Early November Snow - A pre-Thanksgiving snow storm created an early opportunity to get some cross country skiing and some outdoor time.

A wet snowfall, but accumulating enough to create a base for skiing. The snow varied from spot to spot on the trail, with some bare spots under hemlocks. This forced us to move from side to side on the trails. As the day wore on, the sun created some soft snow. This isn't ideal for XC skiing. The snow sticks to the bottom of the skis. However, it was a good first outing for what will hopefully be a great XC skiing season.

We may be able to get another day in before warmer temps melt the early snow. A few light skiing days are better to get back in shape. When the temps stay cold, the snow will stay and we can get in some long skiing days. Looking forward to that.

Ravine Trail

Sunny day but a little breezy yet. Yesterday was very windy and there is a little left over gusts. The type of day calls for a short walk and local hike.


My son and I walked along some harvested corn fields and then trough this ravine. It's a nice trail that crosses a small stream. A few hills make this somewhat challenging, but overall, not that difficult.

The dachshunds enjoyed getting out. The temps were in the 40's, so not too cold.  Good Day! 

Nesq Trail

Nesq trail going east. Very easy walking trail.

The view of the nearby lake and valley was impressive.

New Snow Gives a Weekend of XC Skiing

With a fresh 5 inches of snow and good weather this weekend, I had ample opportunity to do some cross country skiing. I took advantage of the opportunity and I was able to ski both days this weekend. Saturday's snow was a little sticky and made it slow going. Today, however, the cold provided slick snow for skiing. Cutting new trails is always a struggle. But once the tracks are down, gliding is easier.

Slight hills and straight trails under the power lines, creates an easier trail. The trick is to get the sliding down. The more sliding the easier and faster you'll go. Having a friend along to help cut the new snow is a bonus, also.

Fresh snow on the trees created a beautiful landscape.  Ducking under weighed down branches can be tricky. Avoiding those branches so as not to get a pile of snow down your back, is always on my mind.

With warmer weather coming back in this week, it may be a few days until I can ski the trails again.

Laurel Trail Hike

This is a trail along the top of the Locust Mountain. The trail was cut by some off-road riders, but works well for a hiking trail.

After walking along the trail, I saw this boundry sign. As I walked up to it to photograph it, I kicked out a ruffed grouse. I had a very good view of the bird as it flew straight away. The fast-flying bird disappeared as it banked it flight path after about 60 yards.


This cell tower is very impressive against a perfectly blue sky.

The hike ended with a cool-down walk down this access road. The trail totaled about 4 miles. The scenery was excellent as usual in Pennsylvania.

January hike

I used a new trail today. The old trail had new posters, so we walked until we found a trail outside the posted property. This trail was a little steeper and a much tougher climb. My son and our 2 dogs accompanied me on this trip. The dogs got a workout, and they'll be sleeping all afternoon.

The trail up the mountain revealed another view of the valley I hadn't seen before. Although the landscape is very grey, it still was a nice picture. In the 40's, a grey and breezy January day, we kept warm by continually walking.  Once on top of the mountain, the walk was much easier. The trail was well cut and a only few braches blocked the way. After a few miles, we found a trail back down the hill and wound our way back to our origin.

Tuscarora Hike

 Great day for a hike! Cold temperatures, but plenty of sunshine to enjoy. I didn't plan for this 3 hour hike, but I found a new trail that lead up the mountain. This was about a 600 foot elevation change from the main trail. It was challenging, but worth the climb. The trail wound lazily up the hill and the terrain was easy.


The end of the trail came to a recently clear-cut area. This was pretty ugly due to the bare ground and leftover tree branches. But after stopping for a quick photo, I carried on to the top of the elevation.  At the top, it was interesting how the sun cast long shadows this time of year.

 

I continued on along the mountain-top trail and followed it until I came to the pinnacle. There I found a great view of the valley below. The air was clear and another photo opportunity presented itself. I estimated the trail distance to be about 10 miles, the most I traveled this fall.