The Current Trek
June 2025
June was a busy month at The Summit! With the Summit Loop open once again, lots of groups and visitors have been walking the trail. We welcomed the Sullivan County Elementary School first graders on June 2. After taking a walk around the path, students and staff enjoyed a snack and story at Meditation Ledge before heading back to school.
We also welcomed volunteers from the Lycoming Audubon Society to the Summit Loop on June 21 for a Birding for Beginners walk. Bruce Buckle, Sara Street, and Bonalyn Mostellar shared their knowledge and expertise on how to use binoculars, the Merlin app, and the eBird Hot Spot app to find, identify, and record birds. It was a very enlightening morning! Another birding walk is planned for August 14 at 6 pm.
In keeping with our Summer of Birds theme, several people attended a presentation on hummingbirds on June 25. Many thanks to Sandy Lockerman for giving us a glimpse into the tiny but fascinating world of hummingbirds. As the only licensed hummingbird bander in Pennsylvania, Sandy shared her wealth of experience and interesting facts with a captive audience at the Loyalsock State Forest Office on Rt. 220. We are also very appreciative of Rich Glinski, District Forester of the Loyalsock Forest District for providing a beautiful space for the talk and Anastasia McMahon-Farrell for coordinating this event.
Jessica Pennella led a Yoga Evening at Meditation Ledge on June 14. It was an absolutely serene evening to move and flow in the woods.
If you’ve been to The Summit campus this month, you may have noticed a few new signs. We placed trail crossing signs marking where the Summit Loop crosses over the new driveway. A stop sign has also been installed at the driveway entrance.
Earlier in June, Loyalsock Foundation participated in NEPA Gives, an online giving extravaganza for nonprofits in Northeast Pennsylvania. We are very pleased to announce that $3000 was raised during this event, plus an additional $201 through the stretch pool. Thank you to our donors for supporting The Summit: Center for Wellness!
May 2025
We gratefully welcomed volunteers from Expand Energy and Evergreen Oilfield Solutions on May 6 for help with spreading wood chips on the Summit Loop. These volunteers worked quickly and efficiently! We also appreciated the use of their equipment.
We kicked off Memorial Day weekend by reopening the Summit Loop trail. New trail maps are in place. Park at the top of the new driveway and look for the white The Summit: Center for Wellness banner to access the trail.
Did you see us at Laporte Market Day? We had several people stop by our table to check out the progress and sign up for our newsletter.
April 2025
With some breaks in the weather, the driveway construction project wrapped up a few loose ends. The final step will be seeding the cleared areas, scheduled for early May. The Summit Loop remains closed until seeding has been completed and wood chips have been added to the trail. New trail maps are designed and in production.
Mary Blondy and Jessica Pennella met with Laurel Health President and CEO, Jim Nobles, to discuss potential collaboration and a shared vision for improving the health and wellness of Sullivan County as Laurel Health prepares to take over the medical and dental clinic in Laporte.
March 2025
Laporte Borough hosted a special public meeting on March 6. Val Britton, principal hydrogeologist of V.F. Britton Group, LLC, gave an informational presentation on Loyalsock Foundation’s septic and well sites in relation to Laporte Borough’s source water supply. Approximately 75 people attended the meeting. Val answered several questions from the audience. Randy Rosbach of Soil Services Company and Eric Sechrist of LIVIC Civil were also on hand to add their input and answer questions regarding the project.
Mary Blondy and Jessica Pennella met with Senator Gene Yaw and Representative Joe Hamm during the week of March 3 to provide progress updates on The Summit: Center for Wellness.
Around 35 people attended a Summit Loop work day on March 29. We are very grateful for this group of volunteers who gave up their Saturday morning to help us work on the trail. We are especially appreciative of the Sullivan County High School students who helped out and represented the Ski Club, Envirothon team, and the new Outdoor Club. The trail is still in need of additional work over the next few weeks. A new trail entrance needs to be smoothed out and wood chips added in several sections. The new trail map is also in production.
January/February 2025
The cold temperatures brought a seasonal tradition back to life: the Eagles Mere Toboggan Slide. We hope you were one of the thousands who enjoyed this long-awaited winter activity.
The cold temperatures also brought behind the scenes work, as Loyalsock Foundation works through grant packages for The Landing, an ADA pathway and observation deck for The Landing, and interpretive signage for the pathway. Planning and execution of these projects will occur throughout 2025 and into 2026.
The DCED Neighborhood Assistance Program is now accepting applications. Loyalsock Foundation will be reaching out to local and regional businesses for donations in exchange for a 90% tax credit against PA state taxes. We are asking businesses to contribute to the infrastructure needed for the main building as well as The Landing. The septic, well, and electric will be designed and installed to service both buildings. Read more about the DCED Neighborhood Assistance Program here.
The Summit Loop trail remains closed, but a trail work day is scheduled for Saturday, March 29. We hope to open the trail shortly after that. If you’d like to help, send us an email at info@loyalsockfoundation.org.
December 2024
December was a quiet month for Loyalsock Foundation as we reflected on the accomplishments of 2024 and look forward to continued progress in 2025.
The Summit Loop trail remains closed as we work to reinstall trail signs and update the trail map. There will be a new parking area and a different access point for the trail once it opens.
Loyalsock Foundation attended the final Outdoor Recreation Roundtable of the year, sponsored by the Endless Mountains Heritage Region. A public survey on outdoor recreation is being developed. Look for it in January.
The annual Wild Game Dinner, benefitting the Sullivan County Recreational Association, will be held on Saturday, January 18, 2025 at the Muncy Valley Fire Hall. Tickets are currently available. Contact Sue Mullen to purchase (570-220-8972 or suemullen@sullivancountyrec.com).
Read more about our journey…
The trek to The Summit has been in progress for many years. Read about our journey from the beginning.