Author Archives: SeanO

New Appalachian Trail Parking Lot

The Mountain Club of Maryland proposes to build a new parking lot near the Appalachian Trail in Duncannon, PA. This section of the trail is very popular due to the views at Hawk Rock. Currently hikers using the AT south of Duncannon have no official parking choices. Many people park at the borough recycling center and use an unofficial trail to access the AT. Others park near a bar (Tubby’s) a short distance from the proposed lot. The proposed lot will be located along Inn Road where the trail enters the woods and will accommodate 8 cars.

The proposed lot will be 75 feet long by 18 feet deep and it will accommodate approximately 8 cars, using straight in parking. Per ABA (Architectural Barriers Act) guidelines, one spot will be compliant with Accessibility standards. The surfacing material will be crushed stone. A barrier fence will be placed around the edges to prevent unwanted expansion and to prevent cars from going down the slope beyond the proposed parking area. In addition to the fence, all the material resulting from construction will be located around it. Vegetation adjacent to the site includes maple and locust trees, special attention will be paid to minimizing damage to existing vegetation. Drainage will be similar to existing conditions; native plants may be added to minimize the risk of erosion, with plant selection done in consultation with ATC (Appalachian Trail Conservancy) and/or NPS (National Park Service). An information kiosk will also be installed.

January 8th, 2014 DATC Meeting

Leave a reply

The Duncannon Appalachian Trail Community Advisory Committee will hold its next meeting on Wednesday, January 8th at 6:30 PM in the Duncannon Christ Lutheran Church located at 115 Church Street. RSVP is not required but it’s greatly appreciated. Our agenda will focus on next year’s 2014 Duncannon A.T. Community Festival, the progress that our volunteers have made and further increasing meeting attendance among Duncannon residents.

THERE WILL BE FREE PIZZA AND SODA! Send in your RSVP to help us determine how much pizza we should buy. Special thanks to everyone who chipped in to help pay for this month’s pizza! In the past, the pizza was paid for by Trisha Sanders, Dennis Hurley, the DATC, Neal Brofee and Patrick Collins. Contact datc@duncannonatc.org if you or your group would like to contribute to the DATC Meeting Pizza Fund.

The church where we’re holding our meeting accepts any unwanted used clothes that are still in good shape. If you’ve been looking for a place to donate your old clothes that no longer fit after losing weight while hiking the trails, then this is a great opportunity to help the Duncannon community. All clothes are first offered to Duncannon residents and what is not claimed goes to Community Aid which is a reputable non profit organization.

Anyone who would like to be involved with the DATC, offer guidance or influence its policies is welcome to attend our meetings. You also might find a volunteer opportunity that suits you in any number of fields such as: planning our next 2014 DATC Festival, fundraising, supporting the Duncannon Outdoors Club, learning about Appalachian Trail maintenance and inspiring people to enjoy outdoor activities in the Duncannon area.
We look forward to seeing you there Sean.

Seasons Greetings From the ATC

Leave a reply

The card came addressed to me but it belongs to each and every one of you who has volunteered your time and effort to help promote, protect and preserve Duncannon’s outdoor recreational resources for future generations.

At this joyous time of year, we are grateful for your support and commitment to the Appalachian Trail. We wish you the best this holiday season and all the happiness in the new year.

Warmest wishes for a wonderful holiday season. Many, many thanks for all you do for the A.T. Community of Duncannon and the A.T. You are so very much appreciated!

Signed by: Heather, Karen, Bob, Jon, Nicole, Marian, Kelly and Michele.

Thanks for everything and have a happy holiday.

December 17th, 2013 DATC Meeting

Leave a reply

The Duncannon Appalachian Trail Community Advisory Committee will hold its next meeting Tuesday, December 17th at 6:30 PM in the Duncannon Christ Lutheran Church located at 115 Church Street. RSVP is not required but it’s greatly appreciated. Our agenda will focus on next year’s 2014 Duncannon A.T. Community Festival, the progress that our volunteers have made, Appalachian Audubon Society participation, local car dealer participation, Sportsman’s Club participation, potential shuttle service during the festival, the progress we’ve made in the past month and further increasing meeting attendance among Duncannon residents.

THERE WILL BE FREE PIZZA AND SODA! Send in your RSVP to help us determine how much pizza we should buy. Special thanks to Patrick Collins for paying for this month’s pizza! In the past, the pizza was paid for by Trisha Sanders, Dennis Hurley, the DATC and Neal Brofee. Contact datc@duncannonatc.org if you or your group would like to contribute to the DATC Meeting Pizza Fund.

