1.
Fulton County, Pennsylvania
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Fulton County is a county located in the U. S. state of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the population was 14,845, the county was created on April 19,1850, from part of Bedford County and named for inventor Robert Fulton. According to the U. S. Census Bureau, the county has an area of 438 square miles. No igneous or metamorphic rocks of any kind exist within Fulton county, rays Hill and Town Hill form a syncline, as do Scrub Ridge and Meadow Grounds Mountain, and Sideling Hill itself is a syncline. Dickeys Mountain and Tuscarora Mountain also form a syncline, but these ridges are held up by the Tuscarora Formation, Broad Top extends into Huntingdon County to the north and Bedford County to the west. All of Fulton County lies far to the south of the glacial boundary, however, during the Pleistocene epoch, or Ice Age, periglacial processes dominated. Most of the county was most likely a tundra during the Pleistocene, the Broad Top Coal Field is located in Wells Township in the northwestern corner of the county. There are a few abandoned mines in the area, although acid mine drainage is not as much of a problem in Fulton County as it is in adjacent Bedford. Interesting geologic features within Fulton County include some of the following, a transpression structure is located on the east side of the Meadow Grounds syncline. This structure consists of a set of up-thrust fault blocks of Silurian and Devonian rocks bounded on all sides by north-trending faults. As of the census of 2000, there were 14,261 people,5,660 households, the population density was 33 people per square mile. There were 6,790 housing units at a density of 16 per square mile. The racial makeup of the county was 98. 25% White,0. 66% Black or African American,0. 20% Native American,0. 11% Asian,0. 01% Pacific Islander,0. 04% from other races, and 0. 72% from two or more races. 0. 36% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race,40. 8% were of German,20. 4% American,8. 3% Irish and 6. 9% English ancestry according to Census 2000. 24. 00% of all households were made up of individuals and 10. 60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older, the average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 2.95. In the county, the population was out with 24. 60% under the age of 18,7. 60% from 18 to 24,28. 40% from 25 to 44,25. 00% from 45 to 64. The median age was 38 years, for every 100 females there were 100.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.60 males, almost everyone who lives in Fulton County speaks English as their first language
2.
Mifflin County, Pennsylvania
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Mifflin County is a county located in the U. S. state of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the population was 46,682, the county was created on September 19,1789, from parts of Cumberland County and Northumberland County and named after Thomas Mifflin, the first Governor of Pennsylvania. Mifflin County comprises the Lewistown, PA Micropolitan Statistical Area, according to the U. S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 415 square miles, of which 411 square miles is land and 3.7 square miles is water. Mifflin County is located in, and has its boundaries defined by, US Route 322, a major divided highway, connects the county to the rest of the state on its route between Harrisburg and State College. US Route 522 also connects the county to the rest of the state on its route between Selinsgrove and Mount Union, the population density was 112.5 people per square mile. There were 21,537 housing units at a density of 51.9 per square mile. The racial makeup of the county was 97. 53% White,0. 64% Black or African American,0. 11% Native American,0. 36% Asian,0. 01% Pacific Islander,0. 31% from other races, and 1. 03% from two or more races. 1. 14% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race,38. 8% were of German,19. 2% American,8. 0% Irish and 7. 5% English ancestry according to Census 2000. 5. 7% report speaking Pennsylvania German, Dutch, or German at home,26. 00% of all households were made up of individuals and 13. 20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the family size was 2.99. The median age was 39 years, the population was 48. 93% male, and 51. 07% female. The dominant form of speech in Mifflin County is the Central Pennsylvania accent, almost everyone in Mifflin County speaks English. The Amish and some Mennonites speak Pennsylvania German also known as Pennsylvania Dutch, a West Central German dialect, the Amish and Mennonites also can speak English. Few non-Amish or Mennonites in Mifflin County today speak Pennsylvania German, for the Amish and Mennonite settlement, see Kishacoquillas Valley. The United States Office of Management and Budget has designated Mifflin County as the Lewistown, PA Micropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 U. S. Census the micropolitan area ranked 10th most populous in the State of Pennsylvania, Mifflin County School District Mount Union Area School District Head Start is a federally and state funded preschool program for low income children. The program serves 3- and 4-year-olds, in order to participate the family income must be below federal poverty guidelines. Coleman Head Start Center McVeytown Head Start Center Sacred Heart provides a private, belleville Mennonite School, Beth-El Christian Day School, and Valley View Christian School provide Mennonite education through grade twelve
3.
Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania
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Huntingdon County is a county located in the U. S. state of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the population was 45,913, the county was created on September 20,1787, mainly from the north part of Bedford County with the addition of territory on the east from Cumberland County. Huntingdon County comprises the Huntingdon, PA Micropolitan Statistical Area, according to the U. S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 889 square miles, of which 875 square miles is land and 15 square miles is water. The population density was 52 people per square mile, there were 22,365 housing units at an average density of 24 per square mile. The racial makeup of the county was 92. 50% White,5. 21% Black or African American,0. 09% Native American,0. 40% Asian,0. 01% Pacific Islander,0. 87% from other races, and 0. 92% from two or more races. 1. 58% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race,33. 9% were of German,17. 1% American,11. 1% Irish,7. 5% English and 5. 7% Italian ancestry according to Census 2000. 25. 80% of all households were made up of individuals and 12. 30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older, the average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 2.92. In the county, the population was out with 21. 70% under the age of 18,10. 10% from 18 to 24,29. 40% from 25 to 44,24. 00% from 45 to 64. The median age was 38 years, for every 100 females there were 109.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 110.20 males, almost everyone that lives in Huntingdon County speaks English as their first language. The United States Office of Management and Budget has designated Huntingdon County as the Huntingdon, PA Micropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 U. S. Census the micropolitan area ranked 11th most populous in the State of Pennsylvania, duBois Business College, Huntingdon County campus, located in the former Huntingdon High School building in the borough of Huntingdon. U. S. Route 22 enters Huntingdon County from the west at the Blair County line in Morris Township near Alexandria and it exits Huntingdon County at the Mifflin County line in Brady Township near Mount Union. The following boroughs and townships are located in Huntingdon County, Allenport McConnellstown The population ranking of the table is based on the 2010 census of Huntingdon County. Hugh Brady, U. S. Army general C. L. com Community Events and Business Directory for Huntingdon County, Pa
4.
Pennsylvania
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Pennsylvania /ˌpɛnsᵻlˈveɪnjə/, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state located in the northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The Appalachian Mountains run through its middle, Pennsylvania is the 33rd largest, the 5th most populous, and the 9th most densely populated of the 50 United States. The states five most populous cities are Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Allentown, Erie, the state capital, and its ninth-largest city, is Harrisburg. Pennsylvania has 140 miles of shoreline along Lake Erie and the Delaware Estuary. The state is one of the 13 original founding states of the United States, it came into being in 1681 as a result of a land grant to William Penn. Part of Pennsylvania, together with the present State of Delaware, had earlier been organized as the Colony of New Sweden and it was the second state to ratify the United States Constitution, on December 12,1787. Independence Hall, where the United States Declaration of Independence and United States Constitution were drafted, is located in the states largest city of Philadelphia, during the American Civil War, the Battle of Gettysburg, was fought in the south central region of the state. Valley Forge near Philadelphia was General Washingtons headquarters during the winter of 1777–78. Pennsylvania is 170 miles north to south and 283 miles east to west, of a total 46,055 square miles,44,817 square miles are land,490 square miles are inland waters, and 749 square miles are waters in Lake Erie. It is the 33rd largest state in the United States, Pennsylvania has 51 miles of coastline along Lake Erie and 57 miles of shoreline along the Delaware Estuary. Cities include Philadelphia, Reading, Lebanon and Lancaster in the southeast, Pittsburgh in the southwest, the tri-cities of Allentown, Bethlehem, the northeast includes the former anthracite coal mining communities of Scranton, Wilkes-Barre, Pittston City, and Hazleton. Erie is located in the northwest, the state has 5 regions, namely the Allegheny Plateau, Ridge and Valley, Atlantic Coastal Plain, Piedmont, and the Erie Plain. Straddling two major zones, the majority of the state, with the exception of the corner, has a humid continental climate. The largest city, Philadelphia, has characteristics of the humid subtropical climate that covers much of Delaware. Moving toward the interior of the state, the winter climate becomes colder, the number of cloudy days increase. Western areas of the state, particularly locations near Lake Erie, can receive over 100 inches of snowfall annually, the state may be subject to severe weather from spring through summer into fall. Tornadoes occur annually in the state, sometimes in large numbers, the Tuscarora Nation took up temporary residence in the central portion of Pennsylvania ca. Both the Dutch and the English claimed both sides of the Delaware River as part of their lands in America
5.
