Hemlock Point Trail - Green Lane Park

So we've been back hiking, at least monthly, for a few months now. I, however, have not been great about remembering or finding the time to update the blog. I'm hoping that Z, A, R, and I will also manage to get out once a week for a hike very soon. Although I still haven't figured out what to do with A if she poops out and wants to be carried. Thankfully, I had some help this hike since that did happen. A very gracious papa carried R so I could carry her.

This month we went back to an old favorite that has changed quite a bit - the Hemlock Point Trail at Green Lane Park in Montgomery County. The trail has changed because part of it is now the connection between the trails at Green Lane and the Perkiomen Trail. While much of Green Lane is used by horse back riders, the main part of the Hemlock Point Trail is off limits to horses and bikes.
We had a nice leisurely hike with lots of stick and rock collecting. The rocks were tossed into the water at one point. Z and A visited the blast off tree that we found two years ago while hiking with daddy on the trail. There was a salamander, a few worms, and we spied a couple of cormorants down near the damn. The children made a good (pretend) campfire and we even had a few marshmallow roasters. All in all it was a good day.

Nature Center at Peace Valley Park

Last month we met at Ringing Rocks but someone forgot her camera so on our first documented hike after our break we had a delightful hike at the Peace Valley Park Nature Center. Frogs, worms, and a rocketship tree were just a few of the highlights of our adventures.Z, A, R, and I hadn't managed to make it to the park before last weekend to explore the trails so we just followed the children's lead (most of the time) and wandered through the woods in search of the Pooh Tree. Along the way we encountered some deer, a pond full of frogs, one frog in particular who probaby wished he was a little faster, lots of worms, raspberries, wineberries, and lots of beautiful sights.
When we arrived at the Pooh Tree, the children immediately decided it was a rocketship and were searching for the button to make it blast off. Since it was a very hot day and there was a nice breeze, a bench, and shade, the adults on the hike relaxed for a short time while the children explored the tree and its surroundings.

Eventually, some of the explorers ventured up the dry creek bed beside the tree in search of worms and other creatures. They were very successful in that endeavor and came back with handfuls of worms. After convincing those same collectors, that they couldn't take the worms with them and finding suitable places to leave the worms, we started back to the parking area."The hike isn't over yet is it?" was heard several times as we neared the end of the trails. Sadly, it was the end of a very lovely day but there are other days ahead. Hope to see you next on Saturday, August 21 at Green Lane Park. Get outdoors!

Green Lane Park

Today we returned to Green Lane Park in Montgomery County to check out the changes that have occurred on the Hemlock Point Trail since our last group hike there in the spring. We had lovely, chilly weather on one side of the lake but it certainly warmed up on the other. It was a wonderful day to get some fresh air and spend some time in nature.The children enjoyed starting the hike by throwing sticks and stones into the lake at the first access point we came to on the trail. This seems to be a recurring theme whenever we are near water and we usually end up dragging them away so we can start/finish our hike.

The leaves had all fallen from the trees except for a few beeches that just wouldn't let go of their dried leaves. So the trail, which is rocky, was covered by fallen leaves. This did make it tough for some of our younger hikers but all in all they managed fine with some help from older siblings, friends, or mom/dad.

I think we may have found the last fungus of the season at the park. It was a tiny little yellow fellow that grew among some moss on a rotting log. Since I still haven't picked up a field guide to mushrooms/fungus I'm at a loss for what it might be. Any suggestions?See you on Saturday, December 19 at the Sterner's Mill Trail at Nockamixon State Park. This will be our second group hike there but it is an easy hike on what could turn out to be a cold day.
Get outdoors!

Hawk Mountain Sanctuary

Well the weather didn't exactly cooperate with our plans to hike Hawk Mountain on a Saturday. Fortunately, the forecast for Sunday was fantastic and it turned out to be a wonderful day.

We in Pennsylvania are extremely lucky to have this wonderful raptor sanctuary in our backyard. Hawk Mountain is world renown for the work that they do in tracking the annual fall migration of raptors to their southern wintering spots. With the help of many, many volunteers each fall the raptors that pass by this point in the the Blue Mountain range are tracked and recorded. What a wonderful place.It turned out to be a beautiful day unfortunately there were very few raptors. However, I think everyone who joined us had a wonderful time scrambling up and down the rocks to get to the outcroppings for a better view of the valley below.The trails at Hawk Mountain are rocky and often steep. It is not the friendliest environment for little hikers but it seemed that everyone did fine and enjoyed themselves. I encourage everyone to try to make it back to the Sanctuary during the off season for a less crowded hike out to the Northern Lookout. The view is spectacular. And check out the calendar of events for lots of fun family outing during the fall, winter, and spring.I even got a glimpse of my favorite native winter ground cover (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi). Not only do I love the plant but the Latin name just rolls off your tongue. Get outdoors! See you next month at Green Lane Park!

French Creek State Park

We had a lovely hike at French Creek State Park and enjoyed the lovely wood path that took us uphill quite a bit. This was by far the most challenging hike we have pursued since the group started and it seemed that everyone faired well and enjoyed themselves. Those of us who stuck around to camp also had a wonderful time, even if our neighbors weren’t so considerate. Sorry there aren't many pictures but someone forgot to change the camera battery before we left.
The hike at French Creek started out with a very steep and rocky uphill section. We lost two of our younger members who eventually caught up with us and managed the rest of the trail very well. Fall was definitely in the air but it wasn’t really noticeable until we reached the area that I remember from a previous hike that was waist high with beautiful, full ferns. The ferns were thin and browned during this hike but still lovely. And with most of our hikes this year we encountered an increased number of mushrooms.

