A walk around Swiftwater Forest Preserve, April 25, 2021

April 27, 2021

It was a rainy start to our Sunday morning, so we waited for the rain to stop before heading out about mid-morning into the Pocono Mountains. Our destination this time was Swiftwater Forest Preserve in Paradise Township. We found the trailhead off Donaldson Road and made our way onto the trail into a beautiful forest of pine. The soft pine needles covering the ground were like walking on a soft carpet. It was a really nice feeling after traversing all the rocks on the AT the day before. The walk through the forest was nice and easy. Along the trail I noticed many different kinds of mushrooms and blooming wildflowers. We passed through a section of mixed hardwood with Shagbark Hickory, Maple and Oak. There were also some interesting rock outcroppings. After hiking around the inner loop trail, we followed the outer loop. Along this path we found a short spur which lead to an old chimney and a fireplace that must have been part of a cabin at some point long ago. There was also an old out house that had been left behind. The forest here was quiet, peaceful and so relaxing. It was a perfect hike for a lazy Sunday.

Click on “Read More” below for more photos.

Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area: Sunfish Pond via Garvey Springs, Appalachian Trail, Douglas Trail, Rockcores Trail, 7 Miles RT, 1,345 +/-, April 24, 2021

April 26, 2021

I’m really loving the Delaware Water Gap. There are so many trails here to link together to make the most out of your day. I admit it’s been hard for me to find the challenges I had hiking out west, but I’m finding that there are some places, such as the DWG, where you can get a little climbing in and also link up trails to add some decent mileage. Today we hiked to Sunfish Pond, a 44-acre glacial lake located on the Kittatinny Ridge. It lies within the Worthing State Forest on the New Jersey side of the DWG. We took the steepest, shortest route up to the lake via the Garvey Springs Trail which has a respectable gain of 1,058’ in 1.2 miles. There’s a more gradual ascent up the Douglas Trail from the same trailhead, which we planned to take on the return. Laurel Falls is also a nice feature to see that’s right at the start of the Douglas Trail if you go up that way. It was a somewhat chilly morning, but the sun was out and the ascent got us warmed up fast. The trail leads through a hardwood forest, and I saw some patches of bluets (wildflowers) along the path. As we hiked, two wild turkeys crossed the trail up ahead. The trail became more and more rocky as we got closer to the top of the ridge. We leveled off for a short distance and Sunfish Pond came into view. Next, we made our way onto the Appalachian trail which runs along the western and northern shores of the lake. The trail here was mostly rock hopping large rocks and boulders with a few breaks in between. There were some campsites on the way to sit on a log and enjoy views of the serene lake. There were also some alcoves to climb the rocks out onto the water to get a closer view. I very much enjoyed the scenery here and hiking along the shores. On the western side of the lake there’s a stone monument and a plaque marking Sunfish Pond as a registered natural landmark. We continued following the AT as it moved away from the lake on a wider path that was much less rocky. We reached a backpacker campsite where there were several campers. We then connected to the Douglas Trail and began to descend. When we reached the junction with the Rockcores Trail, we decided to take it northeast and then connect back to the Garvey Springs Trail. The Rockcores Trail passes Laurel Falls on the drainage from Sunfish Pond. There was a steep use trail that made a beeline along the drainage, but I wanted to hike further so we kept on following Rockcores until linking back up with Garvey Springs. It was now about 11:30 am and as we approached the trailhead, I could see that parking was already at maximum capacity. I looked over at Laurel Falls and there were some hikers trying to climb on top of the waterfall. One of them slipped and fell, but luckily was okay. It always makes me wonder what makes people do the things they do. As we made our way to the car, someone was already asking for our parking spot. We packed up our gear and headed out. I had a really nice time on this hike. It had a little bit of a challenge and the lake was a beautiful early morning destination.

Click on “Read More” below for more photos.

