Our First Hike of Spring

Today was grocery shopping day, and we weren't sure about the weather, so we hadn't planned a hike.  However, by the time we got our chores and errands done, it was late morning, and the warm, 60F temperatures and unexpectedly sunny skies persuaded us we should not waste the afternoon.  We decided to head out for our first hike of the Spring.  

We chose -- what else? -- a 5.6 mile hike around Tobyhanna Lake.

Why so many hikes around this lake, you ask.  For one, the distance is great for a half-day's outing.  Secondly, the hike is close enough that we don't have to drive far to get to the trailhead.  Finally (and perhaps most importantly) we viewed this stay in the Pennsylvania Poconos as a chance to hike in one area through multiple seasons.  We took several walks around the lake during the Fall to watch the progress of Autumn and the colored leaves.  We had greeted the first big snowfall with a snowshoe around the lake.  A couple weeks ago, we tried a bareboot hike through snow.  Today was our chance to put our feet on the warming, snow-free ground.

That's not to say there wasn't ice still covering the lake --

-- or snow still clinging to the trail:

However, the returning geese seemed to agree with us that this warming weather is a sign to get moving outside and enjoying the sights, sounds and aromas of Spring:

As we circled the lake, Kathy spotted a grove of beaver-gnawed stumps near the lakeshore.  As David moved forward to catch them in this photo, we heard the tell-tale splash of the beaver making a hasty retreat, away from us into the safer waters of the lake:

We reached Ruthie's stream, which sounded fresh and joyous as it carried the run-off of melting snow and recent rains into the lake.  Below, Kathy tested the strength of a tree trunk across the creek, but, wisely, she decided not to cross.

We knew we had left the local beaver perhaps a half mile or so behind us, near his personal timber grove, so we did not expect to see him at the bridge over Tobyhanna Creek; but we got a beautiful view of his well-maintained dam and a nearby birdhouse.  The brown shades of winter have not yet yielded to the greens of Spring.

Near the halfway point, Kathy paused to soak up some sun at one of our favorite spots:

Lunch is always a welcome time to rest a bit and refresh ourselves.  Here, David clearly was enjoying a new coconut-flavored seltzer, which he used to wash down his peanut butter and jelly sandwich:

The only Spring colors we noticed were in the streams.  Rocks underwater sprouted moss and boasted other bright colors:

Along the last leg of our hike, we encountered another hiker who pointed out the eagle's nest in the pine tree across the lake, which you can see in the photo below.  We looked for the best vantage point to see if we could spot one of the nesting pair of bald eagles.  While we could not confirm that there were any inhabitants in the nest, we did wonder at this path carved through the softening ice.  It seemed to lead across the frozen lake to a small cove of open water where it appeared there might be the early construction of another beaver lodge -- but we could not be sure.  Was this the well-worn path of an industrious beaver?  The path of a deer or otter swimming across the lake?  The simple coincidental melting-through of the ice in such a linear pattern?  

We had to finish our hike with no answer to this mystery.  It wasn't long before we were distracted by two families at the boat ramp who were encouraging their little ones to look for fish in the ice-free water near the shoreline.  Don't worry, kids, there are trout in there.  This weekend is the first day of trout season for children.  You should come back on Saturday and try your luck.  We intend to do so a little later in April.

Happy Spring!