High Adventure on the Appalachian Trail

My alarm went off early.  I didn't sleep well, mostly because I'd just spent the previous 48 hours traveling across the country and visiting family. But the main reason is that I was going backpacking and I'm wired.  I am going with my sister and getting to combine two of my favorite things (backpacking and spending time with my little sister) was cause for excitement and for being very impatient.  Now here we were, finally, loading up her little neon green compact and heading to northern Jersey of all places to hike a 20-mile section of the Appalachian Trail, through the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area.

It felt just like old times.  Talking about boys, life, and singing our favorite songs (which is an eclectic mix of country, folk, rock, and Disney).  My husband was so gracious in agreeing to drive with us so we could park my sisters car at the ending trailhead and then shuttling us to the northern trailhead: Crater Lake.  As I kissed him goodbye, I knew seeing him the next day would be cause for celebrating a well-accomplished adventure.

As he drove his mom's Subaru down the dusty road away from us, there was a fleeting feeling of fear.  Not for being alone, but that our only way home was to walk the twenty miles back to the car.  The entire journey was now determined on our ability to traverse the New Jersey terrain back to Pennsylvania.  I guess I should preface my sister's frustrations of the initial few miles.  I had chosen this section because the terrain was pretty level.  "It's a ridge walk," I had said. "Get high, stay high."  Well, part of that was true.  But as we trudged up the first of many grueling uphills, I couldn't help but feel a little guilty.  I should have known better; I knew the Appalachian Trail is just a continuous string of PUDs (pointless ups and downs), but I guess I was feeling optimistic.

But as we crested our first ridge and looked out to the rolling hills of New Jersey on our left and the green peaks of Pennsylvania to our right, we knew this was going to be a trip for the books.  And was it ever!  Even for mid-September everything was still green and gorgeous.  The infamous "green tunnel" was very prevalent and we spent miles walking under the shaded trees along the well-worn footpath.  The white blazes never led us astray and as we came into camp on that first day, we were exhausted and all smiles.

Unfortunately the price to camp at the AMC Mohican Outdoor Center is a little high, so we continued on, passing the 1300 mile point of the AT, drawn colorfully onto a wooden bridge in what looked like marker.  On our descent into the Mohican Center we passed several flat exposed ridge areas, perfect for camping.  So logic would assume that the trail leading up and out of the valley on the other side of the center would provide us with similar accommodations.  We were so wrong.  Every clearing we passed was either on the hillside or covered with sharp rocks.  The sun was starting to set and we needed to find something or the night was going to be very uncomfortable.

Finally a little side trail opened up to reveal a secluded little area, thick with picker bushes that would have to do.  After setting up the tent and making dinner, we proceeded to amuse ourselves with the task of hanging up the bear bag.  Jersey is known for its black bear population and we weren't going to take any risks.  But there weren't a lot of options.  Thinking back on it, we probably should have video taped it and sent it in to America's Funniest Home Videos.  We were sure getting a good laugh from it!

We both slept well.  Or at least I hope we did.  I think I gave my sister my puffy as a pillow sometime in the evening because it had gotten cold (she was using her liner as a pillow).  But the next morning we were up and moving pretty quickly.  The air was damp and chilly and we decided to wait to eat until we could find a sunny ridge in which to stop on.  Little did we know that ridge would be just up the trail (the perfect camping spot we just missed out on).

We quickly realized that day two was going to be ten times more beautiful than day one.  There wasn't a cloud in the sky, the morning fog was hanging low in the valleys, and the day wasn't too hot.  The trek up Raccoon Ridge would give us the most stunning vista, but not before giving us our first fright. Not a bear.  A Southbounder (a thru-hiker of the AT going from north to south).  I had stopped to remove a very large branch from the trail and all the sudden, there he was, causing both of us to jump in surprise.  And then he was gone, charging up the trail.  Just goes to show the stamina one acquires on a thru-hike.  Entering New Jersey and never even pausing on a long uphill.  Someday...

But anyway, like I was saying, the view from Raccoon Ridge was extraordinary.  And we weren't the only ones sharing the view.  There was a team from Hawk Watch observing the migrations.  And another Southbounder!  With a little break and ton of pictures, we headed down the other side. For the next eight miles, it would be mostly down, which was actually worse than the ups. The main reason?  You may know that Pennsylvania has a AT nickname: "Rocksylvania."  Lots of boulder fields, trails filled with large rocks, small rocks, rocks that destroy your shoes, rocks you have to hop, rocks you want to kick (those ones make you fall)...  And apparently New Jersey never got the memo that the rocks stopped in Pennsylvania.  I've hiked portions of Rocksylvania and this section of Jersey might be worse.  And yes, I tripped.  And yes, I fell.  And yes, it hurt.  But it wasn't my fault!  The forests are just that amazing, you can't take your eyes off the green that's surrounding you!