Ricketts Glen State Park, Falls Trail Loop, 9.6 Miles RT, 1,122' +/-, April 19, 2021

April 26, 2021

Ricketts Glen State park is home to the Glens Natural Area, a National Natural Landmark in Pennsylvania. The Falls Trail system that we hiked today consists of 21 incredible waterfalls that flow between steep, narrow valleys known as glens. The tallest waterfall on the circuit, Ganoga, is 94’ impressive feet. Ricketts Glen State Park is one of the most scenic hikes in Pennsylvania. It’s named after Colonel R. Bruce Ricketts who bought land in northeastern Pennsylvania for timbering. When fishermen exploring Kitchen Creek found that there were waterfalls flowing through the deep gorges, Colonel Ricketts spared the land. He hired six men to build the trail system in what is now known as the Glens Natural Area and the project was completed in just four years. Each of the 21 waterfalls has a name. Colonel Ricketts named them after American Indian tribes and also his friends and family.

We began our hike at the trailhead off the 118. From here we had a pleasant walk along Kitchen Creek on a flat path before reaching a junction for the lower and upper trails. The lower trail was marked as difficult, and the upper trail was marked as moderate. Of course we opted for the lower, more difficult path. Both trails meet back up again at waters meet before the beginning of the Falls Trail Loop. The lower trail hugged the creekside going up and down muddy, slippery terrain. It wasn’t particularly difficult, but we had to watch our footing. Soon, we started to see the waterfalls. There are three falls before you reach waters meet: Murray Reynolds, 16’, Sheldon Reynolds, 36’ and Harrison Wright, 27’. All three were absolutely beautiful. When we reached the junction at waters meet, we opted to hike up the Glen Lehigh side first. There are eight waterfalls on this side ranging from 15 to 60 feet. We made our way up the steep rocky gorge crossing over bridges that took us right up and over the top of the falls. It was a spectacular trail which varied between flat, rocky sections along the creek and steep climbs up rocky steps. We stopped at each fall to take photos and spent time enjoying the uniqueness of each waterfall. Once we completed the traverse up the Glen Leigh side, we got on the Highland Trail heading west. The Highland trail would take us to the Ganoga Glen side to see the next set of falls. The Highland Trail was mostly flat, quiet and very peaceful. It took us through a beautiful forest of pine and along the trail I noticed a wooden bench for sitting and taking in the serenity of the forest. About half way through this section of trail, we reached some giant rock formations and passed through two large boulders called the Midway Crevasse. Soon, I began to hear the sound of rushing water again which meant we were coming up on the next set of falls. We crossed over a bridge and were soon making our way down the gorge on the Ganoga Glen side. The rocky steps were muddy and slippery. We had to take extra care coming down the steep sections, as I think it’s harder coming down then it is going up because it’s easier to slip. We passed by three lovely falls before reaching Ganoga, the 94’ waterfall. It was absolutely stunning. As we continued down the Ganoga Glen side, we began to see more people coming out to enjoy the trail. At this point I sort of lost track of which waterfall we were passing and I was spending more time looking at the smaller details like the Trillium blooming alongside the trail, the green fern and bright moss growing above the gorge. There is so much to take in on this trail besides the just waterfalls. When we reached the junction for the upper and lower trails, we decided to take the upper trail for a change in scenery. The trail was an easy flat path that travelled high above Kitchen Creek. Along this trail I saw more blooming Trillium. By now it was early afternoon and the sun had started to come out. The weather up until this point had been cloudy and we even had a light sprinkle of rain. When we reached the final mile that would take us back to the trailhead, I noticed some blooming Trout Lily. It was a wonderful day and Ricketts Glen Natural Area is a really special place.

Click on “Read More” below for more photos.

Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, Copper Mine Trail, Appalachian Trail, Kaiser Trail, 9.3 miles RT, 1,509 +/-, April 17, 2021