Greenwood Furnace State Park
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Greenwood Furnace State Park is a 423-acre Pennsylvania state park in Jackson Township, Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania in the United States. The park is near the iron making center of Greenwood Furnace. The park includes the ghost town of Greenwood that grew up around the ironworks, old roads, Greenwood Furnace State Park is adjacent to Rothrock State Forest and on the western edge of an area of Central Pennsylvania known as the Seven Mountains. The park is on Pennsylvania Route 305,20 miles south of State College, within the park is Greenwood Lake, a 6-acre lake that is stocked with trout and which allows ice fishing during the winter. The dam that forms the lake is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, Greenwood Furnace State Park was chosen by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and its Bureau of Parks as one of 25 Must-See Pennsylvania State Parks. The northern Huntingdon County area was inhabited by the Ona Jutta Hage or Juniata tribe. Their name meant The People of the Standing Stone, an obelisk that once stood in their village near present-day Huntingdon, the Juniata had moved away by the time that Pennsylvania was colonized by William Penn. Penn bought the land from the Iroquois and the Tuscarora and Shawnee that had resettled throughout central Pennsylvania were soon forced to move on once again, many different groups of European settlers migrated to the area by the late 18th century. They were mostly farmers of Scots-Irish descent with large numbers of Amish and Mennonite Germans who had fled persecution in Germany, Austria. Later settlers built a tavern and a sawmill in the present location of Greenwood Furnace State Park, Greenwood Furnace State Park is named for the iron furnace that was once the center of industry in northern Huntingdon County. Greenwood Furnace was open for operation on June 5,1834, the parent company, Norris, Rawle and Co. selected the site because of the ease in access to the needed natural resources, iron ore, limestone, trees for charcoal and a steady water supply. Greenwood Furnace was able to produce up to five tons of pig iron ingots per day at the height of its production, soon a small village sprang up around Greenwood Furnace to support the needs of the workers and the furnace. The village included 20 houses, a store, company offices, stables. A deposit of high quality iron ore was discovered in the leading to further growth in the Greenwood Furnace area. A gristmill was constructed in 1842, Greenwood Lake was built at this time to create a water supply to power the mill. Greenwood Lake is currently used as a lake by visitors to Greenwood Furnace State Park. Ownership of Greenwood Furnace Iron Works was transferred to John A. Wright in 1847, Wright was one of the founders of the Pennsylvania Railroad in nearby Altoona. The ironworks at Greenwood and nearby Freedom Iron Works were supervised in part by Andrew Carnegie, under the leadership of Wright and Carnegie Greenwood and Freedom became vitally important centers of iron production for the booming railroad industry
6.
Tuscarora Trail
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The Tuscarora Trail is a 252-mile long bypass route of the Appalachian Trail that passes through the US states of Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania. In the south, the Tuscarora begins where the Appalachian Trail intersects Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park in Virginia. In the north, it rejoins the Appalachian Trail at the top of Blue Mountain just west of the Susquehanna River and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, the Tuscarora Trail was built as an alternative parallel route for the Appalachian Trail. It was built farther west, in a more wild corridor, because it was feared that development would force closure of the AT, before passage of the National Scenic Trails Act of 1968. The Tuscarora Trail was originally built as two separate trails, the 142 mi Big Blue Trail in Virginia and West Virginia, throughout most of the 1960s a number of sections of the Appalachian Trail were in danger of being closed by commercial land owners. Work began on the Big Blue Trail in 1967, just one year before the Appalachian Trail received protected status, though a continuous footpath was now assured, the Keystone Trails Association and the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club decided to complete both trails for use as AT spur trails. By the 1980s, much of the trail in Pennsylvania had been closed due to a gypsy moth onslaught that had killed much of the oak forest. The trail became overgrown with brambles, briars and other vegetation to become impassable, the trail has since been re-opened and is now maintained by the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club. Today the Tuscarora Trail is an official side-trail of the Appalachian Trail and is blazed in blue, the Tuscarora will eventually become a component of the Great Eastern Trail, which will extend from Alabama to the Finger Lakes in New York state. List of long-distance trails in the United States
7.
Buchanan State Forest
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Buchanan State Forest is a Pennsylvania State Forest in Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry District #2. The main office is located in McConnellsburg in Fulton County, Pennsylvania and it is named for James Buchanan of Pennsylvania, the fifteenth President of the United States. The forest is found in the Allegheny Mountains of south-central Pennsylvania and comprises 69,703 acres divided into several units located in Bedford, Fulton, and Franklin Counties. Buchanan State Forest was formed as a result of the depletion of the forests of Pennsylvania that took place during the mid-to-late 19th century. Conservationists like Dr. Joseph Rothrock became concerned that the forests would not regrow if they were not managed properly, lumber and Iron companies had harvested the old-growth forests for various reasons. The clear cut the forests and left nothing but dried tree tops. The sparks of passing steam locomotives ignited wildfires that prevented the formation of second growth forests, the conservationists feared that the forest would never regrow if there was not a change in the philosophy of forest management. The Pennsylvania General Assembly passed a piece of legislation in 1897 that authorized the purchase of unseated lands for forest reservations and this was the beginning of the State Forest system. There are several areas of significance in and around Buchanan State Forest. The Forbes Road built during the French and Indian War by John Forbes passed through what is now Buchanan State Forest, Forbes built his road from Carlisle to Pittsburgh as a supply line for the British soldiers that were trying to capture Fort Duquesne. Remnants of the road are visible in the state forest and are used by visiting hunters, hikers. Cowans Gap State Park is located in an area that was one of the first to be settled in part of Pennsylvania. British Major John Cowan and his wife Mary who migrated to the area just after the American Revolution, Buchanans Birthplace State Park the location of President James Buchanans birth and his boyhood home. Buchanan State Forest was acquired by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania following the era that swept through most of Pennsylvania during the mid-to-late 19th century. Vast stands of old growth forests were harvested by various lumber companies and these lumber companies left behind a barren wasteland of stumps and drying treetops that were vulnerable to fire. The sparks cast off by passing steam trains set off massive forest fires and these fires slowed the development of the second growth forest that now covers Buchanan State Forest. S-52 was built in 1933 on Sideling Hill near Oregon Creek, the young men of the CCC cleared the forest and stream beds of dried underbrush and built many of the forest roads and trails that are in Buchanan State Forest. This camp is now known as Oregon Ranger Station and it also served as quarters for conscientious objectors during World War II and was later turned into a Prisoner of War camp for German prisoners in 1944
8.
Hazards of outdoor recreation
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Outdoor recreation, such as hiking, camping, canoeing, cycling, or skiing, entails risks, even if participants do not recklessly place themselves in harms way. In some circumstances, such as being in remote locations or in extreme weather conditions, however, with correct precautions, even fairly adventurous outdoor recreation can be enjoyable and safe. Every hazard has its own safety measure, and every ailment a particular remedy, a standard precaution for all back country activities is carrying the ten essentials, a collection of tools chosen for their utility in preventing or reacting to various emergencies. The common practice of traveling in a group improves safety in all regards, if one person is injured, group members can administer first aid or seek help. A group can avoid poor decisions that a lone traveler might make, if an emergency occurs, a group can pool its muscle power, brain power, and body heat. Another precaution is informing people outside of the group of the itinerary, a communication device, such as a cell phone or a satellite phone, may help in the case of an emergency. However, with the exception of mountain tops that are in line-of-sight to populated areas, in the wilderness one should always be prepared to hike out for help, if necessary. Blizzards, flash floods, fog, dust or sandstorms, tornados, and other events may or may not be predictable. Lightning is a frequent and serious threat in many regions, backcountry avalanches are generally triggered by the immediate action of the party. Other non-avalanche snow immersions can be dangerous, including tree wells. Other mass movements include icefalls, landslides, and rockfalls, when choosing a campsite care must be taken to avoid those along with dead trees, snags, trees with large dead branches, or trees that have previously been through a forest fire. Collectively, these are called widowmakers by experienced campers, slips may occur, On wet rocks or logs. When crossing streams, rivers, lakes, and other bodies of water, which can be due to poor visibility, uneven surfaces, smooth and algae or moss-covered rocks. The tops of waterfalls are dangerous because of fast moving water and smooth. Rubber soles grip poorly on slime, compared to felt soles, crampons, loose gravel or scree on top of smooth rock acts like ball bearings. Precautions include spotting the situation ahead, keeping knees bent and weight forward, using hiking sticks, ice When travelling over glaciers, crevasses pose a grave danger. These giant cracks in the ice are not always visible, as snow can be blown, at times snowbridges can be as thin as a few inches. Climbers and hikers use ropes to protect themselves from such hazards, basic gear for glacier travel includes crampons and ice axes, and teams of two to five tie into a rope equally spaced
9.
Severe weather
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Severe weather refers to any dangerous meteorological phenomena with the potential to cause damage, serious social disruption, or loss of human life. Types of severe weather phenomena vary, depending on the latitude, altitude, topography, regional and seasonal severe weather phenomena include blizzards, snowstorms, ice storms, and duststorms. Meteorologists generally define severe weather as any aspect of the weather that poses risks to life, a narrower definition of severe weather is any weather phenomena relating to severe thunderstorms. According to the World Meteorological Organization, severe weather can be categorized into two groups, general severe weather and localized severe weather, noreasters, European wind storms, and the phenomena that accompany them form over wide geographic areas. These occurrences are classified as severe weather. Downbursts and tornadoes are more localized and therefore have a limited geographic effect. These forms of weather are classified as localized severe weather, the term severe weather is technically not the same phenomenon as extreme weather. Extreme weather describes unusual weather events that are at the extremes of the distribution for a given area. Organized severe weather occurs from the conditions that generate ordinary thunderstorms, atmospheric moisture, lift. A wide variety of conditions cause severe weather, several factors can convert thunderstorms into severe weather. For example, a pool of air aloft may aid in the development of large hail from an otherwise innocuous appearing thunderstorm. However, the most severe hail and tornadoes are produced by thunderstorms. Both of these types of storms tend to form in environments high in wind shear, floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, and thunderstorms are considered to be the most destructive weather-related natural disasters. Although these weather phenomena are all related to clouds, they form and develop under different conditions. The relationship between these events and their formation requirements are used to develop models to predict the most frequent. This information is used to notify affected areas and save lives, severe thunderstorms can be assessed in three different categories. These are approaching severe, severe, and significantly severe, approaching severe is defined as hail between 1⁄2 to 1 inch diameter or winds between 50 and 58 M. P. H. In the United States, such storms will usually warrant a Significant Weather Alert, severe is defined as hail 1 inch diameter or larger, winds 58 M. P. H. or stronger, or a tornado
10.
