What will you do today?

What will you do today, that you will be grateful for in six months (or a year)?

It may be one small thing, going for a run, or a workout at the gym, making a better nutrition choice, being mindful, paying attention to your spouse, significant other or kids, making the doctors appointment, connecting with friends, saving instead of spending... whatever it is, pick one thing and do it, just for today.

Grass Mountain

Fall is such a lovely time to go for a hike, and if you're looking for a nice reward, without too much effort Grass Mountain fits the bill.

This is a shuttle hike, which made it ideal since I had a partner with a car hiking with me. We parked her car at Alan Seeger Natural Area and then drove my car to Penn Roosevelt State Park.

Park in the day use area of Penn Roosevelt and head uphill past the 4-H camp on Thickhead Mountain Road, a gravel road. After a bit you will pass a gate and continue on Thickhead Mountain Road, which is a forest road/jeep trail at this point. Have fun going up and over the "moguls", as she called them. They're actually runoff control for when it rains excessively, to keep the road from washing out.

The road makes a wide u-turn and at the point of the "U", look for Long Mountain Trail on your left heading uphill. (Red blazed)

This trail heads up the steep eastern end of Grass Mountain. It is a bit of a climb so take your time. The reward is that when you attain the top, you will cross a wide, grassy, gas pipeline. On the far side of the pipeline follow a short side trail 100 yards to a campfire circle and gorgeous view of Slate Ridge to the south.

After you've enjoyed the view, return to the red blazed trail and continue west along the spine of Grass Mountain. You will gently descend along a grassy jeep trail that is used to access the pipeline for inspection and maintenance. Be careful as you reach the lower end of the trail, it is part of a Penn State research area and many of the trees are blazed in a variety of colors. These are to code them for the researchers, and not additional trails to follow.  

This trail forms the southern boundary of Thickhead Wild Area. According to the DCNR website, "...these 4,886 acres provide an extensive, undeveloped area of mixed-oak forest. Thickhead Mountain Wild Area surrounds the Detweiler Run and Bear Meadows Natural Areas."

Staying on the trail, you will come to the gated junction with Stone Creek Road. Turn right and walk along the road to return to your car.

4.6 miles

689 ft. total elevation gain
2 hours 40 minutes 

Eagle Trail Loop

This one is a little tricky, as it involves hiking through private property. However, if you are a Boy Scout, you're in luck! If not, contact the Juniata Valley Council of Boy Scouts of America to request permission to hike on their property. (Seven Mountains Scout Camp)

After getting permission to hike on BSA property, park in the parking area and proceed towards Eagle Lodge. The Eagle Trail will be on your right shortly after you pass the fire circle and Firelight Pavilion.

Since we were camping at Seven Mountains Scout Camp, we started from Rhodes campsite and hiked across the dam and up the short hill through Staff City. At the access road to Eagle Lodge we turned right and went about halfway to the fire circle. Look for the sign for Eagle Trail on your left (south). The trail is blazed yellow (and changes to blue as you approach the top of the mountain). After a brief meander the trail heads pretty much straight up the side of the mountain. You will pass between two deer exclusion areas connected by a forest road when you are about halfway up.

Continue across the grassy road and up the mountain. From here Eagle Trail takes on more of the character of the Mid-state Trail which you are about the meet. Not only is it all rocks, it's straight up. Take all the breaks you need, this is a tough trail.

At the crest of the mountain you will "T" into the Mid-state Trail. There's a trail sign at the intersection.

While there aren't any official vistas along this section of the trail, if you hike in late fall or early spring, when the leaves are off the trees, you can still get some pretty decent views.

Turn east  (hikers left) and continue to rock hop along the Mid-state Trail for about 10 minutes. You will then reach "the drop off". The trail appears to drop off into  Stillhouse Hollow.  It is indeed a steep and rocky descent.  Watch carefully for switchbacks.

After about a half an hour you will reach Stillhouse Hollow Road. Leave the trail here and turn north (hikers left) to follow Stillhouse Hollow Road. Watch for red and blue blazes on your left. These are the Nature trail. There are two sets of these blazes, the first set will take you past the chapel and back to the dam. The second set will take you back to the Nature Lodge and Rhoades campsite. If the numbered trail markers are ascending, you are headed back to the dam. If they are descending, then you are headed to the Nature Lodge.