April 22, 2021

Today we decided to check out more of the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. This time our plan was to explore some trails on the New Jersey side. We arrived at the trailhead off Old Mine Road which had recently reopened after being closed during the winter months. We geared up then made our way over to the map at the kiosk to formulate the day’s plan. We decided to hike the Copper Mine Trail up the west side of Kittatinny Mountain to the Appalachian Trail where we would follow it southwest along the ridge before looping back on the Kaiser Trail. We crossed the street and headed out on our adventure. Not far into the trail we reached a fork that took us to the first mine. I saw some stone ruins along the way before the first mine quickly came into view. It was fairly large and would have been easy to access, but it was blocked by a metal grate. I shined my headlamp inside to take a look and wondered how far back it went. The Pahaquarry Copper Mine is said to date back to the 1750s, but it was never successful due to the ore extracted being of too low concentration of copper. After checking out the first mine, we got back on the main trail which began an ascent along the ravine. We spotted the second mine nestled into the hillside up above the trail, and I climbed up to take a closer look. This mine was much smaller than the first, but it too was inaccessible. We then reached a wooden bridge crossing over the creek. Now the path narrowed and became much rockier. We climbed steeply along the ravine enjoying views of waterfalls flowing down the mountain. We came upon a spur trail leading down to the bottom of one of the accessible waterfalls so we decided to explore. Next, we got back on the main trail which moved away from the creek and into a forest of mixed hardwoods. We passed by blooming wildflowers and a vernal pool then crossed over another wooden bridge leading to a parking area. We checked the map, got our bearings and headed onto the Appalachian Trail. We climbed in elevation navigating over large boulders until reaching the top of the ridge where we had views of New Jersey on one side and Pennsylvania on the other. Soon we came to a vista point overlooking Lower Yards Creek Reservoir. Here, we met another hiker who also happened to be from California. We chatted about the mountains and shared stories about our hikes out west before continuing on our way. When we reached the Kaiser trail, it began to rain. We had to stop and put on our rain gear, but the rain didn’t last. The Kaiser Trail has two different spurs to link back to Copper Mine, so we opted to take the longer route to extend our day. We descended steeply enjoying the views of the Delaware River before finally connecting back to Copper Mine. Before heading home, we took a quick walk down to the shores of the river where I saw wildflowers of Trillium and Dutchman’s Breeches. It was a great day of hiking, and I’m looking forward to continuing to explore more of this section of the Delaware Water Gap.

Click on “Read More” below for more photos.

Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, Tumbling Waters, Ridgeline, Scenic Gorge, April 10, 2021

April 14, 2021

Today we went back to explore more of the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. This time we planned to hike some trails that started at the Pocono Environmental Education Center Campus. The PEEC is a non-profit organization that offers environmental learning experiences in a national park. It looked like a really cool place. We started the day on the Tumbling Waters Trail which begins just across the road from the Main Education Building. We crossed a bridge and along the trail was a fun looking bird blind complete with exhibits inside. I should note that the really cool thing about this place is that the trails here are interpretive. Points of interest are marked with numbers and you can purchase a guided map outside the PEEC building, or download them onto your phone. An interesting exhibit at the beginning of the hike is a Trash Graveyard. It’s meant to demonstrate the amount of time it takes for common materials to decompose such as water bottles, plastic bags and cigarettes. It’s a fun way to educate people on the effects of littering. The trail then took us through a pine plantation and along the shores of Pickerel Pond where there was evidence of beavers. We walked over a boardwalk above more wetlands and then into a forest of conifers and mixed hardwoods. Eventually, the trail became a lovely single track just above a ravine with hemlocks towering above. A helpful set of steps are cut into switchbacks leading down the ravine to the waterfall. The purpose of the steps is to keep hikers on the trail. Cutting switchbacks can lead to erosion. It’s so important to respect the rules of our beautiful parks and wilderness areas. Unfortunately, I did see many use trails branching off near the waterfall, which gives evidence that some hikers do not respect these principles. As we made our descent down to the falls, there were many rhododendrons and large hemlock trees. We spent some time here exploring the area, taking pictures, and enjoying the “tumbling waters”. Next, we hiked back up and the trail skirted cliffside with expansive views of the Delaware River Valley. We then passed a stone fireplace which was once part of a cabin. It made me think about how difficult it must have been to haul all those stones up the steep slope to build it. We then hiked through more forests of mixed oaks, cedar and pine. Along the trail I saw wildflowers of periwinkle and rue anemone beginning to peak out from under the leaf debris. Soon we arrived back at the parking area where we then made our way onto the Ridgeline and Scenic Gorge Trails. These trails offered so much variety! We hiked through forests of tamarack, oak, hickory, hemlock and pine. We climbed up and down large sedimentary rocks where there was a handy rope installed to assist with the descent. We passed through wetlands and vernal pools while spring peepers sang their spring chorus. We crossed bridges over the cascading waters of Spackman’s creek and enjoyed the scenic gorge that was decorated with bright green moss and fern. There were also various types of shelf-like mushrooms to observe. As we reached the trailhead once again, I couldn’t believe how quickly time went by on these trails. I really enjoyed my time here and am so appreciative that there are gems like this to learn about and enjoy the magic of nature.

