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PATC North Chapter
Welcome to the North Chapter of the
Potomac Appalachian Trail Club
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North Chapter
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The PATC North Chapter maintain 70 miles of the Appalachian Trail from Harper's Ferry, WV to Pine Grove Furnace, Pennsylvania. We also maintain the entirety of the 110 miles of the Tuscarora Trail north of Hancock, WV through to Big Blue Mountain in Pennsylvania. We also maintain about 62 miles of blue blazed side trails connecting to both the AT and TT.
In addition to trail maintenance, we sustain seven hiking shelters and four rental cabins along the AT and six shelters and two cabins along the Tuscarora.
Our chapter is divided into two working sections -- the South Mountaineers (Maryland) and the Yankee Clippers (Pennsylvania) . We are volunteers of all ages, backgrounds, cultures and skill sets.
Maps for these trails can be purchased from the PATC at their online store. Our AT trails and side trails are covered by maps 2 through 6. Our TT trails and side trails are covered by maps J, K, L.
The North Chapter organized in 1985 as the 1st Regional Chapter of PATC. It all started when a member of Keystone Trails Association suggested "organizing the Pennsylvania section".
The suggestion was related to corridor management, but it was interpreted as organizing a local section of the PATC for interested Pennsylvania members. There was considerable interest in having PATC activities closer to home for distant members & since the constitution and bylaws were worded loosely enough, it was decided that there was no reason geographic location could not be construed as a "special interest", which allowed for the establishment of regional chapters.
As a result, an interested group of fewer than 20 people, including Paula Strain, Dave Raphael, Ray Fadner, Charlie Irvin, the Plancks and Elizabeth Johnston (known to her friends as "the old gray-haired lady of Pennsylvania") met at the Iron Masters Hostel in Pine Grove Furnace on Nov. 23, 1985.
Why the North Chapter for a name? Even though almost all of our trail work was initially done in Pennsylvania, there have always been a lot of Marylanders and folks from Virginia and Delaware who considered it their chapter. The word North seemed more inclusive. One thing you could count on, if it happened north of the Mason Dixon Line, the North Chapter was involved. In March of 1998, the South Mountaineers, Maryland's PATC trail crew and its overseers, became a part of the North Chapter.
The North Chapter took over the maintenance of the Tuscarora Trail in April 1993. At that time, the trail was virtually grown shut in most places. By October 1994 the Tuscarora was again passable. In 1996, the Tuscarora Trail and the Big Blue Trail officially merged to become the unified Tuscarora Trail, a 252 mile trail which connects to the Appalachian Trail near the Matthews Arm Campground at Skyline Drive in the south and at Dean's Gap near Harrisburg in the north.
![AppalachianTrail M_G.jpg](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/29ec27_321ac25b815141aa98d7a4d584b95092~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_347,h_270,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_avif,quality_auto/AppalachianTrail%20M_G.jpg)
![The Bridge Crew.jpg](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/29ec27_17c3ccbef298469ba72591e03d9d6fd8~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_346,h_260,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_avif,quality_auto/The%20Bridge%20Crew.jpg)
![ATC Pine Grove - Copy.jpg](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/29ec27_6917e625a2bb4dfcac8b211180d0b965~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_326,h_285,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_avif,quality_auto/ATC%20Pine%20Grove%20-%20Copy.jpg)
Chapter Officers
Click here for Chapter Officers
Minutes of Past Chapter Meetings
Last Updated: 1/18/2025
Announcements
Trail Updates
For trail updates for the Appalachian Trail, see the Trails Updates section at the Appalachian Trail Conservancy
Pennsylvania Work Trips
The Pennsylvania Section of the North Chapter (Yankee Clipper) usually schedules work trips twice monthly on the first and third Saturdays of the month. The first Saturday of the month work is done on the AT and the third Saturday of the month work is done on the Tuscarora Trail. To have your email added to the Yankee Clipper contact list for notification of work trips, send an email to patcnorthchapter@gmail.com
Yankee Clipper Work Trip on the Appalachian Trail in Pennsylvania
A PATC North Chapter worktrip and pizza fest are planned for this Saturday, January 4, in Pennsylvania.
