including more than 26 miles of trails under MARC’s management. In Montour and Columbia Counties combined, that total increases to more than 150 miles of trails on nearly 100,000 acres of publicly-accessible lands at 70 locations. Residents and visitors to our area will find an outstanding range of wintertime outdoor recreational options. The addition toMARC’s inventory of the Snowdog vehicle and accessories will allow us to take these opportunities to the next level so that even more visitors can get outdoors and enjoy the amazing resources our region has to offer.” Stoudt notes that 2022 will mark the 50th anniversary of the Montour Preserve. Constructed by PPL in 1972 to provide a backup source of water for the nearby coal-fired Montour Plant, Lake Chillisquaque and the surrounding Montour Preserve have been a year-round destination for outdoor recreation and environmental education for generations of local residents and visitors alike. “Ice fishing, wintertime hiking, and wintertime educational programming such as the maple sugaring program have always been very popular at the Montour Preserve” Stoudt noted. “The ability to begin grooming trails for cross- country skiing at the Preserve in 2022 is a great way for us to celebrate the site’s 50th anniversary.” MARC recently announced the dates for the 2022 maple sugaring programs at the Montour Preserve. Open houses will be held on Saturday, February 26, 2022 from 12pm – 4pm and again on Sunday, March 13, 2022 from 12pm – 4pm. Admission is free for both events, but donations are welcome.
Jon Beam (right) discussing maple sugaring at the 2020 event.
Deb Steransky (right) presents to a group of interested youth.
Visitors will be directed to the Montour Preserve’s sugar shack along the Goose Woods Trail where they
will learn about the cultural andnatural history ofmaple sugaring and have the opportunity to experience the sights, sounds, smells, and tastes of maple sugaring. All programming for the 2022 open houses will be conducted outdoors to mitigate against COVID-19 concerns. The sugar bush movie typically shown in the auditorium will not be presented. MARC anticipates that maple products will be available for purchase both days. Field trips for school groups and community organizations can also be scheduled by contacting Jon Beam, MARC Assistant Director / Naturalist, at (570) 772-4021 or JBeam@MontourRec.com. More information about the Montour Area Recreation Commission is available at www.montourrec.com. More info about the Montour Preserve, including the maple sugaring programming, is available at www. montourpreserve.org. Mappingof local parks and trails, as well as a wealth of information about all the places to eat, stay, and play in our community, is available at www.itourcolumbiamontour.com/outdoorrecmap.
Maple sugaring at the Preserve is an amazing process!
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