A Great Reason Not to Litter (29-Nov-2015)

On the way out of the second location today we had to walk a small section of road. At some point along it Penny stepped on something sharp, severing the large pad on her back paw. After a two hour drive we got to a vet that was open on a Sunday and she was all stitched up. It ended up being a long day. Penny is doing well now, but todays post will not be up until sometime tomorrow. She has some healing to do and won't be along on any trips for a couple of weeks. This has definitely motivated me to do more and in the coming weeks I plan on working a lot on roadsides. 

Beltzville State Park (28-Nov-2015)

Once again on the trails at Beltzville State Park. Worked on the area between the sites I did yesterday and earlier in the week. 

Another ballon and another bottle. Same thing different day. The trash did get less and less the further I got from the parking lot. I don't think this was necessarily due to access by people, but more to do with the topography of the shoreline. In areas with steep slopes down to the water, there really isn't much. The flat areas accumulate much more.

Some rain and mostly gray all day. 

What does Mountain Dew have to do with glowsticks? Most likely the same person left both items on the shore. 

The coke bottle on first glance looked old, when I picked it up it was heavy and felt old, but it was a newer bottle. I always get a laugh with this brand of chicken livers. 100% Natural, except for the plastic container they come in. 

Looking up the gloomy lake.

 Who eats fries by the bucket? Who sells fries by the bucket? I think I am putting a good dent in the amount of pull tab cans you can find in the areas I go. I feel like I pick up at least one on every trip.

The haul for the day. With about half of the bag being non-recyclable I sorted the items before I left and found a trash can in the park. Just another small portion taken off the extremely long shorelines of Beltzville. Still more work to do and new items show up everyday. I am sure I will be spending a lot more time here in the future. 

You too can help with taking out the trash! If you get out hiking take a grocery bag with you, give it a second use and fill it with trash while you are out! Every bit helps. You can also help contributing to this project at: gofundme.com/takingoutthetrash

Beltzville State Park (27-Nov-2015)

The plan this morning was to just take Penny out on a hike and then later in the afternoon go out and do a clean-up on my own. Of course things did not go as planned. We started our hike at the Preachers Camp access at Beltzville and headed down the lake on the Trinity Gorge Trail towards where I had done two clean-ups earlier this week. I did not even take any bags along, just my pack and not far into the hike I wished I had. 

I think Penny is sick of the whole routine. Her hike gets interrupted while I pick up piece after piece on the trailside. 

This was the first pack full, actually it was a bit more than a pack some of the items I had to carry. Loaded this in the car and set back out on the same trail. 

Not far along on the second trip out I noticed some plastic plant pots a little ways off the trail in a pine grove. That led me to bottles and the pile above.

The second pack of the day, it too was more than I can fit in my pack. Finding the plastic planters helped some. I filled those and it made it much easier to carry contained instead of loose items.

Something useful on the third trip out the trail. These needle nose pliers weren't even rusted shut so they will be getting a second life. 

This past year I had seen a small segment on one of the local news shows that was blaming the geese for the E. coli in the lake. Now I understand they are a big factor, but the amount of diapers I have seen around the lake aren't helping things. 

Looking up the lake, a nice break from all of the trash. There was a surprising amount of boats out on the water. I think this time last year there was ice. 

Another pile and this one just from around one small fishing spot. The right is what it all looked like packed up. There were a lot of chicken liver containers I just couldn't get to. Many plants with thorns in this area and I needed my tongs. I will be back, maybe tomorrow. Fishermen should respect the areas in which they fish, it seems too often around this lake that does not occur. It is mind boggling how many chicken liver containers I have already picked up here and how many are left on this lakes shores.

The third haul of the day. 

All together I came very close to filling a contractor bag. I don't think I will be getting out again this afternoon, but may go for a night hike. 

You too can help with taking out the trash! If you get out hiking take a grocery bag with you, give it a second use and fill it with trash while you are out! Every bit helps. You can also help contributing to this project at: gofundme.com/takingoutthetrash

Firetower Road (26-Nov-2015)

This access road has a much different look to it since the last time I walked it. No leafs and only spots of green with a couple of the pine species. 

As always a can here a bottle there. Almost all of the items along the trail were new like these. There were two party sites that had some stuff piled up, but nothing really bad. 

With it being Thanksgiving, I do have to say that I am thankful that this vernal pool has remained trash free since I removed a large pile of rubber insulators from it in June. If you are interested in seeing what this looked like at the start of the year look for my post from June 1st.

I have passed this flag many times before. This time it had a beer can wedged between it and the tree and holes in the edge of the flag showed it had been peppered with shot. This became the second flag I have removed from the woods this year. This one will be disposed of properly. 

