscape preservation efforts.
​
Old Description of the Darlington Trail
Current Description of the Darlington Trail
darlington_from_1972-kta-pht6.pdf
File Size: 227 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

darlmap.pdf
File Size: 1219 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

  • Home
  • About SATC
    • About SATC
    • Our Leadership Team
    • SATC History
    • SATC Administrative Documents
    • Past Newsletters
    • Land Preservation & Conservation
  • Hiking
    • Hiking Schedule
    • Hiking Guidelines
    • Hike Description Codes
    • SATC Maps
    • Hiking In Central Pennsylvania
    • Hike Leader Documents
    • Hiking Resources
  • Trail
    • Trail Maintenance
    • Volunteer Opportunities
    • Check In/Check Out Form
    • SATC Dedicated Volunteers
    • A.T. Relocation 2022
    • Construction of Peters Mountain Shelter
    • Cove Mountain Project
    • Mt Holly Preserve Project
    • Oak Park Nature Trail Project
    • Giant Boot Award
    • Report a Problem
    • A. T. Alerts
  • Membership
    • Join SATC
    • Renew SATC
    • Donate
    • Change of Address
    • Club Merchandise
    • Off-Line Application Form
  • Volunteer
  • Photos
    • Local Wildflowers