Did you ever want to hike up Hawk Rock but were afraid you wouldn’t make it or the kids couldn’t handle it?  Or, were you afraid of holding other hikers up?

National Family Hiking Day is Sept., Sat. 28^th and a chance to hike Hawk Rock at variable paces and levels. The hike leader will be the last person up and back providing the opportunity for friends and families of all levels.  Distance is 1.5 to 2 miles.  Elevation is 700 ft. with some rocks and steep rock steps.  We will meet at 9:00 am. at the Duncannon Recycling Center on Watershed Drive. Call Deb at 717-395-2462 or email at dtakach@duncannonatc.org to register.

On Sat., July 13^th come on a day trip and hike the falls at Rickets Glen State Park for an average paced 7.2 mile hike on moderate to strenuous terrain.  We will look for summer flowers as we hike up the mountain by the Northeast Falls Trail, across the Highland Trail and down the Southwest Falls Trail.  You must have appropriate footwear as the falls trails are wet and slippery. This hike has many steps and some narrow trails.  Pack a lunch, water, and camera for some great pictures.  Hiking poles are encouraged.  Please reimburse drivers 10 cents per mile for the 190 mile trip.  Meet at the Clarks Ferry Bridge Rte. 147 AT parking at 8 am.  Call Deb at 717-395-2462 or email dtakach@duncannonatc.org to register.  

On Sat., June 8th^th join the DOC on a canoe/kayak trip from Blue Mountain Outfitters (BMO) to West Fairview for an opportunity to observe the nesting birds on Wade Island where egrets, cormorants, and herons raise their young and also learn about invasive water species.   Cost is $12.50 if you bring your own boat.  Rent a kayak for $45.00 plus a $7.50 shuttle fee, a two man kayak for $65.00 plus $7.50 for each person, or a canoe for $45.00 plus $7.50 each person.  Tax is not included in these figures.  Call Deb at 717-395-2462 or email dtakach@duncannonatc.org to register.  We will meet at BMO along Route 11/15 in Marysville at 11:30 am.  Please RSVP by June 5^th.

On Sun., April 14^th the Duncannon Outdoor Club is  sponsoring an average paced 9 mile loop hike over easy to moderate terrain at the Weiser State Forest -Haldeman Track.  Much of the hike will be on dirt roads with a gradual ascent of about 700 ft. in elevation.  Once at the top, we will follow the mountain ridge to a beautiful view at a hang glider site then descent 800 ft. back to the starting point.   Pokeweed and its uses will be the theme for discussion.  Meet at the Geisinger Holy Spirit Duncannon Health Center at 9:00 am. or alternately at Route 147 AT /Clarks Ferry Parking (40.395767,-77.00871) at 9:15 am.  Call Deb at 717-395-2462 or email dtakach@duncannonatc.org to register.  

This past fall a few of us braved the weather and left for World’s End State Park even though it was pouring. It rained the entire way there but let up when we arrived. We even got luckier when the sun blessed us with its appearance after lunch.

We started the hike along the creek on Canyon Vista Trail. The trail shortly meandered up a very steep mountain, where we stopped for some nice shots of our surroundings.

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Once at the top we got a view of the canyon; taking a moment for more photo opportunities.

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After lunch at the top we started down the mountain until we hooked up with LInk Trail. From Link Trail we went on the Double Run Nature Trail, where we were graced with many beautiful waterfalls as we finished the loop,

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After we left the falls we picked up the Loyalsock Tail which proved a rather strenuous, very rocky hike up hill. There were so many large rocks, the only way we could tell where the trail went was the marks on the trees. Fortunately, the up hill climb was not very long, before we picked up the Canyon Vista Trail again and returned to the start for a total of 7.5 miles.

Our Theme for the event was Galls. Galls are weird bumps growing on stems, leaves, and buds of flowers that come in many sizes, colors and shapes. They usually form when a female fly, midge, wasp, or another female insect lays her egg on or in a plant. However, not all galls are started by insects. Some are started by mites, cousins of arachnids, tiny worms, called nematodes, or by fungi or bacteria.

Galls created by insects start to grow once the insect egg hatches and the young insect secretes a chemical on the plant which causes the plant to grow around the insect. This provides a place to live and food to eat. By the time the young insect eats its way to the outside of the gall it has turned into an adult. That is why many empty galls will have a small hole in them where the adult insect chewed its way out.

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Galls not only serve as food for the host but are also eaten by birds and other animals like squirrels and mice. Sometimes another insect will eat the gall and also the host or original home owner! So even though many insects choose a certain kind of plant to lay their egg on, one should not assume the emerging insect is the original perpetrator.

When warm weather comes around and you get out and about, keep your eye out for those galls!

Although a number of hikers opted out due to the forecast for snow, a few hikers braved the weather forecast and went in search of animal tracks and signs at Detweiler Park in Dauphin County. Snow was still on the ground which aided our goal of finding various animal tracks.

