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.
Jacobsburg State Park got about 31” of snow in the latest Lehigh Valley snow storm earlier this week. Saturday we were up and out early to catch the morning sunrise and do a little snowshoeing. We parked at the main parking area and headed into Henrys Woods. The giant hemlock forest was quiet and still. The snow was already well traveled from the past few days which made it hard packed and icy. The early morning temperature was below freezing, but with the lack of wind the crisp winter air was refreshing and quite pleasant. From Henry’s Woods, we crossed the bridge over the creek towards the Boulton Historic site on the Blue Blazed Trail. We then continued onto the Homestead Trail through some open fields with views of the Pocono Mountains off in the distance. The snow here was deep in spots and less packed down making for a great leg workout. There were also some really great sections of trail that were a little less soft, and I was able to enjoy gliding on top of the snow. We took our time, enjoyed the sunshine and continued on the Homestead Trail until we arrived back at the Environmental Center making it about a 5 mile loop. It was such a beautiful morning, so we took another short walk back through Henry’s Woods to enjoy the change of light and the sunshine that was now sparkling on the creek and its frozen icicles. It was such a great day and I was happy to get out for a bit between storms since the weather service was calling for more snow on Sunday.
I watched the sunrise the morning from the shores of Leaser Lake located near the Village of Jackson in Lynn Township, Pennsylvania. The 117 acre lake is named after Frederick Leaser who was an American patriot. Leaser transported the Liberty Bell from Philadelphia to Allentown in the year 1777 for protection during the Revolutionary War. There’s a four mile loop that goes around the entire lake with great views and variation in scenery from lake views to woods to meadows. I hiked the loop today and the lighting and scenery was beautiful. There’s plenty of wildlife to see here. It’s a great place to come if you’re a bird watcher and there’s an information board near the south parking area listing which birds to look for. I really enjoyed the morning here and will definitely be back again.
It was a beautiful, cloudy day for a hike around Nescopeck State Park. I started the hike at the Creekside trailhead off Honey Hole Road. Less then a mile into the hike I had to detour on the Fern Trail because there was a washout across the creek. From there I took the junction to the Nescopeck trail over to Lake Frances. As I approached the lake I could feel the cool mountain breeze across the lake. It was still early and the place was deserted. My husband and I sat at one of the picnic tables by the lake and had a snack before moving on. We took the Woodland Way trail over to a pond that had an area for turtle viewing. Much too cold for turtles today, but the pond was beautiful in its stillness. As we started the trek back, the dark clouds started to roll in. They were calling for rain around 12 noon and we got back to the trailhead in plenty of time before it started to sprinkle. It was a lovely day in the Pennsylvania woods.
Today’s adventure took me to Nescopeck State Park. This park sits between two mountains; Mt. Yeager to the south and Nescopeck Mountain to the North. Most of the trailheads are accessed via Honey Hole Road. This is a beautiful area, and I’m still in awe when I’m driving down these Pennsylvania backcountry roads. To start the day I took a walk around Lake Frances. There’s a nice wide loop trail that goes around the whole lake. It’s not a very big lake, just .6 miles around. I didn’t see many people here except for some fishermen. After checking out the lake, I got back on Honey Hole Road and drove to the Wood Frog Loop Trail. There are 200 acres of wetlands in this park, and this trail is an easy 1.1 mile loop around a swamp on a wide grassy path. It’s very serene and relaxing here. After meandering around the loop and taking in the scenery, I drove to the parking turnout for the Mountain Loop Trail. This trail boarders SGL 187 and just off the parking area there’s a beautiful creek that heads into the Game Lands. The Mountain Loop is about 3 miles. There are lots of rocks and uneven terrain very typical of Pennsylvania. I took the loop clockwise making my way steadily up Nescopeck Mountain. This trail must not see much use because it was very overgrown. It also had a lot of spiderwebs. In fact, I almost walked right through the spiderweb of the biggest spider I have ever seen (besides a tarantula). From what I could guess after I got home and looked up Pennsylvania spiders, it was a Marbled Orb Weaver. I watched her spin her web before ducking underneath to pass by. At the top of the loop, the trail turns east. There were a few boulders here which would be a nice place to sit and take a break after the walk up the mountain. As I continued eastward the trail opened up to a sunny, grassy path before descending back into the woods. I didn’t see another human being on this trail (always a plus), but I did scare up a large grouse that took off when she saw me. I also found a praying mantis which eyed me curiously as I took her photo. It was a beautiful day. There’s more to explore here and I am looking forward to coming back.