Click on “Read More” below for more photos.

Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, Dingmans Falls, Hackers Falls, Cliff Trail, March 4, 2021

April 08, 2021

Today we headed out early to explore the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. Our first stop was Dingmans Falls. This is a popular area with a beautiful boardwalk system that provides safe and easy access leading to two beautiful waterfalls. I was aware that this is a popular destination and can become quite busy, so we arrived just after sunrise. The road to the parking area at the Dingmans Visitor Center was closed (they close it during winter), so we parked in the lot just off the 209 and began a short mile walk down Dingmans Falls Road to the trailhead. The road itself was very scenic as it followed Dingmans Creek past tall pines. As we strolled along I saw a lot of downed trees which I later learned were caused by a violent storm in 2018. Soon we reached the Dingmans Falls Visitor Center where the smooth boardwalk trail begins. It crossed over Dingmans Creek and within just a short distance we were treated to a view of our first waterfall of the day, the 80 foot Silver Thread Falls. Silver Thread is tall, narrow and drops over the rocky cliffs in almost a perfectly straight line; hence the name “silver thread”. As we continued on the boardwalk we passed through large stands of rhododendron surrounding us on either side. It gave the trail a jungle-like feeling. In less than a mile we arrived at the majestic 130 foot Dingmans Falls. This waterfall is noted as being the second tallest in Pennsylvania; the tallest is Raymondskill Falls just a few miles up the road. The fast flowing waters tumbled down a gorge carved into exposed bedrock from the Devonian period 365-405 million years ago. We spent some time taking photos and enjoying the views before making our way up a steep wooden staircase to the top of the falls. The views from above were just as spectacular as below as the water spilled down the 130 foot vertical drop. After taking in the scenery and making sure to grab lots of photos, we decided it was time to start heading back so we could enjoy another trail while it was still early. We walked back to the parking area, hopped in the car and headed north on the 209 to the Hackers trailhead on Raymondskill Road where we planned to hike to Hackers Falls and the Cliff Trail. The Hackers trail began on a gravel path leading uphill. As it leveled off we were taken on a pleasant walk through an inviting hemlock forest. We then reached the junction for the waterfall and descended steeply. As we continued to follow the trail, I could hear Raymondskill Creek off in the distance. Soon we were hiking above and parallel to the creek. Within about a mile we reached Hackers Falls. This waterfall was steep but short and shaped like a feather fan. We spent some time taking photos, studying the rocks and enjoying the small but mighty waterfall before making a gentle ascent back up the Hackers trail through more hemlocks and mixed hardwoods. Next, we reached a junction for the Buchanan trail which ran north along a power line. We passed by an abandoned building and a dilapidated trailer home just before reaching a pond. When we arrived at the junction for the Cliff Trail, it was closed due to nesting Peregrine Falcons. We backtracked onto the Hackers Trail to access the Cliff Trail from the opposite direction. This section was open so we followed the trail to the first vista. From here I could see the Delaware River and across to New Jersey. We continued along the Cliff Trail as it travelled along the Raymondskill Ridge offering sweeping views along the way. Several vultures soared at eye-level as we hiked. It was a beautiful sunny day and by the time we reached the parking area, it was already full with people coming out to enjoy this perfect spring day.

Click on “Read More” below for more photos.

Hiking Chestnut Mountain Nature Preserve, April 3, 2021

April 06, 2021

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.

Click on “Read More” below for more photos.