A discussion on track identification and a group activity on movement patterns was provided at the onset. Tracking guides and informative handouts were also provided prior to starting our venture into the woods. Armed with our knowledge and tracking guides we hit the trails!

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Tracking and looking for animal signs is a great year round way to exercise and investigate your surroundings. A serious tracker usually follows some basic steps, some of which are listed below:

1. Determine the movement pattern
2. Notice the distance from one side print to another (width of the animal, the straddle)
3. Measure the size of a print (http://www.pgc.state.pa.us available track measurement guide, Tracks In Your Backyard)
4. Notice how many toes are present
5. Check for claw marks
6. Check surroundings for signs: what was the animal doing,where was it going, are there food remnants, trails, fur or feathers, scats and if so what are the contents of the scats? etc.

There are four basic movement patterns for mammals in the tracking world. Unfortunately, terminology can vary.

The Waddler is often referred to as a Pacer, while the Walker/Trotter is often called the Diagonal Pattern or Straight Walker. Then there are the Bounders and Gallop pattern which is also labeled a Hopper. For the sake of clarity Waddler, Walker/Trotter, Bounder and Hopper terms will be used in this article.

Waddlers walk slowly on flat feet and have heavy bodies and short legs. They move both feet on one side of the body one at a time, then shift their weight to move each foot on the other side. Tracks show both the smaller front foot and the larger hind foot with the hind foot often overstepping the front foot. Common waddlers are bears, beavers, porcupines, raccoons, muskrats, and woodchucks. Skunks are often labeled waddlers but are not true waddlers, since they also amble with a looping stroll as well as hop for short distances.

Walker/Trotters have a body length from shoulder to rump equal to the length of their legs. They walk smoothly on their toes or hooves by moving the front foot on one side of the body and then the back foot on the other side; repeating this pattern starting with the front foot on the other side. Members of this group include the cat family, dog family, and hoofed animals. They also can trot which involves moving the right front foot and left rear foot simultaneously and then switching to the left front foot and the right rear foot resulting in a straight line track pattern and a brief moment when air born. Walkers/Trotters often leave only their hind tracks when moving, since they place their back foot directly on the track of the front foot. This pattern is called a direct register. When both the front and back tracks are visible it is referred to as an indirect register. Predators are known for walking with a direct register.

Bounders  have short legs and long bodies and move like an accordion. Crouching and jumping off their hind feet they become air born. Fully stretching their bodies, they land one front foot prior to the other,for a brief moment, before the back two feet take the place of the front feet. Track patterns of bounders usually show only hind prints. Occasionally, there are three tracks when one of the hind feet does not register directly on the front track. All mammals of this group are members of the weasel family which includes: the least weasel, shorttail weasel, longtail weasel, mink, marten fisher, and otter.

Hoppers have large hind feet which are much longer then the front feet. By pushing off with the hind feet, they land on the front feet and swing the back feet ahead of the front, resulting in four tracks with the hind prints ahead of the front prints. This group includes the rodent family such as: mice, shrews, voles, moles, squirrels, and chipmunks. The lagomorph (rabbits) are also considered hoppers.

Taking measurements can also help one identify what creature created the print. The width from one side print to another side print (the straddle) and the actual size of a print helps one narrow down the possibilities. For instance, if you determine a track is that of the dog family it helps to know that coyotes are larger than red foxes, which are bigger than gray foxes, Dogs, however, come in all sizes and one would have to use other clues to determine which member of the dog family made the print. Did you find it in a park or in the middle of the woods?

A track itself can speak volumes. Tracks from the cat family do not have claw marks, while the dog family tracks do. Members of the cat and dog families have four toes. Most other animals have five toes except for members of the rodent family who have five toes on the hind feet and four on the front. Bird tracks usually show four toes, three facing forward and one back. Rabbit and squirrel tracks can look similar since they are both hoppers, however, the front feet tracks of a squirrel will be side by side, and the front feet tracks of the rabbit will be diagonal. Raccoon tracks look like human hands. Opossums’ hind feet have opposing thumbs evident in the print. Hoofed animals, such as deer and moose, have heart shaped tracks that may or may not have two circular impressions toward the back of the track. These impressions are made by dew claws. When dew claw impressions are present it may indicate a big heavy animal, usually a buck. Animal tracks may also include tail impressions; often evident in the tracks of shrews, mice, possums, and muskrats.

