nature

Delaware Water Gap, Orchard Trail, Hamilton Ridge, Pioneer Trail, Van Campens Glen, 8 Miles RT, 1,003 +/-, April 14, 2024

April 14, 2024

Another day hike in the Delaware Water Gap, New Jersey side. We hiked from Millbrook Village on the Orchard Trail which connects to Hamilton Ridge. From Hamilton Ridge we took the Pioneer Trail, then took a spur trail down to the river and back then onward to Old Mine Road where we crossed and hiked through Van Campens Glen. We walked the last few miles back on the road. Old Mine Road is going to be closed for most of the summer due to construction. It should be a nice time to visit the Glen as many people will not want to hike in or walk the road to get to the waterfalls.

At the start of the Orchard Trail I saw Bluets (Houstonia caerulea) blooming. The first spring ephemerals are starting to pop out from under the leaf debris. I also saw a firefly that somehow found my hand. It seems like it’s much too early for them. The day started partly cloudy with some sun, but as we hiked the clouds began to darken the sky. I came across some bright orange Juniper apple-rush, something I’d never seen before. I’ve been using the Seek app (by iNaturalist) on my phone to identify the plants I see along the trail. I love learning as much as I can. As we reached the spur to the river, it began to rain. On the riverbank I saw Yellow Trout Lily and Dutchman’s Breeches. We ate a snack and by the time we were finished the sun was back out. I was glad we didn’t have to cut the day short. We proceeded on to Van Campens Glen. As always the glen was beautiful full of cascades and green moss. We took off our packs and laid on the rocks above the waterfall listening to the wind and soaking in the sunshine. I used my birding app to identify a bird I’d never heard before. I recorded its song and BirdNet suggested what I was hearing was a Louisiana Water Thrush, a new one for my life list.

We hiked out of the glen and then headed back to Millbrook Village on Old Mine Road. Along the way we passed a garter snake basking in the sun. Seems we weren’t the only ones taking advantage of a warm sunny day.

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Bear Creek Preserve, 7.9 Miles RT, 856' +/-, March 31, 2024

March 31, 2024

The day started cold and damp. The kind of dampness that chills to the bone. It had rained the night before and sections of the trail were mud which is mostly to be expected this time of year. But we continued our hike, hoping to see the sun eventually. We hiked through hardwood forest until we descended to the creek. We crossed the bridge and hiked through rhododendron tunnels, hemlock, and white pine. The bridge to return that crosses over Shades Creek further south of where we started was washed away. But I remembered there was another bridge further up the trail and luckily that one was intact. Once on the other side, we hiked to my favorite rocks on the creek's edge and sat down. We got lucky and the sun broke through the clouds. We spent a while there lounging around and soaking it in before heading back in a loop to complete the day.

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Delaware Water Gap, Blue Mountain Lakes, Hemlock Pond, AT Connector Loop, 8.6 Miles RT, February 4, 2024

February 04, 2024

It was a beautiful day and the weather was in the 30s. It was a nice day to hit the trail and take in the sunshine. We hiked from one of our favorite trailheads at Blue Mountain Lake. We followed the Blue Mountain Lakes trail to the northwest side of Hemlock Pond. From here we explored the Wood Road trail which continues onward in a northeast direction. This trail intersects with the trail to Buttermilk Falls which we did not take today. Instead we turned south and climbed steeply up the connector trail to the Appalachian trail to get to the ridge line. At the top of the climb, we looped back heading southwest to Hemlock Pond before returning to the trailhead. I was happy for the climb today and the extra added cardio.

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Nescopeck State Park, Snow Hike, 3.55 Miles, Januar 21, 2023

January 21, 2024

The temperatures have been below freezing and there were two snow storms this past week. We drove to Nescopeck State Park with the intention of a snow hike or possibly snowshoeing. When we arrived at approximately 11:15 am, the winds were gusting at around 16 mph, and the temperature was 20 degrees. The wind made it feel colder then it was. I opted to hike with microspikes because I did not do a very good job of checking my snowshoes and realized they’d need some adjustments. The snow level was about 4 inches over ice and easy to walk. I recalled the last time we were here, the Creekside Trail had a lot of mud, roots, downed trees and a few of the bridges were out.

