First Meet-Up of 2010!

As the days pass later each evening and the afternoons grow warmer, spring has genuinely begun to manifest slowly across the Lehigh Valley. It is in that spirit, that I am super stoked to announce the first Remember Meet-Up of 2010.

Last summer, I had the opportunity to take a tour of South Mountain Reservoir guided by the DCNR, Allentown’s arborist and an independent forester. It is my intention to spread that wealth of knowledge with you readers in person.

So, the first meeting will take place on South Mountain. We will be going for a hike up to the old pavilion site, taking a look at the lake, and examining the biodiversity of the mountain as spring explodes. This is going to be great; I really hope you can make it out.

The date for the event will be Saturday April 17th.

I wanted to offer a month’s notice so everyone who wants to make it out can. If you have any questions or suggestions leave a comment. I will be setting up a Facebook event page which you can reach here, and if you haven’t yet, please become a fan of Remember on Facebook.

So pumped for this!

Updates will come as the date draws near.

Adventure on South Mountain

I parked my station wagon where I always do, alongside the water on the upper road at South Mountain. This day, I parked on ice and getting out of the car, I looked around as I had many times before and before me under snow a new world emerged. I took the same picture I always took, just next to the door of my car.

Walking the short steps towards what is usually the lapping edge of water, I was greeted by a solid body, frozen deeply by the long cold of this short January.

I took slow steps onto the ice. My ears were straining to hear any sound of cracking. My brother stood on solid ground reminding me of how dumb it was to walk on the ice but we both agreed that the deer tracks were a positive sign of thick ice. We knew it had to be at least 4 inches to support our weight.

While I stood there, my body as motionless in fear as the ice, Bryan looked around for a large rock to throw farther towards the center of the frozen water body. He could not find one. I barely made it twenty feet across the ice.

We agreed to end our stupidity and head towards the old lookout on top of the mountain. I laughed and told Bryan what we were doing was simply asking for it and he hesitantly conceded to that truth. Bryan has an adventurous spirit, more like that of an indestructible 16 year old than a man of 23. I have the adventurous spirit of a 75 year old. The snow around us hid the path that would usually take us to the mountaintop.

The forest here, in summer, is dynamic. There are thousands of trees close together, all about the same age. In the underbrush, a thick invasion of spicebush adds eyefuls of dense leaves. In those leaves, this forest is loud with life. Today, the forest is church quiet and everything looks similar.

With no path, Bryan jumped up the icy hillside as if the spirit of a mountain goat possessed his thin legs. I trudged up slowly on my tree trunk legs, looking back at the ever steepening angle of our climb while contemplating sliding down the mountainside to death. I yelled ahead to my brother who had disappeared farther up to make sure we were headed in the right direction. “I can see it Andrew, It’s right over here.”

Bryan did not know it, but at this moment he had become a bastard. I was sweating and my lungs burned with breathe. I leaned against the mountainside, pressing my hands into the cold snow to take a rest and looked around. As afraid of change as I can be, I thought of all the change of the last year and the way that even at this moment of exhaustion my perception of the forest had changed forever.

A few heaving minutes later I joined the bastard on the top of the mountain. He smiled and half-laughed at my breathless form. We shot a video for the blog and I stopped again to look around. I thought of, of the young age of the forest, of the tree types. I thought of things that a year ago I would have never considered. I thought of how lucky I was to think exactly what I was thinking at this moment.

I made sure to keep closer to a path on our descent rather than careening down the side of South Mountain. Bryan was trying to predict how many more times I would fall before we got back to my station wagon. I assured him that I had faith in my footing and I did not intend on falling again.

The walk down was quick and easy. Wiping the sweat from my forehead on a twenty degree day seemed odd but felt refreshing. We reached the lower lookout and I had not fallen.

Bryan and I both looked longingly at the frozen lake that had come before us again. We both wanted to walk across it but with no assurances of safety, we decided to stick to the path. Here, the path winds itself around the lake about twenty feet above its shore.

Bryan saw something he deemed worthy of investigation and bounded down the hillside repossessed by a mountain goat. I decided to join him on the frozen shore, promptly slipped and fell all the way down to land at the feet of my brother cackling. The bastard.

Here, you can see the swath of my fall:


- The ice there is unsafe. DO Not walk on it!

