Stories from a HUSBAND - FATHER - SON - GRANDFATHER - UNCLE - BROTHER - FRIEND - TEACHER
STEWARDS OF THE TRAIL (or...LEAVE NO TRACE)
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It never ceases to amaze me how our busy and hectic world seems to vanish from view when seen from the top of a mountain. I know that there are cars and roads and houses down there...but Mother Nature always seems to engulf everything in her immense and raw beauty. That beauty is what draws me, and so many others, to our county and State parks and forests. Just here, in Pennsylvania, our state parks and forests play host to about 40 million visitors each and every year. All of these visitors naturally have some sort of impact on our state parks and forests. Even if all of the rules and guidelines are strictly followed by every user, it is inevitable that there will be soil compression and litter from all of the foot traffic.
Looking out over the valley in Michaux State Forest from a vista on Blueberry Trail. Photo by Alex Raymond -- April 10, 2020
This year, to escape stay at home orders, many more people have ventured into the parks and forests as a way to socially distance themselves and enjoy some form of recreation. Seeing the vast number of families spending time together in the outdoors makes my mind go back to my childhood and the family trips that my mother and father would take my brother and I on to Shawnee State Park and Ohiopyle State Park. The extra visitors to the parks is an encouraging thing...and in my opinion, a GOOD thing. It is, after all, human nature for people to want to be out in nature enjoying the best that our parks have to offer. The recent influx of users on the trails in in the parks has, unfortunately has had a noticeable negative effect. Park budgets, which are already being stretched to the limit, are now being used to clean up littler along trails, wash away graffiti, and repairing things like picnic tables, pavilions, and signs.
PRACTICE SOCIAL DISTANCING AND LEAVE NO TRACE -- DCNR
My normal parking lot near the old iron furnace was packed with visitors to Pine Grove Furnace State Park...so I found an alternative parking spot a few miles away right next to the trail head. -- May 2, 2020
It takes a lot to really make me angry...but come on! The effort required to dump this entire bag of trash this far in the forest had to have been significantly harder than finding a trash can. Picture taken in Michaux State Forest. -- May 25, 2020
I could have taken dozens of pictures like this one at Gifford Pinchot State Park. Just like anything else, animal waste should be disposed of properly...not "hidden" along side of a walking trail near the lake. -- June 4, 2020
There is absolutely no need for this. Pole Steeple in Michaux State Forest. -- August 1, 2018
I"m sure the person who did this had good intentions and thought that they were helping other mountain bikers...but these yellow lines painted on the rocks at Rocky Ridge County Park are nothing more than an eye sore and graffiti. -- May 14, 2020
I may agree with the message...but the vandalism costs money to repair. Picture taken in Michaux State Forest. -- June 9, 2020
The world right now is a tough enough place without causing needless destruction to our natural resources or work for the people who have dedicated themselves to making sure that the integrity of our parks and forests is maintained, not just for us, but for future generations. Personally, I'd like to thank those people and groups that take it upon themselves to make sure that the great outdoors remain great. A good basic rule for all of us to follow is to make sure that we leave the trails, the pavilions, the campsites, the beaches, and the parks and forests in general, in better condition in which you found it. Leave no trace so that others can enjoy it, too.
Only a complete s**t head would go through the effort to haul an old port-a-pot three miles into forest to dump it instead of disposing of it properly. Picture taken at Lake Williams County Park. -- July 1, 2019
My wife, son, and I took a hike to the vista on top of Blueberry Trail in Michaux State forest. It was the perfect place to enjoy lunch and take in the view. Just remember...what you pack in you also have to pack out! -- May 23, 2020
A day off of the bicycle doesn't mean a day spent inside. With the end of summer in view, and the school year encroaching soon, I took my sixteen year old son, Alex, and his buddies (Robby and Austin) to Michaux State Forest for a day of hiking, picnicking, and exploring. Our day today was split into three parts. We planned to hike up through Tumbling Run Game Preserve, have a picnic lunch at the furnace stack in Pine Grove Furnace State Park , and then hike up to the top of Pole Steeple. Although the trail head at Tumbling Run is not marked, it is easy to get to if you know what you are looking for. After passing Pine Grove Furnace State Park on state route 233 (headed South) you will be looking for a obvious gravel parking area located on the right between Woodrow Road and Dead Woman's Hollow Road. It is important to know that the last "nice" bathrooms are located at the furnace stack at Pine Grove Furnace ...
My wife took me to Alaska this year. I had never been to that part of the world, nor have I ever seen such immense natural beauty in my entire life. For our 10th wedding anniversary we took a six day cruise from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada to Alaska and back. Along the way, we visited the Alaskan cities of Juneau, Skagway, and Ketchikan. We took a train ride into Yukon Territory, Canada. We saw whales, bald eagles, and countless salmon. Robin and I had the opportunity to hike along Bennett Lake, explore Glacier Bay National Park, and sail through Tracy’s Arm Inlet. It truly was one of the “bucket-list” trips that I could only dream of and it was fitting that I got to visit the 49th state during my 49th year on the planet. Thank you, Sweetheart! Robin and David Raymond. Welcome to Alaska! -- July 18, 2023 David and Robin Raymond in Tracy's Arm Inlet -- July 17, 2023 Approaching a glacier in Tracy's Arm Inlet -- July 17, 2023 ...
In the early 1980s my mom and dad began taking my brother, Jake, and I camping at Rocky Gap State Park near Cumberland, Maryland . During the summer months we seemingly went every weekend. I loved it there. Rocky Gap was just a short drive from our home in Bedford, Pennsylvania. We spent our days playing on the beach and fishing in the lake. My mother made incredible meals for us at the campground and each evening my dad would make a campfire. The campfire was my favorite part. My dad made mountain pies, my mom would make popcorn over the fire, and my brother and I would roast marshmallows and hot dogs. Our camping trips ended in the late 80s when both my brother and I reached high school. Our schedules were just too hectic. That was the last I would see of Rocky Gap for 25 years. Rocky Gap State Park and campgrounds sits at the base of Evitts Mountain in western Maryland -- May 30, 2016 When I began dating m...
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