Probably the highlight of the trip, was our lunch break at Sunfish Pond.  As a National Natural Landmark, it was sure to be beautiful.  But it was so much more.  The bright late summer sun was shimmering across the water like a million little bugs and the grassy field was so inviting, that we sat in the grass and ate lunch and just wasted time.  At 3.5 miles from the trailhead, it's an easy enough day hike, if it weren't for the 3.5 miles of uphills of the way there...  This is the section of the trail where we saw the most people.  We only ran into four previously, but now it was every turn. We even gave some corrective advice to some people who clearly didn't know what they were getting themselves into.  It gave us a good laugh and also a feeling of accomplishment, since we had hiked 16 miles to see that lake, rather than the measly 3 from the parking lot.

In the end, we made it safely. My feet have never been that happy to be dunked into a freezing cold stream and my tummy never so happy to be filled with instant mashed potatoes.  And even though we cursed the last three miles of straight downhill and we limped all the way to the car, we were smiling the whole way there!  We were sore and our pains had pains, but it was incredible nonetheless.  And I wouldn't have traded the time with my sister for anything.

Summer at the Center - Part 2

Attention animal lovers - you're going to love this next part!  As I stated in Part 1 of this post, I didn't get to mention my favorite part of the job.  Aside from just teaching the youngsters about the environment, I got to show it to them.  Within the ten plus acres of the nature center, there are many opportunities to incorporate hands-on activities into your lesson plan.  If you are talking about wetlands, take a walk to the wetlands.  Same with the pond, the stream, the forest...you get the point.   If you're talking about animals, take the kids to the animal room.  The animal room?!?!  Oh yeah, we got animals!  Handling these guys and caring for them was my favorite part of the day because let's be serious - I'm an animal lover!  

GVNC is home to a variety of animals, and I'm not talking about the ones that roam the grounds.  We've got tons - mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, spiders, insects!  There are no fish though (sad face from the marine biologist).  Not only had I been gaining valuable teaching experience, I was also learning about animal care and handling.  Now let's head to the animal room!

Rosie - red-tailed boa    

Rosie is about 9 feet long and she's pretty heavy, but don't tell her I said that.  She is probably the largest animal at the nature center and the kids love her.  I've had some interesting encounters with Rosie this summer...let's leave it at that.  

Tony - tiger salamander

This little guy is just adorable - even more so when he tries to nom on your fingers.  He's one of the two amphibians we have at the center.  Tony shares his home with his fellow amphibian, the tree frog.  I think someone started calling her Tiana, but I'm not sure if that stuck.  At any rate, both of these cuties get tons of attention!

Terry - tarantula

While Terry is pretty badass, I tended to steer clear of him.  Aside from feeding him, I enjoyed admiring him from behind the glass.  He did molt over the summer, leaving us with an awesome exoskeleton.  

Andy - chinchilla 

Oh my goodness, these girls couldn't get any cuter!  Without a doubt, my favorite animals at the nature center.  I really enjoyed feeding them from my hands.  There is no way to fully describe their level of adorableness.  Still cute even after they pee on you - that definitely happened a few days ago.



Ava - chinchilla










 

Sierra - chinchilla 

Azul - blue-tongued skink

This guy is another favorite of mine.  Azul is super chill, so he's easy to handle.  And check out that blue tongue - sweet!

Maize & Cobb - corn snakes

This is a pair of well-named dudes...get it?  They are pretty mellow which makes handling easier.  Cobb's face is peeking out from under Maize's body.  Cobb has the regular coloring for a corn snake, but Maize is actually an albino.  Neat!

Boss - hognose snake 

Boss is the smallest snake at the center and cute to boot.  He's also pretty laid-back, but super curious.  He likes to investigate as soon as you open his tank.  

Right above his tank is the home of the legless lizard, Legolas.  He escaped in December and then randomly showed a few days ago.  He is already planning his second escape.

Jennifer - rabbit

We have two rabbits at the nature center.  Jenny is by far the friendlier of the pair.  I think I just got on her good side though.  How you may ask...treats!  

Snickers - rabbit

Yeah, this is her most common position.  She is super adorable, but very temperamental.  The kids do love her though!