Anyone who would like to be involved with the DATC, offer guidance or influence its policies is welcome to attend our meetings. You might find a volunteer opportunity that suits you in any number of fields such as: planning our next 2014 DATC Festival, fundraising, supporting the Duncannon Outdoors Club, learning about Appalachian Trail maintenance and inspiring people to enjoy outdoor activities in the Duncannon area.

November 19th, 2013 DATC Meeting

Leave a reply

The Duncannon Appalachian Trail Community Advisory Committee will hold its next meeting Tuesday, November 19th at 6:30 PM in the Duncannon Christ Lutheran Church located at 115 Church Street. The church can be found at the intersection of Plum and Church streets. We should park in the gravel lot along Plum Street and use the entrance on the left side of the church to get to the meeting room in the basement/undercroft.

THERE WILL BE FREE PIZZA AND SODA! RSVP is not required but it’s greatly appreciated and helps us determine how much pizza we should buy. Special thanks to Neal Brofee for paying for this month’s pizza! Contact datc@duncannonatc.org if you or your group would like to contribute to the DATC Meeting Pizza Fund.

Our agenda will focus on next year’s 2014 Duncannon A.T. Community Festival. We’ll discuss event sponsorship, fundraising, event promotion, vendor management, the progress we’ve made in the past months, and further increasing meeting attendance and volunteer participation.

Before our meeting on November 19^th, Dennis Hurley will be leading a 2-mile Hawk Rock hike in the dark with headlights. Anyone who wants to join him should meet at the gravel parking area across from Tubby’s Night Club on Inn Road at 5:00 PM sharp. Contact Dennis at dennisjhurley@comcast.net 717-385-6879 to only let him know if you are attending or have a question. Bring a flashlight, preferably a headlight.

Anyone who would like to be involved with this organization, offer guidance or influence its policies is welcome to attend. You might find a volunteer opportunity that suits you in any number of fields such as: planning our next 2014 DATC Festival, fundraising, supporting the Duncannon Outdoors Club, learning about Appalachian Trail maintenance and inspiring people to enjoy outdoor activities in the Duncannon area. Join the fun!

Haldeman Island Waterfowl Hike

3 Replies

: Access to Haldeman Island is usually restricted.

: Land Management Group Supervisor Scott Bills addresses the group at the start of the tour.

: Our group heads out to explore Haldeman Island.

: Everyone took turns looking through the scopes to get closeup views of the birds.

: Stopped to take a look at smaller birds flitting through the brush.

: Scott Bills and Deb Takach of the Duncannon Outdoor Club discuss bird identification.

We held our Haldeman Island Waterfowl Hike on October 13th and it was a great success. 25 of the 29 registrants arrived on time and ready to explore this rarely seen island located at the confluence of the Susquehanna and Juniata rivers. Our group was comprised of birding enthusiasts, curious kayakers, families out enjoying a day in the fresh air and people just interested in learning more about this exclusive island.

The 990 acre (about 1.5 square miles) Haldeman Island was previously quarried by Pennsy Supply and was later sold to the PA State Game Commission in 1990. The quarries on the northern half of the island were filled with water, and small islands were built within the ponds to foster Canada Geese. Unfortunately the Canada Goose program didn’t work out very well but the Bald Eagle program which followed was an enormous success.

We probably saw about 16 different immature bald eagles throughout the morning and once spotted no less than 6 eagles within the view of a single spotting scope Continue reading →

October 22nd, 2013 DATC Meeting

Leave a reply

The Duncannon Appalachian Trail Community Advisory Committee will hold its next meeting Tuesday, October 22nd at 6:30 PM in the Duncannon Christ Lutheran Church located at 115 Church Street. The church can be found at the intersection of Plum and Church streets. We should park in the gravel lot along Plum Street and use the entrance on the left side of the church to get to the meeting room in the basement/undercroft.

THERE WILL BE FREE PIZZA AND SODA! RSVP is not required but it’s greatly appreciated and helps us determine how much pizza we should buy.

Our agenda will focus on next year’s 2014 Duncannon A.T. Community Festival. We’ll also discuss fundraising, event promotion, vendor management, the progress we’ve made in the past months, and further increasing meeting attendance and volunteer participation.