From October 10-12, 2013, over 100 hikers from across Pennsylvania and surrounding states were able to enjoy hiking, other activities, meals, meetings, and camaraderie at Keystone Trails Association's annual Fall Meeting and Hiking Weekend at Doubling Gap Center in Newville, Cumberland County, PA. Doubling Gap Center, nestled in the Blue Mountain Ridge of the Appalachian Mountains and on the southern edge of the Tuscarora State Forest, was once a turn of the century luxurious resort. The Center took its name from the unusual lapping of the Blue Mountains which forms double gaps, resulting in a perfect horseshoe around the 150 acre facility. The famous Doubling Gap Springs Hotel attracted such well-known guests as John Wanamaker and Ulysses Grant, who sampled the nutritious white sulfur springs. Today, the historic hotel maintains the charm of former days but with a new purpose, as a year-round retreat center in a secluded mountain setting.
There was plenty to see and do on the grounds of this beautiful and historic retreat!
Weekend guests made ample use of the plentiful indoor and outdoor community spaces, fire circles, climbing tower, zip line, ropes courses, hiking trails, the cheerful and airy sun-room, rustic game-room (complete with air-hockey, ping-pong, and other tables!), indoor fireplace (with ample wood for our free use), paddle boats, and much more.
Cat-lovers enjoyed taking breaks to cuddle with the five-week-old kittens in the enclosed rear porch (this was a huge hit with the young girls, especially!).
KTA extends a huge thank-you to the two member clubs that hosted our Fall Hiking Weekend, by planning and guiding hikes and other excursions throughout the weekend: the Cumberland Valley Appalachian Trail Club (CVATC) and Susquehanna Appalachian Trail Club (SATC).
Due to the unprecedented amount of positive feedback we received from the individuals and families that attended our recent Doubling Gap weekend, Keystone Trails Association has decided to return to Doubling Gap Center next fall! If you were unable to attend the Fall Hiking Weekend last month due to scheduling conflicts, please make sure to save these dates on your calendar for KTA – October 10-12, 2014.
Here are just a few of the comments we received from participants following our weekend at Doubling Gap Center:
“It was a trip down memory lane for me. I went to church camp at Yolijwa for one week each year from 1970 to 1976 and had a wonderful time there. My family attended the Stone Glen Church of God in Stoney Creek (outside of Dauphin). Those wonderful years at Yolijwa will stay with me forever. All of my camp songs came back to me – Y O L I J W A spells YOLIJWA. That’s the only decent kind of camp. Man that made it must have been a champ. Y O L I J W A you see. Just a camp in the hills guaranteed to give you thrills, it’s YOLIJWA for me. Chris and I stayed in the Mountain Side Suites (not there in the 70’s) which were perfect for us. The food was great as well as the staff. The area is great for hiking and I would give a “thumbs up” to going there next year.” - Joann
“I thought Doubling Gap was a great place for the KTA WEEKEND. Accommodations were clean and met our needs. The food was great and there was more opportunity for socializing.” - Suzanne
“My husband and I really enjoyed the KTA Fall Weekend at Doubling Gap Center. We have many fond memories of the 6 previous KTA meetings at DG (1982-1990) and were eager to revisit the Center. I feel that DGC is well suited to KTA needs, with plenty of informal gathering spaces, great food and dining room, and comfortable meeting rooms, all in one building. And the location is so convenient for attendees coming from all directions. Real bonuses are the walking trails and activities for youth. We prefer to camp and DGC was very convenient and accommodating. We prefer attending KTA meetings at camps with rustic locations and a camping option. When KTA goes to hotels/motels, we do not get to interact with other attendees (there is little gathering space and people spend their time in their motel rooms).” - Barb
“Hello to all who made the KTA weekend spectacular. I loved it all, the accommodations, the food, the hiking, the friendly group. I would love to see another weekend gathering held there. Thank you all for all your hard work.” – Nancy
“ It was a great place to stay. Having board and rec room games was fun and encouraged people to interact and get to know each other. It was nice being close to Col. Denning w/ multiple hiking areas close by. The food was great. “ – Arlene
“Doubling Gap Center was a great place to have the Fall KTA Meeting and Hiking Weekend. Joe was there a couple of times when he first joined KTA in the 80's and he still talks about it. Then, lo and behold, we read that the 2013 Meeting and Hiking Weekend was going to be held there again, after all those years. I was really looking forward to it as I was not yet involved with KTA and, thus, not at the early Doubling Gap KTA meetings. Was I in for a pleasant surprise. It was even better than Joe talked about. It was almost like I was already there before, with all those rocking chairs lined up on the porch, just like he said. Everything was perfect. The food, the grounds, and especially the huge gathering area so we all could socialize whenever we felt like it. That was something that was missing in recent KTA meetings. Everyone who worked there during our weekend there was very cordial to us. Joe and I hope you are able to book another KTA weekend there in the near future. Thank you for all your hard work.” - Lorraine