Shelley & Lola - box turtles 

These are the female eastern box turtles housed at GVNC.  They are sweet and put up with a lot of shenanigans from Franklin (the male box turtle).  Shelley is on the right, Lola is back to the left.  Sadly, Lola is blind, so I'm glad she has a safe home.  

Franklin - box turtle

Enter Franklin the trouble maker.  I mean, look at him...you know he's ready to make a mess.  He has been separated from the girls for awhile now - couldn't keep his claws to himself.  

Tsar - Russian tortoise

On a related note, meet Tsar.  He's a lean, mean, eating machine!  He goes to town on those greens as soon as the plate hits the floor.  Tsar is adorable, especially nomming away.  

The crickets and Madagascar hissing cockroaches we keep are right below Tsar's tank.

Spike Jr. - bearded dragon

Spike is a pretty awesome animal.  He is super chill and loves his crickets.  We had a little bonding time over the summer!

Curry - ball python 

Curry is probably my favorite snake.  She is sweet and laid-back, so I enjoy handling her.  We did some bonding as well!  

Boz is the other ball python that lives at the center.  He's a bit feistier than Curry, so I steered clear of him.

There are two other snakes housed at GVNC, but I don't have any photos of them.  Ebony is the black rat snake and Baron von Pine is the pine snake (quite properly named).  

Those are all of the animals we care for at the nature center.  Wait...I mentioned something about birds, right?  GVNC's Bird of Prey Center houses permanently injured raptors.  Since they can no longer survive in the wild, we care for them.  They are beautiful birds, but also really intimidating.  Most of these birds are pretty large, even the smallest of the birds of prey (BOP) are fairly big.  And have you seen their talons?!  It was a very interesting experience to handle these creatures.  A thick leather glove was a must, but even though I was protected against the sharpness of the talons, their grip was strong enough.  And catching them was a bitch!  Let's meet the BOPs! 

Broad-winged hawk

One of the smallest of the BOPs at GVNC.      

*Note - None of the BOPs have names because they were never meant to be pets.  These birds came to us from the wild, therefore no names.


 









        

Bald Eagle

This guy is probably the largest bird at the center and the most intimidating, but still magnificent. 

Barn Owl

She is my favorite bird and the one I handled the most.  She is also the only fully flighted bird at GVNC (no injures).  Being born at the center with both parents unable to teach her the ways of the wild, she would be unlikely to survive on her own.  

Great Horned Owl

There are two of these owls at GVNC.  They are pretty cool and I love their fluffy feet!

Peregrine Falcon

These falcons are about the size of the broad-winged hawk, so they are on the smaller end.  Don't let that fool you though!  A pair of these beautiful raptors live at GVNC.

Barred Owl

These guys (there are two) have the classic owl call.  One of the barred owls at GVNC is missing an eye, making his chances of survival in the wild quite low.  

Black Vulture

Vultures are pretty big birds with a "don't mess with me" face!  

Red-tailed Hawk

There are three red-tailed hawks at GVNC.  Two of them have the classic coloring of red-tails while the third is leucistic.  Instead of just missing melanin (which would cause albinism), this hawk is missing all skin pigments.  So the last red-tailed hawk is bright white.  Absolutely beautiful though!


Those are all of the animals I helped care for this summer.  The summer of 2014 absolutely flew by.  While I was sad to see summer end and the nature center quiet down a bit, I am always ready to welcome autumn.  I am also excited that my time at GVNC has been extended and I will continue my experiences throughout the fall (which I'm already enjoying so much!), but more on that later.  Over and out!    

Summer at the Center - Part 1

After a very short-lived banking career, I stumbled upon an amazing opportunity that was practically in my backyard!  Barely five minutes from my front door lies the Great Valley Nature Center.  For the summer, GVNC opened its doors to me to become an environmental educator.  With ten plus acres of beautiful scenery to explore, I had a feeling I'd love this place.    Before I knew it, I felt right at home.  The adventures this place had in store for me would lead to a fantastic season.

Coming into the season late, I had to play catch-up.  My training was three days of shadowing instead of three weeks of staff training, and the next thing I knew, I was teaching my first lesson.  It was a great feeling knowing I was finally getting to use my college degree!  Throughout the summer I had a chance to teach lessons about animal habitats, wetland ecology, endangered animals and so much more.  Every day was a mix of lessons, crafts and games devoted to the specific topic.  These nature programs were a great way to teach new ideas and get the kids excited about the environment.  

