Mauch Chunk Lake (23-Feb-2017)

A nice, warm, sunny day got me really wanting to get out on the water. So it was over to Mauch Chunk Lake after an earlier clean-up by the Lehigh. Since we didn't have much ice for ice fishing this past year and since not too many people have been out on the lake, I knew there wouldn't be too much trash. 

The first on-the-water trash item of the year. A beer can floating in the lake. 

It felt like spring, but there was still a reminder that winter had not yet come to a close. On the upper portion of the lake a large ice sheet still clung to the surface of the water. From a distance it looked like just slush, but after running into it I found there was still solid ice. 

I paddled up to the top of the lake, passing by the ice sheet then came back down and had to go around the ice sheet again. It was still attached to the lakeside and couldn't pass on the one side. I paddled down the edge then for awhile and finally back to the boat launch. 

Did find a couple lure to add to my collection.

What I collected was just about what I expected. Can't wait to get out on the water again!
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Mauch Chunk Lake Park: Switchback Trail (26-Jan-2017)

I started off the day at Owl Creek Reservoir to try to get some photos of Red Crossbills that were overwintering there. Although distant, I was able to get a couple shots, one of which I have at the end of this post. I didn't want to go too far from Owl Creek for my clean-up so I decided to check out the condition of the Switchback Trail below Mauch Chunk Lake. You can access this trail by the dam or further towards Jim Thorpe where the trail ends. I tend to start at the access closest to Jim Thorpe. 

For the most part it was the usual kind of trail clean-up. A bottle here, a bottle there just off of the side of the trail.

I did find a couple places where there was a pile. Here someone bagged up bottles and other items and threw them in some Rhododendron. Near by there was another larger Rhododendron that had a lot of loose items underneath it. Through my experience of doing these clean-ups I have learned that a lot of people like throwing garbage into Rhododendrons and these plants do hide it well. In some cases it also makes retrieving the items much harder than it needs to be.

I went strait down the trail to the lake and back. On the return I found some items I didn't see on the way out. I wasn't sure if I would be able to get these bottles or if the debris caught on the log would support my weight. Luckily it did and I was able to retrieve them. I did have to leave some items I saw on the opposite side of the stream. It was too cold and I had no place to cross to retrieve them. 

This was a lot of trash for this section of trail. It really isn't that far from the lake to the end. This area gets a lot of traffic during the summer, both tourists and locals. I wish I could think of some way to reduce litter in areas like this. Many would say it's the tourists that leave the place a mess and I know that isn't always true, locals are just as bad. How do you just get everyone to pick up after themselves? It should be easy and more people should care. 

These next three photos are all from Owl Creek Reservoir earlier in the day. Above is a Brown Creeper. It blends in nicely with the tree and if you are having trouble spotting it you can click on the photo to enlarge it.

There were many Red-breasted Nuthatches within the pines at Owl Creek. Most tend to only briefly check me out then go about their business. This individual stuck around for awhile and allowed me to photograph it. Red-breasted Nuthatches spend most of the year further north. During winters where there is a lack of food in there northern range they will head south to areas with a greater abundance. This year I have seen more Red-breasted Nuthatches than any other year and even have a regular one at my feeders. As the temperatures rise in spring they will migrate back north to their nesting areas. 

Another visitor from the north. This is the Red Crossbill. I have tried on multiple occasions to photograph this species at Owl Creek. I do not see them on every visit and when I do they do not stick around in one place for too long. They seem to like to feed towards the top of the pines and have many different trees that they like to frequent. I found that the best way of finding them is not to look for them at all. Just go on a hike and hope that they show up in a nearby tree. Like the Red-breasted Nuthatch this species will migrate back north to nest. 
See my most updated posts on Facebook: Taking Out the Trash in Eastern PA

Mauch Chunk Lake (5-Nov-2016)

This was just a short paddle at Mauch Chunk Lake. I paddled to the opposite shore from the launch and started at the same point I did last time, on this trip I headed up the lake. There normally isn't much trash on the upper portion. Most items make their way down the lake towards the dam. So I knew I wouldn't find much, but I still wanted to cover this area.  

