REI

Nockamixon State Park, Old Mill Trail, 5 Miles RT, July 9, 2021

July 13, 2021

It was another hot and humid day in Pennsylvania. Despite the weather which I am not taking well to, I slathered myself in bug spray and set out on the Old Mill Trail at Nockamixon State Park. The previous evening had brought storms, and sections of the trail were covered in boot sucking mud. I’d gotten myself a pair of Keen Ridge Flex waterproof boots earlier in the year, and they are serving me well. At about .4 miles we arrived at a creek crossing where we boulder hopped over the water to continue along the trail. Along side the creek we spotted an impressive grouping of oyster mushrooms growing up the side of a tree. The trail took us through a forest of hardwoods and in and out of sunny areas of tall grass surrounded by lush, green vegetation. As we hiked, chorus of cicadas surrounded us. I saw a number of dragonflies and butterflies along the route as well. Somehow, we both managed to come off the trail without one tick hitching a ride. Lyme Disease is common in this state and you need to always check yourself for the creepy crawlies after hiking. We could have continued from Old Mill onto the Quarry Trail, but we were already at about 5 miles and I was more then ready to hit the shower. So we headed back and noted to return on a less hot/humid day to get in more mileage. I enjoyed my time exploring the trails here, and I’m looking forward to doing a night kayaking trip out on the lake during the next full moon.

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A walk around Swiftwater Forest Preserve, April 25, 2021

April 27, 2021

It was a rainy start to our Sunday morning, so we waited for the rain to stop before heading out about mid-morning into the Pocono Mountains. Our destination this time was Swiftwater Forest Preserve in Paradise Township. We found the trailhead off Donaldson Road and made our way onto the trail into a beautiful forest of pine. The soft pine needles covering the ground were like walking on a soft carpet. It was a really nice feeling after traversing all the rocks on the AT the day before. The walk through the forest was nice and easy. Along the trail I noticed many different kinds of mushrooms and blooming wildflowers. We passed through a section of mixed hardwood with Shagbark Hickory, Maple and Oak. There were also some interesting rock outcroppings. After hiking around the inner loop trail, we followed the outer loop. Along this path we found a short spur which lead to an old chimney and a fireplace that must have been part of a cabin at some point long ago. There was also an old out house that had been left behind. The forest here was quiet, peaceful and so relaxing. It was a perfect hike for a lazy Sunday.

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Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area: Sunfish Pond via Garvey Springs, Appalachian Trail, Douglas Trail, Rockcores Trail, 7 Miles RT, 1,345 +/-, April 24, 2021

April 26, 2021

I’m really loving the Delaware Water Gap. There are so many trails here to link together to make the most out of your day. I admit it’s been hard for me to find the challenges I had hiking out west, but I’m finding that there are some places, such as the DWG, where you can get a little climbing in and also link up trails to add some decent mileage. Today we hiked to Sunfish Pond, a 44-acre glacial lake located on the Kittatinny Ridge. It lies within the Worthing State Forest on the New Jersey side of the DWG. We took the steepest, shortest route up to the lake via the Garvey Springs Trail which has a respectable gain of 1,058’ in 1.2 miles. There’s a more gradual ascent up the Douglas Trail from the same trailhead, which we planned to take on the return. Laurel Falls is also a nice feature to see that’s right at the start of the Douglas Trail if you go up that way. It was a somewhat chilly morning, but the sun was out and the ascent got us warmed up fast. The trail leads through a hardwood forest, and I saw some patches of bluets (wildflowers) along the path. As we hiked, two wild turkeys crossed the trail up ahead. The trail became more and more rocky as we got closer to the top of the ridge. We leveled off for a short distance and Sunfish Pond came into view. Next, we made our way onto the Appalachian trail which runs along the western and northern shores of the lake. The trail here was mostly rock hopping large rocks and boulders with a few breaks in between. There were some campsites on the way to sit on a log and enjoy views of the serene lake. There were also some alcoves to climb the rocks out onto the water to get a closer view. I very much enjoyed the scenery here and hiking along the shores. On the western side of the lake there’s a stone monument and a plaque marking Sunfish Pond as a registered natural landmark. We continued following the AT as it moved away from the lake on a wider path that was much less rocky. We reached a backpacker campsite where there were several campers. We then connected to the Douglas Trail and began to descend. When we reached the junction with the Rockcores Trail, we decided to take it northeast and then connect back to the Garvey Springs Trail. The Rockcores Trail passes Laurel Falls on the drainage from Sunfish Pond. There was a steep use trail that made a beeline along the drainage, but I wanted to hike further so we kept on following Rockcores until linking back up with Garvey Springs. It was now about 11:30 am and as we approached the trailhead, I could see that parking was already at maximum capacity. I looked over at Laurel Falls and there were some hikers trying to climb on top of the waterfall. One of them slipped and fell, but luckily was okay. It always makes me wonder what makes people do the things they do. As we made our way to the car, someone was already asking for our parking spot. We packed up our gear and headed out. I had a really nice time on this hike. It had a little bit of a challenge and the lake was a beautiful early morning destination.

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Ricketts Glen State Park, Falls Trail Loop, 9.6 Miles RT, 1,122' +/-, April 19, 2021

April 26, 2021

Ricketts Glen State park is home to the Glens Natural Area, a National Natural Landmark in Pennsylvania. The Falls Trail system that we hiked today consists of 21 incredible waterfalls that flow between steep, narrow valleys known as glens. The tallest waterfall on the circuit, Ganoga, is 94’ impressive feet. Ricketts Glen State Park is one of the most scenic hikes in Pennsylvania. It’s named after Colonel R. Bruce Ricketts who bought land in northeastern Pennsylvania for timbering. When fishermen exploring Kitchen Creek found that there were waterfalls flowing through the deep gorges, Colonel Ricketts spared the land. He hired six men to build the trail system in what is now known as the Glens Natural Area and the project was completed in just four years. Each of the 21 waterfalls has a name. Colonel Ricketts named them after American Indian tribes and also his friends and family.

