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Archive for the ‘Hikes’ Category

Short Walk

Posted in Hikes, Misc. Nature on April 26, 2024| Leave a Comment »

Remains of a nice buck.

I took my mother to lower Ford City, Pennsylvania for her semiannual checkup. For ninety-four years of age the medical doctor expressed how well she is doing physically. Dementia issues are sneaking into her thoughts sometimes leading to saying things or seeing things. Oh well, over all it is not yet causing a lot of problems.

During her appointment time I made a short walk along the Allegheny River. I hoped to see a bald eagle flying through for a photo op.

Red-Tailed Hawk Nest

We stopped for breakfast before heading back to her home. I changed my pants to an anti-tick pair and made a short jaunt near the homestead. I hoped with finding some morels. The first sighting of interest was a shadow of a flying bird across the forest floor. I looked up and saw a Red-tailed Hawk landing in a tree close by. I knew by the bird’s actions a nest had to be nearby. I quickly spotted the nest as the hawk flew about screeching at me.

A short distance later I saw a ribcage of a deer followed by a nice rack among the vegetation. I couldn’t help wondering just what may have occurred leading to the deer’s demise…Bad shot, injury from a vehicle… It is doubtful if I could ever know.

The next sighting of interest was a Red Fox. Too quick for focusing but still a joy to see. As I glanced around for a possible den I walked upon a shed.

The walk was short for mowing needed to be completed for some rain is being forecasted.

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Kelly Station South!

Posted in Hikes, Historical, Wildlife on March 25, 2024| Leave a Comment »

I went to surgeon’s office to have my hand’s stitches removed this morning. Once home and realizing the day was to be nice a decision to walk. became reality. I thought for a moment before heading to where a small community once existed. That place was Kelly Station.

I hadn’t been in the area for quite some time. the Rails To trails people have been doing a great job preparing the trail for use. One site I hoped to see was an island where a Bald eagle nest exists. I spotted the eagle’s nest two years ago but from the other side of the river. Th e nest was harder to find initially but I eventually spotted it among the limns of a Sycamore tree. An adult Bald eagle was on the nest. I struggled to find a place where I might get a decent photo. Lots of limbs made any clarity difficult.

I continued hiking and estimated around seven miles where walked this day. I know the old knees were feeling some discomfort, but I pushed on.

I saw four deer this day. I saw a small flock of turkeys on a right-a-way. Along the river I would see a lot of Canada Geese, a pair of Hooded Mergansers and a pair of Wood Ducks. I watched a flock of circling Turkey Vultures a few times. I wouldn’t fall over. Tough on them…

I did see some Gray and Fox Squirrels, too.

Old Coke Ovens

I easily saw ancient remains of coke ovens at a couple of locations. These coke ovens were in use back in the elate 1800s. I should research these to obtain other information.

The Allegheny River South of Kelly Sation.

Off and on while hiking I spent some moments working my fingers on my hand. Doc says to work them to keep them from stiffening up and to avoid scar tissue buildup.

I spent about five hours or more while on this excursion.

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Some Hiking Time

Posted in Hikes, Wildlife on February 18, 2024| Leave a Comment »

The above photo says much! Locally we received some snow, and I was going to hike on Saturday February 17. Snow has been scarce this winter and I hoped to get out for some photos. I talked Laurie in going on this walk and off we went for some hiking.

The sun was shining earlier but not long after our walk began the clouds rolled in fast along with high winds and snow squalls. These conditions would shorten the time walking. However, we did have three eagle sightings. Also, saw three Killdeers. They are back from their southern migration spots. I saw a male Marsh Hawk, too.

This afternoon after church I elected to hike again for the snow would not be around for long this week. The temperatures are to maybe reach fifty later this week.

I saw plenty of deer tracks of varying ages and would see four deer total. later I came across a flock of turkey evidence. They must have been not long before my approach. Some of the tracks showed evidence of strutting toms. The wing dragging disturbances in the snow told the story.

Wing dragging evidence.

