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.
Another cold day here in the Keystone state. Today I was up and out earlier then yesterday and heading up north to the Pocono Mountains to Nescopeck State Park. The temperature this morning was in the 20s and expected to climb to about 30. The DCNR page was reporting a higher snow level at Nescopeck, and I was looking forward to snowshoeing in a bit more snow. I’m still uncertain how well they plow the roads so venturing out is a bit of an unknown adventure. We turned the car onto Honey Hole Road and it was clear. None of the turnouts were plowed, but the main lot for the lake paring was completely open. We arrived to find only one other car. I was completely baffled where everyone was? Why aren’t people out enjoying this winter wonderland? I can only conclude that where I have lived in California, snow is a novelty. Every time it would snow, Angelenos (myself included) couldn’t wait to drive up into the forests and mountain towns for outdoor recreation. Maybe winter in Pennsylvania is just an inconvenience to those who’ve lived here all their lives winter after winter. I honestly can’t say but regardless of the reason, I was not complaining about having the place pretty much to ourselves. We donned our snowshoes and headed over to Lake Frances which was just beginning to ice over. Winter is such a different world. We snowshoed around the Lakeside Trail and made our way onto the Nescopeck Trail being careful not to step onto the tracks that had been made by the cross-country skiers (outdoor winter etiquette). The snow conditions here were perfect! We had soft powder and each step was a joy to take. We trekked along until we reached the Creekside Loop Trail which crossed over Nescopeck Creek by way of a rickety, wooden bridge. The sound of the running creek and the chirp of a chickadee were all I heard in the quiet of the forest. As we continued south, I remembered we were going to end up at a trail washout that we’d encountered over the summer and would have to loop back on the Fern Trail. I made my way through the snow and along the edge of the creek enjoying every moment. The giant hemlocks heavy with snow leaned in over the partially frozen water. On our way back, we passed a couple of cross-country skiers. Again, another great place to cross-country ski with the mostly level terrain. We took our time going back and soaked in the beauty of winter. We arrived back at the frozen lake with my Garmin clocking us at about 4.8 miles. I checked the temperature just before heading home and it had reached 30 degrees by about 1:30. It was a lovely day on the eve of the winter solstice to enjoy the outdoors!
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.