The water conditions were much different than my last paddle. Then there was no wind and the lake was completely still. On this trip there was lots of wind and a lot of chop. The above picture was from one of the calmest point in the paddle across the lake. 

There really were no surprises with this clean-up. Everything was the average lakeside trash. Fishing gear and cans were the main items of the day. 

Someone lost their whole bag of fishing gear. The scissors and sinkers were still in good condition and will see use again. All of the rest was headed to the garbage. 

After picking through a fairly long stretch of lake shore I headed back. The colors are starting to fade in this valley now and soon winter will be here and I won't be able to get out on the water. 

I knew it wasn't going to be a large haul. Still I did remove something and was able to get some things on the exposed lake bed that I wouldn't have seen from the kayak when the water is at the normal levels. Threw out the trash and packed up the recyclables and headed home. 
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

Like this project? Like it on Facebook: Taking Out the Trash in Eastern PA

Mauch Chunk Lake (2-Nov-2016)

The original plan for the day was to continue the clean-up I started at Pine Run Reservoir this past Saturday. The weather was perfect for a paddle though and there probably won't be many more days like this, I had to go hit the water. I loaded up the kayak and headed over to Mauch Chunk Lake. 

Warm air and no wind, it was a perfect day to be out on the lake. The lake looks empty in this shot, there were a couple other kayakers and a few fishermen in larger boats though. 

Like just about everywhere else the water levels in the lake were down and portions of the lake bed were exposed. I paddled across the lake to search the newly exposed rocky bank. On the left was the first find of the day, a glass bottle that was weathered probably from moving around on the bottom. On the right was a rubber glove.

All of the trash I found on this trip were single items scattered about. With the water levels lower I was able to get some cans on the bottom that would have been out of reach on other trips. 

Made several stops where I just docked my kayak and walked down the bank. This gave me a different perspective than I would have had if the water level was normal and I was in my kayak. I was able to find some old cans that I wouldn't have seen from a boat or that I just wouldn't have been able to retrieve. 

Not a lot of trash and I had to search for every piece. This was from one of the bank walks. 

This was another day of amazing colors on the mountainside. Really my views in every direction on this paddle were pretty spectacular.

Looking down the lake towards the dam. The leaf colors seemed the brightest along the shore against the darker backdrop of evergreens.

The bottle on the left really makes me wonder how many of the round bottom bottles are still out there. They clearly show that plastics don't easily break down in our environment, it has been around 25 years or more since these bottles have been produced. On the right was a good find. From a distance I could only see something small and green sticking out of the water about an inch. When I paddled over, it ended up being the end of a kids net and I pulled it up. In the netting I found a lure. 

As the sun started to set I took a slow paddle back. Look at how calm the lake was!

What a beautiful way to finish the day, paddling through the sky. The entire lake turned into a huge mirror, with only the occasional fish adding a ripple to the surface.

These are both photos of the water and the reflective image on its surface.

The sun was down when I made it back to the launch. I covered a good amount of ground on this trip, but not too much trash. I was happy to get some of the older cans I had missed or were out of reach on previous trips. In all it was an amazing day! 
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

Like this project? Like it on Facebook: Taking Out the Trash in Eastern PA

Mauch Chunk Lake Park (7-Oct-2016)

It has been some time since I have walked the trails at Mauch Chunk Lake Park. It is close to where I live and even last year I walked these trails on a regular basis. For this trash walk I started at the boat launch furthest up the lake and took the trails down to the campground. 

Not much had changed since my last visit. The trails were surprisingly clean too. I hit the spots where trash normally accumulates and most had nothing at all. 

There were a few items along the trail, but most of the trash I found was on the lakeshore. The lake, like the other local waterways, was low. This allowed me dry access to some spots I wouldn't normally be able to reach with higher water.

This was the only item I pulled out of the lake itself. I think it is a rubber band Hulk.

What a view. Several boats were on the lake, all with fishermen trying their luck. 

By the end I had a pack full. I may try to get out on the lake in a kayak again before it gets too cold. I am wondering what has accumulated since my last paddle. 

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

Like this project? Like it on Facebook: Taking Out the Trash in Eastern PA