Today we set out much later in the day then expected. Weather was in the teens, but the sky was blue and the snow was fresh . We drove to Hickory Run State Park and decided to check out the trail to Boulder Field. This is about a 7 mile out and back if you start at the trailhead off the 476. The trail was broken for about the first quarter mile, but after that it appeared no one had been on it since the recent snowfall. We continued to make our way winding through a beautiful single track in and out of hemlock, hardwoods and rhododendron. I wish I’d had my snowshoes with me. I underestimated how deep the snow would be. Even so it was still doable with just a little more effort as we broke trail. As the sun started to lower itself in the sky, it cast beautiful hues of orange and long deep shadows on the glistening snow. We thought it would be best to turn around at this point due to the temperatures dropping and because we knew it would soon be getting dark. We made our way back and decided to come back again to complete the trail another day when we have more time and could get an earlier start.
Today I ventured up to the Pocono Mountains to Hickory Run State Park. I was here years ago, but barely remember it. Hickory Run State Park sits on 15,990 acres in Carbon County and there are 41 miles of hiking trails. It’s also home to Boulder Field, a National Natural Landmark. I parked at the turn out off the 534, east of the turnpike overpass. I picked up a park map at the kiosk and examined the area. I was near Hawk Falls which is just a short .6 miles. I decided to make that my first stop. The trail starts off through thickets of tall rhododendrons and descends on an easy grade to Hawk Run. I’m learning that streams here are referred to as a “run”. I crossed over a footbridge and came to an intersection where you can climb up the steps leading to the Orchard Trail or carry on to Hawk Falls. I noticed that the trails are very well marked and have paint blazes on the trees to guide you. I made my way over to the 25 foot waterfall which was flowing nicely. I wondered if these waterfalls ever get down to a trickle as they do in Southern California where we didn’t get much rain. After snapping some photos, I made my way back to the car. From here I drove over to Sand Spring Lake to use the facilities (Flushable toilets and soap in the restrooms! Score!). There were some families with their kids swimming in the lake and the lake was loaded with bright green bullfrogs! I ran back to my car and pulled out the camera for some pictures. After being way more excited over frogs then a person should be, I pulled out the map again to decided on my next trail. I found a one mile trail called Shades of Death. This trail was noted as being the most difficult hiking in the park. I am not sure what is considered difficult here on the east coast, so of course I wanted to find out. The reality is that this trail was mostly full of rough terrain; tree roots, mud, rocks, but nothing overly terrifying to warrant the name Shades of Death. I later learned after reading the park brochure, that the trail was named by the colonists for its dark forests, swamps and rocky soil. So don’t let this name discourage you, I saw many families with small children hiking here. The muddy, rocky trail follows along Sand Spring run and takes you through more rhododendrons just like the Hawk Falls trail. There are notable rock formations and at one point there’s a narrow slot with steps cut into stone that you have to climb up. Along my way I saw many small waterfalls. I was not at a loss for lush greenery. There were a couple of dams and the remains of logging mills which I understand date back to the early 1800s. This hike does not gain much elevation, but it was a very nice hike through the shady forest along the stream. The trail ended in a grassy meadow leading up to the visitors center. I turned around here and returned the way I came. It was a lovely morning and a good introduction of what’s to come on the Pennsylvania trails.
