A Lot Less Spring In The Cold, Wind And Higher Elevations In The Weiser State Forest In Carbon County.

I was reminded how elevation affects plant growth and weather on a hike in the Penn Forest  tract of the Weiser State Forest in Carbon County on Sunday. Located  about 25 miles from the Susquehanna Wetlands, where I hiked in the magical green woodlands on Saturday, the forest is about 1700 feet above sea level. The wetlands are about 5oo  feet  above sea level.  It was mostly cloudy, windy and cold when I arrived at the parking lot on Stony Mountain Road in Penn Forest Township in Carbon County. Temperatures were in the mid 30’s.

I immediately noticed the difference the higher elevation made. There were no leaves on the  mostly oak and maple hardwood forest.   If it weren’t for the green grass along the trail, and a few autumn olive shrubs with some green leaves,  you would have thought it was mid January, not early May.

I began my hike on the Sawmill Trail and soon saw a few signs of Spring. The ground along  the trail was covered in  common blue violets.

And the dozens of coltsfoot flowers I saw on my hike here two weeks ago had now gone to seed.

I walked on the Sawmill Trail for about a 1/2 mile when I came to the Penn Forest Trail.  Like the Sawmill Trail, this trail was a wide, well maintained dirt access road to the through the 958 acre forest.

There was little bird activity on this cold and windy morning but I did see this hermit thrush along the trail.

At first the woodlands were bare and  leafless. Only the few hemlock trees and pitch pines provided some green color.

I then saw some bright green trees in the forest. They were larch or tamarack trees, one of my favorite native Pennsylvania trees.  Although it is a conifer it’s needles change color and drop off the branches in the fall. I have not seem manu of these treason my hikes here in Northeastern Pennsylvania.They were a welcome site it the otherwise brown woodlands.

There were also many cinnamon ferns just beginning to  sprout  along the trail.  It was so different from the lush growth of ferns and the many wildflowers blooming in the lower elevations of the Susquehanna Wetlands.

In the vernal  ponds along the trail  I found some frog, toad or salamander egg masses. 

I  cameo the grove of native red spruce trees where I often saw migratory birds last Summer. They hadn’t returned yet and there was little bird activity on this cold morning.

After another 1/2 mile I came to the  Firebreak Trail.

This is my favorite trail in  the Penn Forest Tract. It is much narrower and covered in grass with some mud and  ruts. It passes  through a mostly pitch pine and white pine woodland.

Tall  pines towered over the trail. I love these pines that grew  in the woodlands and ridges near my childhood home.  My home in Hazle Township in Luzerne County is about the same elevation as the Penn Forest Tract. Unfortunately many of the pitch pine trees and woodlands near my home were destroyed in residential and industrial development.

I love the contorted pitch pines on the property I own but walking under the tall pines on this trail remind me of the many hikes  I took, alone or with friends, on the ridges near my home as a boy.

The clouds started to break up and there was some warm May sunshine but there was still not much bird activity on this trail either. I have  seen many migratory birds here last Spring and Summer. And,  I did see a few prairie and palm warblers on my hike two weeks ago. The only birds in the woods along the trail on this cold and windy morning were some black-capped chickadees. I see these birds on my hikes on the coldest Winter days.

There were also some leafless birch, maple and tall oaks in the mostly pine woodlands.

I walked about another  1/2 mile  to the Powerline Trail.

This trail also reminded me of the two power lines near my home that I  explored as child with my friends then hiked for decades until the residential and industrial development surrounded them.

I had seen many year long and migratory birds here last  year and was hoping to see some on this hike.  I didn’t realize how the woodlands here would be almost two weeks behind the lush growth that was occurring at the lower elevations of the Susquehanna Wetlands.

I only saw a pair of brown headed cowbirds,

and a few American robins as I walked for about another 1/2 mile on the Powerline Trail.

The trail passed through a wetlands and again reminded me of the power lines near my home.

There were still a few frog, toad or salamander egg masses in the ponds along the trail.

It was still mostly winter scene along the trail due to the high elevation. Only the high bush blueberries, we called them “swampers” had some buds along the trail. I spent many days and hours picking “swampers” on the power lines near my home.

It was cold but a nice hike along the power lines.  Only the noise from the traffic on the nearby Pennsylvania Turnpike spoiled the tranquility of the trail. I was out about 2 1/2 miles now when I  came to the Rebold Trail which would take me back to the Penn Forest Trail.

Here, on this trail I again saw  many larch trees with their bright new green needles. I have never seen this many larch trees on my hikes before.

The only bird activity I saw was this white breasted nuthatch foraging for food in the trees.

Azure bluets bloomed along the trail,

and a few red berries remained from last season on the many teaberry plants in the woodlands.

I walked back to the Penn Forest Trail and folowed it back as the clouds continued to disapate allowing the blue skies to appear  and provide  bright sunshine to woodlands below.

I walked past a few small stream with ran through stone  culverts beneath the trail,

one was built in 1981 as commemoratedby this plaque.

About 1/2 way back to the parking lot I left the Penn Forest Trail and followed the narrow Pine Trail into the forest.

It took me through some more dense mixed hemlock, pitch pine oak and maple woodlands,

where many high bush blue berries were developing their first buds. It was a pleasant path to walk on and the  looped back to the Bear Paw Trail and then to  the main Penn Forest Trail.

The strong May sun had now warmed the cold morning air,

and I saw a few more birds on the trail including a few tufted tit mice, year long residents in the woodlands of Northeastern Pennsylvania.

There were also a few black and white warblers,

and black throated green warblers. I wasn’t sure if these long distance migrants were nesting here or just passing through. I hope they are staying. I’m sure the warm sunshine had them looking for the insects that would also be more active in the warmer temperatures.

I didn’t see a single person as I finished my 5 mile hike.

I did hear, then saw, one more bird. A familiar oven bird. This small warbler is a long distance migrant. I saw one in the middle of the Everglades in February. They are a very active bird and sing throughout the day, even in the heat of mid Summer. Here is a link to a gallery on my web-site with some photos of the birds I saw on my hike. Penn Forest Weiser State Forest birds May 3 2026.

I finished my hike, not seeing the migratory birds and wildflowers I had hoped to see but knowing they will arrive. And I hope  to be back in the Penn Forest to see them.  Here is a link to a gallery on my web-site with some photos from  my 5 mile  hike. Penn Forest Weiser State Forest May 3 2026.

“In the Spring, I have counted 136 different kinds of weather inside of 24 hours.”  Mark Twain