I’ve now spent an entire year hiking in Pennsylvania and can honestly say that the summer months are the absolute worst times to hike in this state. It’s hot, humid and bugs (mosquitoes and ticks) abound. That said, the scenery (lakes, woods, wildflowers) is lovely with plenty of active wildlife (bears, birds, butterflies, snakes, etc.) I will admit it hasn’t been easy trying to adjust from high peak mountains out west to low elevation, woodsy trails of Pennsylvania. I miss a good climb and being rewarded with incredible views. Also, the lack of elevation here means there is no escaping the heat of summer. But I digress. I’m making the best of it and learning to enjoy my surroundings and simply appreciate nature.

This past Sunday we hiked a familiar trail in the Delaware State Forest: Egypt Meadow Lake to the Bruce Lake Natural Area. We had snowshoed here in the winter and so it was nice to see such a dramatic change in scenery. I do love the obvious change of seasons here and seeing how different the trails look throughout the year.

Even though we were on the trail early today, the humidity was still pretty bad. There really is no escaping it. But we finished the hike before 11 am, just as the sun was starting to come out from the clouds and really warm things up. I was happy to get out and enjoy an early morning walk in the woods.

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