We began the hike walking along the southern shore of Lake Frances heading onto the Nescopeck Trail. It was bitter cold, but the sun was shining, the forest looked lovely, and I warmed up as we hiked. The wind gusts seemed to lessen as we got further into the woods.

Hiking along the Creekside Trail, I heard the ice crack under the snow. I suspected this would be the case remembering that the last time I visited, much of this trail was very muddy. We had to cross the frozen creek a few times to continue the loop because of the bridges that remained broken.

Nonetheless, the waters of Nescopeck Creek were sparkling in the sunlight and glistening snow. I could hear black-capped chickadee in the trees and the forest was beautiful in all its winter glory.

After crossing a bridge that looked to have been repaired, we got on the Fern Trail to continue the loop. This trail took us away from the creek and into hardwoods. We passed a few cross-country skiers enjoying the day.

We took the Hill Trail to the turtle pond on the eastern side of Lake Frances. We stopped to listen to the quite and enjoy the stillness of the winter day.

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Janet Johnston Housenick & William D. Housenick Memorial Park, Winter Solstice Morning Walk, December 21, 2023

December 21, 2023

The Janet Johnston Housenick & William D. Housenick Memorial Park and Archibald Mansion has become my favorite place for a nearby walk, morning run or birdwatching. This is a birding hotspot! I’m starting to recognize the regulars who come every day with their binoculars and cameras. I discovered the park in October. I had no idea it was even here. There’s a paved walking path that’s great for running and exercising and afterwards, you can take a walk along the Monocacy Creek and past the Wetlands. Today I came with my husband for a slow, peaceful walk. There was quite a bit of bird action and we were treated to a a fox as he (or she) displayed her hunting skills as she/he caught what appeared to be a large rodent. There’s always something magical here at the park. I’ve spotted many species of birds including bald eagles, red tail hawks and pileated woodpeckers. Enjoy this short series of photos I took on our walk today on the morning of the winter solstice.

Mariton Wildlife Sanctuary, December 30, 2022

December 30, 2022

December walk at Mariton.

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The last of autumn at Mariton Wildlife Sanctuary, October 27, 2022

October 27, 2022

The trees remind us that we are shifting into the dark half of the year. Soon the vibrant, golds and yellows will be replaced with earthy brown and bark as the trees rest deep in the earth until Persephone emerges and spring will return once again.

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Late Afternoon Walk at Graver Arboretum, October 22, 2022

October 22, 2022

Late afternoon walk listening to the owls and enjoying the conifers at Graver Arboretum.

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Adirondack Park, Cat and Thomas Mountains, 7.8 Miles RT, 1,647' +/-, 2,031 Max Elevation, July 12, 2022

July 15, 2022

Today we hiked both Cat and Thomas Mountains. Both summits are part of the Lake George 12ster challenge. The day prior we had hiked hiked Sleeping Beauty, also part of the 12ster. So we’ve now done 3 of the 12 peaks should we decided to complete the challenge in the future. The weather was calling for potential severe thunder storms, so our Plan B was to just do Thomas if the weather decided to turn since we’d already hiked to the top of Cat the last time we were in the Adirondacks. At the start of the hike at the trailhead off Valley Woods Road we heard thunder. We began hiking but noted the time to see if we’d hear more rumbling. Luckily it seemed to pass, and when we reached the summit of Thomas the weather looked promising. We we decided to continue on to Cat Mountain and complete the loop. The hike to Thomas was fairly easy up an old carriage road. The summit opened up to beautiful views of Lake George. At one time there was a cabin on the summit, but it has since been taking down. Next we found the trail to continue on to Cat. From here the trail quickly made a steep beeline down. The trail had quite a bit of up and down and a few easy scrambles. When we arrived at the spur for Cat, we decided to hike up even though we’d done it before. The weather was still holding in our favor, so we took in the views and then made our way back down and back to the trailhead. The weather Gods must have been in our favor today because on the way out, the sky opened up and it began to pour. I was happy we were able to get in the two peaks in one hike. Another beautiful day in the ADK!