The children did find some salamanders that they kept for the hike and tried, unsuccessfully, to take home with them. The boys on the hike found some dinosaur bones which were carried for much of the final part of the hike including the ascent down the long hill. Thanks to the daddy who helped them manage the longest of the bones down the steep hill.
All in all a beautiful day and probably the last of our afternoon hikes until next spring when the sunlight will be more in our favor. Our next hike will be at Hawk Mountain Sanctuary in Kempton on Saturday, October 24, 2009. We will meet at the mountain at 10 a.m. This should be a wonderful experience for all who plan to attend as the mountain will be alive with activity during the fall migration.

Exploratory Tuesday Hike - Whitetail Nature Trail - Green Lane Park

Today’s hike brought us to the Whitetail Nature Trail at Green Lane Park. I’ve lived ten minutes from this park for ten years now and have rarely done much more than drive by it. I’m sorry I haven’t visited more but now it will be one of our regular hiking destinations. A few years ago, I tried to hike one of the more popular horse trails which was a muddy mess. I still think it is probably best to stay away from these trails. However, the trail at the nature center and the Whitetail Nature Trail are worth the visit. And you just might get a glimpse at the resident bald eagles.

The Whitetail Nature Trail is just a simple mile loop that starts as a wider path along the lake (don’t be discouraged by the picnic tables and trash cans it really does get better). Eventually the trail juts off and winds it way through the woods. There are several deep ravines as the trail works its way through the woods. There are also markers highlighting various interesting tree and plant species along the trail. I assume you can pick up a guide at the park office at the beginning of the trail but we didn't have one.

We heard cicadas and a pileated woodpecker. We ran into a lot of mushrooms and fungus again during this hike. There were a lot of what appeared to be chanterelles (I wish I knew for sure what these mushrooms look like). We also found this green blue fellow and these little white ones. On our way back to the car we spotted this fruiting trillium under a winterberry holly. If you have an extra hour, I would definitely give this trail a try. It does get a bit steep and somewhat rocky at times so good hiking shoes are probably wise. And if you have the time bring a picnic and enjoy the beautiful scenery after your hike.

Old Mill Trail at Nockamixon State Park

We had another soggy hike at Nockamixon State Park today. We ventured onto a small loop which is part of the Old Mill Trail. It didn’t rain while we were out hiking but there was plenty of mud to keep everyone happy and sufficiently coated (at least our feet) in goopy thick mud. We did have a chance to clean our feet as the children frolicked in the small stream just below the large stone wall which used to be part of one of the many grist mills that were found in the area.

Unfortunately and surprisingly, we didn’t encounter any interesting wildlife. What we have been running into a lot this summer though is fungus and mushrooms. At least all this rain is making something grow. This neat orange mushroom, which might have been an edible chanterelle, was one of the many that we encountered including some really bright red ones.

Our next group hike will be at French Creek State Park on Saturday, September 19. For those who are interested, some of us are camping on Saturday night. We have made reservations on the A loop. We would love for you to join us if you are able. French Creek has wonderful hiking trails in mature forests with a lot of native vegetation and wildlife. It would be wonderful if you could join us.

Check back to see where the next month takes us on our Tuesday Exploratory Hikes and let me know if you might like to join us.

Tohickon Valley Park

Today we visited Tohickon Valley Park in Point Pleasant, Bucks County. Another hidden gem in the park system of Bucks County. It was a lovely day to venture through the woods and down the hill to the pristine Tohickon Creek ,which is considered a creek of exceptional value, for a lot of splashing and rock throwing.

We weren't 100 yards onto the trail when we discovered a toad. And everyone wanted the chance to touch it. Down the step ravine we found ear fungus, fairy or gnome porches on a tree, more unidentified fungus and a lot of information about earth worms. In the creek, we discovered fingernail mussels and a really scary looking water spider.

A good hour was spent playing in the creek, throwing rocks, or just resting. It was a perfect day to visit a wonderful park. After hiking back up the hill, which took a bit longer then hiking down, some of us picnicked at the wooded grove and played at the playground before leaving for home.

Our next hike is scheduled for August 22 at either Nockamixon or Green Lane Park.

Ringing Rocks in the Rain

Our June hike was a much anticipated one but unfortunately the weather didn't cooperate. Although those who joined us had a wonderful but wet time. We ventured to Ringing Rocks Park in Upper Black Eddy, Bucks County.

The boulder field at Ringing Rocks has an unusual quality that attracts visitors from near and far. Among other things, the rocks don't just thud but rather ring. There is much speculation about the rocks and the origin of the field. I'll leave that to your imagination.

After leaving the boulder field we ventured down the muddy path to the largest waterfall in Bucks County. Given the amount of rain that fell that day, I would say we were lucky enough to witness it at a very high level. It was quite impressive and lovely.

Sadly, it was time for our hike to end but we continued our day with a potluck dinner where the sun eventually came out and we happily played in the backyard.