Yesterday I visited the Thornhurst tract of Pinchot State Forest in southern Lackawanna County. My first experience in this forest occurred in the late 1990s with my boy scout troop. We hiked a few miles of the Pinchot Trail, and I was intrigued by the remoteness of the area. I returned to the forest when I was in college, perhaps to escape the stress of undergraduate life. Yesterday’s outing was my third venture into these woods, and was intended to break up the monotony of quarantining in my apartment. A curious pattern is developing: it seems I must return to Thornhurst about once every decade.
There was a blanket of snow approximately three inches deep. It was mid-afternoon, but I felt there was enough time to hike to the vista and back before dark. A few hours of daylight was all I needed to have a short adventure in the middle of January.
I began hiking up the Powder Magazine Trail which led me through a grove of green mountain laurels. Clusters of sheep laurels abutted the trail in some parts; their leaves, though olive-brown and drooping, were still attached. There were also teaberry stems with brownish leaves. They were tall enough that the snow did not cover them completely. Though most broad-leafed plants lose their leaves in autumn, those three members of the Heath family retain them all winter.
Turning onto the yellow-blazed Pine Hill Trail, I began a gradual ascent. Spruces and firs were abundant in some lower areas, but farther up the hill the forest was dominated by oaks and other hardwoods. The presence of snow made the experience quite enjoyable. Even a small amount can turn a drab, leafless forest scene into a beautiful and inviting environment. Sometimes the sun would peek through the clouds, making the snow and ice glow radiantly.
Upon reaching the summit of Big Pine Hill, I walked to the top of the observation deck. A few gnarled pitch pines were the only green things to be seen. I could see two ski resorts to the south, which I believe were probably Jack Frost and Big Boulder. A mass of dark clouds was coming in from the west, which soon eliminated the sun and a few patches of blue sky. Flurries began to fall, and I took that as my cue to hike back down the hill.
The sun began to reappear as I sauntered down the back side of Big Pine Hill. The treetops were glistening in the rays. I turned onto the orange-blazed Bear Swamp Trail where I began a long, gradual descent. I kept a keen eye out for a yellow-blazed path, knowing it would take me back to my car. Eventually I saw one. Veering onto it, I thought that I would be back at my vehicle soon. However, about two minutes later I realized that there were no boot tracks in the snow. This was not the trail I had been on before. So I went back to the Bear Swamp Trail and continued in an easterly direction. I saw another yellow-blazed trail, but it did not have boot tracks either. Finally after a bit more searching, I found a yellow-blazed trail imprinted with boot tracks that matched my own.
It was getting dark quickly, but the clouds had passed and the sky was mostly clear. A crescent moon hovered above the trees, and I thought that it would be nice to spend a night here under the stars. Alas, I was ill-prepared for camping, and I had to get back to my wife. Hopefully I will return to this forest before another ten years come to pass.
