Today we hiked in the Pinchot State Forest which is named for Gifford Pinchot who played a founding role in America’s conservation movement. The Pinchot State forest is approximately 50,000 acres and encompasses five different counties. There are many hiking trails within this forest, and today we barely scratched the surface with a short hike in the Thornhurst Track on the Pine Hill Trail. The Pine Hill Trail led us to a vista point where there’s a wooden observation tower. You can climb the stairs to the top and overlook some of the surrounding area which in the summer (as with most of Pennsylvania’s ‘views’) is mostly looking at the tops as trees. It was a very nice hike and I hope to explore more of this forest in the future, as there are many trails with a lot of miles to cover including the 26 mile Pinchot Trail loop which is a popular backpacking excursion.
Today we explored the Chestnut Mountain Nature Preserve in Barrett Township. This area was going to be developed and town homes built on the land, but plans failed and the new owner timbered the forest. Buck Hill Conservation Foundation acquired the land and opened the preserve to the public in 2012. This was an interesting hike exploring a forest in recovery. We hiked along rugged logging roads and challenging terrain rutted with deep holes hidden beneath leaves and between large rocks where trees that once stood were pulled up from their roots. Much of the trail is undefined, but there are helpful blue and red markers to guide you along the way. We began the hike from a small parking area just off the 191. The morning was chilly; only 27 degrees. There was a layer of thin ice on top of the frozen leaves that covered the logging road which begins the hike. Right away I noticed the sparseness of the forest. Along the trail we spotted a beech tree that had bear claw marks in its bark. The logging road dipped slightly downhill and after about a mile made its way up a magical, mossy green carpet to an overlook. The area here was flat, wide and scattered with trees, stumps and boulders. From this vantage point I could see Mt. Wismer and High Knob. We explored the area despite the wind which made it feel even colder than it was for a spring morning. We then continued along the trail and made a descent onto a path much less defined. We followed the helpful blue markers until we reached a junction for the red trail. Here, we checked our map and decided to follow it since it would add some extra mileage to our day. We passed by even more boulders of various shapes and sizes. I saw a fallen log covered in velvety bluish-gray mushrooms. I haven’t studied up on mushroom identification yet, so I guess I’ll need to do that now since Pennsylvania sure has a lot of them. Soon, the trail began to traverse uphill where we crossed over a small stream flowing down from the mountain. The vegetation here was thick and overgrown. We bushwhacked our way through and the terrain became even more challenging with rocks and deep ruts hidden by leaf debris. We crossed over large, fallen trees being careful of each step. I noticed piles of chipped wood scattered around tree roots. As I looked up, I could see large, deep holes pecked into the tree’s trunk; the work of persistent woodpeckers. I also took note of some sapling hemlock trees peeking out from under the leaves; a promise that one day this would again be a healthy forest. Eventually, the trail made its way back to another logging road which was much easier to walk on. The day was warming up and with the workout we were getting, I was starting to work up a sweat. I took a moment to set down my pack and remove a layer, and as I glanced at the trail up ahead I saw a huge black bear! The big bear was sauntering across the trail and appeared to be foraging for food. We watched for a moment before my husband blew the safety whistle to make the bear aware of our presence. The bear then took off into the woods. We waited a moment to give the bear some leeway before continuing up the trail. It was a very exciting moment and my first time seeing a bear in Pennsylvania. The trail continued to make its way uphill and finally back to the trailhead. It was a wonderful day and an interesting trail full of fun challenges, surprises and promise.
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.
We tried to beat the rain on Sunday and take a short hike around Mariton Wildlife Sanctuary. I haven’t been here since fall and today the forest was covered in snow. With the weather having been warmer this past week and the snow starting to melt, I wasn’t expecting to need snowshoes. But the snow was still deep and we ended up putting them on. As we made our way along the trail, we were accompanied by the soft sound of rain falling on the trees and the snow covered forest floor. Despite the gray skies, it was a lovely day; very peaceful and relaxing to be in this serene place on a rainy winter morning.
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.
Jacobsburg State Park got about 31” of snow in the latest Lehigh Valley snow storm earlier this week. Saturday we were up and out early to catch the morning sunrise and do a little snowshoeing. We parked at the main parking area and headed into Henrys Woods. The giant hemlock forest was quiet and still. The snow was already well traveled from the past few days which made it hard packed and icy. The early morning temperature was below freezing, but with the lack of wind the crisp winter air was refreshing and quite pleasant. From Henry’s Woods, we crossed the bridge over the creek towards the Boulton Historic site on the Blue Blazed Trail. We then continued onto the Homestead Trail through some open fields with views of the Pocono Mountains off in the distance. The snow here was deep in spots and less packed down making for a great leg workout. There were also some really great sections of trail that were a little less soft, and I was able to enjoy gliding on top of the snow. We took our time, enjoyed the sunshine and continued on the Homestead Trail until we arrived back at the Environmental Center making it about a 5 mile loop. It was such a beautiful morning, so we took another short walk back through Henry’s Woods to enjoy the change of light and the sunshine that was now sparkling on the creek and its frozen icicles. It was such a great day and I was happy to get out for a bit between storms since the weather service was calling for more snow on Sunday.
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.
We were back at it again today exploring another nature preserve. This time we drove back to the Pocono Mountains. There are so many great places to see in this area that aren’t too far off the 115. The Thomas Darling Preserve is another preserve that’s part of the Wildlands Conservancy Land Trust. It was named after conservationist Thomas Darling Jr. This area has one of Pennsylvania’s largest spruce forests, and boy was I excited about that! I love me some conifers! The preserve is made up of 2,500 acres with glacial wetlands, meadows, bogs, and forest. Two Mile Run traverses the preserve before spilling into Tobyhanna Creek. The hike around the preserve is a short 2.5 mile loop, but it really packs in the scenery! After leaving the trailhead just off Burger Road/T551, the trail takes you along a boardwalk and through the wetlands. You are then transported into a beautiful evergreen forest. It was about 30 degrees in the morning today and being we were walking through wetlands, the trail was icy under the light dusting of snow that was covering the ground. I couldn’t get over how pretty it was walking through the snow covered conifers. At about .7 miles we reached Two Mile Run. We took a moment here to enjoy the beauty of the cascading pools. Next we headed on a long section of boardwalk that traversed an expansive wet meadow. There were more evergreens and also birch trees with their white bark. I’m not sure which part of the trail was my favorite, this section or the spruce forest. The boardwalk going through the meadow made us feel like we were transported into some other land… and really, if you think about it, we were. After this section of trail we headed into a hardwood forest and it began to flurry with some light snow. It was such a beautiful scene. As we arrived back at the trailhead, the snow flurries picked up and we were soon on our way headed out for a hot cup of coffee after a really wonderful day.
