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Graver Arboretum Walk, Spring Flowers Emerge, March 26, 2022

March 26, 2022

Photos from a relaxing early evening walk at Graver Arboretum, in Bushkill Township, Pennsylvania. I’ve been here a coupe of times and need to make it a point to visit more often. The arboretum is used as an outdoor classroom by the biology and other science departments of Muhlenberg College. Today I saw the first signs of spring in the form of the emerging Eastern Skunk Cabbage (Symplocarpus foetidus). It’s one of the earliest spring flowers in Northeastern Pennsylvania. These plants are unique in that they can generate heat to melt through snow making them one of the first wildflowers to be seen emerging in the spring. The plant produces a pungent odor if the leaves are crushed. Some compare it to rotting flesh. (I didn't crush the leaves to try it, because I didn't want to hurt the plant.) The odor, while maybe not so pleasant to a human, is attractive to pollinators. Another subject of artistic interest was the early evening light cast on the “knees” coming up from the roots of the Bald Cypress (Taxodium distichum) near the pond. I spent about about an hour here walking, observing and enjoying my time discovering some trees I had not seen before such as the Lacebark Pine (Pinus bungeana). But as the sun sank lower in the sky, a large dark clouds threatened with stormy winds. I knew the sky was about to open up with rain, but luckily, I was dressed for weather because it started to hail. I loved the sound of the trees swaying in the wind, and the sound of the bark on the limbs rubbing against each other. It made the time even magical to be here at this hour with no one else around listening to the trees talk. The storm didn’t last long before the sun came back out. As I was driving home a gorgeous rainbow appeared in the sky. It was a nice way to wrap up a wonderful evening.

Click “Read More” below for more photos from this day.

Hopewell Furnace, French Creek State Park, Horseshoe Trail, Ridge Trail, Boone Trail, 8 Miles RT, September 27, 2020

September 30, 2020

Today I got up much later then I’d wanted to. It just feels so comfortable here on the east coast as the seasons are starting to change. Nevertheless, I knew if I didn’t get up and out I’d regret wasting the day. I decided to go back to French Creek State Park and explore more of the trails. This time I parked at the Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site so I could walk through the old iron plantation and take in a bit of history before heading off on the Horseshoe Trail. The Horseshoe Trail is a 130 mile trail that runs from Valley Forge to the Appalachian Trail in Harrisburg, PA. Part of this trail passes through French Creek State Park with stops along Hopewell Lake and Scotts Run Lake. I followed the trail west until I reached a junction for the Boone Trail which would take me to the Ridge Trail and the Hopewell Fire Tower on top of William’s Hill. Not far from the junction I came upon some empty cabins. The cabins were not locked, so I went inside to take a look. Each cabin had some old metal bed frames, but nothing else. It was fun exploring around and even a little eerie. To add to my woodsy macabre adventure, I could heard gunshots off in the distance. However I knew those shots were coming from a nearby firing range and there was no need for alarm. After checking out the cabins, I continued on to the fire tower. I hiked up the Ridge Trail to the top of William’s Hill. There was a parking area here, but to my disappointment, I was unable to see the tower because it was blocked by all the trees. I found what looked like a use trail and followed it for a short while, but it was severely overgrown. I’ll have to come back in the winter when the trees drop their leaves and hopefully, I’ll be able to get a better view. The fire tower was built in 1935 by the Civilian Conservation Corps/French Creek Recreation project. Oh well. Better luck next time. I headed back down the Boone Trail which seemed a little more rocky then the way I’d come up and looped back to the Horseshoe Trail passing by Scotts Run Lake then back to Hopewell Furnace. It was lovely, overcast day and an enjoyable hike coupled with some sight-seeing.

Mariton Wildlife Sanctuary, August 9, 2020

August 12, 2020

Sunday morning I went back to Mariton Wildlife Sanctuary. It was a good day for moody photography with the forest layered in fog. The paths were quiet in the early morning and I enjoyed the serenity walking among the flora and fauna undisturbed. There were a few butterflies nectaring in the meadow, but without the shining sun there weren’t nearly as many as last time. It was another very humid weekend and not a good time to be doing any type of strenuous hiking. I’m saving that for the cooler months. For now I am still working on learning to enjoy the slower pace.

