by Ben Auer
The Quehanna Trail (QT) is a 73-mile loop trail in the heart of the Pennsylvania Wilds. Starting from the primary trailhead at Parker Dam State Park, smack in the middle of the state about 5 miles north of I-80 in Clearfield County, the QT explores the Allegheny Plateau going through deep glens, open forests, and meadows that turn fire red in the autumn. Among the most picturesque in Pennsylvania, the QT offers outstanding solitude and great camping. In addition to the QT proper are 2 cross-connectors, and numerous trails intersect the eastern half of the QT in the vast Quehanna Wild Area, allowing hikers to create many smaller loops. As they showcase some of the best scenery in Pennsylvania, these side trails in the wild area are worthy of hiking in their own right.
The QT and its network of trails were constructed in the 1970s and for many years were maintained by the Quehanna Area Trails Club. Unfortunately, the Quehanna Area Trails Club was disbanded a couple years ago, and KTA was asked to step in to help with trail maintenance. Several people have done an outstanding job maintaining many sections of the QT, but quite a few sections are without permanent maintainers. This was the second year when KTA hosted a Trail Care Weekend on the QT. Gathering at the Parker Dam State Park trailhead were 11 volunteers eager to start work on the QT.
On Friday we started early, with Ben Auer, Tom Bastian, Tony Robbins, KTA Director Joe Neville, and Josh Snyder tackling a section of the eastern cross-connector. This 10-mile connector allows hikers to make a 42-mile loop using the eastern section of the QT. The 2 miles of the connector north of the Quehanna Highway were getting quite overgrown with laurel, so the day was spent brushcutting this section. Joining us on Friday night were Wanda Shirk, Joe Healey, Kevin Busko, Dave Walp, Rick "Handlebar" Ostheimer, and Jenn Ulmer; we had a nice evening around the fire.
On Saturday we split into 3 groups. Kevin and Dave finished the brushcutting started on Friday and cleared the cross-connector to the Quehanna Highway. Ben, Tony, and Tom tackled a hard-to-reach stretch of the QT as it descends to Mosquito Creek from the north. This section has no maintainer and needed brushcutting and removal of several blowdowns. We succeeded in clearing this section, making it slightly less confusing when hikers cross Mosquito Creek from the south. Finally Joe, Wanda, Rick, and Jenn removed some heavy rhododendron overgrowth from a stretch of the QT in Sanders Draft.
On Sunday those of us remaining worked on reopening a new stretch of the QT. The May 31, 1985, tornado outbreak destroyed a section of the QT near Parker Dam State Park. The trail was rerouted, but the recreational forester for the Moshannon State Forest recently reflagged the route and asked if we could reopen it to provide another loop hike option from the state park. We were able to reopen this section Sunday morning, removing many blowdowns and brush.
With this work, and having hiked over half the QT this year to see the work maintainers are still doing, I can say that the trail is in excellent shape overall. Anyone looking for a beautiful hike through some of the wildest country in the eastern US would be well served to come and experience the QT.