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If a tree falls in the forest…
…does it make a sound? You bet it does! On Sunday night, as the remnants of Hurricane Ike passed through western Pennsylvania, too many of us heard the noise of falling trees. No rain fell but the...
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Winter Hike
I like to hike in winter when it’s not too cold. The woods are open after the leaves have fallen and I can see new places to explore. Even better, I can go off trail without worrying I’ll get lost...
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Speaking of Fritos
When I mentioned gulls and Fritos yesterday I remembered a story that has nothing to do with birds but a lot to do with hiking. Several years ago I attended the Keystone Trails Association spring...
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Happiness is a Clear Sky
. This morning at dawn it was cloudy again – actually, I’d call it overcast – but I could see clear skies to the north and west so I figured we’d have a sunny day soon. Two hours later it was still...
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To Acadia
Hello from Maine. We’re at Acadia National Park as usual at this time of year. I’m hoping to see some new birds and new places. Will it be a good year for a warbler “fallout?” Will the crossbills...
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An April Hike
Last year, WQED’s Web Department made three videos for me to post on my blog: An April Hike at Raccoon Creek State Park, the Pitt Peregrine Fledge Watch, and a third (not yet edited) film of Marcy...
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Cool Water
Here’s a place that’s changed for the better in the last 200 years. Hells Hollow Falls are part of the gorge cut by Hell Run, a tributary of Slippery Rock Creek in Lawrence County. At its headwaters...
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Thinking Cool Thoughts
The weather has moderated a little, but it’s still hot and humid. I’d like to go hiking but southwestern Pennsylvania has a 50% chance of thunderstorms today and I won’t hike in lightning if I can...
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Gone Hiking…
… on my favorite trails at Acadia National Park in Maine. This is the view from the top of Cadillac Mountain, 1,530 feet above sea level. It’s an easy (long) climb from north or south but there’s an...
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Soon, Very Soon
Last Sunday I hiked the Vondergreen Trail at Beaver Creek State Park near East Liverpool, Ohio. The trail follows Little Beaver Creek as it cuts through the surrounding hills. Along the way there...
View ArticleClik here to view.
To Acadia
Hello from Maine. We’re at Acadia National Park as usual at this time of year. I’m hoping to see some new birds and new places. Will it be a good year for a warbler “fallout?” Will the crossbills...
View ArticleAn April Hike
Last year, WQED’s Web Department made three videos for me to post on my blog: An April Hike at Raccoon Creek State Park, the Pitt Peregrine Fledge Watch, and a third (not yet edited) film of Marcy...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Cool Water
Here’s a place that’s changed for the better in the last 200 years. Hells Hollow Falls are part of the gorge cut by Hell Run, a tributary of Slippery Rock Creek in Lawrence County. At its headwaters...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Thinking Cool Thoughts
The weather has moderated a little, but it’s still hot and humid. I’d like to go hiking but southwestern Pennsylvania has a 50% chance of thunderstorms today and I won’t hike in lightning if I can...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Gone Hiking…
… on my favorite trails at Acadia National Park in Maine. This is the view from the top of Cadillac Mountain, 1,530 feet above sea level. It’s an easy (long) climb from north or south but there’s an...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Soon, Very Soon
Last Sunday I hiked the Vondergreen Trail at Beaver Creek State Park near East Liverpool, Ohio. The trail follows Little Beaver Creek as it cuts through the surrounding hills. Along the way there...
View ArticleClik here to view.
First Day Findings
What can you find outdoors on January 1 in Pittsburgh? Nine intrepid naturalists from the Botanical Society of Western Pennsylvania and Wissahickon Nature Club hiked at North Park to find out. Though...
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Natural Ice Sculptures
A week ago I found beautiful ice formations along the Butler-Freeport Trail at Monroe Road. Water’s constant drip made a curling fountain. And some of the icicles accumulated frosty teeth. The...
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Fossil at Ferncliff
Rock with hashmark pattern across it (left to right) at Ferncliff, Ohiopyle (photo by Kate St. John) Years ago when I first hiked the Ferncliff Trail at Ohiopyle I was puzzled by this pattern on the...
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The Importance of Tall Boots
Mary Birdsong and Sarah Sargent hike the Gull Point Trail, 15 April 2016 (photo by Kate St. John) Last Friday I hiked the Gull Point Trail at Presque Isle State Park with Mary Birdsong, Sarah Sargent...
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