Another Reflective Winter Walk, This Time On The Greater Hazleton Rails To Trails.
For those of you who follow my blogs, you would know my previous blog was about my hike in the wetlands on Saturday. I also gave a detailed list of the reasons for my dislike of Winter. Well , I experienced a few of those reasons when I awoke Sunday morning. About two inches of snow and some freezing rain fell overnight at my home in Northeastern Pennsylvania. 
The precipitation had ended when I left my house for my morning walk in Hazle Township in Luzerne County. The roads were plowed but still slippery from the snow and ice. I had planned to hike on the D & L trail in Lehigh County but, because of the snow and freezing rain that fell, I decided to stay close to home and hike on our local Rails to Trails. So after my daily morning 2 mile walk through my neighborhood I was driving on the slippery roads to the eastern trail-head of Greater Hazleton Rails to Trails located on the Hazle Brook road in Foster Township.
Since there were no tire tracks in the parking area I knew I was the first person to hike the trail since the last snow storm over a week ago.
I started my hike under cloudy skies with a strong northwesterly wind and a seasonably cold 28 degrees.
I knew it wasn’t going to be an easy hike as soon as I left my Jeep . The two inches of new snow were coated with a layer of ice from the freezing rain. I either slid on the ice or broke through the icy crust and into the 2 inches of snow. Either way each step took a lot more effort than a snow free hike in the warmer months. This was one of my reasons I dislike the Winter months, the others, being the cold, the short days, the wind and the lack of green and life in our woodlands. But there was more on all that in my previous blog.
However, I will admit it was a pretty Winter scene as I began walking under the bare oak and maple trees along the trail. I was the first human to walk on the trail. I was surprised there were no animal tracks on the trail . Usually I see deer, rabbit , squirrel, and other animal tracks in the snow here on this trail. Not this time there was not a single track on the trail for 2 1/2 miles. And no birds either. I didn’t see or hear a bird at the start of my hike. These second growth hardwood woodlands are usually filled with the songs of oven birds, red eyed vireos and warblers in the warm months.
I will admit the newly fallen snow did create a beautiful white Winter landscape. I know many folks would love this Winter wonderland. It was pretty but I’d still rather see the lush greens of Spring and Summer. The only greens along the trail on Sunday where tea berries,
and mountain laurel, 
both with their leaves covered in snow. 
I walked through the hardwood woodlands and approached the old anthracite coal strip mining area. Along the edge of coal mined areas were white pine and pitch pine trees.
A fresh water stream flows along the trail but you wouldn’t know now since it’s covered in ice and snow. In the warmer months I often see colorful scarlet tanagers and common yellow throats here.
It was still quiet and I didn’t see or hear a bird or any other critter. I did see some more green, rhododendrons, with leaves curled from the cold,
and princess pine or tree club moss along the trail.
The trail left the hardwood forest after passing a bridge and culvert under an active coal mining haul road.
The trail now entered an area that was once deep underground anthracite coal mines and later strip coal mines. It is now a large reclamation area. Here in the warmer month I usually see flocks of field and song sparrows. There were none on Sunday. 
The skies looked threatening as I walked through the reclamation area. 
There were still no human or animal tracks on the trail but I saw my first living creatures , a flock of dark eyed juncos were feeding on catkins on the birch and alder trees along the trail. They quickly flew off as I approached. 
I also saw this American tree sparrow which stayed perched on a tree long enough for me to get a photo. I was surprised there were not more birds in this area feeding on the plentiful catkins.
The trail continued to the bridge over an active railroad track.
This railroad is one of the oldest railroads in the Nation, having been continually in use since the 1830’s. I have shared a lot more information on the history of the trail in previous blogs and you can research it using the search tool on my blog .
After crossing the bridge the trail continues through abandoned strip mines that weren’t reclaimed.
I grew up near large areas of abandoned strip mines like this. They were our playground. We spent hours climbing up and down the “strippins”. You can see some of these “strippins” as you walk along the trail.
The trail soon leaves the strip mined area and enters another second growth forest. It’s also mostly oak and maple trees but there are also
some hemlock trees , our State tree,
and white pine trees growing here. I hear and see oven birds and wood thrushes here in the Spring and Summer.
The trail , for a quarter mile, follows the old “Ashmore and Beryllium ” road. This abandoned road lead to the old railroad yard then Beryllium plant nearby.
Here I finally saw some. deer tracks and heard , then saw , a flock of black-capped chickadees.
These sociable birds travel in large flocks and are not afraid of humans. I often see them on my walks on the coldest Winter days. They would be the last birds I’d see on this 5 mile hike.
The trail next took me through the pine and heath barrens, where, I again saw a lot of deer tracks.
When I was in high school and college this beautiful area was one of our favorite “partying” places. I loved sitting out here in the Summer, drinking beer, under age, and enjoying the peace and quiet. We loved the area and kept it clean. I also picked “huckleberries” in these woods. 
I had hiked around 2 1/2 miles now and began my hike back. I was walking into the wind and it felt a lot colder.
I saw no more wildlife on my hike back, just threatening skies, and
flat-stemmed club-moss,
pine trees, 
pine cones. 
withered ferns,
and oak leaves that blew onto the trail. I did see a lot of new deer tracks on the trail so I knew they are out here but just avoiding me . . I also saw a young couple walking their dog and braving the icy conditions on the trail. I am always glad to see people enjoying this wonderful trail, especially in the cold, adverse weather in Winter. Here is a link to a gallery with some more photos of the plants and leaves I saw on my 5 mile hike. Greater Hazleton Rails To Trail plants February 9 2025. 
My legs were already sore when I finished my 5 mile hike on the icy and snow covered trail. As I wrote on my blog from my hike on the previous day, there is always some beauty in the Winter months, if you are willing to endure some cold, wind, snow , ice and sore legs. However, I always was, and will remain, a warm weather lover. Only 35 days until Spring, not that I’m counting. Here is a link to a gallery with some more photos from my 5 mile hike. Greater Hazleton Rails To Trail February 9 2025.
“…there’s just something beautiful about walking on snow that nobody else has walked on. It makes you believe you’re special.” — Carol Rifka Brunt
Categories
Recent Comments