Rain, A Gala Celebration And Hikes To Goose Pond. A Great Weekend At Skytop Lodge

I only spent two days at the historic and beautiful Skytop Lodge.  But, despite some heavy rains and cold winds , they were a wonderful two days. I enjoyed the ambiance of the elegant lodge and  grounds, the many hiking trail in the pristine wilderness surrounding the lodge and the gala diner dance celebrating the 175 anniversary of the Wilkes Barre Law and Library/ Luzerne County Bar Association.Skytop Lodge is located in the Pocono Mountains in Monroe County in Northeastern Pennsylvania. It was built in 1928 and is surrounded by 5500 miles of pristine wilderness and many hiking trails. After my Friday morning hike on the West Rim Trail (see my previous blog)  and a great lunch at the lodge I met some friends attending the 175th anniversary diner / dance.  We explored the beautiful grounds of the resort.

We walked past the golf course and small cottages available for  guests. I hope to stay in one of these on my next visit to Skytop which I hope is soon.

We walked to the Inn at Skytop  which we found a large  gathering of golfers.

We walked back to the lodge along the fast flowing Leavitt Branch  Creek

and followed it to the  scenic Mountain Lake. A few mallard ducks were wadding in the waterfall where the creek flowed from the lake.

We sat along the lake and watched the clouds formed  in the afternoon sky,  adding to the beauty of the lake surrounded by the forest and mountains.

After our walk around the grounds I edited some photos.   In the evening I attended the welcome buffet dinner and a charity casino night with members of the Luzerne County Bench and Bar. It was a fun time.  I was winning at the blackjack table, but,  I retired early because I wanted to hike some of the trails on the Skytop property at dawn.

I was up at dawn on Saturday but I was disappointed to find a heavy rain falling. I had a cup of coffee and put my rain gear on. I was going to hike regardless of the weather .I drove about a mile and parked at a gate on the Goose Pond Trail. I heard from the staff that there was a lot of wildlife on this trail and on Goose Pond.

Only a light rain was falling when I started my hike. The woods were wet and the trails muddy from the rains.   However soon after I began my hike it started to pour and continued for most of my 3 mile hike.  Despite the rain I heard many birds singing in the lush green trees along the trail, including  oven birds, red-eyed vireos,  Blackburnian warblers, and most of the birds I heard on my hike Friday afternoon, I was disappointed I couldn’t photograph them in the rain. I also saw dozens of the red eft stage of the eastern newts crawling across the trail.

I finished my hike in the rain and returned to the lodge where I joined some friends from the Bar Association for a nice breakfast buffet and great conversation.

In the afternoon I joined members of the Bench and Bar for a self guided 2 1/2 mile nature walk on the  Rhododendron Swamp Trail and along the lake. I ended the rainy day attending the gala Dinner Dance celebrating the 175 Anniversary of the Luzerne County Bar Association. It was a wonderful event attended by many Judges of the Pennsylvania Appellate Courts, the County court and officials from the State and Local Bar Associations. The remarks were all well received. After the delicious meal, and remarks the band began to play and the dance floor was full of the attendees. However, once again, I left the party early, wanting to awake at dawn and hike on the trails through the pristine woodlands of Skytop Lodge.

I was up early the next day. and excited with the forecast of clear skies. It was a cold and windy 40 degrees but I was glad to see the sunrise over the grounds of the Skytop Lodge.

I drove back to the gate at the Goose Pond Trail. Unfortunately, clouds moved in and it was dark, cold and windy as I began my hike on the trail. It was supposed to clear up so I walked  under the wet, lush been canopy of leaves toward Goose Pond.

It was about a 2 1/2 mile hike. The dim light wasn’t the best for taking photos but I saw a Canada  hooded warbler,

and this yellow bellied sapsucker. I didn’t see either of these birds on my Friday hike so I photographed them in  them light. I continued on my hike, ignoring the sounds of the many birds in the woodlands, waiting for the sunshine to get a some better photos.

The  trail was wet and muddy from the heavy rains on Saturday.  For the first part of the trail  the adjoining land was now owned by the Skytop Lodge and was posted. It appeared to be owned or leased by a hunting club.

The woodlands were a mostly hardwood trees with some pitch  and while pines. There were a lot of ferns growing along the trail including cinnamon ferns

and hay-scented ferns.  It was cloudy, windy and cold but it was still nice walking in the lush green forest.

Once again I saw dozens of red efts crawling along the trail.

After I had walked out about 2 miles the skies cleared and the strong June sun filtered through the treetops and reflected off of the puddles on the trail.

The young leaves on the trees  were illuminated in the suns rays.

The sun also brought out more birds  in the tree along the trail, including this scarlet tanager,

this chestnut sided warbler,

this pine warbler and

this great crested flycatcher.

I walked about another 1/2 mile when I came to an old stone gate and some old ruins,

next to Goose Pond.  I was hoping to see some water fowl on the pond but there was no wildlife activity of any kind.

In the surrounding woods I did see a few eastern towhees.

I left the pond and , as I returned to the trail,  I  saw this colorful Blackburnian warbler.

I started back on the trail as  the skies became partly cloudy.

I saw a few more wildflowers blooming along the trail including star flowers,

and Canada mayflowers.

I also saw this Canada warbler and a lot more birds on my hike back,

including this black and white warbler,

 an  American redstart,

a common yellowthroat,

a few noisy gray catbirds,

a red-eyed vireo

an ovenbird

and this veery.   Here is a link to a gallery on my blog page with some more photos of the birds I saw on my hike . Skytop Lodge Goose Pond birds  June  1 2025 

I didn’t see any,  but the holes in this tree indicated there were pileated woodpeckers in these woodlands.

I was hoping to see a bear  but didn’t. I did see a few whitetail deer.

I was glad I decided to return to this trail and hike out to  Goose Pond. I was hoping  to see a bear but I was satisfied with the many different species of birds a saw on my 5 1/2 mile hike. Here is a link to a gallery on my blog page with some more photos form my   hike to Goose Pond . Skytop Lodge  Goose Pond   June  1 2025 

I finished my hike and I returned to my Jeep,  I drove back to the lodge , quickly showered and checked out. I met a friend and she wanted to  explore the lodge before we left. So we walked through the building and up to  the observation deck. During World War II the observation deck was used to search for enemy planes.

We then walked through the beautiful gardens.

and grounds.

We walked  past the grounds and to the Skytop Inn.On our way my friend  spotted this mommy deer and her new born fawn. 

The natural beauty of Skytop Lodge  could be found  everywhere  throughout the resort . Here is a link to a gallery on my blog page with some more photos of the birds I saw on my hike . Skytop Lodge Goose Pond birds  June  1 2025

It was a perfect  way to end a great weekend at the Skytop  Lodge. I was staying at a micro hotel near the Promised Land State  Park that night but first had a nice breakfast with my friend at a nearby dinner. I loved  the elegance of the Skytop Lodge, but all of you who follow my blog know I love the local dinners too.

“At his best, man is the noblest of all animals; separated from law and justice, he is the worst.”  Aristotle:

“A majority held in restraint by constitutional checks and limitations…is the only true sovereign of a free people. Whoever rejects it does of necessity fly to anarchy or to despotism.”
– Abraham Lincoln

“The long fight to save wild beauty represents democracy at its best. It requires citizens to practice the hardest of virtues–self-restraint.”
– Edwin Way Teale