A Foggy And Rainy Year End Hike On The Snow Covered Greater Hazleton Rails To Trails.
Rain was in the forecast Saturday here in Northeastern Pennsylvania so I decided to stay close to home and hike on the Greater Hazleton Rail to Trails. It is located about 3 miles from my home in Hazle Township, Luzerne County. It is a wonderful trail and a great place to hike throughout the year. If it weren’t for my desire to explore new places I’d be hiking here a lot more often. 
I usually begin my hike on the northern and eastern trail-head in Foster Township. On Saturday I decided to start my hike on the western trail-head located on S. Broad Street (Route 93). We had some heavy rains earlier in the morning which subsided when I arrived at the trail parking lot around 8 a.m. . It was overcast, with a light drizzle and the temperature near 40 degrees. There was only one other vehicle on the parking lot.
The trail was snow covered and icy. The ice was created by the folks walking on the trail. It wasn’t way to walk on, and the rains made it worse. 
I slipped and slid on the trail for about a quarter mile. Here the trail makes a turn to the south. There were less tracks, and less ice on the trail 
. There was still a few inches of snow on the ground, not easy to hike on, but better than the slippery ice.
The beautiful Winter scenery made me not think , too much, about the ice and snow on the trail. The bare tree contrasted with the white snow. creating a Christmas card like scene. The wet pitch and white pines,
the purple green brier berries and 
and oak leaves till clinging to the oak trees, provided some contrast to the whiteness of the snow and gray cloudy sky. . 
Along the trail I walked past the 16 podiums of the Storywalk books provided by the Hazleton Public Library. The Storywalk project was a joint effort of he library and the Civic Partnership. I am honored to have served on both Board of Directors. The self guided walk is very popular in the warmer months. 
I continued my hike on the snow covered trail,
and walked past the trail to Butler Preserve. This side trail winds up a ridge through 118 acres of endangered and globally rare scrub oak barrens. 
I continued on the trail which was was now less traveled and so now had less ice. It was still an effort trudging through the two or three inches of snow. The trail passed through a thick growth of white pine trees,
before making another turn and continuing down a ridge. The trail follows the right of way of the abandoned Delaware, Schuylkill and Susquehanna rail built by the Cox brothers in the 1890’s to compete with the Lehigh Railroad in transport coal from the anthracite coal mines they operated in the area. The trail continued down the ridge , 
where there were a lot of the green leaves of the mountain laurel along the trail.
Brown shriveled fronds of the bracken ferns also stood out in the white snow. 
I also saw a few bright red tea berries in the snow. 
After about a mile the trail crosses the Stockton Road and continues on the lands of the Hazleton City Water Authority and through the Dreck Creek Reservoir Watershed. 
Near the entrance to this section of the trail I saw this recent sign of the presence of I believe a pileated woodpecker. 
The woodlands had been quiet so far on my hike. I only heard a few black-capped chickadees in the woods along the trail. The light rain had become a light drizzle and I know saw a few tufted tit mice,
a downy woodpecker 
and then, in the distance i heard a loud rapping and saw this pileated woodpecker in a tree top.
I continued out the trail and near the 2 mile marker I noticed this sign identifyijg a trail down to the reservoir.
I had not taken the trail for some time so I decided to follow it down the ridge. I was surprised when I came to the shore of the reservoir and found how low the water level was. 
We had been in a drought for a few months and it showed. The trunks of many trees along the reservoir was exposed,
as well as this huge rusted iron pipe. I am not sure if it carried water or had some other use, but it looks like it was submerged under the waters of the reservoir fro a long time. 
The reservoir was covered in ice. I often hear Canada geese on the reservoir in the Winter when it is not frozen.
I hiked back up to the trail and walked another 1/2 mile to the picnic area
and pet watering station where I finished my hike. It was at the 2 1/2 mile mark.
A light drizzle started again as I began my return hike. 
A southwesterly wind was bringing warmer air into our area and a fog began to rise over the trail. The warmer temperature melted the ice on the trail making it somewhat easier to alk in the slush and snow. 
On my hike back I saw a few folks walking the trail with their dogs.
I didn’t see any more wildlife on my 2 1/2 mile hike back to the parking but I enjoyed the serine beauty of the Winter scenery along the trail.
It wasn’t the most pleasant hike but it was much better than sitting inside and watching television. Here is a link to a gallery on my web page with some more photos from my hike. Greater Hazleton Rails to Trails December 28 2024. 
I returned to the parking lot and stopped by the utility shed dedicated to one of the founders of the Greater Hazleton Rails to Trails. He and the other founders had a vision they made into reality and gave our area a wonderful asset to be enjoyed by many future generations. 
Live in each season as it passes; breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit, and resign yourself to the influence of the earth. —Henry David Thoreau
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