In This Issue: Exploring Musser Gap Give Back to the Trails With the 2008 PA Hikes Calendar New Feature: Hiking on the Web Hiking Tip - Sleeping Pads for the Trail Announcements - Hiking Organizations & Outing Clubs Deal of the Month - Hennessy Hammocks and Coffee Mugs Exploring Musser Gap The Shingletown Gap area is a popular place for hiking, biking, or just going for a stroll. The Shingletown Gap area is also a popular starting point for those wanting to explore the Rothrock State Forest. But with popularity comes over use, erosion, and general neglect by those that don't appreciate the trails or the out of doors. In an effort to ease the overuse of the Shingletown Gap area, Clearwater Conservancy jumped at an opportunity to purchase a tract of land just 1.5 miles west of Shingletown. The area, known as Musser Gap, was then transferred to the Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry and became the latest edition to the Rothrock State Forest. This new access point will provide another gateway to the popular state forest and will hopefully alleviate some of the traffic within the Shingletown Gap area. Of course it isn't every day that new land is added to the public domain, so we decided to hike up into Musser Gap to see the new edition to the Rothrock State Forest. [LINK TO TRIP REPORT AND PHOTOS] Give Back to the Trails With the 2008 PA Hikes Calendar The 2008 PA Hikes Calendar highlights various sections of the trails in central Pennsylvania and around the state. Each month depicts a hike on some of the various trails found in the Keystone State. View scenes from the Mid State Trail, Allegheny Front Trail, Chuck Keiper Trail, Donut Hole Trail, and many others. For every calendar purchased, a donation of $5.00 will be given to the Keystone Trail Association. Enjoy the beautiful scenery that the trails of Pennsylvania have to offer and give a little something back in return. [GET YOUR CALENDAR AT THE HIKING SPOT] New Feature: Hiking on the Web Starting this month, we are adding a new feature to the newsletter. We will spotlight one of the many usefull hiking web sites found on the World Wide Web. You'll find a lot of websites packed full of resources for the hiker. These varioius web sites offer everything from detailed trip reports, gear reviews, amazing photos, and online hiking communities, plus much more. Hiking on the web this month, we'll venture over by Mid-Atlantic Hikes. This website is packed full of information for hikes in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virgina, and West Virgina. You'll find detailed trip reports, downloadable trail maps, as well as pictures and trail critiques. Mike also has a list of upcoming hikes that he'll be leading. Contact information is provided if you want to join him on one of these hikes. Mid-Atlantic Hikes is worth checking out. Make sure you stop by and spend some time on this site the next time you're out "hiking on the web". [VISIT MID-ATLANTIC HIKES] Hiking Tip - Sleeping Pads For The Trail After a long day of hiking, the last thing you want is a restless night’s sleep. Use of a sleeping pad helps make your nights more comfortable. There are essentially four types of sleeping pads, all with their benefits and drawbacks. Air mats - These are all air, and are quite comfortable, but offer no insulation. Also, one sharp rock or twig and you’ll find yourself back on hard ground. Closed-cell foam - These pads are light, inexpensive, water-proof and virtually indestructible. However, they are typically only 1/2" thick and only offer minimal comfort from irregularities on the ground. Hybrids - Some where between closed-cell foam and self-inflating pads, these offer more comfort then closed-cell without the worry of punctures. Self-inflating - These are the most comfortable pads you can get. However you pay with added cost and weight, and you still have the risk of partial deflating if punctured. 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 - Purchase a Hennessy Hammock, Get a Free Coffee Mug Hennessy Hammocks are the cream-of-the-crop when it comes to outdoor hammocks. Rugged in design and designed with the backpacker in mind, these hammocks are light weight and set up in a matter of minutes. I own a Hennessy Expedition Hammock and have used it on various hikes. I highly recommend it over the use of a single person tent. I've posted a full review of this hammock at PAHikes.com. You can also purchase a Hennessy Expedition Hammock at The Hiking Spot. Priced at $94.99, I think you'll be hard pressed to find a better deal. And just in time for the holidays, you can also get a free Carabiner Coffee Mug with your hammock purchase. No coupon code needed: just purchase your hammock before the end of November. Free mug offer expires 11/30/2007. 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. [GEAR REVIEW OF THE HENNESSY EXPEDITION HAMMOCK] [HENNESSY HAMMOCKS 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