Two of us chose to test our mettle on the advanced hike this morning, and at 9:30 we hopped in the van with Lars at the wheel and headed for the Poconos Environmental Education Center.  Again, we took 402 to 209 north, then turned on to Brisco Mountain Road.

We are hiking on the orange-blazed Tumbling Waters Trail.

Supposedly, you can see remains of marine creatures preserved in these rocks.  The photo isn’t very good, but I’m not sure I recognized the fossils in real life.

We almost stepped on a red eft, the juvenile terrestrial stage of the red-spotted newt (Notophthalmus viridescens). After two or three years on land, the eft finds a pond and transforms into the aquatic adult.  Speaking of animal sightings, there are two species of venomous snakes which live in this area, but we did not see them.

I believe we are looking through the trees at the Kittatinny Ridge in New Jersey.

We stopped again to admire the view.

We arrived at a lovely little waterfall.  The dominant forest tree here is the hemlock.

Water cascading over rocks creates patterns of light and shade.

These trees, part of a pine plantation, were planted by the Civilian Conservation Corps.  I believe these are red pine (Pinus resinosa).

We arrived back where we started, at the Poconos Environmental Education Center.

According to the website, PEEC “advances environmental education, sustainable living, and appreciation for nature through hands-on experience in a national park. PEEC is one of the most respected and recognized residential environmental education centers in the northeastern United States. PEEC is a private non-profit organization and is an education partner of the National Park Service in the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area.This unique public/private partnership has served the education community for over forty years.”

I decided to go out with the group again this morning, this time on the beginner hike.  Today our group headed north on 209 past Dingman’s Ferry, turned left onto 730 north, then turned onto Silver Lake Road, and finally turned onto Park Road, to arrive at Childs Park.

In 1892, newspaper publisher and philanthropist George W Childs purchased this land and developed a public park, because he believed that everyone, not just the wealthy, should be able to experience and enjoy the outdoors.  In 1912, Childs’ wife deeded the land to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania; it became part of the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area in 1983.  Today the National Park Service continues Childs’ legacy and maintains the park.

Richie noted that the 70,000 acres of the Delaware Water Gap is adjacent to two state parks, which means the contiguous lands under protection total almost 100,000 acres.  Dominant tree species are hemlock (unfortunately threatened by woolly adelgid) and white pine.  The park is also rich in lichens and ferns, as well as more specialized plant communities such as rhododendron and prickly pear cactus.  Animals at home in the park include black bears, timber rattlesnakes, bald eagles, and peregrine falcons.

The history of this area can be viewed through different lenses.  In 1955, Hurricanes Connie and Diane caused extensive flooding in the Poconos and provided the impetus for proceeding with the proposal for damming the Delaware River for flood control.  Congress approved the takeover of thousands of acres of land: homes were taken by eminent domain and people did leave, many bitterly protesting.  Ironically, the dam was never built.  Gradually, the tide turned against the project, due to concerns over the cost, ecological impacts, instability of the bedrock, the presence of Native American remains, and other such considerations.  In 1975, the Delaware River Basin Commission voted to shelve the project.

We crossed this rustic bridge at the beginning of the hike.

This is a old lime kiln; limestone needs to be heated before being used in construction.

These ruins were a woolen mill run by the Brooks family, in use between 1823-1832.
I don’t have a photo of the first falls, Factory Falls.  Here’s the second waterfall, Fulmer Falls.

Here’s another view of the falling water.

We arrive at the third waterfall, Deer Leap Falls.

The waterfall is framed between trees.

I’ve always been fascinated by Indian pipe (Monotropa uniflora), a herbaceous perennial without chlorophyll.

This trail took us through an area rich in history and natural beauty; I was happy to have visited it.