Hawk Falls. Hickory Run State Park.

It was another chilly start here in Northeastern Pennsylvania today, with temperatures again below the freezing mark.  That warm April sun warmed it up quickly  and turned out to be a nice day,

I have been doing some research on the Lehigh River and wanted to get down to the site of the infamous  Mud Run train disaster that took 57 lives in 1888. Mud run flows near the Hickory Run State Park so I headed out that way this morning.  I couldn’t find a way down to the Lehigh River to the site of the train wreck but it is always nice to visit Hickory Run State Park. 

     My first visit to the park was when I camped there as a Cub Scout when I was 10 years old.  It seems like yesterday. It was an exciting weekend for a nature loving kid and I still remember it like it was yesterday. And that weekend is even more memorable since my baby brother was born that weekend. I have been back to the park many times over the years and thought I saw all  of the site but today discovered the beautiful Hawk Falls.The trail is located on Route 534 just outside the eastern end of the park right under the turnpike bridge. It was a popular stop with a lot of folks taking advantage off the nice weather, including a large group of Cub Scouts. I hiked the well maintained trail to the falls and then on down to where Hawk Run feeds into Mud Run, A very nice walk under  tall rhododendrons, hemlocks and oaks. 

I think the many hikers frightened the local wildlife and I didn’t see any birds or animals on my hike. I did find a few clumps of yellow violets blooming along the trail and noticed the green stalks of fly poison plants.  Did a little hiking on the trail to Boulder field and came across some ancient apple trees.  I wondered about he folks who planted them in a world that was so different than the one we live in. They must have been so isolated living out there when those trees were planted, probably over a 100 years ago.

Well it was a nice hike and another beautiful day here in Northeastern Pennsylvania. Here is the link to some more photos I took on my hike.  https://keepyoureyespeeled.net/photographs-5/nggallery/blog-photos/hawk-falls-hickory-run-april-25-2015   

But in every walk with Nature one receives far more than he seeks. ~John Muir,