Saturday morning we had a lovely walk around Tuscarora State Park. The temperatures were below freezing again, but there was no wind and the day was sunny. We hiked the Spirit Trail which we had done in the summer when it was filled with wildflowers. Today it was covered in a dusting of snow and patches of ice. The trail starts off following along the lake for about a mile ascending through an oak and hemlock forest. We could see views of frozen Tuscarora Lake below and also hear the water shifting under its thick coating of ice. It makes an eerie sound; kind of hard to describe. We then took the loop south heading back down towards Locust Creek where we hiked in and out of rhododendron tunnels. Parts of the creek were frozen solid and others had a coating of ice above with water flowing underneath. We passed by the Spirit Tree which is covered in a green coating of moss and mushrooms, even in the winter. We made our way to a newly added bridge and crossed over the creek to begin another ascent. At the top we came to a clearing with lovely views and an evergreen forest. Before continuing onto the second loop (the trail is actually a figure eight if you look at it on a map), we explored a side trail which ascended the mountain again. I believe would have taken us to the Crow Trail. We’ll have to explore that one on another day. The trail then dropped us back down for more creekside hiking. We crossed another bridge over the creek that had been broken by a fallen tree. When we arrived back at the trailhead, we took a walk down to the lake. By this time there were ice fisherman and ice skaters taking advantage of this beautiful winter’s day. It was a nice contrast to when we had visited over the summer.
Ended the four day weekend with a hike around the Trexler Nature Preserve. It was the last Sunday with hunting allowed in Pennsylvania, so we kept to the safer areas for outdoor recreation. I have to say there were some pretty decent hills to go up (and down). I have yet to see very many switchbacks here in Pennsylvania. When the trail goes up it’s pretty much just a straight shot. So while there really isn’t much in the way of altitude, these hills don’t mess around with their steepness.
Today I had a quiet morning walk around Mariton Wildlife Sanctuary. It looks much different now with the trees changing colors and losing their leaves. The meadow that was so vibrant with wildflowers and active with wildlife was still except for a lone late season butterfly. The morning was crisp and it felt good to get out and walk up and down the steep hills to warm up. At the end of the hike I stopped at the bird blind to watch some birds on the feeders. This is always a quiet place to come and it’s nearby so I don’t have to drive too far. I suspect once all the leaves fall there will be some views down to the Delaware River. I’ll have to come back in December (if not before) and see.
I recently discovered the Graver Arboretum, a hidden gem located in Bushkill Township, Pennsylvania while my husband and I were out for a drive. He noticed a sign, and we decided to stop. The arboretum is used as an outdoor classroom by the biology and other science departments of Muhlenberg College. There are a few trails here and it’s a quiet place to walk and relax. This was our second visit to the arboretum. The first time I didn’t have my camera with me. This time I brought it along. It was a cloudy, overcast day. There were a number of Canada Geese on the pond and the leaves were falling as we walked along the quiet path. It’s a nice place to come to visit when I just want to relax in nature without a long day of hiking.
This morning I went to Promised Land State Park. It looks so different then when I was here at the end of September before the leaves started changing. I still can’t get over the amazing colors. I started the morning with a walk around Conservation Island. It was very peaceful early in the morning and I sat down at one of the benches that are conveniently placed along the path to enjoy the views of Promised Land Lake. As I gazed across the water at the lakeside cabins, it gave me the feeling of being in an old town in New England. The walk around the island was short, but packed with spectacular color. When I returned to the trailhead, I got back in the car and made my way to Lower Lake Road. I pulled into the turnout for the Village Trail, but there were two hunters getting out of their truck with their rifles which is not something I’m used to or comfortable with. I decided to go to a different trailhead instead. I continued a little further up the road and parked at the turnout for the Loggers Trail. After consulting the park map I decided to hike over to Little Falls which on the East Branch of Wallenpaupack Creek. I really enjoyed this section of the hike. It was gorgeous hiking along the creek. Eventually I left the beauty of the creek and made my way west on the Spike Trail. I followed the Spike Trail to the Saw Mill Trail which ran alongside a deer enclosure. Deer enclosures are used to prevent deer “browsing” which is basically eating and killing vegetation. The weather was warm today, but there was a light mountain breeze. Even even though there are no dramatic mountain summits with views here like there are in California, I got the sense that we were at a high point on top of the mountain with a little bit of elevation. After looking at the topography, we were at about 1,700 feet. It was a quiet day to hike around the Pocono Mountains. I imagine it will be a busy weekend with everyone coming up to see the fall foliage.
Hickory Run is a beautiful State Park. I remember coming here years ago with my parents and walking the peaceful trails. Back then there were no crowds. Nowadays the park has become quite popular, especially on weekends. There are so many trails in this park, but it appears the two most popular hikes are Hawk Falls and the Shades of Death Trail. I hiked both of those earlier in the year and they were both lovely trails. But now that I’m starting to learn the lay of the land here on the east coast, I have discovered so many other beautiful trails and not just the ones that seem to get so much attention on social media.
It was a cloudy, overcast day and the drive up to the Pocono Mountains on the I-80 was abundant with fall foliage. I planned to start my hike on the Fireline Trail which was noted in the park brochure as having a picturesque overlook of the Lehigh River and Lehigh Gorge State Park. About .5 miles into the hike I arrived at the overlook. The view down to the river did not disappoint and neither did the endless colorful foliage. I then continued my way along the Firelinetrail until I reached the junction for the Skyline Trail. Skyline took me on a narrow path working its way across the side of the mountain with continuous views of the Lehigh River to the west. It was a beautiful trail and I had very nice views of the surrounding mountains, again full of that gorgeous fall color. From here I intersected with the Hickory Run Trail, which as it’s name promised, took me along Hickory Run. I walked along the run enjoying the peaceful sound of the small stream until intersecting with the Switchback Trail. The Switchback Trail climbed back up the mountain to Skyline and then Fireline before arriving back at the trailhead. Before leaving the park, I took a short trip over to see a small chapel that was built in the 1800s. It sits tucked away in the woods just off the side of the road. I got out to explore for a bit and came upon the abandoned Manor House structure. Both buildings are structures left of the town that was once known as Hickory Run. There is quite a bit of history here and you can read up on it on the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation & Natural Resources website. I hope to get back to this area again to do more exploring, especially now with our beautiful weather and amazing autumn colors.