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Adirondack Park, Sleeping Beauty Mountain, Lake George Wild Forest, 4.6 Miles RT, 1,109' +/-, Max Elevation 2,347', July 11, 2022

July 11, 2022

We had a lovely hike to the summit of Sleeping Beauty Mountain in the eastern area of Adirondack Park in the Lake George Wild Forest. The hike was easy with some lovely switchbacks and a beautiful summit overlooking Lake George. We decided to add on some extra mileage by making the loop to Bumps Pond. It was absolutely beautiful and full of dragonflies and puddling butterflies. There’s a whole network of trails to explore in this area and I’m looking forward to coming back again for more hiking.

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Woodland Hills Preserve Walk, June 21, 2022

June 21, 2022

Walk around Woodland Hills Preserve. Always enjoy seeing the red-winged black birds here. Great way to start the day listening to the sounds of nature.

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Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, North Lookout, June 13, 2022

June 13, 2022

This was my first trip to Hawk Mountain Sanctuary. I’ve known about this place since we came to Pennsylvania, but avoided it because of how crowded I understand it gets. Since it was a weekday, I took a chance on it being less crowded and I’m really glad I did. There are so many trails here to explore and the visitor’s center (complete with gift shop) is wonderful. We did an easy out and back to the North Lookout. There are harder routes here with lots of rock scrambling which we will try another time. Today was a day for sight seeing and checking things out. I can only imagine how awesome it must be up here when the birds are migrating along the flyway. We didn’t see a much today aside from a turkey vulture riding the thermals, but it was a nice day to come and explore and learn a little bit about the history of the place which I didn’t know at all. Hawk Mountain was founded in 1934 by Rosalie Edge, a conservationist who eded the pointless hunting of raptors migrating along on the Kittatinny Ridge. Raptors were once thought to be a threat to “wild game” and humans thought they needed to interfere with nature by slaughtering thousands of raptors. Heartbreaking. Thankfully, Rosalie Edge stepped in and silenced the rifles. Today Hawk Mountain Sanctuary is a place to learn and explore. There’s also a wonderful native garden with a turtle pond just near the entrance. We will definitely be back to hike more of the trails and do some bird watching.

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Bear Creek Preserve, Sparkling Cascades & Mountain Laurel, June 10, 2022

June 10, 2022

Today we did an early morning hike at Bear Creek Preserve. I’m hanging onto what’s left of spring because soon it will be too hot and humid to be out on the trails. The east coast is now transitioning into summer. Personally, I think it’s the worst time of year for hiking. This time of year I wish I was back in SoCal where we could escape to the High Country where the mountains are cooler at elevation. Don’t get me wrong, the trails still got hot, but we knew to be up before dawn and done with our hike by mid-morning. I think I am conditioned from hearing the countless stories of SAR having to rescue people off the mountains because of heat stroke and dehydration. Maybe Pennsylvanians are are a heartier bunch? I’m not really sure. But hiking in heat is not for me. However, back to the hike today… Pennsylvania’s state flower, the mountain laurel, is in full bloom. Clusters of flowers in shades of white and pink adorned the lush, green trails as we meandered along the undulating trail in and out of hardwoods. We started our hike today just off Rabbit Run Lane on the red trail. The trail took us up to the top of the first waterfall and then dipped down to the creek where we picked up the gray trail. The bridge to get across Shades Creek had been blown down by a storm, but it has since been replaced. After crossing the bridge, the trail continued along the creek passing by sparkling cascades and winding in and out of rhododendron tunnels. It took us through a forest of hemlock and white pine and eventually to the spur trail to the bottom of the first waterfall that we’d seen from the top. The last time we were here it was in the winter when we were snowshoeing. Bear Creek Preserve is a beautiful preserve. It has enough variety in scenery so that you don’t get bored since there’s not a whole lot of elevation. We closed the loop at about 6 miles. It was an enjoyable day.