(Part 2 to come tomorrow, Video Post)

Autumn at South Mountain

I went hiking around the trails at South Mountain a couple weekends back and I have yet to post the pictures. I am going to keep this one brief and let the images speak for themselves. It is incredibly difficult to write about autumn without running into cliche. Autumn is without question the greatest season and just taking a look outside over the last few weeks proves it.

Not many leaves are left these days as our evenings have darkened and November has taken hold but get out while there is a little autumn left. Winter is waiting.

Beyond Berg: Top 5 Allentown Parks to visit

Today is moving in day at Muhlenberg College and in honor of all the students returning to Allentown in pursuit of higher education I offer a top five list of Allentown Park destinations to check out during the fall semester. As a life long “townie” and now as a Muhlenberg College student myself, I will tell you that with the expense of a little gas or spent footsteps, these locations will provide a respite for any student or anyone. Take a chance, take a walk. There is a world out there constantly begging to be discovered and rediscovered.


1. The Lehigh Parkway

The experiences that are possible at the Parkway are limitless. It is a place for joggers, disc golfers, hikers, naturalists and fly fishers alike. There are many places inside the parkway that are worth checking out. There is a fish hatchery, a bait shop, a museum of Native American culture and scattered throughout the park are old limekilns; ghosts of a proposed railway that went up in the bust in the 1850’s.

I recommend four individual hikes, although they can be combined or done all at the same time.

1. Hike One
Park in the lot that is down from the main entrance and across the little open grate bridge; the parking lot is easy to notice just behind the large stone walls that frame the entranceway. Head towards the paved path that leads into the more heavily wooded area. A few feet into this path head up the trail into the forest itself. It is a short but moderate trail hike that provides great views and excellent opportunities to encounter wildlife. The trail will end back on the main paved trail, which after crossing Scrieber’s bridge, will lead you back to the parking lot. Look out for the lime kilns along this path.

2. Hike Two
Starting in the same parking lot, head across the bridge and onto the creekside path. Follow on that path and cross the pedestrian bridge. Turn back and follow the path on the other side of the creek back to the parking lot. This hike offers the best views of the Little Lehigh Creek.

3. Hike Three
This time start at Bogart’s Bridge. (it is the red covered bridge off of 24th street) Head along the paved trail to the right of the bridge. This path offers great woodland experiences and is part of a planet walk that simulates the distances of the planets in our solar system. Once you reach the pedestrian bridge, cross, turn left and the path will eventually take you through Bogart’s Bridge and back to the parking lot. You can see the Allentown Police Academy on this hike.

4. Hike Four
This may be the longest hike of the four. Start at Bogart’s Bridge and follow the trail to the left. You will pass underneath the vaulted ceiling of the route 78 bridge. Keep walking past the Little Lehigh Fly Shop and you will reach the Fish Hatchery which is worth a visit on it’s on. Follow the same trail back, cross the bridge and you will again reach Bogart’s Bridge. Cross it and you will be back in the Parking Lot.

View From Muhlenberg to the Parkway in a larger map
2. Trexler park

A few blocks from campus lies Trexler Park. At one time, this was the estate of General Trexler himself. Upon his death it was dedicated to him and little about the park has changed since that time. It is a short walk from Muhlenberg, and a very short drive.

The Hike:
Start at the main entrance, which is just down the road from Wegmans. Take the paved path to the left alongside the lagoon. You can spot an egret or two here if you are lucky. As you make your way around the path you will encounter the actual Springhouse that was on Trexler’s estate. If you cross the bridge here you can walk alongside the Little Cedar Creek and eventually you will begin to walk a steep hill that will lead you to the memorial statue of the General and of an incredible vista of Trexler Park and points south. Follow the paved trail to the left and pass through a large Riparian Buffer zone. Be attentive, there are many species of birds easily visible here. The path will return you to the main entrance at the parking lot.

View Muhlenberg to Trexler Park in a larger map
3. Cedar Beach Parkway

CBP is the closest park to Muhlenberg College and I am sure many students, past and present have used its green space for respite. There is a Rose Garden and an Old Fashioned Garden just past Ott Street that are worth a visit to. Make sure to take a stroll around Muhlenberg Lake. There are basketball courts and volleyball pits here as well. This is a great place to take a book to read or bring notes to study.

