On Sat., April 16th – Come to an adult, family, kid, dog friendly 3 mile average paced hike on easy terrain at the Wildwood Nature Center. See how many items you can cross off your observation card. Dogs must be leased. Bring water, a snack, and binoculars. We will meet at 9:00 am. at the Duncannon Family Health Center to carpool or alternately at the nature center at 9:30 am. Call 395-2462 or email dtakach@duncannonatc.org to register.
The world-famous Doyle Hotel needs your help!
If you have ever been to The Doyle, if you have ever imagined going to The Doyle, if you know someone with a great story about The Doyle; then you know how important this iconic landmark is to the local community and the hiking community at large. More than a thousand “seasoned” (code word for “smelly”) through-hikers are expected to visit the Doyle Hotel this year to pay their respect to both the establishment and the quirky couple who has devoted the past 15 years of their lives to serving hikers from around the world as well as local friends and families.
The legendary Doyle is in need of your immediate support to ensure that its legacy can carry on throughout the near and distant future. A slower-than-usual winter season has placed the owners Pat and Vickey Kelly in dire financial straights. Fortunately, some of their friends have started a GoFundMe page to rally supporters from far and wide to take action before it’s too late.
More information about their plight can be found at The Doyle Facebook page, Fox 43 News, ABC 27 News, PennLive.com, Penn Live’s Facebook post, DATC’s Facebook Post, this video interview, and most importantly, The Doyle’s GoFundMe page. Spread the word and share as many of these links as you possibly can. We need this to spread beyond the local Duncannon community and proliferate throughout the wild and wonderful community of past, present and future Appalachian Trail hikers. This won’t be an easy task but we all know that every difficult journey begins with a single step. Share the story and support The Doyle today!
March 12th – Come to the Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area to observe and learn about the thousands of Snow Geese and Tundra Swans as they migrate to this important way station. Then hike an average-paced 6 mile hike over moderate to easy terrain on a series of trails that form a loop back to the visitor’s center. There are 2 climbs ranging from 300 ft to 400 ft. Meet at the Duncannon Family Health Center to carpool at 8:30 a.m. or alternately at the K-Mart parking lot at 9:00am. Call 395-2462 or email dtakach@duncannonatc.org to register. Please reimburse drivers 10 cents per mile and for turnpike tolls. Bring your cameras and binoculars if you have them.
Feb. 20th – Join the DOC at the Stoney Valley Rail Trail for an average paced 4 mile hike on flat terrain. We will be discussing Leave No Trace and Hiking Etiquette. The hike will consist of a walk two mile in and back for a total of 4 miles. This hike will be canceled if snow makes it impossible to gain access to the Stoney Valley Trail, in that the dirt road may not be maintained. Wear orange. Meet at the Duncannon Family Health Center at 9:00 am. or alternately at Dauphin Park and Ride at 9:30 am. Call 395-2462 or email dtakach@duncannonatc.org to register.
Schedule: The Duncannon Outdoor Club will host a hike every third Saturday of each Month. The time of day when the hike occurs will depend on the hike event for that particular Saturday. Dates may change due to conflicts. Call Deb Takach at 395-2462 or email dtakach@duncannonatc.org to register for any of the following hikes. the ground make sure to wear hiking boots and if you have micro spikes or yak tracks bring them. Learn about the White Tailed Deer. Meet at the Duncannon Family Health Center at 9:00 am. or alternately at Little Buffalo Office parking lot at 9:30am. Call 395-2462 or email dtakach@duncannonatc.org to register.
Feb. 20th – Come to an average paced in and out hike on the Stoney Valley Rail Trail for a total of 4 miles on easy terrain. We will be discussing Leave No Trace and hiking etiquette. Meet at 9:00 at the Duncannon Family Health Center or alternately at the Dauphin Park and Ride at 9:30 am. Call 395-2462 or email dtakach@duncannonatc.org to register.
Mar. 12th – Come to the Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area and observe the migration of thousands of Snow Geese and Tundra Swans as they touch down at this important way station. Then hike an average paced 6 mile hike over moderate to easy terrain on a series of trails that form a loop back to the visitor’s center. There are 2 climbs ranging from 300 to 400 ft. Meet at the Duncannon Family Health Center to carpool at 8:30 am or alternately at the Kmart parking lot at 9:00am. Call 395-2462 or email dtakach@duncannonatc.org to register. Please reimburse drivers 10 cents per mile and for turnpike tolls. Bring your cameras and binoculars if you have them.
