Another cold, icy day. Seems like we’ve had to deal with more ice this year then last year. We headed out to Locust Lake. We’ve had really great weather lately. Mostly blue sky and not the typical winter gray that I remember from last year. We hiked a loop that took us along Locust Creek, up to Broad Mountain then back down. After the hike we stopped to enjoy the icy beach. I’ve never see the beach in the summer and wondered how crowded it gets. Well, no one was here today! So we sat for a while and looked out across the frozen lake watching the ice fisherman before heading home.
Took a walk around Jacobsburg State Park. Lots of ice on the trails. Found an area that I’d never been to before with an incredible larch plantation and a trail that went along the creek just as pretty as Henry’s Woods. Always love exploring new areas. This section of the park was much more secluded then the main area. Trails are for the most part flat walking, but still very pretty, especially through the larch forest.
I’m finding some really great nature preserves here in the Keystone state. This past Saturday we ventured off to explore the Nothstein Preserve located in Paradise Township in Monroe County. The hike took us through a variety of different terrain, along the ravine of Cranberry Creek and up to a red rock quarry with views extending from east to west across the ridge to the surrounding preserves. We started at the trailhead off Cranberry Creek Road and headed north on a wide path in a counter clockwise direction. The forest was mostly hardwood dappled with tall hemlock trees. Immediately my ears were filled with the pleasant harmony of morning birdsong. We passed by marshes, bogs and small tributaries until we reached a primitive bridge crossing over the pristine waters of Cranberry Creek. We took a moment to branch off and explore its banks and the surrounding feeder creeks before continuing on a single track where we began to ascend gently upward. The trail reached an intersection where we turned northwest. I spotted some train tracks above us running parallel to our path. We made several primitive creek crossings over the crystal clear waters flowing down the mountain and over thick, bright green moss. Now the trail began to descend southwest. The forest became dense with hemlock, and I could hear the sound of rushing water flowing just beyond the trees. The path opened up to reveal another bridge crossing over the fast moving Cranberry Creek. Lined with rhododendron just beyond the bridge, the terrain became a snow covered single track leading us upward above the ravine. We made our way up the trail being careful on the icy patches of snow until reaching a vista of the beautiful cascading waters below. I made sure to get some photos from above, but I wanted to take a closer look. We then backtracked and made our way to a section of trail following along the edge creek where we could enjoy a closer perspective of the sights and sounds of the waterfalls and tumbling cascades. Eventually, we backtracked crossing over the bridge once again and up through the hard packed snow back to the top of the ravine. Soon, the trail began to move away from the creek and the forest became even more dense with tall stands of hemlock and oak. We crossed over more small tributaries being careful not to slip on the moss covered rocks. I’m not sure if it was the tall stands of pine or the way the sunlight was shining through, but this section of trail reminded me a little bit of my beloved Angeles National Forest. It was another lovely section of trail. The path widened again and took us under a canopy of pine. The trail became a bed of soft pine needles beneath our feet. As we travelled up the slope we were led to an old stone red rock quarry. Two large ravens suddenly emerged from the trees and soared across the blue sky above. Again, I felt at home as I was reminded of my life in California where there were always ravens to accompany me along my hikes in the higher elevations. As we traversed along the edge of the quarry, we were treated with sweeping views across the gorge and the ridge beyond. I was awe struck at how a place so beautiful can be so close to civilization. We spent some time exploring around the quarry before moving on, back into the hardwoods and finally looping back down to the woodland path on which we started. It was an absolutely amazing day and a beautiful preserve full of wild, natural beauty to explore and admire.
Today our adventure took place at the Dick and Nancy Eales Preserve at Moosic Mountain. Pennsylvania has some very beautiful preserves, and I was super excited to see this one. I’d been waiting for the right day to visit and today was the day! The sun was shining, the skies were blue and while the temperatures were still below freezing, the winds were fairly low. The Eales Preserve is noted as being one of the best places in the northeastern United States to experience a ridge-top heath barrens. What is a ridge-top heath barrens you ask? I didn’t know either. A heath barrens is a dwarf shrubland or shrub-savanna which can also have stunted trees such as pine and oak. Barrens are great habitats for a wide array of birds, butterflies, moths and other wildlife. The rare sallow moth and barrens buckmoth have been observed at this particular preserve. The Eales preserve was once slated to become a business park. Thankfully, this did not happen and the land is now protected by the Nature Conservancy, a global environmental nonprofit. As we arrived at the trailhead, I immediately noticed the expansiveness of this place. I also saw two ravens playing on the wind and calling back and forth to each other. I knew this was going to be a great hike. We grabbed our packs and cameras and headed out onto the Blueberry Trail. Right at the start of the trail I was immediately awe struck by the beautiful white birch trees and the incredible, stunted pitch pines. I followed along the narrow broken path making my way carefully through the ice, hard packed snow and large post-holes where others had walked. Along the trail there were also patches of exposed rock slab where the snow had completely melted. The varying terrain made it a challenge to walk. Snowshoes would not have worked here, so we used microspikes for added traction. The trail gently gained elevation and quickly opened up to expansive views of the ridges and valleys below. These are the most impressive views I’ve seen since I’ve been in Pennsylvania, and I was loving every moment. As we hiked along the trail we passed by low-lying shrubs such as blueberry and huckleberry. Stunted oak trees still holding to their autumn leaves rattled in the wind. As we reached the high point on the mountain I noticed wind turbines off in the distance. I later learned this was the Waymart Wind Farm in Wayne County. The trail then turned northwest and began to descend along hilly undulating terrain. We then reached a wide open road surrounded by beautiful white birch until connecting with the Stonehenge Trail. Once again on a narrow trail, we meandered through a hardwood forest lined with impressive, massive rock formations. We crossed a small stream and were again surrounded by the openness of the barrens. From here it got a little confusing. We wanted to connect to the Conglomerate Trail, but with the large snow drifts covering the rocks that had the blazed trail markers we ended up slightly off trail. After a quick navigation check with map and compass we began to make our way in the direction of where the actual trail would be. After post-holing through the deep snow drifts, we were again back on route. That was exhausting! By this time the day had warmed up to 26 degrees which to me really didn’t feel that cold. (This California girl must be getting used to the Pennsylvania winters already!) This was an absolutely beautiful and unique preserve and not something I would have ever expected to see in Pennsylvania. As we made our way back to the trailhead I was already making note to add this magical landscape to my list of places to return to during all seasons.
