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.

Click “Read More” below to see more photos from this hike.

Another cold day here in the Keystone state. Today I was up and out earlier then yesterday and heading up north to the Pocono Mountains to Nescopeck State Park. The temperature this morning was in the 20s and expected to climb to about 30. The DCNR page was reporting a higher snow level at Nescopeck, and I was looking forward to snowshoeing in a bit more snow. I’m still uncertain how well they plow the roads so venturing out is a bit of an unknown adventure. We turned the car onto Honey Hole Road and it was clear. None of the turnouts were plowed, but the main lot for the lake paring was completely open. We arrived to find only one other car. I was completely baffled where everyone was? Why aren’t people out enjoying this winter wonderland? I can only conclude that where I have lived in California, snow is a novelty. Every time it would snow, Angelenos (myself included) couldn’t wait to drive up into the forests and mountain towns for outdoor recreation. Maybe winter in Pennsylvania is just an inconvenience to those who’ve lived here all their lives winter after winter. I honestly can’t say but regardless of the reason, I was not complaining about having the place pretty much to ourselves. We donned our snowshoes and headed over to Lake Frances which was just beginning to ice over. Winter is such a different world. We snowshoed around the Lakeside Trail and made our way onto the Nescopeck Trail being careful not to step onto the tracks that had been made by the cross-country skiers (outdoor winter etiquette). The snow conditions here were perfect! We had soft powder and each step was a joy to take. We trekked along until we reached the Creekside Loop Trail which crossed over Nescopeck Creek by way of a rickety, wooden bridge. The sound of the running creek and the chirp of a chickadee were all I heard in the quiet of the forest. As we continued south, I remembered we were going to end up at a trail washout that we’d encountered over the summer and would have to loop back on the Fern Trail. I made my way through the snow and along the edge of the creek enjoying every moment. The giant hemlocks heavy with snow leaned in over the partially frozen water. On our way back, we passed a couple of cross-country skiers. Again, another great place to cross-country ski with the mostly level terrain. We took our time going back and soaked in the beauty of winter. We arrived back at the frozen lake with my Garmin clocking us at about 4.8 miles. I checked the temperature just before heading home and it had reached 30 degrees by about 1:30. It was a lovely day on the eve of the winter solstice to enjoy the outdoors!

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

Icy Lake Frances and Snowshoeing Nescopeck State Park, 4.8 Miles RT, December 20, 2020