A Cold And Quiet Walk On A Sunny Last Day Of November On The Greater Hazleton Rails To Trail.
November, usually a dark and dreary month, ended with bright sunshine this year. November is one of my least favorite months. Each day it gets colder and we see less sunlight. Although December will be colder and darker, the shortest day of the year arrives on the solstice and on December 21 the days start getting longer. I always look forward to this day. 
Well, November ended with the start of deer hunting with a rifle here in Pennsylvania. I began my day hiking on my land to patrol against illegal hunters. It was cold, 21 degrees and windy during my walk before the sunrise. After my 2 mile hike I decided to hike on the local Rails to Trails since there will be hunters in the game lands and state parks. 
I drove to the east end of the trail, near the town of Hazle Brook in Foster Township. There were cars and truck parked all along the road and at the parking lot for the trails. I am sure they belonged to deer hunters. I parked my Jeep and began my hike under the cold blue November skies. The weak sun shone through the naked tree branches. 
It is so different than the lush green vegetation I love to see in the Spring and Fall. It was very quiet as I walked on the trail crunching the fallen leaves that covered the path. I didn’t hear a single bird song or call. I the Spring and Summer the treetops echo with the songs of the vireos, warblers and other migratory songbirds.
I walked out to the small reservoir along the trail that was used for the coal mining that occurred in the area in the past. I usually see heron assn beaver on the reservoir. in the Summer. Phoebes also live along the water in the warmer month. It was quiet on Saturday. A thin layer of ice covered the lake.
I walked back to the trail. The weak November sun rose in the southeastern sky. I loved the way the pitch pines contrast the deep blue skies in the sunshine. 
I finally saw a bird, this white throated sparrow scurrying on the ground. 
The trail left the older oak/ pine woodlands and proceeded along a former anthracite coal mining area that was reclaimed. The trail continues along a small stream with native trout. 
Here the rhododendrons along the stream in early Summer, 
but now their leaves were curled from the cold temperatures. 
I crossed an active anthracite mining haul road under a culvert,
and followed the trial as it continued through a mine reclamation area. Here there are young birch, locust, alder and aspen trees. There is usually a lot of bird activity here, even in the Winter months. 
The birds feed on the seeds from the trees and the seeds from the dried goldenrod flowers. However it was quiet on Saturday and I didn’t see a bird. 
I did see my first ice of the year on the puddles along the trail. 
I followed the trail through the reclamation area and finally saw a flock of dark eyed junco also know as snowbirds. These birds breed north of us and migrate here during our Winters, 
This flock was feeding on the birch and alder catkins. 
The November sun did little to warm the cold morning air and there was a storm westerly wind blowing here in the reclamation area. 
The trail turned south, then east, after crossing a bridge over an active railroad right of way. 
The trail followed an abandoned railroad right-of -way the Delaware, Susquehanna and Schuylkill Railroad built by the Coxe family in the 1890’s. 
After the bridge the trail proceeds through a old strip mine area for a short distance, 
before passing through another woodland,
then following the old Beryllium plant aces road. There is more information on all of this history in my many blog post which can be researched used the search tool on my blog. 
The trail took me through the pine barrens and I followed it out for another 1/2 mile. I saw a hairy woodpecker, a pine siskin and a few white tailed deer but that was it for the wildlife sighting on my hike. Like my recent trip to Guatemala, I was again disappointed I didn’t see more wildlife. I always hope to see a bear of a bobcat but I still enjoyed just exploring on m my hike in the woodlands, whether a tropical jungle or a coal mine reclamation woodland. 
I didn’t see any wildlife but I did see a lot of coyote droppings on the trail.
I was out about 2 1/2 miles when I decided to head back.
I didn’t see any wildlife but I noticed a few red teaberries growing along the trail,
and with the pine cones on the pine trees and
the green princess pine moss growing along the trail giving the trail a Christmas feeling.
I loved the blue skies and sunshine but the November sun did little to warm the cold air and the cold westerly wind didn’t help. I was dressed warm, in my seasonal orange, since I saw a few hunters in the woods near the trial, but I still like my hike on a hot Summer day a whole lot more.
But to each their own, some folks actually like this cold weather and there is no better place to enjoy it then on the Greater Hazleton Rails to Trails. It is a great place to hike, although I’d rather be hiking it in shorts and a tee short on 95 degree Summer day! Here is a link to a gallery on my blog website with more photos from my cold and sunny November hike. Greater Hazleton Rails to Trails. November 30 2024. 
“In November, the earth is growing quiet. It is making its bed, a winter bed for flowers and small creatures.” Cynthia Rylant.
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