Teaching lessons wasn't the only thing I got to do this summer.  If I didn't have a nature program, I had an adventure program that week.  These kids were older and went out of camp everyday.  I got to have the adventures with them because some of the places we went I had never been to either.  One day we visited the Lehigh Valley Zoo in Allentown.  This zoo was excellent; it's on the smaller side, but had a great variety of animals.  The kids loved it too, especially the merry-go-round.  Figures!                                                                                           

We also explored places like Crystal Cave near Kutztown, went whitewater rafting down the Lehigh river (that brought back memories from MoWo), canoeing at Blue Marsh Lake in Reading and soaked up some rays at Island Beach State Park in New Jersey.  Hiking was a must at some point, so we also headed up to the north lookout at Hawk Mountain.  Other adventures included trips to Dutch Spring in Bethlehem and the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia.    

Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square was my last trip out of camp this summer.  The kids did better with this one than I would have guessed, but still, flowers don't hold the attention span of preteens very well.  My camera and I, on the other hand, had a blast!  I snapped about 200 photos that day - I never could say no to a beautiful flower...or butterfly!

 

With the adventure camps, we got around!  Between my traveling adventures and the nature programs I taught, this summer was jam-packed with learning and fun.  I got a boat load of experience in such a short time, and boy did that keep me busy!  

Oh!  I didn't even get to mention my favorite part about the job...

Stay tuned for Part 2!

The 4 Amigos

It was spontaneous, last minute, planned the day before...

That's usually how the best adventures begin.  And that's how this story starts.

We all set off after work on Saturday.  Kelly and her boyfriend, Brian, and Kyle. We knew where we were going, but a Saturday afternoon in the middle of summer, we knew we were heading for a crowded affair.  And we were right.  By the time we got to Cooper Lake, all the spots were full.  We kept driving and ended up at the Salmon la Sac campground.  Full.  About to give up, we spotted a small roadside camping area, with one opening.  We thankfully had a spot for the night.

We began setting up the tent, which proved to be a most amusing event.  One of my companions may have ripped his shorts while pounding in a tent stake.  But he took the banter gracefully, unconsciously knowing that soon we'd all be doubled over in tears, laughing til our sides hurt.

After our camp was set up, we started our fire.  With some hesitation, of course.  We went to check the boards for news of any fire bans, but there weren't any.  We kept the fire small and began dinner.  I guess I was having a bit of an off night with dinner, because everything turned out a little...charred. Except the potatoes.  They were just under cooked.  "It tastes great, but..." turned into a running joke.  It led for some rather hilarious talk.  The chicken kabobs were delicious, however, and we didn't go hungry.  After gorging ourselves on s'mores, we wandered off to bed and slept deeply.  Well, all except one of us.  Kelly and Brian brought a hospital mattress (twin sized) and I guess one of them hogged the bed.

As we packed up our things in the morning, Kelly realized she had accidentally locked her car keys in her car.  The sight was something to behold. Brian and Kyle attempting to pry down the passenger side window while Kelly and I ran around the car barking orders.  Okay, we were trying to be helpful.  After awhile we used pieces of wood to widen the the door to get a stick through the opening.  We were struggling to push the lock button with a stick when we, the victorious females, decided to try opening the door handle, which would automatically open the door.  Oh how we all congratulated ourselves over our victory!

Now that the excitement had died down, we settled into making breakfast. French toast and bacon. Yum!  After eating, we packed up the car and hiked down to the river.  It ended up being a beautiful day and the water was clear and cold.  It was a wonderful end to a great adventure.

Fleeing the 'Burg

Fight or Flight?  When confronted by a conflict, which one do you choose?  Well, when confronted with the notion of staying in the blazing heat of the 'Burg or escaping to the cool, relaxing forests... the choice to flee only seemed reasonable.  And it was a great decision!

Although the clouds were out, the day was cool and inviting.  My friend Liz and I chose an awesome campsite that was situated in its own little glen.  We couldn't see another campsite anywhere, although we could still here people.  It was definitely more crowded than it was the previous week.  The week before the Fourth of July was getting busy quickly.

We set up camp, built a warm, cozy fire, and made a yummy stew with crusty bread.  We talked around the fire for a few hours and then exhaustion settled in and we crawled into bed.  We both made the joke that we never sleep in late when we're camping.  We would be up at 8 and ready for breakfast and a trip down to the lake.

As I opened my eyes, I knew I had slept well.  So well, if fact, that it was already 10am!  So much for up with the sun! We boiled some water and ate oatmeal and drank coffee.  The day was looking better than the previous.

We packed up and were out by noon.  We stopped by the bridge out of the forest and were treated by some amazing views.  With smiles wide on our faces, we drove back to town with another adventure tucked tightly in our memories.  A simple overnight was all we needed to recharge our batteries.