Monday, April 6, 2015

Eager to test our newly purchased sleeping bags, James and I decided to spend a night at a camp sites James remembered from his childhood. If you follow the Appalachian Trail south where it crosses Route 183, near the Blue Marsh Lake in Berks County, an old, blue-green reservoir and twenty foot waterfall awaits you.

The last time James and I hiked along this particular section of the Appalachian Trail was during Christmas of 2014. There is something special about winter hikes. The snow seems to mute the usual sounds and turns the surroundings into an enchanted wonderland. Coming back to this hike during spring allowed us to experience the trail in a totally different light. The forest presented a beautiful feast to our eyes with its blooming flowers, lush trees, and singing birds.

Continue reading

Sunday, March 29, 2015

The temperature sat perfectly around 40 degrees and the fresh, crisp air filled our lungs, leaving our bodies refreshed and exhilarated. I was especially excited for the loop trail. Circling through the western portion of the French Creek Park, the trail provided us with several highlights: a fire tower, a lake, and a historic furnace site.

Without breaking much of a sweat, we followed the Turtle trail until we reached the steep and rocky part of the Ridge Trail, which led us to our first attraction, the Hopewell Fire Tower. Honestly, I was a little disappointed looking at the tower at first. I was hoping that we would be able to climb the stairs of the fire tower and enjoy the panoramic view from the top. Well, since that was not the case, we made lemonade. James ran around, falling on his knees, lying flat on his stomach, rolling over onto his side, all in order to find the perfect angle to achieve the most descriptive photo of the tower. I think he has a pretty good photographic eye, but it is also hilarious watching him getting dirty for a picture.

Continue reading

Saturday, March 28, 2015

After almost a week staying in beautiful Wyomissing, Pennsylvania, Mother Nature finally decided to lift some of the dark, rain drenched clouds and let some blue sky peak through. Excited about the early spring sun, we impatiently grabbed our day packs, some snacks, and our new Nikon DSLR camera. After a short drive to French Creek State Park near Birdsboro, PA and some confused wandering around the visitor’s center in order to find a map, we finally started our hike. Parts of the trail led us through a demonic looking landscape with tall, burnt black trees surrounded with fire red thorn bushes. We found ourselves in complete silence, as we suddenly heard the angry screams of two turkey vultures fighting over some deer remains.

Continue reading