In This Issue: High Above Friends Cove on the Mid State Trail The Middle Ridge Trail of the John P. Saylor Trail The Mid State Trail Association Celebrates Its 25th Anniversary Guided Hikes Highlight Foliage and Elk in Moshannon State Forest Hiking Tip - Sleeping Bags and Colder Weather Announcements - Hiking Organizations & Outing Clubs Deal of the Month - Free Shipping on Orders over $100 High Above Friends Cove on the Mid State Trail Wanting to venture a little further from home, in Central Pennsylvania, I decided to hike a short section of the Mid State Trail in the Everett Region. I was looking for some photos to take on the Mid State in this area, and it was recommended that I hike a section of the trail that looks down upon Friends Cove, a peacefully little valley that extends southwest from Everett. The entire hike was about 3.9 miles. The trail was a pleasant to hike and I would probably explore this section of the Mid State Trail more if I lived closer. I would recommend this to anyone that is looking for a nice stroll in the woods with a little bit of aerobic exercise thrown in at the start. I had also noticed a lot of bear scat along the trail. Along with the small flock of turkeys that I encountered only a few hundred feet from the trailhead, my guess is that your chances of seeing wildlife while hiking this area is pretty high. [LINK TO TRIP REPORT AND PHOTOS] The Middle Ridge Trail of the John P. Saylor Trail The John P. Saylor Trail is located in Gallitzin State Forest, just south east of Johnstown on route PA56. The trail is arranged in a double loop, with a total length of about 17 miles. Last July I managed to hike the larger of the two loops, doing a dayhike of 12 miles over mostly rolling terrain with a 2 mile hike along the Clear Shade Creek. Recently I made my second trip back to the John P. Saylor Trail to cross over Clear Shade Creek and complete the Middle Ridge Trail. This short loop day hike made for a nice outing. The short, but steep ascent to the ridge top added some challenge to the trail. The majority of the trail was through woods, with only a few sections that crossed grassy meadows. I prefer hiking in the woods, with little to no undergrowth, and for the most part this trail was just that. If you are looking for a nice day hike in the Johnstown area, this one should be on the top of your list. [LINK TO TRIP REPORT AND PHOTOS] The Mid State Trail Association Celebrates Its 25th Anniversary The Association is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. Although the Mid State Trail began much earlier under the auspices of the Penn State Outing Club in the late 1960’s, the current MSTA was formed in 1982 and the Mid State Trail began its expansion out of the Seven Mountains Region. The Mid State Trail Association now maintains over 500km of trail extending from the Maryland border to within miles of the New York border. Guided Hikes Highlight Foliage and Elk in Moshannon State Forest Take the excellent chances of seeing a regal bull elk bugling in its mating-season splendor. Add the peaking promise of autumn foliage in the hardwoods. Combine them both against the natural splendor that is the PA Wilds, and you have just the right ingredients to make anyone want to take a hike. At least DCNR Ranger Michelle A. Billotte thought so. She’s combined an in-depth knowledge of Moshannon State Forest District with an inherent joy of working with the public to offer a series of hikes taking participants into the state forest to seek out the area’s resident wild elk herd, and savor fall foliage at its finest. Years of patrolling the Moshannon district have given the ranger and eye for the special places hikers are sure to savor. Continuing until the end of October, more information about these guided hikes can be found on the DCNR website. [LEARN MORE AT THE DCNR WEBSITE] Hiking Tip - Sleeping Bags and Colder Weather With fall here and winter just around the corner, nothing can make an overnight backpacking trip less enjoyable than having the wrong sleeping bag. Most sleeping bags sold today come with a temperature raiting. You should only take the rating as a suggestion and not an absolute value. Also, only compare temperature ratings within a manufacturer’s line: a 25 degree rating for one manufacturer may be a 35 degree rating for another. Mummy style sleeping bags are the warmest style sleeping bags available because they have less air inside to heat. You can also pull the hood over your head to help warm the interior of the bag and retain your body heat. And finally, don’t forget about your sleeping pad. The warmest sleeping bag will do you no good if you don’t have an insulating barrier between you and the cold ground. During the coldest months consider using two open celled sleeping pads stacked on top of each other. Announcements - Hiking Organizations & Outing Clubs November 2-4, 2007: KTA Trail Care Mid State Trail Everett Region Base camp: Tenley Park in Everett, PA. Contact John Stein (707-533-3679) 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 - Free Shipping on Orders over $100 Get ready for the fall hiking season or start early on that Christmas shopping at The Hiking Spot. Until the end of October you can receive free Economy Shipping on any order of $100 or more.. As a subscriber to this e-Newsletter, you can take advantage of this limited time offer byy using Coupon Code OCTFREESHIP during checkout. Coupon expires 10/31/2007. 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. [GET FREE SHIPPING AT THE HIKING SPOT]     www.pahikes.com www.thehikingspot.com The Hiking Spot 153 Long St. Spring Mills, PA 16875 (814) 422-8172 webmaster@pahikes.com Click on the link below to unsubscribe