Hiked 3 miles near Chapman Dam and Hearts Content today, doing a loop along a road then upon an ATV trail and back along an oil/gasline road. The partial sign is at Hearts Content, a natural area where the original loggers decided not to cut the trees in order to preserve a small section of original forest. So 300 year old trees-mostly hemlocks- reach much further up into the canopy than anywhere else in Pennsylvania. The turkey and black bear tracks are on a frozen puddle. An erratic climate has confused a lot of species, and likely delayed this bears normal hibernation cycle. I suspect that warmer winters may have bears foraging year round in the not too distant future, probably searching among humans for food when unable to find their normal sustanance...Although winter is not my preferred season, I try to find the beauty, and the end of hunting season has allowed me to return to the woods. In February Beth and I will be heading to New Mexico to hike,bike,play golf and explore the southwest-warm weather activities that I have embraced more and more as I have aged.
