Training Log Archive: JanetT

On Plainfield Twp rail trail, from Knitters Hill Rd parking lot. Upper 50s and sunny.

Trail is pretty shaded most of the way so this would be a good mid-summer rail trail ride. Had planned about an hour while Glen ran, and turned around just a bit after 30 minutes because there was a terrain feature to check out...an old slate quarry. There were other quarry remnants visible farther south on the trail as well. Saw one bow hunter scanning along the powerline break when I was on my way back.

Glen caught up to me a few road crossings N of where we parked. When I got back to parking he'd been a ways south and said there was an interesting bridge across the Little Bushkill Creek about 1/2 km down the trail, so I extended my walk (separate track).

To see the bridge over the Little Bushkilll. Parallel trails at the bridge with a raised platform between them...

A short way north of the bridge on the W side there was a large boulder?? off in the woods with a tree and moss growing on it. If there hadn't been other people on the trail I might have gone to check it out.

Park with double loop around lower fields, and neighborhood. Mid 50s and light drizzle.

Hiked at Eales Preserve at Moosic Mountain near Scranton. We had planned to go yesterday but the car's dead battery delayed us enough we would have gotten a much later start. As it was, today was a fantastic day to be there with temps around 70, full sun, and a light breeze. The colors were probably stunning a week ago, but some trees and shrubs still had brilliant leaves to photograph (pics later, maybe).

We hiked up the road first, then turned right to take the loop of Blueberry Trail beyond the road. Power line road to Stonehenge Trail, along which were some impressive 1.5-2.5m blocky boulders of mostly conglomerate with some sandstone. We stopped near the viewpoint to eat sandwiches we'd brought, then continued on, eventually joining the Conglomerate Loop (we did the uphill portion). The vegetation was much lower here and it smelled like the area had been burned (the website above mentions planned burns). When we reached another road we crossed it to take Bruised Ego back to the parking area. Mountain biking is allowed here, accounting for some of the trail names, I think. Too technical for me.

I was going to take hiking poles to help me keep my balance and not reinjure my ankle but left them at home, so put on extra taping to stabilize it, and did fine with just that (and watching where my feet were going). Not many birds (blue jays, some kind of small hawk, a few butterflies) but nice views and neat woodlands.

We made a Starbucks stop in Scranton and then continued on to Archbald Pothole State Park, and walked around there some after looking into the pothole (but didn't track it). And we went to check out the Lackawanna train viaduct over the Tunkhannock Creek, 2,375' long, 240' high, with 10 concrete arches across the broad creek valley. Impressive.

Glen and I each wore our Garmin FR 235s and pretty much walked all the same places, but his track measures .150 miles longer than mine. Weird.

Franko Park, looking for birds (thus the stopping and starting) and seeing a few but they were frustratingly skittish and would go hide as I approached. I managed to ID cardinals, white throated sparrows, a junco, and a red winged blackbird (call), but was only able to photograph a rabbit, who obligingly stood still for a minute. Mid 60s and sunny. Love this kind of mid-October weather.

Lehigh Parkway (while Glen ran). Going well almost the entire way, except I turned my right ankle again with a couple minutes left to go ... but I was able to get moving again. I hadn't taped or otherwise supported it because these are pretty flat trails, so I need to keep doing that (parts of it are paved; parts are gravel, and there was a larger loose rock that I think I stepped on the wrong way).

Low 60s, overcast.

1" of rain from TS Delta.

Deanna's gentle yoga class was a nice change for a rainy day.

Applebutter Hill Rd loop, plus part of Skyview and Majestic Drives (they're on the ridge we can see south of our place down in the valley). Mid 60s and overcast as the upper level winds from the north fight against TS Delta from which we expect some rain tonight.