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.
Click “Read More” below for more photos from the day.
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!.
This is one of my favorite Nature Preserves in Paradise Township the Pocono Mountains. I’ve been here several times and keep coming back to see the changes throughout the seasons. There’s always something new to experience along this very short hike of about 3 miles. Today’s weather was cloudy and a little on the chilly side. The sun popped in and out of the clouds throughout the morning. It cast beautiful light across the moss covered rocks along the cascading Cranberry Creek. Soon the trails here will be covered with bright red-orange Red Efts (a second stage eastern newt). It was a lovely morning and a nice way to start the day.
This is a super fun place to hike. The trail isn’t very well marked so it’s kind of fun to try and find your way through the hemlocks and in and out of the bog areas. The only downside is that this preserve is right next to a freeway so you get a lot of traffic noise on parts of the trail. I haven’t been here in the summer yet, but I imagine the mosquitos must be terrible. It’s a very interesting ecosystem and a beautiful place to go for a hike, especially if you don’t want to see a lot of people on the trail. Not sure many people come here.
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!
Big Pocono State park sits atop the summit of Camelback Mountain at about 2,100’. You can drive your car up to the top and enjoy a day of picnicking with views below of Eastern Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York. There are hiking trails that start at the summit and traverse down the mountain and then back up. Today we hiked the North Trail to its lower loop and then circled back up the south face on the South Trail. The trail was surprisingly steep with about a 600’ change in elevation in under a mile. I haven’t needed to use my hiking poles since I left California, but I could have used them today. At the bottom, the trail flattens out and is paved with gravel. It passes through an old railroad grade and through a rock cut in the mountain. I saw a lot of rhododendron along the way so I’m sure this is a beautiful place to be in the spring when the flowers are blooming. The loop is just a short 4.6 miles, but there was enough of a challenge to get the heart pumping.
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.
Today’s adventure took me to Nescopeck State Park. This park sits between two mountains; Mt. Yeager to the south and Nescopeck Mountain to the North. Most of the trailheads are accessed via Honey Hole Road. This is a beautiful area, and I’m still in awe when I’m driving down these Pennsylvania backcountry roads. To start the day I took a walk around Lake Frances. There’s a nice wide loop trail that goes around the whole lake. It’s not a very big lake, just .6 miles around. I didn’t see many people here except for some fishermen. After checking out the lake, I got back on Honey Hole Road and drove to the Wood Frog Loop Trail. There are 200 acres of wetlands in this park, and this trail is an easy 1.1 mile loop around a swamp on a wide grassy path. It’s very serene and relaxing here. After meandering around the loop and taking in the scenery, I drove to the parking turnout for the Mountain Loop Trail. This trail boarders SGL 187 and just off the parking area there’s a beautiful creek that heads into the Game Lands. The Mountain Loop is about 3 miles. There are lots of rocks and uneven terrain very typical of Pennsylvania. I took the loop clockwise making my way steadily up Nescopeck Mountain. This trail must not see much use because it was very overgrown. It also had a lot of spiderwebs. In fact, I almost walked right through the spiderweb of the biggest spider I have ever seen (besides a tarantula). From what I could guess after I got home and looked up Pennsylvania spiders, it was a Marbled Orb Weaver. I watched her spin her web before ducking underneath to pass by. At the top of the loop, the trail turns east. There were a few boulders here which would be a nice place to sit and take a break after the walk up the mountain. As I continued eastward the trail opened up to a sunny, grassy path before descending back into the woods. I didn’t see another human being on this trail (always a plus), but I did scare up a large grouse that took off when she saw me. I also found a praying mantis which eyed me curiously as I took her photo. It was a beautiful day. There’s more to explore here and I am looking forward to coming back.
