The temperatures have been below freezing and there were two snow storms this past week. We drove to Nescopeck State Park with the intention of a snow hike or possibly snowshoeing. When we arrived at approximately 11:15 am, the winds were gusting at around 16 mph, and the temperature was 20 degrees. The wind made it feel colder then it was. I opted to hike with microspikes because I did not do a very good job of checking my snowshoes and realized they’d need some adjustments. The snow level was about 4 inches over ice and easy to walk. I recalled the last time we were here, the Creekside Trail had a lot of mud, roots, downed trees and a few of the bridges were out.

We began the hike walking along the southern shore of Lake Frances heading onto the Nescopeck Trail. It was bitter cold, but the sun was shining, the forest looked lovely, and I warmed up as we hiked. The wind gusts seemed to lessen as we got further into the woods.

Hiking along the Creekside Trail, I heard the ice crack under the snow. I suspected this would be the case remembering that the last time I visited, much of this trail was very muddy. We had to cross the frozen creek a few times to continue the loop because of the bridges that remained broken.

Nonetheless, the waters of Nescopeck Creek were sparkling in the sunlight and glistening snow. I could hear black-capped chickadee in the trees and the forest was beautiful in all its winter glory.

After crossing a bridge that looked to have been repaired, we got on the Fern Trail to continue the loop. This trail took us away from the creek and into hardwoods. We passed a few cross-country skiers enjoying the day.

We took the Hill Trail to the turtle pond on the eastern side of Lake Frances. We stopped to listen to the quite and enjoy the stillness of the winter day.

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It’s hard to believe we’re moving closer and closer to spring with all of this snow around. The days are getting longer, but the temps are the coldest they’ve been so far this winter and we’re still receiving snowfall. We took advantage of the latest accumulation and headed up to Nescopeck State Park for a day of snowshoeing. Nescopeck is a beautiful area that we’ve returned to quite a few times since we’ve been on the east coast. We started our day enjoying the views around frozen Lake Frances which was now blanketed in a layer of snow. We turned south onto the Nescopeck Trail on a single track through a hardwood forest in the direction of Mount Yeager. The trail then widened and we made sure to stay out of the cross country ski tracks that were already laid. The snow was powder fluff and over a foot deep; perfect for snowshoes. We continued south until we reached the Creekside Trail. This trail is my favorite in the park. It looked exceptionally beautiful today. Its pristine waters were now mixed with patches of ice and a light dusting of snow. We stopped to admire its beauty and listen to the sound of the quiet forest as delicate snowflakes fell from surrounding Hemlocks. We continued following the creek westward until reaching a crossing where the bridge has been out since summer. We didn’t see a way of getting around it without having to make a water crossing, so we backtracked the way we’d come until reaching the junction for the Nescopeck Trail. From here we continued northeast and onto the Woodland Way Trail which circles around a pond. In the summer you can enjoy watching the turtles sunning themselves here on the rocks. We closed out our day at 5 miles. I’m really enjoying taking advantage of spending time outdoors during these beautiful winter days. I can feel the earth stirring beneath my feet, and life is beginning to awaken. I know soon enough the cold winter days and gray skies will give way to the warmth of the sun. The bare, leafless trees will burst forth in hues of green and the soil will make way for the first of blooms of spring flowers.

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Nescopeck State Park, Snow Hike, 3.55 Miles, Januar 21, 2023

Snowshoeing Nescopeck State Park, 5 Miles, Nescopeck Trail, Creekside Loop, Woodland Way Trail, February 13, 2021