The Walk:
Behind the parks and recreation office there is a 1.3 mile trail that is often used by walkers and joggers. It includes a complete system of workout devices that challenge the body. It is a quicker walk, but one that is worth taking and it sure can serve as a workout.

View Muhlenberg to Cedar Beach Parkway in a larger map

4. South Mountain Reservoir

On the South Side of Allentown there is a park that is more to the appearance of a nature preserve. There are two large lakes here that you can fish in. There is a great amount of wildlife to witness and it is a great place for tree identification.

Hikes:
The mountainside is littered with trails. They range from average to an easy hard. Wear your hiking boots here though, sneakers and sandals are certainly not going to cut it. Take notice to the stone circles that at one time served as lookouts over the city of Allentown. If you keep an eye out you may see some gneiss rock. Be careful, some of the trails aren’t marked very well but a trip up on the mountain is at all time gorgeous and if you are looking for a quick escape from campus that is a little far away, South Mountain is the place to go.

View Muhlenberg to South Mountain Reservoir in a larger map

5. West Park

This is the first park that was built in the city of Allentown. Both the bandshell and arboretum of trees that were installed there 101 years ago are still there. West Park is a beautiful and timeless place situated in a very urban area. There isn’t much to call a hiking trail here but there are paved paths throughout that allow you to see and identify the different tree types, the war memorials, the classic ornate fountain and the white bandstand.I recommend grabbing lunch from someplace nearby like Kow Thai and eating it here. The ambience of the park will have you coming back for seconds. It’s a great place for a date.

View Muhlenberg to West Park in a larger map

So, fellow Muhlenberg students, this townie turned Muhlenberg Man has laid out for you five great opportunities to burst that famous bubble and steep yourself in the deep, varied, and wonderful park experiences that are easily accessed from campus. This blog has documented almost all of Allentown’s city parks as well as many nature preserves across the Lehigh Valley and some parks in neighboring cities and townships. Check them out too; perhaps you would like to make your own journey.

Welcome or Welcome Back to Allentown.

See Also:
Lehigh Valley In Site

Allentown Park Log: Part 3 - South Mountain

You can learn a lot of things about the history of the Lehigh Valley by visiting the South Mountain reservoir. The park is located on one of the bordering bands of the old Appalachian mountains that hold the Valley at its edges. There are the large boulders that are often found on hillsides and mountainsides in this area; the leftovers of the last glacial retreat.

Under your footsteps as you walk the trails that are remnants of old iron ore and jasper mining roads are undoubtedly the leftover arrowheads made by the Lenni Lenape who used to inhabit these hills. Jasper arrowheads made in this area of Pennsylvania have been found as far north as Maine.

The old mine holes are now filled with water and after parking alongside the automobile accessible road they are reached without having to travel any distance.



There is even a rope swing on the side of the lake for those feeling adventurous enough to swing in.


I did not travel to all the corners of this large park during my visit. The USGS lists 3 additional forest ponds in the area which I did not see. There are springs in the hills. South Mountain is also a reservoir and it is visible and accessible by automobile. The field certainly looks odd with those pipes sticking out from it.

Walking around the mountainside in spring you can see the deciduous forest literally exploding with life. Broad-leafed ferns were frequent undergrowth below the mix of budding birch, maple, and in one beautiful instance, pink honeysuckle. For a brief part of my journey I even had a frog as companion.



Sadly, the park is full of litter. I saw nearly as many empty bags of Doritos and discarded beer cans as I saw the gneiss rock that helps make up the hillsides. The lower section of the park near the entrance has a pavilion and a few picnic tables that are in disarray. The baseball diamond is grass covered and what once was a volleyball court seems to just be two metal poles sticking out of the ground.




It is hard to find the park itself. There was no visible signage on Emmaus avenue letting folks know where to turn to access the park.

South mountain serves a great opportunity to the city of Allentown and to its citizens. It allows them to instantly connect not only with the deep geological history of our area but with the current history of our growing forests. It was a real shame to see that much trash and not enough trashcans on the roads.

I remember my father taking me to South Mountain often growing up and I loved going. It felt like a journey into a deep forest but it was right in the city. Every time we left and I could see the white apartment buildings on the outskirts of the park, I was bummed. I left bummed today because of the litter.

We can not as citizens let places that look like this deteriorate:



In favor of playgrounds and wedding gazebos.