We planned this 3-day weekend (and three more to come) months in advance and we couldn't have picked a better Friday to go hiking. The weather was perfect. Today we returned
to Pennsylvania, crossing the Delaware River for the first time since May, 2010. We followed my friend Daniela's excellent Hike of the Week for
11/27/2010 as posted on the website of the New York-New Jersey Trail Conference. All the
hikes I've seen of Camelback Mountain start at the very top of the mountain in one of the four parking areas (the two Pennsylvania hike books that I own suggest this very
thing). But Daniela has designed a hike which begins at the southern base of the mountain, at a pull-off on Railroad Avenue, and which gradually climbs Camelback first very
gradually on an abandoned railroad bed and then very steeply before arriving (nearly 1000 feet of climbing later) at one of the highest peaks in the Poconos. The feeling
of arriving there on foot, as opposed to merely driving up, is very rewarding.
Total distance hiked today was nearly 9 miles in 4.5 hours.
|
Riday's Gate |
Not to hikers! |
View west |
Hill covered with slate fragments |
Heading east on RR bed |
Trail register |
|
"911 Never Forget" |
Beautiful cut ... |
... through the mountain |
Laura finds graffiti |
Rhododendron on RR bed |
Puddle on RR bed |
RR bed is now blazed red |
|
About to climb |
Climbing gradually at first |
Partial view north |
Climbing steeply |
Camelback ski resort |
And climbing! |
Kiosk at summit |
View north [photo by Laura] |
View north |
Ski lift ... |
... looking north |
On Rim Road |
Ski lift |
View north |
Climbing to parking lot 2 |
Expansive view north |
Timber rattlesnake warning sign |
View NE |
Multiple ... |
... views ... |
... south |
|
Delaware Water Gap |
Views ... |
... south |
Tourist telescope north |
Tourist telescope south |
Visitor's Center and antenna tower |
View south from restrooms |
Eagle Scout project |
|
Heading to Lot 3 |
Rim Road |
Vista trail and Rim Road |
Memorial on Vista trail |
View south to ... |
... Mountain Spring Lake |
|
DWG from South Trail |
Zoom to DWG |
Beautiful South Trail |
Ferns |
And more ferns |
On Indian trail |
|
Caterpillar |
|
[Photo by Laura] |
Approaching the view |
View NE from ... |
... Indian trail |
View SE |
DWG |
|
[Photo by Laura] |
Trail parallels ... |
... deep drop |
|
|
Graffiti from 1930s |
Our gorgeous lunch spot! |
Expansive view SE |
|
Indian trail |
Taking a break! |
Abundant ferns |
Switchback |
Little toad |
|
|
Mountain swamp |
Trail of slate |
Leafy RR bed |
Back on RR bed |
Chipmunk |
Tiny mushrooms |
Shale cut on RR bed |
Photographs and content copyright © Dan Balogh Web design by Dan Balogh |