What a difference a day makes. We went back to Jacobsburg State Park today. It had just finished snowing and it was just beautiful. Fresh snow, no tracks laid down yet and all was quite. We hiked the same trails as we had the previous day and what a difference in scenery. I will admit that is one thing I enjoy about the east coast… everything looks so different each season.
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Read MoreTook a walk around Jacobsburg State Park. Lots of ice on the trails. Found an area that I’d never been to before with an incredible larch plantation and a trail that went along the creek just as pretty as Henry’s Woods. Always love exploring new areas. This section of the park was much more secluded then the main area. Trails are for the most part flat walking, but still very pretty, especially through the larch forest.
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Read MoreSwiftwater Forest Preserve in Paradise Township is a very quite, very beautiful short loop in and out of tall white pines and hemlock trees. It was still pretty cold out this weekend, but the sun was shining and the snow was frozen enough to need light traction to keep from slipping. We hiked the short loop around the preserve which is just about 2.5 miles, stopping for a moment by the chimney to watch the white pines sway in the wind. Many times when I’m hiking, I like to stop, feel my feet connect to the earth and observe the stillness of my surroundings. There’s a lot to be learned from what you find in the forest, and today these wise old trees had a lot to say. After a short meditation, we headed back around the loop and headed home feeling at peace having and such a beautiful day.
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Read MoreToday we set out much later in the day then expected. Weather was in the teens, but the sky was blue and the snow was fresh . We drove to Hickory Run State Park and decided to check out the trail to Boulder Field. This is about a 7 mile out and back if you start at the trailhead off the 476. The trail was broken for about the first quarter mile, but after that it appeared no one had been on it since the recent snowfall. We continued to make our way winding through a beautiful single track in and out of hemlock, hardwoods and rhododendron. I wish I’d had my snowshoes with me. I underestimated how deep the snow would be. Even so it was still doable with just a little more effort as we broke trail. As the sun started to lower itself in the sky, it cast beautiful hues of orange and long deep shadows on the glistening snow. We thought it would be best to turn around at this point due to the temperatures dropping and because we knew it would soon be getting dark. We made our way back and decided to come back again to complete the trail another day when we have more time and could get an earlier start.
Read MoreThis weekend we did a guided ice hike with Valley to Summit and had an amazing day. I wanted to do this last year, but with the plague hanging around and no vaccine available yet, we waited. Today was the perfect day. Weather was great. A little cold (12 degrees in Benton), but who’s thinking about being cold when you’re hiking to 22 beautiful waterfalls. The guides from Valley to Summit were great. They took good care of us. They provide all the equipment (crampons, ice axe, ropes, harness and helmet). The Falls trail is closed to the general public so unless you have the proper equipment, you’re not supposed to be on this trail because it can be dangerous if you don’t know what your’e doing. This was my first time wearing crampons. We’ve done steep climbs in snowshoes and microspikes out in California, but I was excited to see what it was like using crampons and walking on ice. Honestly, I felt safer on this trail in winter then I did in the spring when we were there. The hike itself is not hard depending on your level of fitness, but you do have to watch your step in the spring and summer because the rocks can get slippery. The crampons were great. Felt super safe in them and the glen looked incredible. I loved how the falls reflected an icy blue color. It was a wonderful experience.
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Read MoreThis was more of a walk then a hike. It was cold today. Even a little too cold for me, and I love winter. But we still wanted to get outside. This hike to Dingmans Falls is more of a walk then I hike. You’re walking a flat boardwalk the whole way - except for the road to the trailhead which is now closed so you have to walk the road to get to the start of the trail. Silverthread is the first waterfall you see on this hike. It was completely frozen over and we saw some ice climbers making their way up it. Then we walked over to see Dingmans falls. This waterfall is the 2nd largest in Pennsylvania at 130 feet. The tallest in Pennsylvania, also in the DWG, is Raymonskill which is 178 feet tall. Dingmans wasn’t totally frozen yet, so no climbers on it. We took some photos and then made our way back. Felt good to get out, but today wasn’t the day to spend too much time on the trail. Really enjoyed this little sight seeing excursion and it was a treat to get to see these frozen waterfalls
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Read MoreBeautiful day to hike Van Campens Glen on the New Jersey side of the Delaware Water Gap. Old Mine Road is now closed for the season, so we parked near Millbrook Village and walked in about a mile or so to the upper glen. Very pretty hike with waterfalls along the way. Falls were not frozen yet and the snow on the trail was still pretty soft since it hadn’t been packed down yet by other hikers. It was pretty cold out there today. Finally starting to feel more like winter.
