By JESSICA WELSHANS

For The Express

KETTLE CREEK – Built back in the ’70s, the Donut Hole Trail is located north from Bucktail State Park through Kettle Creek State Park towards Tamarack, according to the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.

Throughout its time in the forest, its has seen many sizes of hiking boots, and is known more today for trail runners’ shoes crossing its diverse elevations, streams, habitat and scenery.

A wilderness track trail – the Donut Hole traverses south into the Sproul State Forest, heads toward Hyner and continues south to Farrandsville – one will likely never see a vehicle or hear anything but nature, and not even see another hiker.

This 91-mile, point-to-point trail is rated as moderate to strenuous. The trail has gotten some major facelifts and sections were relocated, about 18.3 miles – with work started and finished for some, and still ongoing for others.

“It had to be relocated at this time because of conflict with the gas industry,” said Ted Ligenza, forester from the Sproul State Forest district.

It now crosses over to the The Nature Conservancy – Pennsylvania’s land sitting just next door to the state forest boundaries.

More then five years ago remnants of logging roads within conservancy’s West Branch Forest Preserve were assessed. It was to be determined how it could be used to make a single track trail adding to the neighboring state forest.

“The Donut Hole didn’t cross the conservancy until this project. Ruth Rode and Ted suggested to push a couple trails into the conservancy property to help create exposure,” Mike Eckley, forester at The Nature Conservancy-Pennsylvania, said.

This was suggested seven years ago by Rode, of South Williamsport, a long time member of the Alpine Hiking Club, a Keystone Trail Association member and a passionate hiker.

Segments of the Donut Hole Trail adjoining Pat’s Ridge near the intersection of Hyner Mountain Road and Ritchie Road are specific places that have been negatively impacted by natural gas development, Eckley said.

There were complaints that there was increased noise, limited and partially restricted access, and drastic changes to the visual appearance of the area.

This, Eckley said, prompted the trail relocation project.

The Keystone Trail Association and DCNR-Bureau of Forestry started discussing moving a portion of the trail to go through the TNC’s West Branch Forest Preserve.

Work wasn’t easy and took a lot of man hours by many volunteers and agencies, including DCNR-Bureau of Forestry and The Nature Conservancy, to get this single track in place.

Over the past few years, Eckley said the project leaders have organized and executed multiple sequenced trail work days.

“Various groups contributed to improving and/or constructing new single-track trails to complete the new Donut Hole trail extension, including members of the Bald Eagle Boys Camp, Keystone Trail Association members, PA Trail Dogs, Bureau of Forestry personnel out of Renovo, and Nature Conservancy staff,” Eckley said.

PA Trail Dogs, who are event organizers of Hyner View Trail Challenge, worked on a relocated section last spring and summer, according to Ligenza.

They continue to do work on the trail, clearing downed tree, blowing off leaf litter and general trail maintenance to keep it clear and safe for trail users.

Keystone Trail Association helped in relocation of a section of trail and other manual labor.

Ligenza and his staff of DCNR people took to the trail and collectively worked on their own or with the other crews constructing this new single track.

“It is a combination of new trails and old trailsI think it is a major improvement. You are actually hiking to Hyner View and that is a major landmark,” Ligenza said.

Some sections were put in, but others, including old logging roads and skid trails were utilized and now blazed for hiking.

The blazes have been painted, signage is going up and it’s just a matter of maintaining the trail with clean-up. The work for the most part is complete.

The Nature Conservancy’s West Branch Forest Preserve is actively managed and Forest Stewardship Council “GREEN” Certified, Eckely said.

“Proactive communication has enabled this trail to be located in a manner so that it is compatible with current and future forest management activities and operations,” Eckley said.

Ligenza said portions of the Donut Hole will also be featured on the upcoming Prowl the Sproul hiking weekend on July 29 to 31. This will be the 13th year for this hiking weekend.

“The new trail helps create a new element to this year’s Prowl the Sproul and three hikes will cross portions of it,” Eckley said.

The Donut Hole is remote and its rugged, but its shows off so much of what this area has to offer to hikers. Eckley said it is what defines what is the Pennsylvania Wilds.

“More than half of the Nature Conservancy’s 3,000-acre West Branch Forest Preserve is characterized by rugged, steep terrain that is not conducive to traditional forest management activities and operations,” Eckley said. “These more remote areas are ‘unmanaged’ (western half of the preserve) and offer visitors (hunters and hikers) a wilderness-like experience that includes multiple scenic vistas, large boulder rock outcrops, and a forest setting that appears to many as ‘wild and wonderful’.”

“The one thing I like about it is the fact it has five vistas and you can actually hike to Hyner View, which in my opinion is the best vista in the state,” Ligenza said.

Eckley said the project enhances the existing footprint of trails that have become part of the Hyner Trail 50K.

For some, depending on where and what time, there may be some evidence of work being done on the conservancy side of the Donut Hole, but there may be little activity.

“There may be (forest) treatments … some level of forest management like fences and treatments” Eckley mentioned.

All this volunteerism and agencies working together, Eckley said allows this trail relations and alliance to be created.

“With the nature conservancy’s mission to provide passive recreation opportunities and help connect people to nature, expose them to natural resourcesparticularly the PA Wilds area, and working with the Bureau of Forestry and DCNR collaborate together, he said, it’s been a success and this new trail relocation is proof of it.”

Trail users should be aware, there is a chance there may be a rattlesnake sighting in and along this area.