April 16th – Come to a family, kid, dog friendly 3 mile average paced hike on easy terrain at the Wildwood Nature Center. See how many items you can cross off your observation card. Dogs must be leased. Meet at the Duncannon Family Health Center at 9:00 am to carpool or alternately at the nature center at 9:30 am. Call 395-2462 or email dtakach@duncannonatc.org to register.
May 14th – Come a kid friendly scavenger hunt at the Cornerstone Christian Church Trails for a leisurely paced 1.43 mile hike over easy terrain. See how many hidden things can be found along the trail. This hike is appropriate for children 5 and up. Adults without children are also welcome. Meet at the Cornerstone Christian Church, Duncannon at 10:00 am. Call 395-2462 or email dtakach@duncannonatc.org to register.
June 12th (Sunday) – Join the DOC on a canoe trip from Blue Mountain Outfitters (BMO) to West Fairview for an opportunity to observe the egrets, cormorants, and herons raise their young on Wade Island. This trip will be under the guidance of Blue Mountain Outfitters with a cost of $29.40 per person for a group of 10, and $31.80 for less. Call 395-2462 or email dtakach@duncannonatc.org to register. We will meet at the Duncannon Family Health Center to carpool at 9:00 am. or alternately at BMO at 9:30 am.
July 16th – Join us for two, 1 mile hikes at Big Spring State Park in Blain. Witness the dying giant Hemlocks, and then hike to an unfinished railroad tunnel. Both hikes are average paced over moderate terrain. Bring a lunch. Learn about the Wooly Adelgid and how it is endangering our state tree, the Hemlock. Meet at the Duncannon Family Health Center at 10:00 am. to carpool. Please pay drivers 10 cents per mile for gas (80 miles total). Call 395-2462 or email dtakach@duncannonatc.org to register.
Aug. 20th – Hike from Scotts Farm to Sherwood Drive and back for a total of 2 miles on easy terrain at an average pace. We will learn to identify the different forms of poison ivy and poison sumac. We will be meeting at 9:00 am. at the Duncannon Family Health Center. Call 395-2462 or email dtakach@duncannonatc.org to register. This is a dog friendly hike, however, dogs must be leashed.
Sept. 17th – Hike up Hawk Rock at night. Bring flashlights or headlamps. We will be hiking in and out for a total of two miles over moderate to strenuous terrain at an average pace. At the top take in the view of Duncannon and the Juniata, Susquehanna rivers. Once at the top we will learn about the elusive critter the Porcupine. Meet at 7:00 pm. at the AT trailhead to Hawk Rock (across from Tubby’s Nightclub). Call 395-2462 or email dtakach@duncannonatc.org to register.
Oct. 15th – Join the DOC for a 3 mile average paced night hike through the wooded cross country trails behind Susquenita High School. The terrain is moderate to strenuous with a few short climbs. Stop at the abandoned cemetery for some scary stories told by Wilhalmina Dorotheea Roskabower Kaufman. Bring a sit upon if you wish to sit during the story telling. Bring flashlights or headlamps. Meet at the left side of the Susquenita High School Parking lot closest to the building at 7:00 pm. (309 Schoolhouse Rd. Duncannon – along 11/15) Call 395-2462 or email dtakach@duncannonatc.org to register.
Nov. 20th Want to learn how to identify trees? Come out for a hike with the DOC as we learn the secrets to tree identification. We will hike in and out for a total of 2 miles at an average pace over easy terrain off RT325 on state game lands. Make sure to wear orange. Meet at the Duncannon Family Health Center at 9:00 am to carpool or alternately at 9:30 am. at the intersection of RT225 and RT325 (parking area 40.38867,-76.94168). Call 648-8226 or email psmith@duncannonatc.org to register.
Dec. 17th – Come to Pine Grove Furnace and hike from the furnace stack to Railroad Bed Road, to Pole Steeple, and the Appalachian Trail for a 7 mile average paced loop hike on moderate to strenuous terrain. Learn about Lyme Disease and how PA has been the number one state for the most infections for the last 5 years. Bring micro spikes or Yak Tracks if you have them and there is snow on the mountain tops as we will be climbing a mountain that raises 500 feet in three quarters of a mile. We will meet at 8:30 am. at the Duncannon Family Health Center to carpool or alternately at the furnace stack parking lot at Pine Grove Furnace around 9:30 am. Call 395-2462 or email dtakach@duncannonatc.org to register. Wear orange.
Have you made your New Year’s resolutions? Are you planning to lose weight, get in shape, eat less, or exercise more? Join us on New Year’s Day and put your resolution to the test (res-o-lu-tion: noun: 1. The state or quality of being resolute; firm determination, 2. A serious decision to do something).
