In This Issue: Prowl The Sproul IV - Kettle Creek Trail The 2007 - 2008 PA Hunting Season Begins Soon Mid State Trail Maps Go Full Color Hiking Tip - Starting a Fire on the Trail Announcements - Hiking Organizations & Outing Clubs Deal of the Month - Komperdell Contour Titanal Airshock Trekking Poles Prowl The Sproul IV - Kettle Creek Trail During the weekend of July 20th to July 22nd, DCNR Bureau of Forestry, Keystone Trails Association and PA Parks & Forests Foundation sponsored the 4th annual Prowl the Sproul Hiking Weekend. The weekend was dedicated to hiking and eating, with a pancake breakfast and picnic supper on Saturday. Guided hikes of different lengths and difficulties were available from 2 miles to 15 miles with easy, family-friendly strolls and boot-buster climbs. The event took place on the grounds of the Western Clinton Sportsmen's Association. I managed to participate on one of the guided hikes on Saturday. The hike was a circuit hike called the Kettle Creek Loop Trail. The trail shared a section with the Donut Hole Trail. The Donut Hole Trail traverses most of Clinton County, beginning in the town of Sinnemahoing and ending in the town of Farrandsville, just north of Lock Haven. The entire hike was 7.4 miles in length. We climbed and descended over 1200 feet, but the trail was routed in a way that the ascents and descents were gradual and easy. If you are looking for a moderate hike to do, set aside about 4 hours of your day and schedule a trip to Kettle Creek State Park. This was my first hike in this section of Pennsylvania and I was impressed with the area and the landscape. I am definitely going to put the Donut Hole Trail on my short list of hikes that I want to do. [LINK TO TRIP REPORT AND PHOTOS] The 2007 - 2008 PA Hunting Season Begins Soon It may still be the hot, humid days of summer, but Pennsylvania hunting season will soon start. This means that hikers need to take extra precaution when in the woods during these times. Anytime you are hiking in the woods during hunting seasons, you should make sure you have some blaze orange on your person. If you find yourself hiking across state game lands, blaze orange is required during the months of November and December. It is recommended that you wear at least 250 square inches on your head, chest, or back combined, visible from 360 degrees. The first hunting season that hikers need to contend with is that of elk. Elk hunting season starts September 3rd and runs until the 29th. Not long after elk season, archery season for deer begins on September 15th. Please be aware of the various hunting seasons, and remember, hunting is not allowed on Sundays, making this the safest day to go take a hike. [VIEW THE 2007-2008 PENNSYLVANIA HUNTING SEASONS] Mid State Trail Maps Go Full Color The latest updates to the Mid State Trail's maps is now printed in full color. This map (307-310) if printed back to back in full color on water-proof vinyl, making them ideal for on the trail. Map 307-310 covers from US 22 to Poe Paddy State Park, plus inset maps of the Greenwood Spur and the Reeds Gap spur, all at 1:50,000 scale. Also included with this map is large scale inset map (1:25,000) of the trails in Shingletown Gap area near State College. These individual color maps can be purchased from the Mid State Trail Association. Price of the map is $8.00 (plus tax and shipping). [ORDER YOUR COPY OF MAP 307-310 FROM THE MSTA] Hiking Tip - Starting a Fire on the Trail Here are a couple tips on starting a fire when you are hiking. If it has recently rained or is raining, look for dead limbs and wood still attached to a tree. It will be much drier than dead wood laying on the ground. Look for a fallen birch tree or a dead birch tree where the bark is falling off. Birch bark is great for starting a fire even if it’s somewhat damp. Take along some cotton balls lubed up with petroleum jelly. Keep them in a ziplock baggy and use one to start your next fire. Announcements - Hiking Organizations & Outing Clubs September 15 , 2007: Absorb The Forbes II Join in on another outing event sponsored by DCNR, the Keystone Trail Association and the PA Parks & Forests Foundation. Eleven guided hikes are scheduled, ranging in difficulty from easy to moderate, including a 14 mile trek on the Laurel Highlands Trail. [LINK TO MORE INFORMATION ABOUT ABSORB THE FORBES] September 28-30 , 2007: Keystone Trail Association Annual Meeting and Hiking Weekend This year's KTA annual meeting is being held at the Blue Knob Ski Resort, just up the mountain from the Blue Knob State Park. A weekend full of hiking as well as educational series such as "Edible Plants of Pennsylvania" is scheduled. [MORE INFORMATION AT THE KEYSTONE TRAIL ASSOCIATION WEBSITE] September 14-16 , 2007: KTA Trail Care Salt Springs State Park Base camp: Salt Springs State Park. Contact Joe Healey (jnlhealey@aol.com) if you are interested in helping out. Do you or your hiking organization or outing club have information that you'd like to share? Planning a trip, fund raiser, or future trail maintenance? Then let the "Go Take A Hike" e-Newsletter help. Submit your announcements to webmaster@pahikes.com. We will post all announcements here each month for everyone to see. [SUBMIT YOUR ANNOUNCEMENTS TO THE WEBMASTER] Deal of the Month - Komperdell Contour Titanal Airshock Trekking Poles Komperdell Contour Titanal Airshock trekking poles help protect your joints! The ultra light Komperdell absorbing system is based on the principle of a 4-level barometer. Airshock represents an extremely soft, progressive suspension system. This system can be individually fitted to every user. With Komperdell's Airshock on/Off system it is simple to activate or deactivate the suspension. Lock the mechanism while hiking uphill. This prevents the transfer of energy into compressing the Airshock system and gives you more power to climb. Activate the mechanism while hiking downhill. This will lessen the impact on your wrists, and arms, as well as help remove the stress of the descent from your knees and legs. With a suggested retail price of $159.00, these top-of-the-line trekking poles by Komperdell are on sale throughout the month of August for $125.99. As a subscriber to this e-Newsletter, you can Save an additional $20 off the already low price, picking up these state-of-the-art trekking poles for the unheard price of $105.99. Use Coupon Code GTAH08 during checkout to take advantage of this Deal of the Month. Coupon expires 9/30/2007. Only one coupon/coupon code per order. Some coupons can only be used once. Other restrictions may apply. This exclusive Deal of the Month offer is only valid for "Go Take A Hike" e-Newsletter subscribers. [KOMPERDELL CONTOUR TITANAL AIRSHOCK TREKKING POLES AT THE HIKING SPOT]     www.pahikes.com www.thehikingspot.com The Hiking Spot 290 South Main St. Pleasant Gap, PA 16823 (814) 359-4389 webmaster@pahikes.com Click on the link below to unsubscribe