Fall Colors On The Scenic Greater Hazleton Rails To Trails
I hiked on the Greater Hazleton Rails to Trails near my home in Hazle Township, Luzerne County this past Sunday. I was surprised to see the leaves and foliage along the were almost at their peak. I believe it has been over two months since I last hiked on the scenic and well maintained trail. I have been doing a lot of traveling on weekends this Summer. I have visited Cooperstown New York, , Havre de Grace, Maryland, Bombay Hook, Delaware and Cape May New Jersey in the last two moths. I also visited a number of our State Parks earlier in the Summer. I was searching for the beauty of the scenery and the wildlife in these locations and also history of the rivers, lakes and mountains in and near these towns and parks. And I saw, photographed and shared much of what I saw here in my blog and on social media. However, as soon as I left my Jeep on Sunday morning, and during my five mile hike on the Rails to Trails, I realized how much beauty and wildlife we have here, in our own back yard.
I will, again, share some of the beauty I found here, in this blog. I decided to hike on the more remote far east end of the 5 mile Greater Hazleton Rails to Trails located near Hazle Brook in Foster Township. The last time I hike on the trail the trees were lush and green. Now most of the trees and plants had changed into their Fall colors. 
The oak and ,
red maples trees, 
and blueberries and other heaths had changed into their brilliant red Fall colors. 
While the leaves on the birch,
aspen and 
chestnut trees are now various shades of yellow and brown .
Many of their leaves haven already fallen,and covered the trail. 
I walked down to a small pond along the trail, once used as a water supply for the abandoned nearby anthracite coal mining operations in the vicinity. I had seen beavers and great blue herons on this pond in the , but nothing was to be seen Sunday except the beautiful Fall colors. 
I continued on my hike and found a few fall wildflowers still blooming along the trail including hairy asters, 
New York asters, 
gray goldenrod ,
and rabbit tobacco. 
The bracken ferns, 
and hay scented ferns have already wilted and turned brown
.
As I continued my walk on the trail and I heard a few field sparrows in the shrubs along the way, 
and I saw this white breasted nuthatch scrambling down a tree trunk. 
I often see these these two birds on my hikes here in Northeastern Pennsylvania. As I continued on the trail I saw this bird in a pine tree. It is a red-breasted nuthatch. I haven’t seen one on our area for a couple of years.
This bird may live here year round but usually breeds north of our area, and is a short distance migrant in the Winter. It may be headed south but I hope it decides to stay on the trail for the Winter. They are pretty birds.
The trail left the second growth hardwood forest and continued along an abandoned anthracite coal mining area. A mall stream was on one side of the trail and a haul road still used by an active anthracite coal mining company was on the other side of the trail,
until the trail passed under a culvert, and then continued into a mine reclamation area,
This area was once a large strip mine that was back filled, reclaimed and now has a young woodland of aspen, alder, birch and locust trees growing along the trail. Clouds had moved in making for a more somber feeling as I walked under the gray skies.
A flock of yellow-rumped warblers were feeding in the alder and birch tree catkins along the trail in the reclamation area,
as were a few black-capped chickadees 
and there was an American robin perched high on a tree top.
The trail continued through the reclamation area and then proceeded on a bridge over an active railroad line. This railroad line has been active for almost 200 years, one of the first in the country. Most of the immigrants that worked in the anthracite coal mines in the area would have came here on this railroad. 
The trail then continued for a short distance, through an abandoned strip mining area.
A small pond along the trail is an abandoned strip mine that flooded with water. There is a bench here, sponsored by the local rotary club, creating a peaceful place to rest and enjoy the quiet of the trail. 
The trail then continued through a mixed hardwood/hemlock /pine woodlands, 
where I saw a hairy woodpecker, 
some dark-eyed juncos and
another flock of yellow-rumped warblers in the trees along the trail. 
The trail then followed the old access road to the an abandoned industrial site, which was also the site of the Ashmore Yards earlier know as Lumber Yard. It was once a train station and thenen engine house for the Lehigh Valley Railroad. The Greater Hazleton Rails to Trails follows the abandoned Delaware, Susquehanna & Schuylkill, the D S &S a spur railroad, built by the Coxe Brothers in 1891 to complete with the Lehigh Valley Railroad. 
Quaking aspen or white popular trees, donned in their Autumn colors towered over the old access road. 
After about a 1/4 mile the railroad left the old access road and now continued through the now endangered pine and heath barrens.
I followed the trail for about another had mile enjoying the Fall colors. 
I also saw some witch hazel trees along the trail. They are our only native tree to flower in the Fall. 
I also found ripe tea berries along the trail. 
I hiked out my usual 2 1/2 miles on the trail and started back to the parking lot continuing to enjoy the colorful foliage on my walk.
On the way I saw this tufted titmouse in a red maple tree,
and I watched a flock on golden crowned kinglet fluttering in the trees along the trail. 
These small birds don’t stay in one place long and it took me a while to get theses photo’s. I also saw a few ruby crowned kinglet but they are just as skittish as their cousins and I couldn’t get any photos. Here is a link to a gallery on my blog website with some more photos of the birds I saw my hike. Greater Hazleton Rails to Trails birds October 13 2024. 
The clouds thickened as I got closer to the parking lot, 
making for some nice contrasts with the colorful trees along the trail. I love the Spring and Summer seasons, and the heat and long days. However, there is a lot of beauty in the Fall, well, when the trees are donning their colorful Fall leaves anyway. I dread the dark , cold days ahead. Here is a link to a gallery on my blog website with some more photos from my hike. Greater Hazleton Rails to Trails October 13 2024. 
However when the leaves are at peak Northeastern Pennsylvania is a great place to be in the Fall , and, there is no nicer place to see them then on our own Rails to Trails. It is a great place to hike in all four seasons. 
Fall, leaves, fall; die, flowers, away;
Lengthen night and shorten day!
Every leaf speaks bliss to me,
Fluttering from the autumn tree…
~Emily Brontë
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