February of 2021 brought the Lehigh Valley 38.8 inches of snow, the highest amount for the month to date. The days have been dark and gloomy, but today the sun made a glorious appearance. It was bound to be an amazing day, so we gathered our gear and headed out on the road into the Pocono Mountains. Our destination was Natural Lands Bear Creek Preserve. The early morning temperature was 19 degrees and the parking turnout at the trailhead off White Haven Road was still frozen. We suited up and hit the trail. We started out by following the purple trail south which took us through a hardwood forest scattered with mountain laurel and moss covered boulder formations. The beech trees still holding onto their autumn leaves glistened with a warm orange hue. We passed by a ravine with a waterfall now frozen into a striking 10 foot flow of ice. Sunlight danced on the frosty boughs of hemlock that still hung heavy with snow. As we meandered along the winding trail we began to descend closer to Shades Creek. We then connected to the gray trail as we reached the swinging bridge and crossed over the rapids. The winter landscape looked so amazing as we followed along the snow covered banks. We made our way in and out of rhododendron tunnels stopping every few feet to admire the fast flowing cascades. Sparkles of snow glistened in the sunlight as they fell from the trees like fairy dust. Before we knew it it was already getting to be late afternoon. As much as we wanted to stay, we knew we should start heading back. When we reconnected with the purple trail, we decided to make a quick side trip and follow it south. It crossed over Bear Creek on a primitive bridge and from here we went off trail to continue a little further along its edge. It was a beautiful section of trail, but we didn’t go too far since it was too late in the day to explore. We turned around making note to save that adventure for another time. We ascended steeply back up the hill, back into the hardwood forest and past the frozen waterfall. By this time, the sun had shifted lower on the horizon illuminating the landscape with its radiant afternoon light. When we arrived back at the trailhead, the frozen parking lot was a swimming pool of melted ice. We loaded up the car and headed home after another amazing winter’s day.
Today we ventured out again to take advantage of the abundant snowfall in the Pocono Mountains. This time our destination was the Delaware State Forest. We parked at the trailhead for Egypt Meadow Lake off Route 390 just north of Promised Land State Park. From here we donned our snowshoes and headed out into a winter wonderland. The snow was even deeper than what we had experienced yesterday at Nescopeck State Park. But it was light and powdery and such a delight to walk on. We traveled east along a wide path through a hardwood forest. Soon enough Egypt Meadow Lake came into view. Egypt Meadow Lake was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1935. It’s one of the few undeveloped lakes in Pennsylvania that can only be accessed by hiking. Today it was a sheet of solid ice covered in a veil of pure white snow. As we followed along the main path we came upon a side trail that looked like it would take us in for a closer look. We decided to explore. As we approached the icy shores we saw tracks made by humans leading out across the frozen lake. Ice thickness needs to be at least 4 inches to support the weight of a person up to 200 lbs. It appeared solid enough, so we made our way out onto the lake slowly and carefully. As we ventured further towards the center, expansive views opened up in all directions. It was such a thrill to be standing out there on top of the frozen water and enjoying the lake from this perspective. After taking it all in, we made our way back to the trail and continued following across the outlet of the dam. We then began to ascend on a single track into an exquisite forest of pine. The snowy path undulated gently along the shores of Egypt Meadow Lake and meandered in and out of giant hemlock trees. We passed by rhododendron, mountain laurels and rock formations that were almost hidden by the deep drifts of snow. It was an absolutely beautiful trail. At about 2 miles we came to the bridge that would cross over Egypt Meadow Lake and begin the second half of the loop around its western shores. This section of trail was equally as beautiful as the first half of the loop. We took our time as we snowshoed atop the magical white blanket covering the earth enjoying the beauty of the forest on this incredible winter day.
