Category Archives: Outdoor Opportunities

Get outdoors with people in the Duncannon community.

DOC Volunteers At Little Buffalo

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On December 6th it was raining very hard, trying to dampen the spirits of the Duncannon Outdoor Club volunteers helping to decorate the Little Buffalo State Park Christmas Trails. It did not stop us from an enjoyable helpful experience though. Some of us painted, others went through what seemed like miles and miles of lights looking for burnt out bulbs and lights that just no longer worked. Some of us were very brave and took to the outdoors to string the lights in the pouring down rain for 3 hours!

A great thank you to Elizabeth, Verilee, Peg, Luke, Rod, Hanna, and Kathleen for your efforts which were greatly appreciated.

DOC Hawk Mountain Hike Nov. 2014

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The weather for our November hike was a little cold. When we got there the thermometer registered 29 degrees, but once we got started things began to warm up. Our first stop was at the lookout on Lookout Trail. We spent a little time there looking for the raptors listed as migrating November 15th, which included: the Golden Eagle, Northern Harrier, Red-tailed Hawk, Rough-legged Hawk, Red-shouldered Hawk, Northern Goshawk, and Vulture. Continue reading →

Ricketts Glen Hike Review

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Duncannon Outdoor Club Group Photo at Ricketts Glen

The Duncannon Outdoor Club at Ricketts Glen

Our hike to Ricketts Glen State Park was a little wet, but we still had a great time.  Mother Nature rained on us off and on, but we did not let that dampen our spirits.  The falls were beautiful since it had rained a few days before and water levels were high.  You could hear the roar of the falls all along the trail.

We had the privilege to hear Judy Adamac, the park naturalist, as she spoke about the history of Ricketts Glen, past logging practices, trail safety, and the best way to hike the Falls Trail.  She recommended we change our plan and go down the less steep side and go up the steeper side since trails were so wet and slippery.  We followed her recommendation on the Falls Trail, but chose to hike Highland Trail back to the beach parking lot where we started instead of taking Bear Trail back.

We learned a lot about Colonel Robert Bruce Ricketts, who fought in the a Civil War.  At one time he  owned or had control over 80,000 acres of land Continue reading →

Duncannon Outdoor Club Nov. Hike at Hawk Mt.

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DOC LogoOn Sat., Nov. 15th join the Duncannon Outdoor Club (DOC) for a day at Hawk Mountain.   Learn about and observe raptors as they migrate.  We will then go on an average paced approximate 6 mile hike over rocky, rough and moderate terrain with two lookouts for a beautiful view.  There is a strenuous climb at the end of the trail we are going to be on, River Rock Trail.  Bring binoculars, water, a snack and lunch.  Cost is $6.40 if there are more than 10 people 13 years and older.  Otherwise, cost is $8.00 per person.  Meet at the Duncannon Family Health Center at 7:30 am. to carpool.  Alternately meet at the Kmart parking lot in Summerdale at 8:00 am.  Please reimburse drivers 10 cents to the mile for gas.  Distance is 59 miles.  Call 717-395-2462 or email dtakach@duncannonatc.org to register. Wear orange.

Litter Below Hawk Rock is Gone!

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Volunteers collected litter from Duncannon's Hawk Rock overllokAfter removing the graffiti from Hawk Rock and improving the trail below, there was only one thing keeping our cleanup project from being a complete success: the trash littering the base of Hawk Rock.  During our previous cleanup we picked up the trash far below Hawk Rock but we couldn’t climb all of the way up to the plateau just below it.   We needed an experienced climber to get to the most inaccessible areas and that’s where Kevin (The Axe Man) Dunleavy comes in.

Kevin is a skilled climber, caver and hiker who has accompanied the York Hiking Club and the Susquehanna Appalachian Trail Club on many trail maintenance outings.  Mr. Dunleavy kindly volunteered to help the DATC and the Mountain Club of Maryland by rappelling down the face of Hawk Rock and cleaning the unsightly mess caused by years of carelessly discarded litter.  After descending 65 feet to the base of the rock, he spent an hour filling a large trash bag with bottles, cans, food wrappers and miscellaneous garbage.  We then hauled the whole mess up and out of the woods where it was properly discarded along with our regular household trash.

It’s appalling to consider the fact that people can carry full and heavy containers UP the trail but they can’t be bothered to carry them DOWN once they are empty.  It’s sad really.  Some people don’t care or they just don’t know any better.  Fortunately, Duncannon is surrounded by good people who work hard to protect and preserve our outdoor natural resources!

Second Hawk Rock Cleanup a GREAT Success!

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The cleanest Hawk Rock has been in more than 35 years.

The cleanest Hawk Rock has been in more than 35 years.