A rare sighting occurred as I was walking. I saw a Grey Fox. I snapped some pics before moving against a spruce tree. I tried calling the mammal in but his interest in food was nil. The fox starred for a time and began walking off. Maybe looking for a mate??

Grey Fox

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Deer Galore

Posted in Hikes, Wildlife on August 30, 2023| Leave a Comment »

From past posts here, the reader will remember of a huge oak falling down near my house. The crew took three days to clean up the massive tree, but I had a number of issues I would have to deal with. I had to cut out and replace bricks, erect a new exterior light pole and split wood to sell and give to some friends.

My time was busy as one might imagine. I am presently finishing up repairing and re-erecting a front deck. The root pushed the deck out-of-whack, so to speak. I originally built this deck over thirty years ago. Joice hangers had rusted in places and the upheaval from the roots snapped them. As I type this the deck should be completed by tomorrow.

I still managed to get out for some walks and photo-taking. One noticed subject were the deer. I saw a lot of deer on my excursions with plenty of pics. I am including some on this post.

Notice this doe’s winter hair coming in.

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Always A Thrill To See A Bear

Posted in Hikes, Wildflowers, Wildlife on July 22, 2023| 2 Comments »

I have been dealt a stressful 2023. With that in mind, once I heard of early morning temperatures in the fifties, a hike was in order. I donned a light flannel shirt and off I went to enjoy some time to reflect.

I had only walked less than a quarter of a mile when I spotted the bear at about eighty yards. I quickly snapped some photos in the early morning woods not expecting super quality photos, but what can you do but attempt to get clarity. I shot several shots before the bruin walked away. I attempted to circle and close the gap but no bear was to be viewed.

I did see a hen turkey with five fist-size poults. She must have lost her first clutch for these birds were very small for late July. I saw several deer as well.

Dog-bane Beetle

Black Cohosh or Bugbane

Almost the end of the cycle for the Mayapple.

Bee Balm

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Rock Furnace Trail and Roaring Run

Posted in Hikes, Wildflowers on April 23, 2023| Leave a Comment »

White Trillium

In 2020 during the complete shutdown of America, Laurie and I hiked the Rock Furnace Trail located in southern Armstrong County. We were discussing in 2019 of a possible cruise for our Twenty-five wedding anniversary. Eventually, we decided to not chance the trip due to the possibility of my stepfather, Bob Miller passing away due to cancer. That decision was sure the right decision for in March, when the trip was being planned, the ocean cruise ships were stopped on the ocean. they were not allowed to port. We would have been on one of those ships!

So, to compensate for the decision to not take a cruise we did some hiking and sightseeing. The above trail was one of those choices. We enjoyed dour time together on that hike. We, both enjoy the beauty of wildflowers, and the trail does not disappoint.

Recently we walked the trail again. the stream, Roaring Run parallels the trail. This stream has been recently classified as a stream of naturally occurring Brown Trout. The trout are reproducing!

Purple Trillium

Some areas along the trail produce literally thousands upon thousands of White Trillium plants.

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Our Annual Late Winter Hike

Posted in Hikes on March 6, 2023| Leave a Comment »

Frank Maus

A better title might be Our Annual Spring Hike since we have had no winter this season and many spring-like days. Regardless, traditionally, this is our winter hike.

My old work friend, Frank “Muskie” Maus and I were planning a hike. He suggested a trail at Crooked Creek, not remembering if he had ever been on the trail. The trail is known as the Longpoint Trail. I am not sure exactly how long this trail is, but it runs alongside of Crooked Creek Lake in Armstrong County, Pennsylvania. At the point where the trail turns and begins to circle back is a well-known Bald Eagle nest across the water. I showed Frank the nest and we were fortunate to watch a mature Bald Eagle fly along and land in a tree beside the nest.

The dam was backed upon a little due to recent rainy weather.

The hike yielded many nice natural landscapes. The hike produced some other wildlife to see, too. We saw a Great Blue Heron, Common Mergansers, Canada Geese and I saw a flock of Buffleheads.