Mariton Wildlife Sanctuary, July 25, 2020

July 27, 2020

I recently learned about Mariton Wildlife Sanctuary which is located not far from where I live. I’ve been doing short hikes and nature walks early in the mornings and sticking close to home because it’s been too hot and humid this summer to do any long mileage or strenuous hiking. This was my first time visiting the sanctuary which is part of Natural Lands, a non-profit organization preserving open space in Pennsylvania and southern New Jersey. Mariton is absolutely lovely. It sits on top of Bougher Hill and overlooks the Delaware River. There is a small trail system that took me through the woods and along the slopes of Bougher Hill to the River Lookout which on a clear day may have provided views of the Delaware Canal below. The woods were thick with morning mist and being the first on the trails so early in the morning I was breaking through spider silk from the previous evening. The forest was so still and quiet. The kind of quiet that almost hurts your ears. Who knew such a place existed so close to home! I kept my walk short today and didn’t bother to record any mileage. I simply enjoyed the scenery and took these wonderful photos. I will most definitely be back to do more exploring.

Jacobsburg State Park, Sobers Run, Red/Green Blazed Trail, July 19, 2020

July 19, 2020

Today I went back to Jacobsburg State Park. I think this is going to be my “go to” place whenever I don’t want to do a long hike or drive too far. The temperatures were supposed to be in the mid 90s today, and I wanted to be back home in the a/c before that happened. I parked in the parking area just before the bridge over Bushkill Creek on Jacobsburg Road. Since the bridge was closed I made my way on foot to enter the west side of the park at the locked gate heading south across State Park Road. From there, I turned west and followed along Sobers Run on the Red/Green blazed trail. It was still fairly early and it was a pleasant walk in the shade along the creek. I had no real plan to do any mileage today, so I took my time and enjoyed the scenery. I could hear the song of a Wood Thrush and also the locusts chattering high up in the trees. I took the connector trail (yellow/green blazed) to make a loop. I crossed back over Jacobsburg Road and began to follow the trail South. According to the map, the trail should have crossed over Bushkill Creek and taken me back to the parking area. Unfortunately, I think the trail has become overgrown or washed away because I didn’t see anything that resembled a trail on the other side of the creek. I backtracked and walked a short ways on State Park Road to the car. Once back at the parking area, I took a short side trip down to the creek on the Jacobsburg Trail, but even from this direction, I didn’t see a trail on the other side of the creek. Maybe one day when it’s a little cooler I’ll do a bit more exploring off trail to see what I find.

Columcille Megalith Park, Bangor, PA, July 11, 2020

July 11, 2020

I woke up a little before 5 am on this Saturday morning. The cardinals were singing outside my bedroom window in the big maple tree as dawn was about to break. As much as I wanted to enjoy the birdsong and keep sleeping, I couldn’t get my mind off a place my aunt had shared with me called Columcille Megalith Park in the Appalachian mountains.

Columcille is a hidden gem located in Bangor, PA. It is the creation of the late William Cohea, Jr. who was inspired by a dream he had after visiting Iona, a small island on the western coast of Scotland. According to ancient history, the early Celts considered Iona a place where the veil is thin and one’s spirit could easily travel between worlds. There were once over 350 standing stones on the isle along with sacred oak groves. Inspired by his vision, Mr. Cohea made his dream reality in 1975 when he created Columcille.

Within the grounds of this enchanted park you’ll find circles of standing stones, pathways to hidden sacred sites, a faerie ring (don’t be surprised if you see one), a winding labyrinth and a chapel, named after St. Columba. There is a beautiful bell tower with large quartz and lapis lazuli stones inset in the top of the stone building. The surrounding woods are filled with fern, wild mushrooms and toadstools. I could have lingered here all day. Each winding path led to something magical. It’s a wonderful place for a quiet walk or meditation. I will definitely be visiting again.

Jacobsburg State Park, Henry's Woods to Jacobsburg Trail, 4 Mile walk, June 28, 2020

June 28, 2020

Today I woke up before sunrise and headed out for a walk around Jacobsburg State Park* in Nazareth. Jacobsburg State Park offers a 19 mile network of trails ranging from deciduous forest to open fields and streams. Its diverse habitats host many species of butterflies, birds, reptiles, mammals and amphibians.

Today I was interested in photographing the early morning light in Henry’s Woods, an old growth forest consisting of tall stands of hemlock and white oak.

