Susquehannock Trail System

05/25/2026

Today we had a hike along the STS, south of the Cherry Springs fire tower to the Short Run Road. Misty, foggy to start & sunshine to end. Thanks to Sherry for leading/planning.

05/22/2026

Tick-Tok, by Bill Boyd

It used to be that the most feared thing in those woods was black, furry, and BIG! Now it's maybe a brownish color, hairless, and TINY! The good news is, that big furry critter is probably more afraid of you than you are of him. That is unless you have some good-smelling food handy. then he may take more interest in you. Still, a strong "BOO" and he's outa here. Not so with the tiny brownish critter. YOU are the food, so he is the one to watch out for. And watch very carefully as he is so tiny - he will grow some with age, but still be hard
to spot.
But spot you must, to stay safe - that said, he must be found and eliminated. We're talking about the deer tick here. Sooner or later he may start burrowing into your skin and contaminating you with some nasty stuff.
Your first line of defense might be to wear long pants, tucked into high socks. A light-colored long-sleeved shirt is also called for. For added safety, clothing should be treated with Permethrin, which actually kills ticks. If possible do not hike through tall grass or brushy areas.
They are so flat it is almost impossible to crush them, that's why the Permethrin is important. Also, placed on a flat surface and dissected works well - they don't do well with that treatment.
So, get a picture of the big furry critter, if you're lucky, and then leave him alone. Eliminate the tiny dangerous one, and enjoy your hike.

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05/15/2026

Bill Boyd writes:
Our Hammersley section received a big boost in trail maintenance, over the period May 4 through 7. The PA Outdoor Crew did a good stretch of the trail, putting it back into shape as a nice wide path. A sidehill trail is nice until after quite a few years it begins to slough downhill. sometimes leaving the pathway only a few inches wide. This particular crew is based out of Williamsport, PA, and consists of six members, in this case four male and two female. They range in age from 18 to 25, so obviously they can get much more of this type of work done than can our aging members.
The Hammersley section is 10 miles long, and any way one approaches it, it requires some hill climbing. The section does have maintainers for each of the five miles, with the unofficial dividing mark at the "pool." These guys spend a considerable amount of time keeping it in shape, but after a certain length of time it gets ahead of them. This type of "youthville" work was done last year by a group of Mennonite lads and was very helpful. When I joined the STC around 20 years ago, in spots a hiker would have to descend the bank to avoid veritable jungles of weeds, briars, etc., and find his way along the trail until he could once again climb the bank to decent hiking.
We are exploring ways to get our DR trail mower into the Hammersley, so far with no luck. If we can access it, there are some stretches which could be mowed.
Our club will again meet at the Lumber Museum on Saturday, 5-16-'26, at noon, and YOU are invited.

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05/13/2026

I got to hike the northern half of the Old Cabin Trail which is part of the West Branch Trail re-route. The picture doesn't do justice to how stunning this trail is! Abundant water and lots of options for camp sites.

05/07/2026

The Spring Beauties are up - as are several more species - so it's time to head for the trails. Some do not tarry for long so you need to enjoy them while they are here. And I have a new one (to me) at my ranch. It's called "SQUILLS", or Glory of the Snow.

The club is making plans for some hikes, so stay tuned. Also we are getting into what may be our busiest time for trail care - kind of like spring cleaning. There are usually plenty of trees across the trails - blowdowns we call them. Also everything else is really growing and needs to be kept in check. Lots of good days out there, so feel free to join in.

Our club meets (usually) the second Sat. of the month. And (usually) at the Lumber Museum. BUT - for the month of May, we will meet on the THIRD SAT. at noon,
at the Museum - and YOU are invited

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05/07/2026

STC meets. All are welcome to the meal/meeting May 16, noon at the Pa. Lumber Museum. We have a dish-to-pass meal at 12, followed by a meeting about 1:00 led by our fine president Wanda Shirk. Pennsylvania Lumber Museum

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05/05/2026

Trail maintenance never ends!

04/11/2026

Our April 11 meeting was in the building alongside the Brookland, Pa. Episcopal Church. Afterward we toured the church grounds.

04/04/2026

03/30/2026

Some sights seen today along the Ridge Trail section of the STS. It's my section to maintain.