Tag Archives: Photos

Second Hawk Rock Cleanup a GREAT Success!

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

Hawk Rock Vandalism

Amazing panoramic view from Duncannon PA's Hawk Rock, summer 2014Nearly every Duncannon resident has been up to Hawk Rock at some point in their life.  The people of Duncannon are lucky to have what is often considered one of the best views in the state of Pennsylvania with its wide open natural vista showing Duncannon Borough, the Susquehanna and Juniata river confluence, and the Clarks Ferry Bridge off to the right.  Shermans Creek is immediately below with Orchard Hill, Dicks Ridge, Mahanoy Ridge, Hickory Ridge, and the Tuscarora Mountain ridges trailing off into the distance.  So why isn’t this beautiful vista more popular among hikers and tourists?

Hawk Rock is a great place to go to enjoy nature’s beauty as it spreads out both far and wide but when seen up close, the rock itself is an ugly mess plagued by layer upon layer of graffiti and the area directly below is littered with years upon years of trash.

Here is how Hawk Rock has looked in the past:

Normally I don’t show pictures of Hawk Rock graffiti because I dislike giving vandals any publicity but the most recent incident was too terrible to ignore.  Some misguided Romeo decided that the best way he could declare his devotion to his beloved “Anna” was by Continue reading

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