We stopped to set on a log and catch up on things when I noticed something white…it was a golf ball! How the ball got in these woods will be forever an unknown.

Afterwards we went to a couple other areas to look things over. One site had a report of another eagle nest. We didn’t believe the words and upon checking we realized no eagle nests were present.

Early leaf buds

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A Walk Along the Mahoning

Posted in Hikes, Misc. Nature, Wildflowers, Wildlife on March 4, 2023| 2 Comments »

Recently, another spring-like day was being forecasted. A hike was definitely needed, and I elected to do so along Mahoning Creek.

Although the day was to reach into the sixty degrees even seventy degrees the early morning was frosty.

Teasel backlit by the early morning sun.

A most interesting view occurred early when I was able to observe a flock of turkeys fly across the waterways. I had to wonder why they flew across for the very same food supply was on both sides. They are turkeys and turkeys do what turkeys do.

The walk was somewhere between eight of nine miles in total and my old knees and lower back were aching by the time I returned back to the jeep. I had hoped to see a Bald Eagle and I may have seen two immature ones far upstream flying from the trees. I heard a lone gobbler gobbling across the Mahoning but high up the slope.

First Coltsfoot blossom of the year.

Skunk Cabbage

Over the past two weeks I have noticed the Killdeer, Common Grackles and Red-wing Blackbirds are filtering back from their annual migration.

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The Winds Were Howling!

Posted in Hikes, Misc. Nature, Wildlife on February 15, 2023| 2 Comments »

The morning temperature was 56 degrees with a high reaching the upper sixties, maybe even seventy. Sure, feels like spring though the date is February 15. Laurie’s surgery is a month old, and she is getting around fairly well, although she is still required to wear a boot. She uses a knee walker and crutches. Anyway, I felt comfortable to leave her alone for an appreciative time. She agreed.

My hike would last for a little over four hours and was totally enjoyable being out in this weather. However, the winds were rough as it howled through the trees. One could refer to these winds as, the “blowing the hat off the head” winds.

One of the first interests were the two Turkey Vultures enjoying floating in those high winds. Normally, for this area the buzzards don’t migrate here until around mid-March. I watched for a few moments before proceeding.

The walk discovered many signs of the wildlife in the area. I found a tree with a hollow near the base. I gazed into the hole and saw piles of Porcupine scat. The prickly feller was, no doubt, somewhere up that hollow. probably would not be a good idea to reach was up in that hollow.

Porky scat in a hollow tree.

Porcupine gnawings

I found bear sign a few times. The bruin used the tree as a marking zone. The outside was gnawed and/or dug into with their claws. Such sign lasts a long time.

Bear sign, one of several I found.

Although I didn’t hear any gobbling, I did see turkey scat and scratchings here and there. Later I saw a gobbler far off moving left to right. His journey found him behind some briars. I moved quickly utilizing the briars and the wind to my advantage. I went around a contour and spotted the bird feeding within shotgun range. I readied the camera and waiting for a photo opportunity. There would be two gobblers…a longbeard and a Jake. I managed about eight or ten pics before they disappeared after they spotted my presence.

I circled around on my return trip towards the Jeep, I happened to look down and spotted a buck shed. The antler was a two-point. I looked around but failed to find another. Not many years ago I found two shed within a few feet of each other.

Deer shed

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Foggy Morning Along the Allegheny River

Posted in Hikes, Historical on October 14, 2022| Leave a Comment »

The morning produced a deep fog, and I knew once the sun began to burn its way through the fog some great photo opportunities could occur. Off I went to walk along the Allegheny River.

The autumn tree colors are intensifying, and I wanted to be there. My walk would be approximately five miles.

Birch leaves with the river being obscured by fog, but it is there!

One historic finding was the remnants of the old Monticello Furnace. The furnace was built by Robert E. Brown in 1859 to extract local iron. The iron was burned in the furnace. the resulting pig iron was sent to Kittanning and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The furnace was closed in 1875.

All that is left of the Monticello Furnace.

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