Can you see the reason this is called Firetower Road? 

There just isn't enough time in a day anymore. I did set out later today after having a nice Thanksgiving lunch with family, but it just seemed like as soon as I started walking the sun started its rapid decent. 

This could have been a dogs favorite toy. Its owner just left it behind.

Even after walking this site a half a dozen times collecting trash I still find old items that I have just missed prior. This can was down a small side trail I hadn't taken before. 

Over a full bag by the end of this excursion. A quick sweep of the parking lot at the end topped off the bag. Lots of beer bottles and I did take a lot of glass items out of this location, something I normally don't do. I am really hoping none of the bottles break by the time my next recycling day comes around. 

You too can help with taking out the trash! If you get out hiking take a grocery bag with you, give it a second use and fill it with trash while you are out! Every bit helps. You can also help contributing to this project at: gofundme.com/takingoutthetrash

Beltzville State Park (25-Nov-2015)

Back to the same section of Beltzville I was at on Sunday. I haven't yet contacted the main office, going to wait until after this week and the holiday is over. As a result I stuck to mostly recyclables and covered much more ground than I did over the weekend. 

Cans and bottles, same old thing. The majority of the trash in this area is between the lake and the trail in really thick brush and thorns. I had to leave a lot of it there on this trip, just like Sunday. Had Penny along again and I can't take here through some of these areas. She does not do well with thorns.

I do not know what kind of bird made this nest, but I can tell you it is not made out of all natural materials. I think it might be rarer now to find a nest that doesn't have any garbage in it, I am sure that is species dependent though. 

This was odd. There was a large section next to the lake where the brush has been cleared out and all of the lower branches on the trees had been cut. On many of the cut smaller branches these shotgun shells were placed over the ends. There were several more trees that had the same thing.

How does industrial strength cleaner get out to a place like this? 

Getting back to the car the sun was dropping towards the horizon and I got to see this wonderful sunset over the lake. 

A full bag was removed. The contents in front of the bag was just what I had put in my backpack at the start. I was planning on just filling my pack and not an entire trash bag. I know when I go back for non-recyclables I will fill several more. 

You too can help with taking out the trash! If you get out hiking take a grocery bag with you, give it a second use and fill it with trash while you are out! Every bit helps. You can also help contributing to this project at: gofundme.com/takingoutthetrash

Ricketts Glen State Park (24-Nov-2015)

The last and only other time I have been to Ricketts Glen State Park it was winter and the Falls Trail was only opened to those who had climbing permits. After the hike today I understand why the DCNR closes this area when the trails become snow and ice covered. 

This was the only item on the offshoot trail on the way to the falls loop. 

The falls trails have the most extensive stonework I have ever seen in a PA state park. 

Onondaga Falls, the first larger falls from the top down in Glen Leigh.

F. L. Ricketts Falls, labeled as 38 feet is the second falls coming down Glen Leigh. I would like to point out the individual in this photo is doing something extremely unintelligent for this time of year. It was cold, there was ice along almost all the fall edges. These areas are slippery in the summer, ad ice and are even more so, fall in the water on a day like today and have to hike out, you are going to have major problems. 

I couldn't believe the work done on all of these flat sections. It definitely isn't necessary for these sections of trails, but it does help prevent the trails from becoming dug our or eroding in any way. It also makes these sections much easier to walk which is nice after the more technical falls. 

Shawnee Falls, listed at 30 feet another impressive fall. One right after another on this trail. 

Huron Falls, listed as 41 feet from top to bottom. 

This trail is not easy and I can't imagine anyone taking a baby down it. Still someone did and left a diaper behind right on the trail. I still refuse to pick this kind of trash up. 

Ganoga Falls, a whopping 94 feet from top to bottom. This falls was located in Glen Ganoga and was the largest of the entire trip. There was not much water flowing over it, but its shear size was pretty grand. 

Early 90's Diet Pepsi can. Not far off the trail, how can things sit there for so long without anyone picking them up? 

Just about filled a backpack. I was happy to see there really was not much trash along this loop. It really is a beautiful hike and it is nice that not too many people leave their garbage along it. 

I did take photos of all of the falls, but I decided not to add them. It would make the post to long and it gives you a reason to visit and check out the trail. Understand this trail is dangerous at any time of year and if you are not a good hiker I wouldn't suggest trying it.
 
You too can help with taking out the trash! If you get out hiking take a grocery bag with you, give it a second use and fill it with trash while you are out! Every bit helps. You can also help contributing to this project at: gofundme.com/takingoutthetrash