Toxicodendron radicans
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The species is variable in its appearance and habit, and despite its common name it is not a true ivy, but rather a member of the cashew and almond family. Toxicodendron radicans is commonly eaten by animals, and the seeds are consumed by birds. Negundo Gillis Toxicodendron radicans var. negundo Reveal Toxicodendron radicans var. pubens Reveal Toxicodendron radicans subsp, radicans Toxicodendron radicans var. radicans Toxicodendron radicans subsp. Löve & D. Löve Toxicodendron radicans var. rydbergii Erskine Toxicodendron radicans subsp, verrucosum Gillis The deciduous leaves of T. radicans are trifoliate with three almond-shaped leaflets. The leaflets of mature leaves are somewhat shiny, the leaflets are 3–12 cm long, rarely up to 30 cm. Each leaflet has a few or no teeth along its edge, leaflet clusters are alternate on the vine, and the plant has no thorns. Vines growing on the trunk of a tree become firmly attached through numerous aerial rootlets, the vines develop adventitious roots, or the plant can spread from rhizomes or root crowns. The milky sap of poison ivy darkens after exposure to the air, the urushiol compound in poison ivy is not a defensive measure, rather, it helps the plant to retain water. It is frequently eaten by animals such as deer and bears, Toxicodendron radicans spreads either vegetatively or sexually. It is dioecious, flowering occurs from May to July, the yellowish- or greenish-white flowers are typically inconspicuous and are located in clusters up to 8 cm above the leaves. The berry-like fruit, a drupe, mature by August to November with a grayish-white colour, fruits are a favorite winter food of some birds and other animals. Seeds are spread mainly by animals and remain viable after passing through the digestive tract, caquistle or caxuistle is the Nahuatl term for the species. It is normally found in wooded areas, especially along edge areas where the line breaks. It also grows in exposed areas, open fields and disturbed areas. It may grow as a forest understory plant, although it is only somewhat shade-tolerant, the plant is extremely common in suburban and exurban areas of New England, the Mid-Atlantic, and the Southeastern United States. The similar species T. diversilobum and T. rydbergii are found in western North America, Toxicodendron radicans rarely grows at altitudes above 1,500 m, although the altitude limit varies in different locations. The plants can grow as a shrub up to about 1.2 metres tall, as a groundcover 10–25 cm high, older vines on substantial supports send out lateral branches that may be mistaken for tree limbs at first glance. It grows in a variety of soil types, and soil pH from 6.0 to 7.9
11.
American black bear
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The American black bear is a medium-sized bear native to North America. It is the continents smallest and most widely distributed bear species, Black bears are omnivores, with their diets varying greatly depending on season and location. They typically live in forested areas, but do leave forests in search of food. Sometimes they become attracted to human communities because of the availability of food. The American black bear is the worlds most common bear species, along with the brown bear, it is one of only two of the eight modern bear species not considered globally threatened with extinction by the IUCN. American black bears often mark trees using their teeth and claws as a form of communication with other bears, a behavior common to many species of bears. Despite living in North America, American black bears are not closely related to bears and polar bears. American and Asian black bears are considered sister taxa, and are closely related to each other than to other species of bear. Reportedly, the sun bear is also a recent split from this lineage. A small primitive bear called Ursus abstrusus is the oldest known North American fossil member of the genus Ursus and this suggests that U. abstrusus may be the direct ancestor of the American black bear, which evolved in North America. Although Wolverton and Lyman still consider U. vitabilis an apparent precursor to modern black bears, the ancestors of American black bears and Asiatic black bears diverged from sun bears 4.58 mya. The American black bear then split from the Asian black bear 4.08 mya, the earliest American black bear fossils, which were located in Port Kennedy, Pennsylvania, greatly resemble the Asiatic species, though later specimens grew to sizes comparable to grizzlies. From the Holocene to present, American black bears seem to have shrunk in size, the American black bear lived during the same period as short-faced bears and the Florida spectacled bear. These Tremarctine bears evolved from bears that had emigrated from Asia to North America 7–8 ma, however, both Arctodus and Tremarctos had survived several other ice ages. American black bears are reproductively compatible with several other bear species, according to Jack Hannas Monkeys on the Interstate, a bear captured in Sanford, Florida, was thought to have been the offspring of an escaped female Asian black bear and a male American black bear. In 1859, a bear and a Eurasian brown bear were bred together in the London Zoological Gardens. In the reports published since this date three species have produced young, a black bear shot in autumn 1986 in Michigan was thought by some to be a black bear/grizzly bear hybrid, due to its unusually large size and its proportionately larger braincase and skull. DNA testing was unable to determine whether it was a black bear or grizzly
12.
Timber rattlesnake
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Crotalus horridus, commonly known as the timber rattlesnake, canebrake rattlesnake or banded rattlesnake, is a species of venomous pit viper endemic to the eastern United States. Adults usually grow to total length of 91–152 cm and it was found in Pennsylvania that the smallest size females could produce viable eggs was 72.2 cm. Most adult timber rattlesnakes found measure less than 100 to 115 cm in total length and weigh on average between 500 and 1,500 g, often being towards the lower end of that weight range. The maximum reported length is 189.2 cm. Holt mentions a large specimen caught in Montgomery County, Alabama. Large specimens can weigh as much as 4.5 kg. The dorsal scales are keeled and arranged in 21–26 scale rows at midbody, the ventral scales number 158-177 in males and 163–183 in females. Males have 20–30 subcaudal scales, while females have 15–26, the rostral scale is normally a little higher than it is wide. Between the supraocular and internasal, only a single canthal scale is present, the number of prefoveal scales varies between 2 and 8. Usually the first supralabial scale is in contact with the prenasal scale. Dorsally, they have a pattern of brown or black crossbands on a yellowish brown or grayish background. The crossbands have irregular zig-zag edges, and may be V-shaped or M-shaped, often a rust-colored vertebral stripe is present. Ventrally they are yellowish, uniform or marked with black, melanism is common, and some individuals are very dark, almost solid black. Found in the eastern United States from southern Minnesota and southern New Hampshire, south to east Texas and its historic range includes southern Ontario and southern Quebec in Canada, but in May 2001, the Canadian Species at Risk Act listed it as extirpated in Canada. A Canadian government sponsored recovery strategy is currently under study to support the reintroducing of this predator of many pests to its former Canadian habitat. In Pennsylvania, it is not found west of Chestnut Ridge, thus, its range does not include the areas of Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, the two largest cities in Pennsylvania. C. horridus is extirpated in Maine and Rhode Island and is almost extirpated in New Hampshire, in Massachusetts, the snakes are active from mid-May to mid-October. Early settlers were afraid of the snake, as its population was widespread throughout the state, the snake is so rare in the state that it is rarely encountered by people and is considered endangered, making it illegal to harass, kill, collect, or possess. Generally, this species is found in forests in rugged terrain
13.
Trail
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A trail is usually a path, track or unpaved lane or road, though the term is also applied, in North America, to routes along rivers, and sometimes to highways. In the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland path or footpath is the term for a walking trail. There are also unpaved trails used by dirt bikes and other off-road vehicles, in some places, like the Alps, trails are used for moving cattle and other livestock. In the US, the term was used for a route into or through wild territory used by emigrants. In Australia, the track can be used interchangeably with trail. Walkway is used similarly in St. Johns, Newfoundland, Canada, in the United Kingdom, the term trail is in common usage. Longer distance walking routes, and government-promoted long distance paths, collectively known as National Trails, are frequently called ways, as in the Pennine Way. Generally the term footpath is preferred for pedestrian routes, including long distance trails, track is used for wider paths, often used for hiking. The terms bridleway, byway, restricted byway are all recognised legal terms, the increased popularity of mountain biking has led to a proliferation of mountain bike trails in many countries. Often these will be grouped to form complexes, known as trail centers. A particularly unusual use of the term is in the Canadian province of Alberta, Shared use may be achieved by sharing a trail easement, but within it maintaining segregated and sometimes also separated trail treads. This is common in rail trails, Shared use may also refer to alternate day arrangements, whereby two uses are segregated by being permitted on alternate days. The Trans Canada Trail can be used by hikers, walkers, cyclists, horseback riders, the network makes use of towpaths on river banks and disused railway or vicinal tramway lines. Old railway lines have been leased by the Walloon Government for 99 years using emphyteutic lease contracts, where necessary, new paths are created to link parts of the network. Thus the right to cycle exists even though it may be difficult to exercise on occasion, Cyclists using a bridleway are obliged to give way to other users on foot or horseback. The seawall in Stanley Park, Vancouver, Canada is popular for walking, running, cycling, there are two paths, one for skaters and cyclists and the other for pedestrians. The lane for cyclists and skaters goes one-way in a counterclockwise loop, foreshoreway is a term used in Australia for a type of greenway that provides a public right-of-way along the edge of the sea open to both walkers and cyclists. A forest road is a type of access road, built mainly for the forest industry
14.
Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians
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They form a broad arc between the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Appalachian Plateau physiographic province. They are characterized by long, even ridges, with long, the ridge and valley system presents an important obstacle to east-west land travel even with todays technology. The eastern head of the Ridge and Valley region is marked by the Great Appalachian Valley, the western side of the Ridge and Valley region is marked by steep escarpments such as the Allegheny Front, the Cumberland Mountains, and Walden Ridge. These curious formations are the remnants of an ancient fold-and-thrust belt, here, strata have been folded westward, and forced over massive thrust faults, there is little metamorphism, and no igneous intrusion. The ridges represent the edges of the erosion-resistant strata, and the valleys portray the absence of the more erodible strata, smaller streams have developed their valleys following the lines of the more easily eroded strata. Then the region was uplifted slowly enough that the rivers were able to maintain their course, valleys may be synclinal valleys or anticlinal valleys. These mountains are at their highest development in central Pennsylvania, a phenomenon termed the Pennsylvania climax, geology of the Appalachians Allegheny Front Eastern Continental Divide Tennessee Valley Divide Stanley, Steven M. Earth System History. New York, W. H. Freeman and Company,1999
15.
Mid State Trail (Pennsylvania)
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The Mid State Trail is a 522.98 km-long main trail network with many side trails located in the Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians and Allegheny Plateau of Central Pennsylvania. It is known as The Wildest Trail in Pennsylvania, in 2006, the MST was announced as part of the Great Eastern Trail network of footpaths intended to extend from Alabama to New York State. The southern end is on Black Valley Road at the Pennsylvania-Maryland border near Flintstone, Maryland, as of 2015 there remains a 1.79 km unmarked gap southeast of Wellsboro, Pennsylvania. The MST is primarily on public land – state forests, game lands, MST uses private lands by permission on occasion, generally closer to the Maryland and New York borders. The Mid State Trail has many views offered by its placement on narrow ridges, the MST provides an illusion of remoteness and solitude yet is rarely more than two kilometers from the nearest road. The MST was the first trail in the US to use metric measure and is one of the few to do so. The current Mid State Trail guide states, The MST was the first hiking trail in the United States to use metric measure, the second edition of the guide was completely metric. Metrication is a measure designed to help end our cultural isolation. Rectangular orange blazes mark the main trail, yellow and blue blazes are used to mark other trails. The Mid State Trails mark the trail with single rectangles and two rectangles to denote turns, the orange blazes on most parts of the Mid State Trail are more numerous and recent than the blue blazes on other adjacent trails. The Mid State Trail guide, published by the Mid State Trail Association, is an excellent source for the trailheads along the trail, access points occur regularly, but not often enough to disrupt your hiking experience. The Purple Lizard Map illustrates portions of the Mid State and Standing Stone Trail on their Rothrock State Forest map, Black bears, bobcats, and rattlesnakes can present a danger. When bears and people cross paths in the wild, usually the bear just wishes to leave the area, very rarely will a bear act hostile towards people. Bobcats are only dangerous if cornered, startled or threatened, the common rattlesnake of Pennsylvania, the timber rattler, has venom of a medium potency. The venom can cause injuries but is rarely lethal. Many times when timber rattlers strike for protection, they will not inject venom, administering proper first aid, keeping calm and quickly receiving medical attention is the best response to a bite
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Alabama
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Alabama is a state in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, Alabama is the 30th-most extensive and the 24th-most populous of the U. S. states. At nearly 1,500 miles, Alabama has one of the nations longest navigable inland waterways, Alabama is nicknamed the Yellowhammer State, after the state bird. Alabama is also known as the Heart of Dixie and the Cotton State, the state tree is the longleaf pine, and the state flower is the camellia. The largest city by population is Birmingham, which has long been the most industrialized city, the oldest city is Mobile, founded by French colonists in 1702 as the capital of French Louisiana. From the American Civil War until World War II, Alabama, like many states in the southern U. S. suffered economic hardship, like other southern states, Alabama legislators disenfranchised African Americans and many poor whites at the turn of the century. Following World War II, Alabama grew as the economy changed from one primarily based on agriculture to one with diversified interests. The state economy in the 21st century is based on management, automotive, finance, manufacturing, aerospace, mineral extraction, healthcare, education, retail, in the Alabama language, the word for a person of Alabama lineage is Albaamo. The word Alabama is believed to have come from the Alabama language, the words spelling varies significantly among historical sources. As early as 1702, the French called the tribe the Alibamon, other spellings of the name have included Alibamu, Alabamo, Albama, Alebamon, Alibama, Alibamou, Alabamu, Allibamou. Sources disagree on the words meaning, some scholars suggest the word comes from the Choctaw alba and amo. The meaning may have been clearers of the thicket or herb gatherers, the state has numerous place names of Native American origin. However, there are no correspondingly similar words in the Alabama language, an 1842 article in the Jacksonville Republican proposed it meant Here We Rest. This notion was popularized in the 1850s through the writings of Alexander Beaufort Meek, experts in the Muskogean languages have not found any evidence to support such a translation. Indigenous peoples of varying cultures lived in the area for thousands of years before the advent of European colonization, trade with the northeastern tribes by the Ohio River began during the Burial Mound Period and continued until European contact. The agrarian Mississippian culture covered most of the state from 1000 to 1600 AD, with one of its major centers built at what is now the Moundville Archaeological Site in Moundville, Alabama. This is the second-largest complex of the classic Middle Mississippian era, after Cahokia in present-day Illinois, Analysis of artifacts from archaeological excavations at Moundville were the basis of scholars formulating the characteristics of the Southeastern Ceremonial Complex. Contrary to popular belief, the SECC appears to have no links to Mesoamerican culture
17.
New York (state)
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New York is a state in the northeastern United States, and is the 27th-most extensive, fourth-most populous, and seventh-most densely populated U. S. state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south and Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Vermont to the east. With an estimated population of 8.55 million in 2015, New York City is the most populous city in the United States, the New York Metropolitan Area is one of the most populous urban agglomerations in the world. New York City makes up over 40% of the population of New York State, two-thirds of the states population lives in the New York City Metropolitan Area, and nearly 40% lives on Long Island. Both the state and New York City were named for the 17th-century Duke of York, the next four most populous cities in the state are Buffalo, Rochester, Yonkers, and Syracuse, while the state capital is Albany. New York has a diverse geography and these more mountainous regions are bisected by two major river valleys—the north-south Hudson River Valley and the east-west Mohawk River Valley, which forms the core of the Erie Canal. Western New York is considered part of the Great Lakes Region and straddles Lake Ontario, between the two lakes lies Niagara Falls. The central part of the state is dominated by the Finger Lakes, New York had been inhabited by tribes of Algonquian and Iroquoian-speaking Native Americans for several hundred years by the time the earliest Europeans came to New York. The first Europeans to arrive were French colonists and Jesuit missionaries who arrived southward from settlements at Montreal for trade, the British annexed the colony from the Dutch in 1664. The borders of the British colony, the Province of New York, were similar to those of the present-day state, New York is home to the Statue of Liberty, a symbol of the United States and its ideals of freedom, democracy, and opportunity. In the 21st century, New York has emerged as a node of creativity and entrepreneurship, social tolerance. On April 17,1524 Verrazanno entered New York Bay, by way of the now called the Narrows into the northern bay which he named Santa Margherita. Verrazzano described it as a vast coastline with a delta in which every kind of ship could pass and he adds. This vast sheet of water swarmed with native boats and he landed on the tip of Manhattan and possibly on the furthest point of Long Island. Verrazannos stay was interrupted by a storm which pushed him north towards Marthas Vineyard, in 1540 French traders from New France built a chateau on Castle Island, within present-day Albany, due to flooding, it was abandoned the next year. In 1614, the Dutch under the command of Hendrick Corstiaensen, rebuilt the French chateau, Fort Nassau was the first Dutch settlement in North America, and was located along the Hudson River, also within present-day Albany. The small fort served as a trading post and warehouse, located on the Hudson River flood plain, the rudimentary fort was washed away by flooding in 1617, and abandoned for good after Fort Orange was built nearby in 1623. Henry Hudsons 1609 voyage marked the beginning of European involvement with the area, sailing for the Dutch East India Company and looking for a passage to Asia, he entered the Upper New York Bay on September 11 of that year
18.
