Camelback Mountain



Camelback Mountain, Big Pocono State Park (9/14/2012)

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.

(Click on the thumbnail to bring up a bigger image in a pop-up window)


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
 

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