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.