Cowans Gap State Park
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Cowans Gap State Park is a 1, 085-acre Pennsylvania state park in Todd Township, Fulton County and Metal Township, Franklin County, Pennsylvania in the United States. The park is surrounded by Buchanan State Forest in Allens Valley just off Pennsylvania Route 75 near Fort Loudon. The history of Cowans Gap State Park stretches back to the French, at the time the Cowans Gap was on the western frontier of the Thirteen Colonies. The land to the west was held by the French and their Native American allies the Algonquians, the French and British fought for control of the Ohio River Valley, including the area surrounding Pittsburgh. British Major General Edward Braddock led an expedition through southwestern Pennsylvania in 1755 and his men built Braddocks Road from Cumberland, Maryland to present-day North Braddock. At the same time, Braddocks subordinate, Colonel James Burd was building Burds Road from Shippensburg to connect with Braddocks Road, Burds road, built as a supply line, passed through Cowans Gap but was never completed due to Braddocks defeat at the Monongahela. The road ended just past Berlin, the British again tried to gain control of the Ohio River Valley in 1758, this time under the leadership of General John Forbes, whose second-in-command was Lieutenant Colonel Henry Bouquet. They picked up where Burds Road left off, built the Forbes Road and ultimately drove the French, Colonel Bouquet used the Forbes Road one more time in 1763 to break the siege of Fort Pitt during Pontiacs Rebellion. Cowans Gap is named for John and Mary Cowan, who settled there just after the American Revolution, the Cowans met in Boston in 1775. John Samuel Cowan was from a Loyalist family and Mary Mueller was from a Patriot family, Cowan reached the rank of Major in the British Army during the war, and returned to Boston at the conclusion of the war to ask for Marys hand in marriage. The Mueller family forbade the marriage and John and Mary eloped, at first they settled in Chambersburg, where they lived for a few years before heading out for Kentucky. Their wagon was disabled while crossing Conococheague Creek near Fort Loudoun, so John Cowan traded his horses, Cowan received a smoking pipe and tomahawk rights, which entailed marking a large chestnut tree on his property with three slashes, as a sign of peace with the Tuscarora. John Cowan secured a deed for the land from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in 1785, the Cowans built their home along Forbes Road near the present day intersection of Aughwick Road and Stumpy Lane. The old-growth forests in and surrounding Cowans Gap State Park were clear cut during the late 18th, colliers harvested the stands of white pine, hemlock, and hardwoods, and made charcoal by stacking timber around large hearths. The hearths were fired by the collier, who tended them for 10 to 14 days until the charcoal was ready, the forests regrew until 1865 when another iron furnace, Richmond Furnace, was built. Once again the timber was harvested and turned into charcoal, the Richmond Furnace was in operation until 1885. The trees that were not cut down for charcoal were ultimately felled by an operation owned by Harrison Kalbach of Lebanon. He bought 4,800 acres of woodland that was stripped of all its trees by 1907, the land was left largely barren, covered mostly with dried out tree tops that were burnt to ashes in massive wild fires that were set off by sparks from passing steam locomotives
19.
Mapleton, Pennsylvania
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Mapleton is a borough in Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 473 at the 2000 census, the H. O. Andrews Feed Mill was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1990. Mapleton is located at 40°23′31″N 77°56′25″W, according to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 0.2 square miles, of which,0.2 square miles of it is land and 0.04 square miles of it is water. As of the census of 2000, there were 473 people,191 households, the population density was 2,173.1 people per square mile. There were 201 housing units at a density of 923.5 per square mile. The racial makeup of the borough was 97. 67% White,0. 42% African American,0. 21% from other races, hispanic or Latino of any race were 0. 21% of the population. 22. 0% of all households were made up of individuals, the average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 2.89. In the borough the population was out, with 22. 0% under the age of 18,7. 0% from 18 to 24,28. 1% from 25 to 44,26. 2% from 45 to 64. The median age was 41 years, for every 100 females there were 88.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.2 males, the median income for a household in the borough was $32,500, and the median income for a family was $38,125. Males had an income of $35,556 versus $19,286 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $14,431, about 12. 6% of families and 15. 6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17. 9% of those under age 18 and 9. 8% of those age 65 or over. Mapleton, Pennsylvania Detailed Profile at City-Data. com
20.
Trail blazing
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There are three main types of trail blazing, paint, carvings or affixed markers, with paint being the most widely used. A painted marking of a consistent shape or shapes, dimension, the system by which blazes are used to signify turns and endpoints in trails strongly favors the use of paint blazes. European countries usually use systems of painted bars or shapes in more than one colour, the Central European Hiking Markers System pictured above is the most widely used standard. This system use three bars - usually one color in two white bars, with different meanings attached to different colours - in a 10 cm x 10 cm square. Red is often used to mark difficult or summit trails, arrows of similar design signal a change of direction. Austrian and Swiss trails use a system of white and coloured stripes. In the United States and Canada, it is a colour, often white, red. Trails in South Africa are often marked by yellow footprints painted on trees, before using paint on trees, it is sometimes necessary to clean the surface. One of the techniques in the USA is to use a knife or drawknife to smooth the outer bark of trees without penetrating to the inner bark. Since paint introduces small amounts of toxic chemicals into a protected environment. Stencils are often useful, and sash brushes are the preferred type for precise work. Oil-based paint seems to last longer than latex-based and seems to be benign to the bark. Blazes may also be painted on rock surfaces or on posts set into the ground where the trail follows a road or goes through fields. In North America, Australia and New Zealand, there are trails blazed by cuts made in bark by axe or knife, most often these are informal routes made by loggers or hunters, or trails descended from those routes. Originally a tree would be blazed by hatchet chops but today other methods have more common, with environmental. Other navigational aids, such as cairns, are used where blazes are unsuitable, alternatively, plastic, metal or even sometimes wooden markers may be affixed to trees, usually with nails. These last longer than paint, but are vulnerable to both the chewing of animals and the growth of the tree, which causes the marker to fall off, to protect against this possibility, most markers are put on with some space between the head and the bark. The placement of markers requires more skill and labor than paint, flags are sometimes used for permanent trails, but they are the most vulnerable to the elements of any trail blazing method and may be more difficult to see
21.
Bobcat
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The bobcat is a North American cat that appeared during the Irvingtonian stage of around 1.8 million years ago. Containing 12 recognized subspecies, it ranges from southern Canada to central Mexico, the bobcat is an adaptable predator that inhabits wooded areas, as well as semidesert, urban edge, forest edge, and swampland environments. It remains in some of its range, but populations are vulnerable to local extinction by coyotes. With a gray to brown coat, whiskered face, and black-tufted ears and it is smaller on average than the Canada lynx, with which it shares parts of its range, but is about twice as large as the domestic cat. It has distinctive black bars on its forelegs and a black-tipped, stubby tail, though the bobcat prefers rabbits and hares, it hunts insects, chickens, geese and other birds, small rodents, and deer. Prey selection depends on location and habitat, season, and abundance, like most cats, the bobcat is territorial and largely solitary, although with some overlap in home ranges. It uses several methods to mark its boundaries, including claw marks. The bobcat breeds from winter into spring and has a period of about two months. Although bobcats have been hunted extensively by humans, both for sport and fur, their population has proven resilient though declining in some areas, the elusive predator features in Native American mythology and the folklore of European settlers. The Lynx genus is now accepted, and the bobcat is listed as Lynx rufus in modern taxonomic sources. Johnson et al. reported Lynx shared a clade with the puma, leopard cat, the first wave moved into the southern portion of North America, which was soon cut off from the north by glaciers. This population evolved into modern bobcats around 20,000 years ago, a second population arrived from Asia and settled in the north, developing into the modern Canada lynx. Hybridization between the bobcat and the Canada lynx may sometimes occur, the bobcat resembles other species of the Lynx genus, but is on average the smallest of the four. Its coat is variable, though generally tan to grayish-brown, with streaks on the body and dark bars on the forelegs. Its spotted patterning acts as camouflage, the ears are black-tipped and pointed, with short, black tufts. Generally, a color is seen on the lips, chin. Bobcats in the regions of the southwest have the lightest-colored coats, while those in the northern. Kittens are born well-furred and already have their spots, a few melanistic bobcats have been sighted and captured in Florida
22.
Bear danger
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Bear danger is the risk encountered by humans and their pets or livestock when interacting with bears. Although most bears are alpha predators in their own habitat, most do not, under circumstances, hunt. Most bear attacks occur when the animal is defending itself against anything it perceives as a threat to itself or its territory, for instance, bear sows can become extremely aggressive if they feel their cubs are threatened. Any solitary bear is likely to become agitated if surprised or cornered. Separation is a key to conventional measures to minimize aggression and property damage by bears, places such as Denali National Park in Alaska, U. S. Before backpackers are allowed to enter an area with bears, they may be required to watch a video that teaches how to avoid encountering or agitating bears. The U. S. National Park service emphasizes keeping a distance from the bear, running away or climbing a tree can activate the bears hunting instincts and lead to it perceiving the human as prey. If a bear does charge, persons are advised to hold their ground, finally, if a bear does attack, the usual advice is to curl into a fetal position so as to shield vital organs and appear non-threatening. If this is not effective in stopping the attack, the only option left is to fight the bear in any way possible and this advice applies to omnivores such as brown and black bears. The best way to avoid being attacked by the completely carnivorous polar bear is not to any area where polar bears live. Bears are opportunistic omnivores with an excellent sense of smell, and are attracted to human, improper storage of these items can allow bears to eat human food and become dependent on it, increasing the probability of encounters with humans. Most brown and black bear encounters in human-populated areas involve so-called trouble bears, usually young males who have just left their mothers, if they wander close to human settlements, the smells of cooking and garbage can cause them to ignore their usual instinct to avoid humans. Many parks and persons in areas with bears utilize bear-resistant garbage cans and dumpsters for this reason, campers can access bear-proof containers from many parks to store their food and trash. The containers are then buried or strung on a rope between two trees, out of a bears reach. They are also instructed to put their containers, campfire, and tenting 100 yards away from each other, after a bear has been identified by park rangers or campers, that area may be closed off to humans. Signs are then posted on the borders of the area to prevent unaware campers from entering. Warnings about being fined $500, imprisoned for six months, some campgrounds will temporarily suspend tent camping and only allow camping in hard-shell vehicles. When a bear becomes conditioned by human food or habituated to humans, authorities such as police, park rangers, etc. are concerned with their liability should an injury to a person occur
23.