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Woodland Hills Preserve, Morning Meadow Walk, June 6, 2022

June 06, 2022

Photos from a quick morning walk around Woodland Hills Preserve. I like coming here because 1) it’s fairly close to my home and I can get in a quick nature walk before heading to work and 2) it brings me great joy in knowing that this used to be a golf course. Don’t you just love it when nature takes it back? The meadows are filled with mugwort, yarrow and the common milkweed is just starting to bloom. Soon this place will be filled with butterflies, sphinx moths and pollinators galore. As I passed through the wetlands, tall stalks of poison hemlock towered above the marshy grass. Dozens of red-winged blackbirds perched high in the trees drooping their wings and singing flute like notes that tapered off into a trill. Frogs in the pond chimed along with their deep croaks and bellows making for a melodious morning chorus as I walked along the paths. I spotted a monarch or two fluttering about sampling the first taste of sweet nectar on the newly blooming milkweed. And on the wing still are the Little Wood Satyrs although some of them were a little tattered and past their prime. Wild rose was blooming and the aroma wafting through the air was just incredible. It was a marvelous way to start my day. I always enjoy coming here.

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Jacobsburg State Park, Summer Azure, June 1, 2022

June 01, 2022

A quick morning walk around Jacobsburg State Park this morning to check out what was blooming and spot some butterflies. At the start of the trail which is just off the side of a busy road, I immediately saw a fluttering of tiny wings. This, I’m pretty sure was the Summer Azure butterfly. I could, of course, be totally wrong here, as there’s also a Spring Azure which looks almost identical. (At least to me as a novice citizen scientist and long-time butterfly enthusiast.) I crouched in the bushes along side of the road to get my photos as cars drove by either not noticing me at all or if they did, they probably thought I was just some crazy person. But I managed to get some pretty decent shots of the tiny little beauty at the very beginning of my walk. As I continued along the trail, I saw quite an abundance of wildflowers in bloom including: dames rocket, solomon’s plume, wild rose, buttercups, golden alexander, fleabane and forget-me-nots just to name a few (Thanks iNaturalist!). Along my route I spotted some interesting mushrooms which I later ID’d as Petticoat Mottlegill. Quite a dainty little name for a mushroom that is noted to mostly grow on poop. I guess this would make sense since I was on a horse trail. It was a lovely morning and I enjoyed the walk and fresh air to start my day.

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Van Buskirk Farm Preserve, Toads & Witch's Butter, May 22, 2022

May 22, 2022

Today we went back for a visit to Van Buskirk Farm Preserve. It’s one of those places I doubt many people even know about much less visit. The preserve is hidden in plain sight just off the side of a major road and if you didn’t know where to look for the trailhead, you’d probably drive right past and miss all the beauty it has to offer. Today Cranberry Creek was sparkling with bright tones of emerald green reflected by the moss carpets clinging to the large boulders strewn about the creek. Boughs of the great hemlock trees bent and swayed along with the the breeze and the water cascaded in a rhythmic natural orchestra. As we made our way to the bridge that crosses the creek, I noticed some work was done to the trail to clear the heavy the storm damage I’d seen the last time we were here.

As we hiked the the dirt trail navigating the muddy sections always to be expected this time of year, I noticed an American Toad sitting quietly hoping to blend in with the leaf debris and waiting for us to pass. We continued onward through the forest and came upon two little red efts making their way along the trail. We hiked up to the red rock quarry, passed the vernal pool that is usually filled with the sound of chirping frogs and made our way down to the ruins of the old farm. I spotted an interesting fungi today which I ID’d later as “Witch’s Butter”. Witch’s Butter is an edible fungus also known as yellow brain, golden jelly and yellow trembler. The names seemed appropriate to match its description. This type of fungus is typically found on fallen branches and grows in crevices of bark during rainy weather. It dries up a few days after the rain, but it can revive itself when it gets wet again. Fascinating.

