Lehigh Gorge State Park and a Gamelands in Schuylkill Co. (23-Feb-2016)

What an extreme difference in temperature since yesterday. It was cold this morning when I hit the trail, although it was expected it still was not welcomed. The gravel path which was waterlogged and soggy, had frozen solid overnight. I was in a hurry to get in and out before the incoming storm hit and in that hurry got a third of the way to my destination and realized I hadn't brought Penny's treats. I knew she would make the trip very frustrating had I not gone back, so we turned around and started over again. I still thought I had time to pick up and take out some trash before the storm arrived.  

When I got to the floodplain there was still no snow. Someone had put together this bench since I was there yesterday. That close to the water, it probably won't be there long. 

I stuck close to the waters edge as I walked upstream. This is the same thing I did on the 8th and to my surprise I started finding cans right away. There really must have been a lot of sediment moved after the last rain, I did a thorough job in this section on the 8th. The can on the right was impossible to take out. It is grown into the tree. The loose can on the left side was the first item I picked up and I the same moment I touched that can I a snowflake drifted down in front of me.

As I worked my way up the bank the snow kept picking up. From a couple flurries to a steady hard snow and it didn't take that long. The bumper on the left and the glasses on the right were a couple of the few plastic items I picked up before I decided I needed to give up for the day and get back to my car.

When I got back up to the D&L the snow was really coming down. I know it doesn't show up that well in the photo on the left, so you just have to believe me that it was. By the time I got close to the end, the trail was starting to become covered and I was hoping the road was not the same. My concern that the road going up the hill on the way out would be icy and my car wouldn't be able to make it. I don't think this access is a main priority and I didn't want to be stuck there for any amount of time.

I was happy to see the road was just wet and I emptied out the little amount of trash I collected from my pack. It wasn't much, but at least it was something. 

By the afternoon the snow had turned into rain and I decided to try my luck again, but not by the river. I took a short drive to Gamelands in Schuylkill County. On the way over I found that my luck hadn't changed to much since the morning. The fan in my car for heating and air conditioning just flat out stopped working. On the way over it wasn't bad, but I had to keep my window cracked to keep the windshield from fogging up. When I got to the site my luck continued. The valley the gamelands was in was still covered in snow and ice. We just had three days around and over 60 degrees, since the last large snow storm there were heavy rains. How was there still snow? Some of the area around the pull-off for parking was clear and I collected and piled up a few pieces of trash before I set out on the trail. 

I thought once I got close to the stream there might be snow free banks, but for the most part it didn't work that way. Where there were snow free places on the shore, there was not a single piece of trash.

When I got to this point on the trail I was soaked, cold and had enough. I decided to turn around. 

On the way back to the car I noticed something on the railroad tracks that left me shaking my head. Small plastic beads on almost every rail tie. This would indicate that these beads were cargo on a train and the car they were in wasn't completely secured. How much plastic was lost and littered across the rail line in this way? It kills me because it is such a preventable waste that should not occur. We waste too much and we just don't seem to care.  

I went back to the car in a slightly different way and found that there was trash along the slope next to the parking lot. I was not in a mood for a mystery bag at this point and there one was. A tap with my boot was all I needed to figure out the mystery. The bag was staying, a small animal was the contents.  Yes, I have found enough bags with animals in them that I can tell that's what is in them by a simple nudge. Most of the time it is house cats, sometimes it is skinned fur bearing animals, others are deer parts. I think this one was a cat, but I couldn't say for sure. Why people throw out any animals or animal parts out in plastic bags is beyond me. 

It didn't take me long to fill my pack with bottles and cans on and at the bottom of this slope. I was completely soaked at this point, cold and miserable.

The good thing is that, even with the left over snow at this site, I was still able to take out this much trash. The bad thing is I had to get back in my car and drive home without heat and the window down so I could see out the windshield. This was not the best day so far this year, but that's how things go. It's over and I'm already laughing about 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 here: Help Fund Taking Out the Trash

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