Rattlesnake
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Rattlesnakes are a group of venomous snakes of the genera Crotalus and Sistrurus of the subfamily Crotalinae. The 36 known species of rattlesnakes have between 65 and 70 subspecies, all native to the America, ranging from southern Alberta, Rattlesnakes are predators that live in a wide array of habitats, hunting small animals such as birds and rodents. The threat of envenomation, advertised by the shaking of the titular noisemaker at the end of their tails. However, rattlesnakes fall prey to hawks, weasels, king snakes, Rattlesnakes are heavily preyed upon as neonates, while they are still weak and mentally immature. Large numbers of rattlesnakes are killed by humans, Rattlesnake populations in many areas are severely threatened by habitat destruction, poaching, and extermination campaigns. Rattlesnake are the leading contributor to snakebite injuries in North America, however, rattlesnakes rarely bite unless provoked or threatened, if treated promptly the bites are seldom fatal. Rattlesnakes receive their name from the rattle located at the end of their tails, the scientific name Crotalus is derived from the Greek κρόταλον, meaning castanet. The name Sistrurus is the Latinized form of the Greek word for tail rattler and shares its root with the ancient Egyptian musical instrument the sistrum, Rattlesnakes are native to the Americas, living in diverse habitats from southwestern Canada to central Argentina. The large majority of live in the American Southwest and Mexico. Four species may be found east of the Mississippi River, in the United States, the states with the most types of rattlesnakes are Texas and Arizona. Most species live near open, rocky areas, rocks offer them cover from predators, plentiful prey, and open basking areas. However, rattlesnakes can also be found in a variety of other habitats including prairies, marshes, deserts. The most probable ancestral area of rattlesnakes is the Sierra Madre Occidental region in Mexico, the most probable vegetation or habitat of the ancestral area appears to be pine-oak forests. Feeding habits play an important ecological role by limiting the size of rodent populations, Rattlesnakes consume mice, rats, small birds, and other small animals. They lie in wait for their prey, or hunt for it in holes, the prey is killed quickly with a venomous bite as opposed to constriction. If the bitten prey moves away before dying, the rattlesnake can follow it by its scent, when it locates the fallen prey, it checks for signs of life by prodding with its snout, flicking its tongue, and using its sense of smell. Once the prey has become incapacitated, the rattlesnake locates its head by odors emitted from the mouth, the prey is then ingested head-first, which allows wings and limbs to fold at the joints in a manner which minimizes the girth of the meal. The gastric fluids of rattlesnakes are extremely powerful, allowing for the digestion of flesh, optimal digestion occurs when the snake maintains a body temperature between 80 and 85 °F
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Rothrock State Forest
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Rothrock State Forest is a Pennsylvania state forest in Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry District #5. The main offices are located in Huntingdon in Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania in the United States, Rothrock State Forest is located in Centre, Huntingdon, and Mifflin Counties. State College, home of Penn State University is only a few miles from many of the entrances of Rothrock, leading to high utilization of the forest by students and staff of the university. Rothrock shares a border on its eastern portion with Bald Eagle State Forest and is just north of areas of Tuscarora State Forest. Rothrock State Forest was formed as a result of the depletion of the forests of Pennsylvania that took place during the mid-to-late 19th century. Conservationists like Dr. Joseph Rothrock, for whom the forest is named, lumber and iron companies had harvested the old-growth forests for various reasons. They clear cut the forests and left nothing but dried tree tops. The sparks of passing steam locomotives ignited wildfires that prevented the formation of second growth forests, the conservationists feared that the forest would never regrow if there was not a change in the philosophy of forest management. The Pennsylvania General Assembly passed a piece of legislation in 1897 that authorized the purchase of unseated lands for forest reservations and this was the beginning of the State Forest system. Two of Dr. Rothrocks major accomplishments as commissioner were his land acquisition program and he led the effort in central Pennsylvania to acquire land that had once belonged to the Greenwood Iron Works. Additional land was purchased soon after nearly all of the Seven Mountain area had become state property. The lands acquired in the early 20th century were divided into three separate state forest reserves, Logan State Forest comprised the land in northern Huntingdon County and Ferguson and Harris Townships in Centre County. Penn State Forest was located in Potter Township, Centre County and Armagh Township, Rothrock State Forest was near Mount Union and Entriken, in Huntingdon County. The three forests were merged in 1953 with parts of Penn and Logan being added to Bald Eagle State Forest, some of the first firetowers built in Pennsylvania were constructed in Rothrock State Forest in the 1920s. Pennsylvania Governor Gifford Pinchot, former chief of the U. S, the construction of the observation towers combined with changes in forest management lead to a dramatic decrease in the number and size of forest fires throughout the state forests of Pennsylvania. By the 1950s the second growth forests of oak and hickory had grown to a size that the wood was ready to be harvested for lumber, a scientific forestry management plan was put into place in 1955. The timber management plan was expanded to a resource management plan in 1985. The new management plan covers the management of water, wildlife, timber, recreational use of the Rothrock State Forest has grown in the last several decades
25.
Appalachian Trail
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The trail is about 2,200 miles long, though the exact length changes over time as parts are modified or rerouted. More than 2 million people are said to do at least one day-hike on the each year. The idea of the Appalachian Trail came about in 1921, the trail itself was completed in 1937 after more than a decade of work, although improvements and changes continue. It is maintained by 31 trail clubs and multiple partnerships, and managed by the National Park Service, United States Forest Service, the majority of the trail is in forest or wild lands, although some portions traverse towns, roads and farms. The trail conservancy claims that the Appalachian Trail is the longest hiking-only trail in the world. It passes through 14 states, Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine. Many books, memoirs, websites, and fan organizations are dedicated to these pursuits, other separate extensions continue the southern end of the Appalachian range in Alabama and continue south into Florida, creating what is known as the Eastern Continental Trail. The Appalachian Trail, the Continental Divide Trail, and the Pacific Crest Trail form what is known as the Triple Crown of Hiking in the United States. The trail was conceived by Benton MacKaye, a forester who wrote his original plan—called An Appalachian Trail, macKayes idea detailed a grand trail that would connect a series of farms and wilderness work/study camps for city-dwellers. The idea was adopted by the new Palisades Interstate Park Trail Conference as their main project. On October 7,1923, the first section of the trail, from Bear Mountain west through Harriman State Park to Arden, MacKaye then called for a two-day Appalachian Trail conference to be held in March 1925 in Washington, D. C. This meeting inspired the formation of the Appalachian Trail Conference, a retired judge named Arthur Perkins and his younger associate Myron Avery took up the cause. Andersons efforts helped spark renewed interest in the trail, and Avery was able to bring other states on board, upon taking over the ATC, Avery adopted the more practical goal of building a simple hiking trail. He and MacKaye clashed over the ATCs response to a commercial development along the trails path, MacKaye left the organization. Avery reigned as Chairman of the ATC from 1932 to 1952, Avery became the first to walk the trail end-to-end, though not as a thru-hike, in 1936. In August 1937, the trail was completed to Sugarloaf Mountain in Maine, the ATCs trail crews and volunteer trail-maintaining clubs have relocated or rehabilitated miles of trail since that time. The completed thru-hike was much later recorded and accepted by the Appalachian Long Distance Hikers Association, in 1948, Earl Shaffer of York, Pennsylvania, brought a great deal of attention to the project by publicizing the first claimed thru-hike. The claim was criticized for the hikes omission of significant portions due to short-cuts
26.
Black Forest Trail
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The Black Forest Trail is a 42-mile loop trail that resides in Pennsylvanias Tiadaghton State Forest in parts of Lycoming, Potter, and Clinton Counties. Many other forest roads, hiking, and cross country ski trails cross the Black Forest Trail making it possible to do shorter loops for day hikes or shorter backpacking trips. The Black Forest Trail is known for many steep ascents and descents as well as views of the Pine Creek Gorge. As with most long-distance trails in Pennsylvania, the BFT is blazed with orange, the official start of the trail is a short distance from the village of Slate Run on Slate Run Road. The trail can also be accessed from Pennsylvania Route 44, which it twice, north of Waterville. In addition the trail crosses several dirt forest roads and this is a brief description starting counter-clockwise from the main trailhead at Slate Run. From the trailhead you walk a short while through a pine plantation. The beginning of the crosses the Slate Run stream which is about 30 feet wide and has a new foot bridge dedicated on October 24,2014. You then climb about 1,000 feet in a mile, part way up you come across an old quarry that offers spectacular views of the valley carved by Slate Run Creek. Then next several miles explore the plateau that is the Alcinda wilderness area, about mile 6 you descend along the Red Run, passing several nice campsites, finally recrossing the Slate Run around mile 8. You then are greeted with another gradual 1,000 feet climb, the trail once again follows the plateau to the west, with level hiking for the next several miles. The Sentiero Di Shay ski trail cross the BFT twice in this section, around the 13-mile mark you cross Pennsylvania Route 44 in a beautiful stand of hemlocks. The trail slowly descends and for the several miles and follows the County Line Branch stream. This section has many water crossings that can be difficult in high water, around mile 17 the trail makes a steep climb to the plateau again. For the next 6 miles the trail follows the plateau with views to the west, the hiking in this section is generally mostly level with a few minor climbs, as well as several nice campsites, especially around mile 21. This section of trail also crosses several cross country ski trails that can be used to access Pennsylvania Route 44, finally around mile 24 the BFT recrosses Pennsylvania Route 44. Following the crossing you have another couple miles of level hiking before taking on the more rugged eastern section of the trail. Around mile 26 the trail drops down to Callahan Run, one of many runs that flow into Pine Creek, after dropping down you immediately climb back up
27.