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There are many clues that can assist you in the identification of animal tracks, some of which are listed below:

1. Antler rub – smaller trees where bark as been rubbed off by buck antlers
2. Antler Shed – deer antlers on the ground shortly after rutting season, hard to find since quickly eaten for high content of protein, minerals and calcium
3. Bed – were an animal rests regularly, look at size, shape, construction,
4. Browse – when an animal or groups of animals eat a particular plant or tree, look at type of food, teeth marks, location of marks, (twigs eaten by rabbits will show a clear cut)
5. Claw marks – marks of an animals claws on trees or on the ground
6. Debarking – removal of bark in small or large patches from trees and logs to gain access to inner bark layers, (often done by porcupines high in trees and at the bottom of trees by rabbits)
7. Dig – when an animal digs in snow, leaves, underbrush, or the ground in search for food
8. Food remnants – remainders of a meal, what was the animal eating, what creature eats this type of food
9. Hair/Quills – often an animal’s hair or quills can be found on trails, near dens, and in scat
10. Hole/Den – a dwelling built into the earth, look at size, shape, and construction, usually dug by woodchucks, fox, porcupines, all weasels, and small rodents. Note: Rabbits do not dig holes!
11. Incisor Scrape – upward tears made by members of the deer family when removing bark from trees and biting off limbs, (twigs eaten by deer have a clear cut on one side of the end and be shredded on the other)
12. Kill Sights – where a predator has killed an animal, look at how the animal was killed, eaten, etc.
13. Lay – where an animal slept or rested once, look at size, shape, and construction
14. Lodge – dwelling constructed of branches, small trees, and mud, ex. a beaver,
15. Midden – conifer wings left in a pile after seeds are eaten by a squirrel
    (mice scatter the wings around when eating seeds out of a pine cone)
16. Nest – a swelling built of leaves, brush, and small branches, usually in or on a tree, ex birds and squirrels, Note: hummingbirds build their nests out of spider webbing and lichen
17. Run – the path of one type or multiple types of animals used over and over again, look at tracks, size of path, and where it leads
18. Scats – animal feces, look at shape, size, age, and what is in it – bones, hair, bark, seeds, bugs, etc.
19. Scrape – process of scraping the ground and scenting it with urine The deer family does this during rutting season.
20. Track – the actual paw/hoof/foot print
21. Trail – where an animal has walked once

Now it is time to take this knowledge to the fields and forests. Have fun.

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On Sat., Feb. 16th the Duncannon Outdoor Club (DOC) will be hiking an average paced, out and back hike on moderate to relatively flat terrain for a total of six miles.  Dogs are welcome on leash if friendly.  We will be learning about foxes.  Meet at the Geisinger Holy Spirit Duncannon Center at 9:00 am. or alternately at the Stony Ridge Park, 50 Bernheisel Bridge Road (by the pavilion), Carlisle, PA at 9:30 am.  Call Deb at 717-395-2462 to register or email dtakach@duncannonatc.org.

You may ask, “What does an Appalachian Trail Community/Outdoor Club have in common with a business specializing in Off Highway Vehicles?” Well, the (DATC/DOC) and Extreme Terrain, an all terrain outfitter at http://extremeterrain.com, both have a following of outdoor enthusiasts who love activities off highway, both have an impact on the environment through use, and both attempt to diminish that impact by implementing solutions.

The DATC/DOC implements policies such as Leave No Trace, maintains trails, discourages rogue trails, and educates the public about the Appalachian Trail and the outdoors through events and articles.

The Extreme Terrain gives back to non-industry related charities through sponsorships and monetary donations. Scholarships are awarded to students majoring in Environmental Studies, Research, Land Use, Earth and Atmosphere Studies, Sustainable Land Management, Parks and Recreation, or Sustainable Agriculture Systems, or a related field.

Extreme Terrain also established a Clean Trail Grant Project where Grant Recipients receive $250.00 to clean up both off road trails and nature preserves (https:/www.extremeterrain.com/clean-trail-initiative:program,html) . The DATC/DOC is a proud recipient of said grant and plan on utilizing the monies to purchase equipment needed to maintain the Eagles Edge Trail.

Thank you Extreme Terrain!

On Sat., January 19th participate with the Duncannon Outdoor Club for an average paced 4 mile, dog friendly hike on easy to moderate terrain at the new Detweiler Park in Dauphin county.  The theme for discussion is animal tracks and signs,  Meet at the Geisinger Holy Spirit Duncannon Center at 9:00 am. or alternately at the Dauphin County Agriculture and Natural Resources enter at 1451 Peters Mountain RD, Dauphin, PA at 9:30 am.  Call Deb at 717-395-2462 or  email Deb at dtakach@duncannonatc.org to register.  Hope to see you there!

On Sat., Dec. 15th Come to Little Buffalo State Park for an average paced 5.5 mile hike over moderate and strenuous terrain.  We will be learning about where animals go in winter. There are approximately 8 short climbs and one big one.  This hike is not for beginners.  The last half mile we get to look at all the wooden Christmas caricatures that line the trail.    Meet at the Geisinger Holy Spirit Duncannon Center at 9:00 am. to carpool or alternately at Little Buffalo Park Office at 9:30 am. Call Deb at 717- 395-2462 or email dtakach@duncannonatc.org to register.