The hike is fairly short, but it was a perfect spring day to drive to the Poconos and simply enjoy the nature. We sat on the bridge for a while before heading back and as we did the sun began to peak through what had started out as on overcast day. It was a perfect morning.

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Mariton Wildlife Sanctuary Mayapple & More Wildflowers, May 20, 2022

May 20, 2022

I took an early morning walk around Mariton Wildlife Sanctuary this morning to see what wildflowers I could find. Right at the entrance to the Main Trail, showy dame’s rocket was bursting with with its soft, lavender and white flowers. As I walked along, I spotted jack-in-the-pulpit blooming inconspicuously long the woodsy trail. I noted wild geranium, fleabane, golden ragweed, dwarf dandelion, star of Bethlehem, ox eye daisy, and anise root. (All of this was ID’s through my iNaturalist app.) I’m still learning the east coast flora and I’m sure I will be learning for a long time. But the highlight of my walk today was the blooming Mayapple. I’ve seen these attractive umbrella like plants in many different locations in the area, and as I was hiking today, I caught a large patch of them in bloom. Mayapple is a native woodland plant that grows in colonies in deciduous forests, shady fields and along riverbanks. The plant is highly toxic except for fruit, but I personally am not that brave to try it. Another favorite of mine are the tulip trees. This time of year you can find the flowers that have dropped from the trees above along the forest floor. The flowers are a delicate shade of pale yellow outlined in bright orange. They’re usually high above in the trees and are easily missed until they fall from the trees.

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Woodland Hills Preserve, Walking with Black Vultures, May 16, 2022

May 16, 2022

Early morning walk around Woodland Hills preserve. Lots of wildflowers blooming here and I worked with my iNaturalist app to ID them. Weather was cloudy and a couple of times the wind kicked up and dark clouds rolled through. I thought it might storm, but there was no thunder and it never did. Half way through my walk on the inner loop, I saw a tree full of over a dozen black vultures. They were perched high over head and soaring back and forth between the tall trees. I walked right under them and took a few photos. They just watched me as though they were just as curious about me as I was with them. It was a really nice surprise seeing these beauties up close.

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Jacobsburg State Park Wildflower Walk, May 10, 2022

May 10, 2022

Wildflower walk at Jacobsburg State Park. I use the iNaturalist app to ID and it’s been really helpful in learning the east coast flora. Today’s finds included the following: Common Blue Violet, Dandelion, Spanish Bluebell, Jack in the Pulpit (one of my favorites), Virginia Spring Beauty, Wood Anemone, Red Deadnettle, Trout Lily (which were past bloom), Buttercups, Mayapple, Poison Hemlock, Garlic Mustard, Golden Alexanders, and Garden Yellow Rocket. Everything is suddenly turning green and the days are starting to warm. Everything smells so new and fresh. Spring is a lovely time of year.

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Red Rock Trail & Mount Sophia, May 8, 2022

May 08, 2022

Today we hiked the Red Rock Loop and Mt. Sophia. This trail is part of the Mount Airy Trail Network in the Pocono Mountains. We’ve been here a couple of times before and it’s lovely, mellow trail. My favorite part of this hike are the beautiful eastern white pines on top of Mt. Sophia. If you peak through the trees, you can also catch a glimpse of Camelback mountain. But the highlight of my trip today was seeing a barred owl. In Los Angeles, I spent so many nights walking the hills of Griffith Park at dusk listening and watching the families of Great Horned owls hoot and hunt just after sunset. This was the first owl I’ve seen since being in Pennsylvania, and my first barred owl so it was a real treat!.

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