Chester Valley Rail Trail
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Chester Valley Rail Trail is a 13-mile trail through Chester and Montgomery Counties in Pennsylvania. The east end is in King of Prussia, while the west end is in Exton, Phase 1 of the trail was funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Phase 2 of the construction has begun in an attempt to connect the trails three sections, adding 7.6 miles. The Chester Valley Rail Trail enjoys a rich history closely connected to a number of American Revolutionary War parks, additionally, the trail travels within a few miles of the site of the Paoli massacre. Phase 2 of the project will connect to the Schuylkill River Trail. As there were two railway lines within a mile from the route, Conrail considered the Chester Valley Branch redundant and had abandoned most of the route by 1991. A 2-mile remnant of the branch survived until May 2011 when short line operator East Penn Railroad abandoned it, authorities from Chester and Montgomery Counties, in conjunction with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation looked to convert the road bed into a walking trail. Abbonizio Contractors to construct Phase 1 of the trail for $3.2 million, construction on Phase 2 of the trail began in August 2011. The paved trail is 10 to 12 feet wide with an approximately 66-foot wide right-of-way, the trails unpaved section near the Great Valley Corporate Center is crushed stone. On May 27,2010, a bridge was built over Church Road in East Whiteland Township. Parking and restrooms are provided at each of the trails two trailheads, a number of parks, including the Battle of the Clouds Park and Valley Creek Park, are adjacent to the trail. Chester County Parks and Recreation Traillink. com Flickr
28.
Darlington Trail
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The Darlington Trail is an orange-blazed hiking trail in Pennsylvania near Harrisburg. It is approximately 7.7 miles in length, at its western end, it intersects the Tuscarora Trail and the Appalachian Trail. The trail is maintained by the Susquehanna Appalachian Trail Club, the Darlington Trail predates the Appalachian Trail, and was founded in 1908 by the former Pennsylvania Alpine Club. It was named for the secretary of the club, Bishop Darlington of St. Stephens Cathedral in Harrisburg, the trail originally ran from Overview, at the Susquehanna River, to the Kings Trail west of Chambersburg. The SATC assumed maintenance of the Darlington Trail shortly after its formation in 1954 at the request of the last president of the Alpine Club, only the portion of the trail that ran from Overview to just west of Sterritts Gap could be located at that time, though. The Appalachian Trail used a portion of the Darlington Trail right-of-way in the days of its existence before it was relocated to its present location. Susquehanna Appalachian Trail Club Trail Map
29.
Great Allegheny Passage
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The GAPs first 9-mile section near Ohiopyle, Pennsylvania, opened in 1986. The 9-mile section between Woodcock Hollow and Cumberland opened on December 13,2006, in June 2013, thirty-five years after construction first began, the final GAP section was completed at an overall cost of $80 million and gave Pennsylvania the most open trail miles in the nation. The completion project was titled The Point Made, because it was now possible to reach Point State Park in Pittsburgh from Washington, celebrations took place on June 15,2013. The trail used a name, the Cumberland and Pittsburgh Trail. The second runner-up title for the trail was the Allegheny Frontier Trail, the route is traversed by through-travelers including hikers, backpackers and cyclists—in portion or entirety. Kennywood amusement park near Duquesne, Pennsylvania, this section of the trail was restricted during September 2013 due to a landslide, now a popular camping area and rest spot near Buena Vista, Pennsylvania. Connelsville trestles,2 long bridges near Connelsville, PA Ohiopyle State Park, bisected by the Youghiogheny, fallingwater, a national architectural landmark designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. Located very close to the trail, but not accessible from it, mason–Dixon line, the border where the trail crosses between Pennsylvania and Maryland Borden Tunnel,957 feet long, unlighted. Brush Tunnel,914 feet long, lighted, the trail, Canal Place, the head of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal in Cumberland, Maryland, where the C&O meets the former Western Maryland Railway and rail-trail. S. National Park Service, C&O Canal Towpath web page GAP Graphic Identity and Sign Guidelines Manual
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Golden Eagle Trail
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The Golden Eagle Trail is a 9-mile circuit trail located in Tiadaghton State Forest in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania. The trail falls mostly within the boundaries of Wolf Run Wild Area,50 Hikes in Central Pennsylvania, Day Hikes and Backpacking Trips, Fourth Edition. Golden Eagle Trail, Keystone Trails Association Golden Eagle Trail, PA Hikes Trail Guide Virtual Hike on the Golden Eagle Trail
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John P. Saylor Trail
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The John P. Saylor Trail is a predominantly flat double-loop trail located on the edge of the Allegheny Plateau, southeast of the town of Windber in Somerset County, Pennsylvania. This trail is named after Congressman John P. Saylor, who represented Pennsylvania from 1949 to 1973 and he was a conservationist with a deep concern for the environment. While in Congress, Saylor sponsored the National Scenic Trails Act, the northern loop of the John P. Saylor Trail is approximately 12 miles in length and the southern loop is about 5 miles long. The entire trail is a little over 17 miles long and can be hiked in a single day, there is a shelter erected on the southern loop that permits camping for an overnight backpack trip. In the spring the trail is wet with many springs. On parts of the trail there is preserved evidence of the former railroad grades. The trail crosses Clear Shade Creek by a suspension bridge into the Clear Shade Wild Area. As with most long distance trails in Pennsylvania, the John P. Saylor Trail is blazed with orange, side and connecting trails, such as the Bog and Boulder Trail or the Fishermans Path, are blazed yellow. Cross-country skiing trails are blazed blue, the entry point for the trail is in Gallitzin State Forest, at the Babcock Picnic Area on Pennsylvania Route 56. During winter months the area is closed and trail head parking can be found along Route 56 a short distance from the entrance to the picnic area. Located within the area is a signboard indicating the start of the trail. An optional parking area is located at the end of Shade Road. Shade Road is closed from the middle of December until mid-March but this area is located adjacent to the gated road. There are no vistas on this trail but there are points of interest to be observed. Pennsylvania DCNR website about the John P. Saylor Trail Description of several hikes on the John P. Saylor Trail John P. Saylor Trail Guidebook and Map Virtual Hike on the John P. Saylor Trail
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Laurel Ridge State Park
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Laurel Ridge State Park is a 13, 625-acre Pennsylvania state park that passes through Cambria, Fayette, Somerset, and Westmoreland counties, Pennsylvania in the United States. The park is home to the 70-mile Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail that runs through the park from the Youghiogheny River at Ohiopyle to the Conemaugh Gorge near Johnstown. The park was approved by the governor on July 10,1967, Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail is 70 miles long, begins at Ohiopyle State Park and ends at Conemaugh Gorge near Johnstown. The trail goes through forests, state parks, state game lands. Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail is open year round, the trail is marked with yellow blazes. Connector trails are marked with blue blazes and these trails connect the main trail with parking and shelter areas. The trail is marked with wooden signs at every major highway crossing. Six parking lots at the highway crossings provide starting points, some have access to drinking water, there are eight overnight shelter areas on the Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail. These shelter areas are located about every 6 miles to 10 miles along the trail, the shelter areas each have five Adirondack style shelters. There are two outhouses at the rest stops and a water supply, there is room for up to 30 tents at each stop. Hikers using the shelters are required to make reservations for use of the shelters with the staff before setting out on their hike. A fee is charged to users of the shelters, the Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail mileage starts from the southern trailhead in Ohiopyle State Park. The trail runs east through the park and parallel to the Youghiogheny River within Stewart Township in Fayette County for the first 6 miles, just past mile 6 the trail comes to the first overnight shelter area, where it turns northeast. At 7 miles the trail leaves the park and Fayette County, just before 15 miles, the trail enters Laurel Ridge State Park for the first time, where it continues northeast. Just past 17 miles the trail north, and crosses back into Fayette County. Shortly after this the trail returns to Somerset County and passes the third overnight shelter area with potable water, between 25 miles and 26 miles the trail follows the border between Laurel Ridge State Park and Forber State Forest, then leaves public land for private property. It crosses the borough of Seven Springs and runs just west of Seven Springs Mountain Resort, just before 29 miles the trail crosses into Donegal Township in Westmoreland County, and shortly after enters the state forest and then Laurel Ridge State Park again. At about 31.5 miles, the trail back into Somerset County
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Loyalsock Trail
