Appalachian Trail Service Project

Brothers,

On Saturday, April 1st, from 8am to 2pm, Kittatinny Lodge will be performing a joint service project with the Blue Mountain Eagle Climbing Club to perform maintenance along the Appalachian Trail between Swatara Gap (PA 72) and the 501 Shelter (PA 501).

We will meet at HMSR at 7:30am and depart for the worksite at 8am. We will need to carpool as there is limited parking at the work site.

Arrowmen should bring work gloves, picks, shovels, clothing appropriate for the weather. In addition, you will need to bring a lunch and plenty of fluids (water).  Insect/tick repellant is advised as the warm winter has allowed the tick population to thrive. You will also need to bring a BSA Medical (Parts A&B).

We will depart the worksite and arrive back at HMSR at 2pm.

We are asking all adults and youth to register online so that we have an accurate count of participants and drivers. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Eric Silva at ericjsilva@gmail.com or 484-577-0410.

Details on the Trail Area

The area in which we will be working is the only portion of the Appalachian Trail between the Susquehanna River and New Jersey that isn’t completely enclosed by tree canopy during the spring/summer/fall. Long distance hikers can become depressed by not seeing the sky and sun – typically called the Virginia Blues – as the Virginia section of the AT is notorious for this. The work we will be doing is very important for helping hiker morale. Every Arrowman that participates can be assured that the service work carried out benefits the hikers and the National Park Service which is responsible for the management of the Appalachian Trail. More information on the Appalachian Trail can be found here.