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Read MoreWe hiked the New Jersey side of the Delaware Water Gap today. First stop was Coventry Pond. This is just a short trail leading up to the pond. Very quiet in here. Beautiful Hemlock forest and white pine up around the pond. Saw some bear scat along the way, but didn’t cross paths with the bear. From there we took a walk around Millbrook village to check out the old style buildings. From there we did an out and back along Donkey Hollow. Very relaxing day and again, super pretty in the mist.
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Read MoreSo somehow I put the wrong address into the GPS and we ended up at Lehigh Gorge State Park. Well, it wasn’t a big deal. We’d been here before and instead of a hike we got a flat walk along the D&L trail to both Luke’s Falls and Buttermilk Falls. Best part was, no one was here. I think this area out of the Rockport access gets pretty busy in the summer months. I’ve only ever been here in the winter. Today was another warm-ish day with rain and fog. The river was moving pretty fast too. Enjoyed the exercise and the scenery.
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Read MoreThis 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.
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Read MoreWell so much for the nice snow we had on Christmas eve. Most of it was washed away by the warmer temperatures and the rain. Nonetheless it was a beautiful day for a hike. I know a lot of people would disagree with me, but I love the rain. I love weather. Maybe that comes from living in California where it was sunny every day and there wasn’t much variation in weather. We did 7 mile loop starting at the Fireline Trailhead. Really enjoyed the foggy mist. Stopped and had a bite to eat along Hickory Run. Great day.
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Read MoreSome photos from a short walk around Hickory Run State Park on Christmas Eve. It was a beautiful day and the snow was fresh and powder.
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Read MoreJacobsburg State Park is a great place to go when you just want to get out and enjoy some fresh air. Took my Canon with me today and got some nice photos on the Hazard Trail.
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Read MoreWent back to the DWG again today. I like the NJ side of the Gap. The trails all connect and you can piece together different hikes depending on how long or short you want. We started at the Fairview Trail just off Old Mine Road. From here we hiked to the intersection with the AT and the Holly Springs connector. We took the connector down to Dunnfiled Creek, then back up the hillside to Sunfish Pond. From there we picked up the Appalachian Trail and followed it back to Fairview. It was about an 8 mile loop. I enjoyed hiking along Dunnfiled Creek. The terrain was more interesting as was the scenery with the tall Hemlock trees and Rhododendron and Mountain Laurel. We rock hopped across the creek several times and there were a few little rock scrambles along the way. After you pass the backpacker’s camp at the junction for the Douglas Trail and the AT, the trail gets super rocky. Not the fun scramble rocks, but the ones that jut out and trip you. With the leaf debris it’s hard to tell where you’re stepping. Overall, it was a nice day, sun was out and the cooler temperature made for good hiking weather.
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Read MoreToday we hiked up the Copper Mine Trail on the New Jersey side of the Delaware Water Gap. From there we got on the Appalachian Trail and followed it out to Raccoon Ridge. Nice view point from the ridge. Came back down the Kaiser trail to close out the loop at about 8.5 miles.
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Read MorePennsylvania had its first dusting of snow. We headed out to the Delaware Water Gap to Blue Mountain Lake. Took the look to Hemlock Pond. Just a short one today. About 5 miles. Everything looks so beautiful dusted with snow.
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Read MoreAnother day in the Delaware Water Gap. We hiked from Garvey Springs up to Sunfish Pond. Perfect weather and lots of rock hopping along Sunfish pond. Took the AT to the Douglas Trail to close the loop. Nice day and not too many people out and about on the trails.
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Read MorePerfect weather today. Took a short walk around Nescopeck State Park. A couple of the bridges were out along the Creekside trail. Must have gotten washed away in the last storm. Beautiful day, great weather. Fall color is still holding on.
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Read MoreAfter hiking in the Adirondacks where it was mostly past peak foliage, we were able to catch the some of the colors spreading south through Northeastern Pennsylvania. We hiked the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area from the trailhead at the Pocono Environmental Education Center. We first took the Two Ponds trail to Tumbling Waters falls, then back to the parking area where we picked up the Ridge Trail that looped us through Scenic Gorge. Some fun, easy rock scrambles on this hike and pretty scenery made for a nice, relaxing day.
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Read MoreWe spent another couple of days hiking in the Adirondack Mountains High Peaks Region. Weather was not ideal for high elevation since it’s the beginning of shoulder season when fall starts to turn into winter. Trail conditions are beginning to become a mix of mud, ice and snow so we stayed low and just enjoyed our time exploring the area and scouting out more potential hikes for future trips. Once there’s a good coating of snow on the ground we’ll be back for snowshoeing. Despite the weather, (rain mixed with snow which I honestly don’t mind… better then humidity!), we had an amazing time.
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