“I just joined KTA and so Doubling Gap is the only facility I've attended as a KTA member. I liked it. The D.G. Center is an interesting building and the geology/geography of that area is also quite appealing. I had absolutely no traffic coming in from the north. What I liked best is that a number of the hikes left from the Center...no driving was required and that's very important to me as an environmentalist. I camped outside so I can't judge the 'rooms', but the close proximity of bathrooms and shower areas to where we camped was appealing. The food was good to excellent. The D.G. Center staff were very good. I do prefer a rustic setting that is in or adjacent to forests and trails.” - Jim
“I thought it was great--lots of options available locally, games and stuff to do at the center, a fireplace, terrific food, etc. I'd love to go back there.” - Carol
“Doubling Gap Ctr was a great place for KTA's fall hiking weekend. The facilities were perfect for all our activities. I especially appreciated the proximity to the park, the trails on site and the comfortable suites. I'd love to repeat this experience.” - Barbara
“I liked Doubling Gap. It's really a neat old place, and the meals were very good. Thanks so much for all your hard work at these events.” - Jamie
“Yes, Yes, I'd like to return there at LEAST ONCE annually. PLEASE make it happen.” - Gloria
“We could not have asked for a better venue for the hiking weekend. It was just right for the 111 + or – attendees." - Paul H.
“We wanted to take a moment to tell you how much we enjoyed the KTA weekend at Doubling Gap last weekend. Except for getting soaked on the Friday hike, the rest of the weekend was outstanding! What an outstanding venue. The history associated with the White Sulfur Springs Hotel and the excellent way it has been maintained all fit our idea of what the KTA is all about. Great trails, great hikes, great food, excellent rapport with the staff, and a tremendous history to go along with it. The dormitory style housing was great for my family (including children and grandchild). The proximity to so many hiking trails is certainly a plus. We hope we have the opportunity to return next year. Specially liked the porch and rocking chairs at the end of a satisfyingly difficult 10 mile hike! Being from N.W. Pennsylvania, it took us 5 hours to get the Doubling Gap, but it was well worth the trip!!!!!” - Jerry and Jackie
“I really enjoyed the entire weekend - rain and all. Most of the hikes (at least the ones I did) originated from the facility, so there was no added confusion over driving, parking, staging cars, etc. I really liked that. There seem to be enough trails in that area that there isn't a great need to drive any distance to get to a hike. The facility itself was great - very quaint, huge, and had plenty of amenities. I didn't even get to explore the whole place, but there was certainly plenty to do when we weren't hiking (fireplace, games, rocking chairs, exploring the grounds, reading, etc. - I even saw some ping pong tables). There were great facilities for kids also, for families that brought them (which should be encouraged for the next generation of hikers!). We could roast marshmallows either inside or outside - it doesn't get any better than that! The people from the facility were great! You never really saw them, but what you needed was always there (like a fire in the fireplace). The campfire was setup for us and lit with just one match - someone really knew what they were doing when they got that prepared. Every area had just the right touches, whether it was enough benches around the campfire, tables in the dining room, sitting areas, games, etc. I think it really is a well-suited facility and would like to go back. The food was fantastic.” - David
“I thoroughly enjoyed the KTA weekend at the Doubling Gap Center, October 11-13, 2013 and would like to go back for a future KTA event. We stayed in the Mountain View Suites and enjoyed a lovely room with all the conveniences. The Hotel was so neat with the great porch and rocking chairs. We liked the ambience of the fireplace on the rainy Friday when we arrived. As we greeted old friends and discussed hikes, the lounge was a perfect setting. We appreciated studying the creatures in the activity room too. The meals were so delicious and plentiful. We explored the grounds with some short hikes and found the area to be ideal for nature lovers. The kittens were so very cute. Everything was clean and well cared for. We hope to attend a Keystone Trails Association weekend at the Doubling Gap Center in the future. Thank you. Your Friday night meal was unexpected with such a plethora of yummy food despite the rainy evening. We found some area hikes to do on our own and had a great time. The schedule was well thought out with something for everyone. “ - Diane