We began our hike at the trailhead off the 118. From here we had a pleasant walk along Kitchen Creek on a flat path before reaching a junction for the lower and upper trails. The lower trail was marked as difficult, and the upper trail was marked as moderate. Of course we opted for the lower, more difficult path. Both trails meet back up again at waters meet before the beginning of the Falls Trail Loop. The lower trail hugged the creekside going up and down muddy, slippery terrain. It wasn’t particularly difficult, but we had to watch our footing. Soon, we started to see the waterfalls. There are three falls before you reach waters meet: Murray Reynolds, 16’, Sheldon Reynolds, 36’ and Harrison Wright, 27’. All three were absolutely beautiful. When we reached the junction at waters meet, we opted to hike up the Glen Lehigh side first. There are eight waterfalls on this side ranging from 15 to 60 feet. We made our way up the steep rocky gorge crossing over bridges that took us right up and over the top of the falls. It was a spectacular trail which varied between flat, rocky sections along the creek and steep climbs up rocky steps. We stopped at each fall to take photos and spent time enjoying the uniqueness of each waterfall. Once we completed the traverse up the Glen Leigh side, we got on the Highland Trail heading west. The Highland trail would take us to the Ganoga Glen side to see the next set of falls. The Highland Trail was mostly flat, quiet and very peaceful. It took us through a beautiful forest of pine and along the trail I noticed a wooden bench for sitting and taking in the serenity of the forest. About half way through this section of trail, we reached some giant rock formations and passed through two large boulders called the Midway Crevasse. Soon, I began to hear the sound of rushing water again which meant we were coming up on the next set of falls. We crossed over a bridge and were soon making our way down the gorge on the Ganoga Glen side. The rocky steps were muddy and slippery. We had to take extra care coming down the steep sections, as I think it’s harder coming down then it is going up because it’s easier to slip. We passed by three lovely falls before reaching Ganoga, the 94’ waterfall. It was absolutely stunning. As we continued down the Ganoga Glen side, we began to see more people coming out to enjoy the trail. At this point I sort of lost track of which waterfall we were passing and I was spending more time looking at the smaller details like the Trillium blooming alongside the trail, the green fern and bright moss growing above the gorge. There is so much to take in on this trail besides the just waterfalls. When we reached the junction for the upper and lower trails, we decided to take the upper trail for a change in scenery. The trail was an easy flat path that travelled high above Kitchen Creek. Along this trail I saw more blooming Trillium. By now it was early afternoon and the sun had started to come out. The weather up until this point had been cloudy and we even had a light sprinkle of rain. When we reached the final mile that would take us back to the trailhead, I noticed some blooming Trout Lily. It was a wonderful day and Ricketts Glen Natural Area is a really special place.

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Hiking Chestnut Mountain Nature Preserve, April 3, 2021

April 06, 2021

Today we explored the Chestnut Mountain Nature Preserve in Barrett Township. This area was going to be developed and town homes built on the land, but plans failed and the new owner timbered the forest. Buck Hill Conservation Foundation acquired the land and opened the preserve to the public in 2012. This was an interesting hike exploring a forest in recovery. We hiked along rugged logging roads and challenging terrain rutted with deep holes hidden beneath leaves and between large rocks where trees that once stood were pulled up from their roots. Much of the trail is undefined, but there are helpful blue and red markers to guide you along the way. We began the hike from a small parking area just off the 191. The morning was chilly; only 27 degrees. There was a layer of thin ice on top of the frozen leaves that covered the logging road which begins the hike. Right away I noticed the sparseness of the forest. Along the trail we spotted a beech tree that had bear claw marks in its bark. The logging road dipped slightly downhill and after about a mile made its way up a magical, mossy green carpet to an overlook. The area here was flat, wide and scattered with trees, stumps and boulders. From this vantage point I could see Mt. Wismer and High Knob. We explored the area despite the wind which made it feel even colder than it was for a spring morning. We then continued along the trail and made a descent onto a path much less defined. We followed the helpful blue markers until we reached a junction for the red trail. Here, we checked our map and decided to follow it since it would add some extra mileage to our day. We passed by even more boulders of various shapes and sizes. I saw a fallen log covered in velvety bluish-gray mushrooms. I haven’t studied up on mushroom identification yet, so I guess I’ll need to do that now since Pennsylvania sure has a lot of them. Soon, the trail began to traverse uphill where we crossed over a small stream flowing down from the mountain. The vegetation here was thick and overgrown. We bushwhacked our way through and the terrain became even more challenging with rocks and deep ruts hidden by leaf debris. We crossed over large, fallen trees being careful of each step. I noticed piles of chipped wood scattered around tree roots. As I looked up, I could see large, deep holes pecked into the tree’s trunk; the work of persistent woodpeckers. I also took note of some sapling hemlock trees peeking out from under the leaves; a promise that one day this would again be a healthy forest. Eventually, the trail made its way back to another logging road which was much easier to walk on. The day was warming up and with the workout we were getting, I was starting to work up a sweat. I took a moment to set down my pack and remove a layer, and as I glanced at the trail up ahead I saw a huge black bear! The big bear was sauntering across the trail and appeared to be foraging for food. We watched for a moment before my husband blew the safety whistle to make the bear aware of our presence. The bear then took off into the woods. We waited a moment to give the bear some leeway before continuing up the trail. It was a very exciting moment and my first time seeing a bear in Pennsylvania. The trail continued to make its way uphill and finally back to the trailhead. It was a wonderful day and an interesting trail full of fun challenges, surprises and promise.

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