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In 2025 the club held 102 events... WOW! Those events were lead by 20 different hike leaders. Thank you to each of those leaders who help to keep the club vibrant and in motion. Membership consists of 220 members and 70 of those are new members who joined in the last year. I want to send a big thank you to all of those members who renew year after year, in some cases for decades, and who come out to hike and maintain the trails we all love so much. And I want to welcome all of the members who have joined our Allentown Hiking Club family in the last year. I hope you continue to enjoy getting outdoors with us!

Within the club there are 35 members who helped maintain our 10.3 miles of the Appalachian Trail and 10 members who helped to protect and maintain the National Park Service boundary around that trail. Thank you to these individuals who step up and volunteer their time so generously... the club totaled 598 volunteer hours in 2025! Without these folks the club could certainly not accomplish all that we do.

Looking ahead to 2026, hikes are already beginning to populate the calendar with new hike leaders stepping up to create new adventures. While most events on our current calendar are hikes, events are only limited to what leaders want to do. If you're interested in kayaking or biking or backpacking and feel comfortable taking a lead role in that activity, please reach out and the club will support you to create successful activities that others can also enjoy. Believe me... if an activity is of interest to you it's also likely of interest to others, as well.

I hope you all enjoyed getting outdoors as much as I did this past year and I look forward to seeing all of you at an Allentown Hiking Club event in 2026!

Happy New Year!

Paula Uhrin

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Link: https://www.allentownhikingclub.org/blog/Looking-Back-and-Looking-Ahead-90/

March 31, 2025
Spring Cleaning
by Paula Uhrin

It’s that time ... time to spruce up or clear away the old to make room for the new. In the case of the Appalachian Trail and trails in general, that means getting out to assess trail conditions and remove any obstacles that winter storms may have brought to make a clear path for hikers.

On the Allentown Hiking Club’s 10.3 miles of the Appalachian Trail we often see that trees of the same approximate age unfortunately fall victim to storms and take their final bow, falling on the trails around the same time. Clearing these trees is no easy task and often requires groups to head out to collectively address the fallen or semi-fallen trees and then remove them from the trail. The club has individuals specifically trained by the Appalachian Train Conservancy to use a chainsaw and clear these blowdowns. Those individuals are assisted by other club members who then remove the cut tree sections from the trail. As you can imagine, this is not easy work, particularly when there are at times a dozen or more trees to address. As I like to say, many hands make light work, so if you have the interest in helping with these activities keep an eye on the club calendar and join in. The trails don’t maintain themselves and every little but of help makes the overall job that much easier!

In addition to blowdown removal, the club also maintains the Allentown Shelter, which is located 4 miles AT south from Route 309. Several times each year we visit the shelter to ensure it is in good working order ... cleaning gutters, repairing the roof, maintaining the privy, adjusting the fire ring, checking on the two nearby springs, and anything else that might need attention. The club also maintains Lock #2 in Lehigh Gorge State Park, as well as trails within the Lehigh Gap Nature Center. Activities associated with these locations tend to be brush clearing, raking, and weeding to remove overgrowth. These are all great opportunities to visit with us and get to know the club to understand how you can get more involved. Events are often included in the club calendar, but sometimes action is required quickly and a message will go out via email to club members asking for assistance, so keep an eye on both the club calendar and your inbox.

As the weather warms and more people hit the trails, all of these activities help to keep the trails passable, safe, and enjoyable for all ... thru hikers, section hikers, and day hikers. Your support is invaluable to ensuring we can do our part to allow everyone to enjoy the trails we all love so much!

Enjoy these photos of last year's work trips, and Happy Trails!

Annual Spring Maintenance

Lock 2 Clean Up

Shelter Maintenance