In This Issue: Hiking the Blue Blazes of Mount Nittany Pennsylvania Hiking Week May 25th to June 3rd Sleeping Overnight on the Trail Announcements - Hiking Organizations & Outing Clubs Deal of the Month - Hennessy Hammocks Hiking the Blue Blazes of Mount Nittany A nice spring day, with temperatures approaching the seventies, seemed like a good excuse to get out and go for a small hike. With there still being a good bit of snow in the mountains and the roads there still being a little difficult to traverse, the decision was made to hike on a more easily accessible trail. We headed over to Lemont to climb to the top of Mount Nittany. The last time I ventured onto the trails of Mount Nittany was back in October of 2005. Being an avid hiker and living in the shadow of Mount Nittany, an annual trek to the top of the mountain would be expected. On March 13th I was able to correct this injustice, taking advantage of an early spring day, and climbed to the top of Mount Nittany. There are two trail systems on Mount Nittany, the shorter white blazed trail and the longer blue blazed trail. I have hiked Mount Nittany many times but never completed the blue blazed circuit. I decided it was about time that I did. [LINK TO TRIP REPORT AND PHOTOS] Pennsylvania Hiking Week May 25th to June 3rd DCNR has once again teamed with the Keystone Trails Association (KTA) to offer nearly 100 organized hikes and walks available throughout Pennsylvania during this nine-day event. This year's hiking week will be Saturday, May 26th through Sunday, June 3rd. All of the scheduled hikes have leaders. Most hikes are on the two weekends of the event, but several weekday and evening hikes are also offered. Special hikes include night hikes; wildflower walks; hikes for people with disabilities; pet walks; geology walks and much, much more. [LINK TO DCNR AND PA HIKING WEEK] Sleeping Overnight on the Trail With spring here, the time for those overnight backpacking trips are upon us. Just a few tips to keep in mind when you are planning on doing an overnighter. These tips are more about your comfort and less about gear needed: that is an entirely different discussion. Take along camp clothes; something different to sleep in then what you hike in. Eat a small snack before you go to bed; it will keep you warmer at night. Keep a bottle of water handy; makes night time thirst easier to quench. Keep a flashlight nearby; for animals invading your camp and all that water you drank through out the night. Announcements - Hiking Organizations & Outing Clubs Keystone Trail Association - The KTA will be sponsoring a Trail Care Weekend, April 27th - 29th for the Standing Stone Trail (formerly the Link Trail). Meet at the Cowans Gap State Park group campground or contact Mel Cooper (814-643-2641 or lunchtime@pennswoods.net) if you want to help. Top of Tioga - The Susquehanna AT Club, Mid State Trail Association, and the Three Rivers Outing Club of Corning, NY are jointly hosting a special weekend event, July 4-8, 2007, day hiking portions of the MST and other footpaths in and near northern Tioga County PA. [LINK TO MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THESE HIKES] 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 - Hennessy Hammocks 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. [GEAR REVIEW OF THE HENNESSY EXPEDITION HAMMOCK] [HENNESSY HAMMOCKS 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