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.
My husband and I ventured out Sunday morning to check out the Rockport Area of Lehigh Gorge State Park. I’ve not seen much of the Lehigh Gorge besides the Bald Mountain Loop which we’d hiked last year and really enjoyed. We decided to check out a more popular area of the gorge and take a short walk on the D&L Trail to see Buttermilk Falls. I’m not much for hiking popular or crowded hikes, but I decided to step out of my comfort zone and give it a go. Getting to the falls is an easy walk on a flat gravel surface. From the parking area, the trail takes you upstream to the beautiful, 50 foot waterfall in less then half a mile. I’ve never had a hike to a waterfall be this easy! The forecast had been calling for snow, but not until later that afternoon. As we drove to the gorge, we were in and out of snow showers, but nothing too significant yet. When we arrived at the trailhead, it had started to snow very lightly. I was pleasantly surprised to see that there was only one other car parked in the lot at this very popular destination. I guess we were the only crazy people out braving the potential weather that was yet to come. We made our way down to the D&L Trail that would take us to the waterfall. The gorge was so still and peaceful. That kind of stillness you only get to experience in the middle of a forest just before a snowfall when no one else is around. I could hear the whispers of falling snowflakes as we walked silently along the trail. The fast moving waters of the Lehigh River below us carried large chunks of ice downstream. As we walked I was mesmerized by the towering walls of the gorge which were adorned with icicles. They looked like gigantic swords protecting its high cliff walls. We continued onward being very careful not to slip on the ice that was hidden by a dusting of snow. In no time we arrived at the waterfall. Its icy cold waters tumbled down a 50 foot rocky ledge into a crystal clear pool below. Surrounded by snow and ice, it looked incredibly beautiful, especially with the snow that was falling. By this time it was starting to snow more heavily so after taking it all in, we made our way back to the car and were soon on our way back home to enjoy a nice, hot cup of coffee. It was an easy day, but well worth it to see so much beauty in just a quick walk.
Today we spent the day exploring the Bald Mountain tract of Lehigh Gorge State Park near Rockport. Bald Mountain looked interesting to me because the access point isn’t located near any of the popular areas of the park. We found the turn off to the trailhead which wasn’t signed and if you blinked, you’d miss it. We parked the car and right away I heard the clack, clack, clack of the ravens above. I knew it was going to be a good hike. I have such a soft spot for these birds. They remind me of my hikes in California because they were always around when I was hiking in the higher elevations. We began the trek near Indian Run and crossed over the bridge which lead us into a beautiful forest of pitch pine and hemlock. The wide trail headed east with a steady incline up to the top of Penn Haven Mountain with the Lehigh River flanking us to the north, east and south. There was a junction here and signage for the Bald Mountain Loop. We followed the trail northeast in a clockwise direction being careful not to slip on the ice that was hidden under a thin layer of snow. It was about 30 degrees with about a 12 mph wind which made it seem much colder then it was. The loop dropped us down in elevation and eventually gave us a nice climb back up. It was a beautiful section of trail, although there was a lot of water we had to navigate around in addition to the ice. Once back at the top we found signage for the Vista Trail. The trail narrowed and lead us out to the rocky south facing cliff side of Bald Mountain. Here we had nice view down into the deep gorge and across to Scrub Mountain. We sat for a bit in the sun to warm up, but even in the sun it was still quite chilly. As we made our way back, the winds continued and we kept moving. The afternoon sunlight coming through the trees was absolutely gorgeous! I really enjoyed this hike. It was such a beautiful day despite the wind and I will definitely be back to explore more of this beautiful area.
Beautiful day in the Delaware State Forest. We started the day by stopping off in Promised Land to check out the Little Falls trail along East Branch Wallenpaupack Creek. It was 18 degrees in the morning, and as I walked I could feel the ice underneath the frozen leaves cracking beneath my boots. The creek was moving fast and there were icicles clinging to the trees. I took a few photos and headed out to the trailhead for Egypt Meadow Lake off the 390. We started the trail heading east in a clockwise direction, but soon came upon an area where the water from the lake had breeched the trail making it impassable. There’s been so much rain over the past few days that it’s caused the snow to wash away and the rivers and creeks to swell. We backtracked and took the trail in the opposite direction. It was a beautiful walk through the forest with rock outcroppings lending spectacular views of frozen Egypt Meadow Lake. The trail undulated gently up and down over the typical rocky Pennsylvania terrain until we reached the junction for Bruce Lake. From here we continued eastward on a wide road with a lot of icy sections that were easy enough to navigate around. We arrived at Bruce Lake which was also frozen over. I tested the water with my boot and it felt solid. I could see footprints of a person and their dog who had ventured out onto the icy lake. We took a short break here to enjoy the scenery, but with the below freezing temperatures we didn’t stay too long before we needed to get moving again. On the way back we took the Panther Swamp trail to reconnect with the Egypt Meadow Trail and returned to the trailhead. The parking lot at the trailhead was still a sheet of ice. It didn’t go above freezing the whole day, but there were no winds which made it a perfect day for winter hiking.
