Today we ventured out again to take advantage of the abundant snowfall in the Pocono Mountains. This time our destination was the Delaware State Forest. We parked at the trailhead for Egypt Meadow Lake off Route 390 just north of Promised Land State Park. From here we donned our snowshoes and headed out into a winter wonderland. The snow was even deeper than what we had experienced yesterday at Nescopeck State Park. But it was light and powdery and such a delight to walk on. We traveled east along a wide path through a hardwood forest. Soon enough Egypt Meadow Lake came into view. Egypt Meadow Lake was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1935. It’s one of the few undeveloped lakes in Pennsylvania that can only be accessed by hiking. Today it was a sheet of solid ice covered in a veil of pure white snow. As we followed along the main path we came upon a side trail that looked like it would take us in for a closer look. We decided to explore. As we approached the icy shores we saw tracks made by humans leading out across the frozen lake. Ice thickness needs to be at least 4 inches to support the weight of a person up to 200 lbs. It appeared solid enough, so we made our way out onto the lake slowly and carefully. As we ventured further towards the center, expansive views opened up in all directions. It was such a thrill to be standing out there on top of the frozen water and enjoying the lake from this perspective. After taking it all in, we made our way back to the trail and continued following across the outlet of the dam. We then began to ascend on a single track into an exquisite forest of pine. The snowy path undulated gently along the shores of Egypt Meadow Lake and meandered in and out of giant hemlock trees. We passed by rhododendron, mountain laurels and rock formations that were almost hidden by the deep drifts of snow. It was an absolutely beautiful trail. At about 2 miles we came to the bridge that would cross over Egypt Meadow Lake and begin the second half of the loop around its western shores. This section of trail was equally as beautiful as the first half of the loop. We took our time as we snowshoed atop the magical white blanket covering the earth enjoying the beauty of the forest on this incredible winter day.
This morning I headed up to the Pocono Mountains to Promised Land State Park in the Delaware State Forest. Promised Land is a huge area with about 50 miles of trails in a very well organized trail system. As per usual, I wanted to hike on a less populated trail, so I looked for the most remote looking area I could see on the map. I found a trail I could access off the 390 from a turnout on North Shore Road where I could link up to the Bruce Lake Trail outside of Promised Land and it would take me to Bruce Lake. According to the park map, the route was mostly a hiking only trail (no bikes) which was a plus, and it was away from the beaches and campgrounds near Promised Land Lake which meant it should be pretty isolated. From the parking turn out I got on the Rock Oak Trail heading east. The path started out wide and grassy through the shaded forest. The ground was a bit rocky as per usual Pennsylvania terrain, but I could still enjoy the scenery and not have to keep looking down to watch my footing. At the first junction I continued eastward as the trail turned into the Telephone Trail. From here it got interesting. I was rock hopping boulders for the majority of this section and bushwhacking through huge towers of rhododendrons. I felt like I was in a jungle, but I definitely was not bored. It was actually fun. As much as I complained about the rocks being a pain in my butt, I did enjoy the test in agility. As I neared the end of the Telephone Trail, I found the junction for the Bruce Lake Trail. This would take me northbound to the natural glacial lake where I could sit and enjoy the scenery before looping around the lake to make my way back. The Bruce Lake Trail started out pretty well maintained, but eventually I was back to bushwhacking my way through. Thankfully, the rocks weren’t that bad. Eventually, I reached another junction to make the loop around the lake. I headed east in a counterclockwise direction. Now the trail was wider and way less overgrown. I could see the lake to my left as I hiked along this beautiful section of trail. As I approached the north side of the lake, the trail came to an opening at the shore. It was absolutely beautiful. All that rock hopping and navigating through brush made it worth it for these views without a soul in sight. I took a nice long break here, had a sandwich and enjoyed the quite. When it was time to return, I made use of the West Bruce Lake Trail heading southbound. This trail was REALLY overgrown and on top of that it was right at the shore of the wetlands so it was super muddy. Luckily, it was still easy to make out the trial and the blue blaze markers/guides were always easy to find. I finished off the day by continuing the loop on the Rock Oak Ridge trail and then eventually the Rock Oak Trial back to the trailhead. It was a fun day. The peace and quiet and views of the lake were definitely worth the effort. I would love to come back again and see more of this area, especially in the next month because the leaves will be changing colors and it will be spectacular.