Our second outing to clean the Hawk Rock area was a GREAT success thanks to the many wonderful volunteers who donated their time on a beautiful Sunday afternoon. I think almost everyone managed to get at least a gallon of water up to Hawk Rock.  We were hoping for 20 gallons of water at the top of the mountain but ended up with about 35 gallons and we used every last drop to blast off as much graffiti as possible. There’s still some paint left in the nooks and crannies but nothing is legible and you can see more of the rock’s natural color coming through.

Third Rock, the rock closer to the bottom third of the mountain, came out almost perfectly clean since it only had a couple layers of paint on it.

In addition to hauling water and removing graffiti, volunteers from Day Hikers of Central PA, Reddit, DATC, MCM and SATC also helped: trim back trail vegetation, clear water bars, slide a big rock off the trail in the avalanche area, fix the step at the bottom of the stairs just before Hawk Rock, and collect 2 HUGE bags of trash from below Hawk Rock. Continue reading →

DATC Newsletter – September 2014

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Duncannon AT Community SignTHE JUNE DATC FESTIVAL:  The DATC Festival went pretty well.  We probably had about twice as many people in attendance than we did last year, we had a lot more volunteers, vendors were happier, and everyone seemed to like the location on High Street.  I would say it was a successful collaboration between the Appalachian Trail and the Duncannon community.  We polled the vendors after the festival and we received overwhelmingly positive responses with almost all saying they would return for next year.  We still have plenty of room to grow and look forward to your cooperation and participation next year on Saturday, June 20th.

HAWK ROCK VANDALISM: Some time during Friday, August 1st, a lovestruck loser decided to proclaim his love by setting up a table and chairs at Hawk Rock, painting about 30 red hearts along the Appalachian Trail, painting graffiti on a large rock a third of the way up the mountain, and spray painting a love message across all of Hawk Rock.  You can read more about it here.  We also happen to have a pictue of a guy who might know something about it.

HAWK ROCK CLEANUP – PART 1: On Sunday, August 24th, the DATC, the Mountain Club of Maryland and the Appalachian Trail Conservancy joined together to remove a large amount of the new graffiti and some of the old stuff too.  Hawk Rock is looking better than it has in years but our work is not done yet.

HAWK ROCK CLEANUP – PART 2: We have scheduled another cleanup day for this coming Sunday September 14th, and we are asking volunteers to carry water and help with some light trail maintenance.  We will be at the Duncannon Recycling Center between 10AM and 2PM and you are welcome to come out and help us or just bring some water jugs and get to know us.  Either way, Continue reading →

Dog Friendly Hike – Learn About Ticks and Lyme Disease

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On Sat., Sept. 13th the Duncannon Outdoor Club will be bushwhacking 2 miles over moderate to easy terrain at an average pace on the Takach property outside of Duncannon. This is a dog friendly hike. Dogs must be friendly toward other dogs and people. This hike will be limited to 10 dogs with no more than 2 dogs per hiker. You do not have to have a dog to attend this hike. All hikers are welcome. We will be learning about ticks and Lyme disease. Wear long pants and bring water. This hike is appropriate for hikers ages 8 and up. Call 395-2462 or email dtakach@duncannonatc.org to register. We will be meeting at the Duncannon Family Health Center to carpool at 9:00 am.

Cattail Hike

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Prior to our hike we got to examine the cattail and discuss how it can benefit us. Then we proceeded on the 3 mile cross country course behind the Susquenita High School. It is a well kept and well marked trail due to the efforts of Coach Rick Knepp and his helpers. While a moderate hike, some of the hills proved strenuous, especially the hill referred to as the “Demoralizer”, it would prove challenging for a runner as well as a hiker.

Why did Euell Gibbons call the cattail “The Supermarket Plant of the Swamps”? It gets its name because some part of it is edible year round. Parts of the plant have other uses too besides gracing your table.

In the spring the inner core of the first shoots can be used like celery. When the shoots are 2 feet high you can pull out the soft white core eat it raw, boiled, or in salads. The roots can be made into flour which will be discussed in more detail later in this article. Continue reading →

DOC June Scavenger Hunt Family Hike

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On Sat., June 21st the Duncannon Outdoor Club (DOC) will be hiking at the Cornerstone Trails.  This is a slower paced 1.14 mile hike through woods and fields mostly on wide paths.  It is a hike for the whole family, especially for children ages 5 and up.  Try and find as many things as you can to check off your scavenger list.  Meet at the Cornerstone Christian Church in Duncannon at 9:00 am.  Call 834-9216 or email dtakach@duncannonatc.org to register.  Afterward attend the Duncannon Appalachian Trail Festival (Duncannon Blast) from noon to 4:00 pm on High Street in Duncannon.