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The Loyalsock Trail is a 59.2 mi hiking trail along Loyalsock Creek in Lycoming and Sullivan counties in north central Pennsylvania in the United States. The western terminus of the trail is on Pennsylvania Route 87,10 miles north of Montoursville and 9 mi north of I-180, the eastern terminus of the trail is on Meade Road,0.2 mi from U. S. Route 220, north of Laporte. Most of the trail is on Pennsylvania State Forest lands, in the Loyalsock State Forest, prior to the state forest reorganization on July 1,2005 the trail ran through the eastern Tiadaghton State Forest in Lycoming County and the Wyoming State Forest in Sullivan County. The trail has many climbs and offer many vistas, the lowest point on the trail is at 665 ft above sea level, while the highest point is at 2,140 ft. The trail was first laid out in 1951 by Troop 10 of the Explorer Scouts of the Boy Scouts of America from Williamsport, the original trail was 30.4 miles long. In 1953, the Alpine Club of Williamsport was formed to maintain the trail, the Alpine Clubs Guide to the Loyalsock Trail has seen 19 editions and was last revised in 2015. The trail reached its present length by 1962, although sections of the trail have been moved five times since, along with changes in and relocations of side. The trail is named for the Loyalsock Creek, whose name comes from the Native American name Lawi-saquick or middle creek, a section of the trail follows part of the Towanda path, a Native American trail. Other portions follow old abandoned logging roads and railroad grades and these are left over from the 19th and early 20th century when the lumber industry cut down almost all the trees in the area. The trail is blazed using red metal disks with the yellow letters LT painted in the center, an abrupt direction change is marked with double blazes. In addition to the disks,2 by 6 in painted yellow rectangles with a 1 in horizontal red stripe are also used as blazes. A yellow arrow in the direction is used to mark turns. Previously, blazes were a red disc with a yellow LT and they have been replaced by a yellow disc bearing a red LT. Be cautious at intersections with Red X trails, which are blazed with yellow discs bearing a red X, the three kinds of side trails are, Red X trails, which are bypasses or alternate routes and both begin and end on the main Loyalsock Trail. These are blazed with a metal disk with a large red X on it. White trails, which are unmaintained and blazed with white metal discs, Blue trails, which either lead to the Loyalsock trail or to Red X trails or interesting sites, and are blazed with blue metal disks. Numbers on the disks identify Blue trails leading to the Loyalsock Trail or Red X trails, side trails are described in the guide available from the Alpine Club
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Mason-Dixon Trail
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The Mason-Dixon Trail is a 195. About 30 per cent of the trail is a route marked along public roads, the trail starts near Mount Holly Springs at Whiskey Springs on the Appalachian Trail, in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania. It then heads east towards the Susquehanna River, passing through Gifford Pinchot State Park, the trail then follows the west bank of the Susquehanna south, first to Wrightsville, Pennsylvania, and then to Havre de Grace, Maryland. In the 65-mile section between Wrightsville and Havre de Grace, it passes Long Level, Holtwood Dam, Susquehanna and Tidewater Canal Lock 12, Peach Bottom, and Conowingo Dam. The trail then crosses the Susquehanna River, passes through Elk Neck State Park, after heading northeast through Newark, Delaware, the Mason-Dixon Trail ends at Chadds Ford on the banks of Brandywine Creek near the Delaware border. Mason-Dixon Trail System - official home page Mason-Dixon Trail on Facebook - official Facebook Page
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City of Parks
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City of Parks is a municipal project to create a continuous paved pedestrian and biking trail around the city of Louisville, Kentucky while also adding a large amount of park land. The project was announced on February 22,2005, there are also plans to connect the 100-mile Louisville trail to a planned seven mile trail connecting the Southern Indiana cities of New Albany, Clarksville and Jeffersonville. The trail is projected to be 110 mile long when completed,30 miles have already been completed along the western waterfront. The citys first bike path effort, Beargrass Bikeway, which connects Cherokee Park to the Belvedere, was opened in 1980, the section connecting the Belvedere to Shawnee Park was first proposed in 1988. The Louisville Loop currently extends a total of 30 miles from the Farnsley-Moremen House to Downtown, the first completed section of the Louisville Loop was created in the 1980s and is known as the Riverwalk. It is a 6. 9-mile bike and jogging trail running along the citys Ohio River waterfront from the Belvedere to Chickasaw Park and it passes through Lannan Park in Portland and Shawnee Park along the way. A portion of the runs along city streets Portland, with about 0.4 miles of the total route existing on city sidewalks. The trail passes through the former Portland Wharf area, which was razed for I-64 development, in 2007, the 10-mile Mill Creek Trail was completed, connecting the Levee Trail and The Riverwalk, ending at Lee Lane in Riverside Gardens. A small stretch of the Mill Creek Trail had been completed in 2002 by LG&E, on whose property much of the trail is located, an extension added by the city in 2007 included a $2 million bridge over Mill Creek
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Montour Trail
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The Montour Trail is a multi-use recreational rail trail near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It used to be the Montour Railroad and it has a crushed limestone surface, appropriate for bicycling, walking, running, and cross-country skiing. Eventually, this segment will extend 47 miles from Coraopolis, Pennsylvania to Clairton. The trail is part of a 204-mile rails to trails project between Pittsburgh and Cumberland, Maryland, when completed, it will be part of a 400-mile trail system between Pittsburgh and Washington, D. C, known as the Great Allegheny Passage. Panhandle Trail, The Montour Trail crosses over the Panhandle Trail on the McDonald Trestle, the Montour-Panhandle connector trail is approximately 1.1 miles long and connects the two trails. The Panhandle stretches 29 miles between Carnegie, Pennsylvania, and Weirton, West Virginia, the last unfinished section between Joffre and Burgettstown was finished in August 2008, and the trail is now complete. Steel Valley Trail runs 14 miles from Clairton through McKeesport to West Homestead, the Mckessport-West Homestead section is part of the GAP trail which connects Washington, D. C. to Pittsburgh solely on bike trails. At the Clairton Trailhead 40°18′19. 44″N 79°52′59. 14″W it connects to the Montour Trail, Great Allegheny Passage, This ambitious project is links Cumberland, Maryland, and Point State Park in Pittsburgh. Another branch extends to the Pittsburgh International Airport, the Great Allegheny Passage links to the historic Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, which runs from Cumberland to Washington, D. C. Ohio River Trail, This proposed trail will connect the Montour Trail to the Great Ohio Lake-to-River Greenway in Ohio, when completed the trail will be an important link in a mega-trail system from the Great Lakes Region to Washington, D. C. McDonald Viaduct, Formerly used by the Montour Railroad, the 960-foot long trestle reopened in 2003 and it spans over Noblestown Road, Robinson Run, the Panhandle Trail and Johns Avenue in Washington County, PA. Enlow Tunnel, At trail mile 7. 2–7.3, in 2000, Duquesne Light and Findlay Township installed lights inside the tunnel. National Tunnel, At 40. 3170°N80. 1818°W /40.3170, the tunnel is 623-foot and is paved with asphalt pavement with reflectors for safe navigation. In 2012, electrical lighting and signs warning of accumulations of ice were added to the tunnel to increase safety, Library Trestle, This 506-foot railroad trestle over Library Rd. in South Park was also formerly used by the Montour Railroad, until its incorporation into the trail. Renovation was completed in the spring of 2015, one of the bridges adjacent to the Greer Tunnel is the Chartiers Creek High Bridge, the highest bridge on the trail. A working railroad line also crosses directly under the trail in this area, the Montour Trail is managed and maintained by The Montour Trail Council. The MTC is a non-profit all-volunteer group which builds, operates and it is a registered 5013 not-for-profit corporation, relying on corporate, foundation and government grants and private donations for funding. As of 2012, MTC maintains net assets in excess of $9,300,000.00, the Montour Trail has four branches, Bethel, Muse, Westland, and the Airport Connector
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North Country Trail
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Passing through the seven states of New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and North Dakota, it is the longest of the eleven National Scenic Trails authorized by Congress. As of early 2017,3,009 miles of the trail is in place, the 28 chapters of the NCTA, its 3, 200+ members and each affiliate organization have assumed responsibility for trail construction and maintenance of a specific section of the NCT. The NCT was created on March 5,1980 by an amendment to the National Trails System Act, when the Trail was established in 1980, portions of it were designed to follow the already existing Finger Lakes, Baker, and Buckeye Trails. Their sponsoring organizations became affiliates of the North Country Trail Association, the trail begins in northeast New York and proceeds to the western end of the state. It continues from southeast Michigan through the western Lower Peninsula, crosses the Straits of Mackinac, after crossing northern Wisconsin, one leg follows the Lake Superior shore to the northeast corner of Minnesota before turning west, where it meets the other leg in central northern Minnesota. The trail enters southeast North Dakota, and continues to its terminus in the center of the state. The NCT connects more than 160 public land units, including parks, forests, scenic attractions, wildlife refuges, game areas, several hundred miles of trail eventually will also cross private land thanks to owners who have granted easements across their property. The center point of the trail is located near the NCTA headquarters in Lowell, though the eastern terminus of the North Country Trail is only a few miles from Vermonts Long Trail and the Appalachian Trail, there is not yet a connecting trail to either of those trail systems. Efforts are under way to connect to the Appalachian Trail, wabash Cannonball Trail Existing and new sections of the NCT are generally limited to foot travel, including hiking, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. Other non-motorized uses, such as bicycling and horseback riding are generally limited to areas designed to withstand such use
