January Snow And Cold At The Community Park In Hazle Township

I decided to stay close to home and hike in our local Community Park in Hazle Township, Luzerne County on Sunday morning, the first weekend in January.    A   light snow fell during the night and I didn’t want to drive far on the icy roads. It’s hard to believe  I first visited Community Park over  half a  century ago.  I have visited  many times since then but usually on warm Spring and Summer afternoons. It was sunny, but cold,  when I arrived at the park this time,  with temperatures in the low 20’s.

The clear blue skies, newly fallen snow and brilliant sunshine created a magical Winter wonderland  in the park.   I walked past the snow covered refurbished  M4 Sherman WWII tank, part of beautiful Veteran’s memorial  at entrance to the park.

There is also a restored 1956 G.E. switcher train engine, once used in the local anthracite coal mining industry in Hazle Township near the entrance. 

I walked past snow covered playground  and  pavilions now in the park. When I first visited many years ago there were only woods on the path to Lake Irena. I also remember a hand water pump near the lake.

We had a very cold  and well below average December and I knew Lake Irena would be frozen.

And it was. I was surprised, however, to see about a  1/2 dozen  ice fishermen on  the frozen lake.

Some clouds moved in as I walked around the lake.

adding to the beauty of the winter scenery of the lake and surrounding woodlands.

I walked under the tall pitch pine and oak trees on the northern side of the lake.

The only green besides pitch pine trees in the white Winter wonderland were the green mountain laurel leave,

sheep laurel leaves,

and fallen pine needles.

I continued my walk under the pine trees,

and past the wetlands where a stream enters the lake.  There was some open water here but there were no duck, geese or other water fowl in the wetlands. In fact, I didn’t see single  bird or other critter so far on my hike.

I crosses the bridge over the stream and walked along the lake in the bright sunshine,

past another pavilion and campfire place.

I left Lake Irena and walked on a path through the snow  covered trees,

to the baseball field,

and past the large oak trees near the fields

The low January sun cast long shadows as I walked on the snow covered  trail.

I followed the old abandoned road. I drove on this road many time over a half century ago with my dad when we would go to watch my brother John play baseball here. He was a very good pitcher.

Here, along the trail, I saw brown and shriveled plants from last years growing season, including  bracken ferns.

sweetfern leaves,

milkweed,

deertongue grass, and,

blue stem grass covered in snow.

I finally saw some wildlife on this cold January morning, a downy woodpecker foraging  on a tree trunk.

I walked back to the lake, walking around it one more time,

and, before leaving the lake and finishing my hike, I ventured onto the frozen lake,

and made  a snow angel. 

I would make snow angels by the door in my parents yard until my dad  passed away. I was well into my 50’s and my dad would say I am crazy but it always brought a smile to his face, I had a feeling he was smiling  on me from above as I made the snow angel on the lake he took to me as a young child.   I finished my 3 mile hike in the Winter wonderland  in Community Park , which I discovered is a great place to hike even in the Winter.Here is a link to a gallery on my blog web page with some more photos from my hike in the park. Community Park. January 4 2026.

“There is no winter without snow, no spring without sunshine, and no happiness without companions.”  – Korean Proverb