Weekend Hike - Black Moshannon State Park

We ventured up to State College for a visit with my favorite aunt and uncle on MLK weekend. We were hoping for snow since they have a few great sledding slopes nearby but were greeted by a landscape similar to Southeastern Pennsylvania's - GRAY! So we drove up to Black Moshannon State Park between Phillipsburg and State College.

As we climbed the windy roads to the park, my aunt informed me that the park and lake are actually at the top of the mountain. This is the first trip I remember to this park although I'm sure my grandparents brought me here at some point during my childhood. According to both my mother and aunt, this was one of their favorite parks. When my grandparents first moved to State College in the 1950s, my grandmother, my mother, and her three siblings lived at the park for several weeks until their home in town was ready. My aunt spoke fondly of their time there. And now I understand why! What a lovely park. The lake was frozen and full of ice fishermen. We started our hike on the frozen lake. Z and A were lucky enough to get a ride on the new toboggan that my aunt and uncle bought for our visit. We talked to the fishermen about ice fishing while several of their catch lay flopping around at their feet. Nothing like taking your dinner home and plopping it already frozen into the freezer! We made it to the boardwalk which juts out into the bog along the shoreline of the lake. At the end of the boardwalk we decided to continue on the trail a bit to see if we could see the beaver damn. It wasn't a far walk but the trail was snow covered so Z rode on the toboggan and A was in the backpack for most of the hike. We made it to what I think was a beaver hut and not the actually damn. We then turned and started back. A decided to ride on the toboggan a bit but was frightened and wanted to walk. My aunt and I held her hands so she wouldn't topple over in the snow to start and then plied her with m&ms every 10-15 feet at the end of the trail. It was a lovely day spent with lovely people at an absolutely lovely park. I can't wait to visit the park during the summer sometime soon.

Exploratory Hike - Quarry Trail - Nockamixon State Park

Z, A, and I visited the Quarry Trail at Lake Nockamixon today. We tried the trail earlier in the summer but it wasn't mowed and looked like a haven for deer ticks so we decided to pass. However, I wish we had revisited the trail later in the summer or fall. There was a glorious view of the still frozen lake from atop the hill. Z stumbled on some chestnuts that Daddy hasn't been able to verify as American or Chinese so we will be returning for our January group hike on the 23rd. And of course there was just enough snow to make Z and A happy!

The trail is wide and well marked to start but near the end we had a hard time figuring out which way to go and ended up turning around several times. It winds through some areas with red cedars and tall grasses and works its way into the woods along Route 563. At one point there is a steep cliff overlooking the lake with a great view of the bridge on 563. The wooded part of the trail was narrower but lovely. We did run into a hunter and saw several tree stands so be sure to don your blaze orange when hiking there.

At several points I noticed signs of what used to be residences or other structures on this land. There seemed to a driveway and there were several stone structures. However, Z was thrilled by the troll or elf house we found in this tree.

And we did get one glimpse of color in the mostly gray and white landscape. This bright orange fungus in some of the remaining snow.

Exploratory Hike - Sterner's Mill Trail - Nockamixon State Park

Unfortunately, we had to cancel our December hike due to extreme windchill temperatures on Saturday but today Z, A, and I headed out to the Sterner Mill Trail at Nockamixon State Park to hunt for Jack Frost and King Winter. As a Winter Solstice gift this year the children received 'Ollie's Ski Trip' by Elsa Beskow and 'The Story of the Snow Children' by Sibylle Von Olfers. Z was so enthralled by 'Ollie's Ski Trip' that he decided we had to go for a hike to search for these two mystical beings.We had a wonderful hike. It warmed up just enough for us to enjoy ourselves in a winter wonderland. All the animals must still be bedded down after the storm but we did hear quite a few birds and spotted snow fleas everywhere. I thought maybe the dogs who had hiked the trail before us had left these little guys behind but there were far too many. But when I told daddy about the little critters he said, 'Oh yeah, snow fleas.' Who knew?!

Z was enchanted by the sound that the trees made blowing in the wind. Sometimes it was eery and he would run to catch up with me but other times he stood in awe looking up at the treetops as they blew around in the wind. He was very inquisitive and wondered why the trees make that noise in the winter but not at other times. A on the other hand was fascinated by the birds. All I heard over my shoulder was, 'I see burd, I see burd.'

I was hoping to return to Nockamixon next week to check out the sledding hill but the weather forecast for later this week doesn't look very promising. We'll see what Christmas Day has in store for us snow, rain, or ice. Get outdoors and enjoy the winter!

Oh and in case you were wondering, we didn't find Jack Frost or King Winter but Z and A are ready to visit another forest to look for both of them sometime soon!

Thanksgiving Day Hike at French Creek

It has long been a tradition in my family to hike on Thanksgiving morning. I can remember being dragged out to various state and local parks in Central Pennsylvania in rainy, cold, dreary weather by my grandmother during much of my childhood. This year my mother and I both thought it was time to revive that tradition. So my brother's family, my mother and stepfather, and my children and I all met at French Creek State Park for a short hike before visiting the very same aforementioned grandmother (and grandfather) at their assisted living facility.

As tradition would have it, it was a wet, cold, dreary morning. My brother who frequents French Creek on his mountain bike and for hikes chose the trail. Despite the weather we all had a wonderful time especially Z and his cousin, C, who spent the whole hike playing with Papou. A is holding her own on many of our hikes now and complains if I try to put her in the backpack. We've been choosing simpler hikes for her so that she can join in the fun.

Hope you enjoyed your Thanksgiving and spent some time outdoors!

Puddle Stomping on the Perkiomen Trail

So it was a rainy, yucky day today. The weather wasn't conducive to a hike on wet leaves that might get slippery so we opted to go puddle stomping on the Perkiomen Trail just outside of Green Lane. For those that aren't familiar, the Perkiomen Trail is a multi use trail that runs from Green Lane Park down to the Schuylkill River Trail in Oaks. It is a lovely trail and I have never encountered a lot of people while walking the northern sections. And it is just perfect for puddle stomping!

The children had a wonderful time and were soaked and exhausted (that's high on my priority list when outdoors) when we finally made it back to the car. We encountered some very friendly resident dogs and unfortunately the horses at the barn adjacent to the trail weren't out in the yucky weather but it was a fun day anyway! 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!

Exploratory Hike - Burkhart Woods - Wildlands Conservancy

During yet another reprieve from fall, we ventured up to Burkhart Woods off of South Mountain Drive near Emmaus. This piece of property is part of the Wildlands Conservancy in Emmaus. We were joined by our friends E, A, and their mommy. I stumbled upon this trailhead while driving home from Emmaus one day in the early fall. Since I didn't stop immediately to pick up a trail map or note the address it took me about a month to find it again.

Snuggled in among private property and residences it is very easy to miss this trailhead. There is a series of short interconnected trails that just meander through this wooded, hillside. While the trails weren't always clearly marked we did manage to find our way easily back to the cars.

The trails were wide and easy to hike. The two older children ran ahead while the two younger children hiked for most of our visit but both got tired and needed to be carried. This is the perfect place to venture if you are looking for a simple, quick hike. It is probably lovely in spring and fall during the leaf change. Another great place to take the family. Get outdoors!