While I hope to be hiking up and down the mountain more than a few times, I won’t actually be “leading” the hike. This is essentially a self-lead hike; meaning that it’s just you, the mountain, and your desire to achieve your own personal goals. Of course you’re welcome to hike with others if you’d like but that’s completely up to you.
The hike starts at 9AM but you can arrive any time before 1PM since I plan on being there for a while. Leave a comment below if you’d like to join us for a great start to the new year. Thanks.
*If enough people sign up for this hike, there will be free hot chocolate!*
Time: Friday, January 1, 2016, 9:00 a.m.
Location: Duncannon Watershed Parking Lot
Address: 98 Watershed Drive, Duncannon, PA,
Coordinates: 40.383024, -77.033445
Directions: Park near the fenced-in recycling center, enter the woods near the Duncannon Borough trash can and Keep Hawk Rock Beautiful sign, then walk up the hill. DON’T turn left at the white-blazed Appalachian Trail, just walk straight up the AT to the top.
TRAIL INFORMATION
Height: The trail gains about 750 feet of elevation from the parking lot to the top of the mountain. To put that in perspective, the new One World Trade Center skyscraper is about 1,368 feet tall at the roof and has about 104 thirteen-foot-tall stories. That means walking up to the top of this mountain is like walking 58 stories (or 55% of the way) up Tower 1. If you walk up and down this mountain twice, you will have gained more elevation than walking to the top floor of the tallest building in the western hemisphere.
Distance: The trail from the bottom to the top is about .9 miles (nine tenths of a mile) long so walking up and down is a 1.8 mile out-and-back hike. It’s not even 2 miles long, so how hard can it really be?
Steepness: The trail has an average grade of 16%. That means that it’s on an angle of about 14.4 degrees. There are very few flat areas and even fewer short declines; in other words, it’s nearly a constant, perpetual, and unending uphill battle.
Terrain: Appalachian Trail through-hikers don’t call Pennsylvania “Rocksylvania” without good reason. There are plenty of big jagged rocks eager to claw at your feet on the way to Hawk Rock, so be sure to wear a sturdy pair of hiking shoes or boots. On the positive side, recent trail improvements have added hundreds of new steps to make the climb a bit more hospitable. But just a bit.
Weather: It’s going to be cold. And probably wet, or snowing, or icy…who knows, maybe all three. It’s winter. Suck it up.
Safety: You’re in the woods…with hunters…who want to shoot something. Don’t be that something. Wear orange.
The View:
For more information about this trail, visit the Hawk Rock webpage.
On Saturday, December 19th join the DOC for a night out at the Litte Buffalo State Park’s Christmas Trails. This event is for the whole family, especially the little ones. Learn where common animals go in the winter and then walk the quarter mile trail lit with lights and decorated with many Christmas displays. Stop at the North Pole for hot chocolate and cookies on the way. We will be meeting at the Duncannon Family Health Center at 6:30 pm. to carpool. Alternatively meet at the park office at 7:00 pm. Call 395-2462 or email dtakach@duncannonatc.org to register. Donations for the trail will be accepted and a small fee may be asked for the hot chocolate and cookies.
On Saturday, December 5th join the DOC as they help decorate the Little Buffalo State Park’s Christmas Trail from1:00 pm. to 4:00pm. Meet at the Duncannon Family Health Center at 12:30 pm. or alternatively at the park office at 1:00pm. Call Deb at 395-2462 or email dtakach@duncannonatc.org to register.
On Sat., Nov. 21st learn about the Kittatinny Ridge and the 5 water gaps as we hike at Waggoner’s Gap View and watch the migration of raptors. Then we will hike a mile in and back for a total of 2 miles on the Tuscarora Trail at a leisurely pace. The terrain is VERY rocky so we will take our time. Call 395-2462 or email dtakach@duncannonatc.org to register. We will meet at the Duncannon Family Health Center to carpool at 9:00 am.
![smallbrownbat707.JPG[1]](https://duncannonatc.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/smallbrownbat707.JPG1_.jpg)
Little Brown Bat
On October 24th join the DOC for a moon lit hike up Peter’s Mountain. The 4 mile hike will be on moderate to strenuous terrain at an average pace. Learn about the Little Brown Bat and why 98% of them have expired in Pennsylvania and other states. Bring headlamps or flashlights. Meet at the Clarks Ferry AT parking lot (40.395767,-77.00871) at 6:30 pm. Call 395-2462 or email dtakach@duncannonatc.org to register.