The entire loop took us about 90 minutes, and is probably about 3 miles, although I forgot my GPS, so I'll have to do it again to get more accurate trail data.

Walnut Springs Park

View from one of the bridges towards a spring. Jeannie Peters (c) 2014

A great post-Christmas hike on December 27, 2014. We wanted to go somewhere that was easy to access, quick to get to, and doable for our group that included a 15 month and 4 year old, as well as a 9 year old and 12 year old and 6 fit adults.  

Walnut Springs Park was a great choice because it is located just off the end of Easterly Parkway in State College. The trails are well maintained thanks to local Boy Scout Troop 83. It is flat and includes many interesting things to see that help keep the little ones interested.

This is a great trail any time of year, however it can get muddy at times due to wet or damp conditions and high use. There are several bridges to cross, several strategically placed benches to sit and enjoy the view, as well as a lookout for observing wildlife. 

A plant survey was competed in 2007 and can be found on the CRPR website. 2007 Plant Survey  There are a wide variety of trees, shrubs, vines and ferns. The namesake Black Walnut Trees are ubiquitous. Watch your footing in the fall when they drop their nuts.  The tennis ball sized walnuts are covered in a thick green skin and are easy to roll an ankle on.  They also feed the park's many animal visitors, chipmunks, deer and squirrels.  Look up as you walk through the park and you are likely to see squirrels and chipmunks racing through the tree branches.  If you sit a while on one of the benches along the creek you may hear or see a woodpecker.  Their tap, tap, tapping on dead and dying trees is a ploy to get to the insects that live in them.

Do be careful at all times of the year and stay on the trail.  Staying on the trail is one way to preserve the beautiful wilderness for others, and one of the principles of Front Country Leave No Trace.  It also ensures that you are less likely to experience one of the downsides of getting out in the wilderness, Poison Ivy.  Poison Ivy has 3  shiny leaves and generally creeps along the ground.  However, there is a climbing variety as well, that tends to be more potent.  Virginia Creeper is another (non-poisonous) vine and can be identified by its 5 leaves.  

Walnut Springs is an urban wetland, and of great ecological value. As you walk the trail you will saunter past two of the Springs.  There are benches conveniently near them so you can stop and rest weary feet.  At the top of the park (the end nearest to University Drive) you will see that the park actually is a settlement basin for the runoff from Easterly Parkway.  Look closely and you will see the culvert where the rainwater comes out and depending on the time of year, and recent rainfall, you can follow the truck tracks to the creek bed.  You can see where the sediments (road salt, gravel, and litter) settle out before the water is allowed to pass into the watershed.  In at least two locations you can see the cement walls with boards in between them to control the flow of water.  This helps with flood control at the downstream location and with settlement at the upstream one.    

From Route 26 (East College Avenue in State College, PA) take University Drive south to Easterly Parkway.  Turn Left onto Walnut Spring Lane. Drive to the end and park in the parking lot.  From the Parking Lot, take the Gravel path on the left, down the hill.  Continue on the path to the second intersection.  There is a sign telling you that if you continue straight, you will enter Thompson's Woods Preserve.  Turn left here and go across the Stream on the bridge.  Bear around to the left and follow the path upstream past the flood control area.  You will come to a turn off on your left, you can either cross the stream again and continue upstream, or turn back.  If you continue upstream (on either side of the stream) you will come to a spring, an area where water seeps out of the Earth.  Stop and watch for a while, listen to the birds, watch the water flow and think about how lucky we are to have this urban wilderness.  When you get to University Drive, cross to the other side of the park to explore the side you haven't walked yet, or take Walnut Spring Lane back to the parking lot and your car.  If you take the trails back (in either a circle,  figure 8 or out and back, watch for the sign to turn right and back up the gravel path to the parking lot.  If you find yourself in an area that is more field like, or under power lines, you have entered Thompson's Woods preserve, you can follow the power lines back to your car.  Watch your step, someone walks their dog along this path and apparently feels that it is sufficiently "wild" that they don't have to clean up afterwards. 

 PLEASE! if you bring your animal, follow the park rules, (and Leave No Trace Guidelines) and clean up after your pet.  It is the most considerate thing you can do so that others can enjoy the area as much as you have. In addition, the park provides baggies for picking up after your dog. Just grab a couple from the dispenser at the entrance to the park. 

When you return to your car, have a drink of water and a light snack, you've been in the woods hiking for a while!