I arrived at the main parking lot off Belfast Road around 6:30 am. There was only one other car in the lot as I began my walk along the wide dirt path leading into Henry’s Woods. The forest was dark but rays of morning sunlight pierced through the trees making for some interesting light. The great Hemlock and White Oak trees towered above my head. The air was humid but cool as I meandered alongside Bushkill Creek taking photos of the lush greenery and the wildflowers. At the end of the Henry’s Woods Trail I reached a fork and followed it northeast to the Jacobsburg Trail which crosses over Belfast Road and onto a wide, grassy path. I followed along the Jacobsburg Trail which runs parallel to highway 33 until it turns southwest and crosses over a bridge above Engler’s Run Creek. I went a little too far and ended up at the parking area on State Park Road. There are a lot of interconnecting trails within the park, and it can get confusing. But if you have a general sense of direction and a map (which you can find at the main parking lot kiosk), you’ll figure out where you are. From here I backtracked and veered off the wide path to explore one of the overgrown use trails that lead down to Engler’s Run Creek. There wasn’t a good spot to ford the creek (unless you were on horseback), so I went back up the path and did a lollipop loop back onto the Jacobsburg Trail and eventually back through Henry’s Woods. By this time it was around 8 am and joggers and dog walkers were making their way onto the trails. It was a lovely morning to spend a few hours enjoying the quiet hours of the park.

*A quick little history about Jacobsburg: In 1792 William Henry II purchased land at Jacobsburg and built a gun manufactory. Henry II acquired the land from the heirs of Jacob Hubler who founded the community which is now called Jacobsburg. The famous Henry rifle was once crafted here, and the Henry family’s small arms industry played an important role in the American Industrial Revolution.

Monocacy Way Trail, Heritage Trail Section 26, Illick's Mill to Schoenersville Road, 2 Mile Nature Walk Out & Back, June 26, 2020

June 27, 2020

It had been a long couple of months locked away in a city apartment with the Covid pandemic looming over the world. On top of everything I was preparing for a move to eastern Pennsylvania. I was able to get in a few short, local hikes in Griffith Park before I left California, but no wilderness or desert hiking for months. Being away from the backcountry took a toll on my mental and physical well being. It broke my heart to cancel all my plans in Joshua Tree, Idyllwild and the Eastern Sierra, and I was not able to bid what I loved most about California, which were its high-elevation trails, wilderness and desert backcountry a proper farewell. But now I have arrived on the east coast and as the world is beginning to return to what people are referring to as “the new normal”, I am finally starting to feel more like myself again.

Tonight my husband and I began our journey to exploring nature on the east coast. Even though I grew up here, seeing Pennsylvania as an adult is seeing it with a new perspective. We started off with a short walk on a nature trail not far from our home called the Monocacy Way Trail. I used to walk this trail when I lived here over 20 years ago. It has now become part of Historic Bethlehem’s 10.9 mile long Heritage Trail which was designed to give Bethlehem city explorers a taste of Bethlehem history from its Moravian roots to its industrial heyday of the Bethlehem Steel.

We started at the trailhead at Illick’s Mill* across from Monocacy Park. The trail begins as a paved walkway but quickly turns into a proper dirt track. The first thing I noticed is how much greener everything is compared to Southern California. It’s quite a different color pallet. As I walked the trail became a symphony of birdsong; Gray Catbirds, Wood thrush, Carolina Wren and American Robins. There are many use trails along the path if you want to veer off the main trail and walk along Monocacy Creek. Wildflowers are plentiful here with Forget-me-nots, Honeysuckle, Day Lily, Milkweed and Aster. The trail winds along the creek and eventually crosses over the train tracks. I then passed by an open grassy meadow full of thistle and grazing bunnies. At about .8 miles I arrived at Schoenersville Road. If you cross Schoenersville Road, you will continue on past the Burnside Plantation. It was already dark by this time, so we headed back. As we did the fireflies started to light up the trail, just as I remembered from when I was a kid. This is a nice little nature walk bursting with wildlife such as deer, rabbits, box turtles, birds, etc. Great for a quick dose of nature any time of day.

*A little history about Illick’s Mill: The grist mill was built on the Monocacy Creek by John Peter and his son Joseph in 1856. At that time it operated as a flour and feed company. The Mill changed hands many times over the years opening and closing its doors. In 1935, the Bethlehem Water Authority took over the Mill and the Civilian Conservation Corps and the Works Progress Administration constructed Monocacy Park. Then in 1965 the Mill was restored and reopened as a music venue appealing to Lehigh Valley teenagers. It closed its doors again in 1973. Over the years, the Mill continued to change ownership. But what I remember most about Illick’s Mill were the years it hosted a haunted house attraction run by the Bethlehem Jaycees in the 80s and 90s. In the year 2005, the Mill was added to the National Register of Historic Places. As of today the Mill is home to the Appalachian Mountain Club’s Mid-Atlantic Conservation Office and is available for meetings and events through the City of Bethlehem.