Date: January 4, 2025
Time: 8:45 AM
Location: Gypsy Spring Cabin
GPS: 39.97881, -77.39772
Goals: 1. Gypsy Spring Cabin - wood cutting, splitting, stacking
2. Blowdown removal - various trail sections
3.
Tools: Chainsaws, splitters, splitting mauls, axes, fire rakes, loppers
Other: Work gloves, sturdy shoes, helmet, hearing protection, orange clothing, safety glasses, water, and snacks.
Note: It's forecasted to be a cold day so we'll quit about 1:00 PM. Then it's pizza time at Gypsy Spring Cabin (GPS 39.97881, -77.39772). Let me know if you prefer cheese, pepperoni, meat lovers, junk, etc.
Please let David know of your intentions on or before Wednesday, January 1, 2025:
1. Worktrip only.
2. Worktrip and dinner.
3. Dinner only.
Sawyers:
Let's get your chainsaw ready for 2025. Dennis will have a workstation set up at Gypsy Spring Cabin to show you how to clean and maintain your chainsaw. Even if you don't plan to use your chainsaw on the worktrip, bring it anyway. Pick up an air filter, fuel filter, and spark plug at your chainsaw dealer and Dennis will help you install it. An air compressor will also be available to clean your chainsaw.
Be sure to reply, so we can contact you directly if plans change. The worktrip will be cancelled if the weather doesn't cooperate.
FUTURE EVENTS
01.18.25 - Tuscarora Trail worktrip - Saturday
01.22.25 - Tuscarora Trail worktrip - Wednesday
02.08.25 - AT worktrip - Saturday - Note that this is the 2nd Saturday in February.
David Trone - PATC District Manager for Pennsylvania
Pete Brown - PATC District Manager for Pennsylvania
Chris Firme - PATC District Manager for Tuscarora Trail
Yankee Clipper Work Trip on the Tuscarora Trail in Pennsylvania
The Tuscarora Trail work trips planned for Saturday January 18, and Wednesday, January 22, have been cancelled.
FUTURE EVENTS
1.18.25 - Tuscarora Trail work trip - Saturday cancelled due to rain forecast
1.22.25 - Tuscarora Trail work trip – Wednesday cancelled due to very cold single digits in the morning
2.01.25 - AT work trip – Saturday
2.15.25 - Tuscarora Trail work trip - Saturday
2.19.25 - Tuscarora Trail work trip - Wednesday
Chris
Links
Hiking Links
Emergency
Emergency - 911
Poison Control 800-222-1222
Mayo Clinic First Aid web page
State Police, Parks, Forests
Maryland State Police
Barrack B Frederick - 814-600-4150
Barrack O Hagerstown - 301-766-3800
Pennsylvania State Police
Troop H Harrisburg 717-671-7500
Troop G Hollidaysburg 814-696-6100
Maryland State Park Offices
Greenbrier - 301-791-4767
South Mountain - 301-791-4767
Pennsylvania State Park Offices
Caladonia - 717-352-2161
Colonel Denning - 717-776-5272
Cowan's Gap - 717-485-3948
Pine Grove Furnace - 717-486-7174
Buchanan State Forest - 717-485-3148
Michaux State Forest - 717-352-2211
Tuscarora State Forest - 717-536-3191
Local Medical Facilities
Carlisle UPMC - 717-249-1212
361 Alexander Spring Road
Carlisle, PA 17015
Chambersburg Wellspan Hospital - 717-267-3000
112 North 7th Street
Chambersburg, PA 17201
Frederick Medical Center
ER Facility Under Construction
Fulton Co. Medical Center - 717-485-3155
214 Peach Orchard Road
McConnellsburg, PA 17233
Gettysburg Wellspan Hospital - 717-334-2121
147 Getty's Street
Gettysburg, PA 17325
Hagerstown Meritus Health - 301-790-8000
11116 Medical Campus Road
Hagerstown, MD 21742
Waynesboro UPMC - 570-723-7764
32 Central Avenue
Waynesboro, PA 17268
Maintainers
Photos / Past Events
Here is a picture of building the bridge. And this is the text describing it.
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