This Is The Story

Earthen Echoes is a dream made reality with the help of so many people. Kachina Earhart, owner and operator of the business, started her journey as a very young child.  With parents who loved nature and a little place in northwest pa to go hiking, camping, swimming, and all manner of outdoor activities, Kachina grew up with a deep connection to and understanding of the world around her.

At the age of about 8, her parents took them on a summer vacation trip to central pa where they planned activities beforehand for the whole week. Priscilla and David always made sure to include something specifically geared towards kids in their family trips. This year they found a place called Lincoln Caverns who had Kids Cave Kamp, a week long day camp. So while staying at Raystown Lake at a tenting site, each day Kachina went to camp and learned about caves, bats, fossils and so many other things. Touring through the caves on the property was her favorite part. Usually the family picked different places to go each summer, but Kachina had begged to go back to Lincolns camp program the next year. Her parents told her if she still wanted to go in two years, they would return. They thought she would forget by then. She did not. A summer went by and as soon as it was over, she asked if she could go back to the caves the next year. A deal was a deal and her parents made the arrangements.

Kachina went every other year for a while, but quickly realized she would age out of the program eventually and started going every year. By the time she was in the second to oldest group, the camp started taking the kids spelunking in unimproved caves. Kachina was in love. And when she aged out at 15, the camp still couldn't get rid of her. She returned like a lingering cold to volunteer with the program. Now teaching, and leading the same activities she had so enjoyed, her penchant for leadership grew exponentially. She was trusted to lead spelunking trips and ensure the safety of the children. She ended up with her own proteges, Max and Iris, who grew up in the program just like she had.

Kachina's own mentor from the caverns, Jenn, continued to support her as decisions began to loom about college. In the end, all that Jenn had taught her, cemented her path. Kachina attended Juniata College and pursued a degree in geology. This school just happened to be about 10 minutes from Lincoln Caverns and she came on as a true employee in her freshman year, working there on and off for the seven years of her schooling.

At the same time as all of this, Kachina attended another camp in northwest pa by her family cottage called Seneca Hills Bible Camp. Starting around the same time (7-8y/o) Kachina quickly began to engage in their EDGE program. this was an outdoor, full week, overnight camp that focused on camping, hiking, rock climbing and other outdoor activities. The kids learned how to cook their own food on a camp stove and string up a tarp to sleep under in the woods. Kachina stayed in this program, expanding her knowledge and curiosity for years until she aged out. Already having the commitment to Lincoln in the summers, she did not work at Seneca right away.

She filled out an application many times, but never submitted it. Finally in 2019, she put her application in. One year later and she was helping run the program she grew up in. Now she is the Adventure Coordinator for Seneca Hills. She is so very proud and honored, giving huge thanks and shout out to her mentor here, Josh, who taught her everything she knows.
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Collecting and sharing knowledge is by far Kachina's biggest passion. Earthen Echoes was born out of the need to give others the kinds of experiences she had to bring her to this point.