So somehow I put the wrong address into the GPS and we ended up at Lehigh Gorge State Park. Well, it wasn’t a big deal. We’d been here before and instead of a hike we got a flat walk along the D&L trail to both Luke’s Falls and Buttermilk Falls. Best part was, no one was here. I think this area out of the Rockport access gets pretty busy in the summer months. I’ve only ever been here in the winter. Today was another warm-ish day with rain and fog. The river was moving pretty fast too. Enjoyed the exercise and the scenery.
Well so much for the nice snow we had on Christmas eve. Most of it was washed away by the warmer temperatures and the rain. Nonetheless it was a beautiful day for a hike. I know a lot of people would disagree with me, but I love the rain. I love weather. Maybe that comes from living in California where it was sunny every day and there wasn’t much variation in weather. We did 7 mile loop starting at the Fireline Trailhead. Really enjoyed the foggy mist. Stopped and had a bite to eat along Hickory Run. Great day.
Foggy weather made for an eerie day of photos at St. Michael’s Cemetery in Bethlehem, PA. The land for this cemetery that sits on a northern, eroding slope was donated in 1867 by Asa Packer to create the first burial place in Bethlehem for immigrants who worked and died here. At that time, families staked out their own burial plots and maintained them without help of the church. There are first-hand stories of people who witnessed middle-of-the-night burials without permission from the church or formal services for their beloved dead. There is only one noted existing map of the burial locations created by William Sinnott in 1930. Sinnott tried to establish some sort of order to St. Michael’s by mapping out the graves using data he found on the ground. The records are incomplete and many of the grave sites, especially those located higher up the hillside and deeper into the woods are missing. Over the years, severe erosion, wall failure and exposure to poor weather conditions caused many of the headstones to fall over, slide down the slope or become buried. The evidence of this was very apparent as I traversed higher up the hillside and farther back into the woods through leaf debris, decaying vegetation and deep ruts in the uneven ground that exposed broken or mostly buried gravestones. Many gravestones were lost until recent times when volunteers unearthed over 500 stones that had been hidden beneath the sod for decades. Today St. Michael’s is cared for by a group of folks who run a Facebook page called Friends of Saint Michaels. It is their hope to raise awareness of the historic and cultural value of the cemetery and they’re always looking for volunteers to help them with their efforts. It is a huge project to take on and vandalism, eroding soil and harsh weather do not make this an easy task.
Sunday morning I went back to Mariton Wildlife Sanctuary. It was a good day for moody photography with the forest layered in fog. The paths were quiet in the early morning and I enjoyed the serenity walking among the flora and fauna undisturbed. There were a few butterflies nectaring in the meadow, but without the shining sun there weren’t nearly as many as last time. It was another very humid weekend and not a good time to be doing any type of strenuous hiking. I’m saving that for the cooler months. For now I am still working on learning to enjoy the slower pace.
I woke up to the sound of pouring rain coming from Tropical Storm Isaias today. I love listening to the sound of rolling thunder and the feeling of being safe in my bed. There was no rush to go anywhere, so I enjoyed listening to the rain and nodding in and out of sleep. About mid-morning the rain let up, and I left the house and took a walk down by the creek. The mist coming off the water was beautifully eerie. I didn’t see anyone braving the stormy weather save for a few fishermen. The sun was peeking in and out between the gray clouds as I walked the nature trail and crossed over the rail tracks to the meadow. I travelled up and down the hillside admiring the wildflowers, the trees and the stormy sky. The goldenrod is beginning to bloom and I saw some butterflies and clearwing hummingbird moths. The storm was still brewing and so I thought it best to head out before the next round of downpour rolled through. It’s nice to have such a wonderful place to visit that’s so close to home.
I recently learned about Mariton Wildlife Sanctuary which is located not far from where I live. I’ve been doing short hikes and nature walks early in the mornings and sticking close to home because it’s been too hot and humid this summer to do any long mileage or strenuous hiking. This was my first time visiting the sanctuary which is part of Natural Lands, a non-profit organization preserving open space in Pennsylvania and southern New Jersey. Mariton is absolutely lovely. It sits on top of Bougher Hill and overlooks the Delaware River. There is a small trail system that took me through the woods and along the slopes of Bougher Hill to the River Lookout which on a clear day may have provided views of the Delaware Canal below. The woods were thick with morning mist and being the first on the trails so early in the morning I was breaking through spider silk from the previous evening. The forest was so still and quiet. The kind of quiet that almost hurts your ears. Who knew such a place existed so close to home! I kept my walk short today and didn’t bother to record any mileage. I simply enjoyed the scenery and took these wonderful photos. I will most definitely be back to do more exploring.
