Scene along the Creek Road Trail at Pennypack

Who doesn’t have Seasonal Affective Disorder these days? Record-breaking rains are turning me into a very dull girl. I escaped to the Pennypack Ecological Restoration Trust on Friday, shirking all other responsibilities to enjoy brief glimpses of sun. Paved trails are welcome these days. The first part of this hike is paved, and although I usually prefer to explore other less-traveled trails, even the paved trail of Pennypack Trust has little traffic on a weekday, and after a heavy rain, the creek gushes with a music of flowing water that can melt away any disappointment or stress. A baby bunny hopped so close to me that I could almost scoop her up. Butterflies weaved in and out of wildflowers along the banks, and the nearby, restored meadows guaranteed a variety of bird species. Boulders jut out from the creek, and on the other side of the trail, the forest gradually gives way to sparse Bryn Athyn residential areas with homes of stone and stucco. The Creek Road Trail eventually takes a sharp left with paths of dirt and gravel. The first part of the hike was merely a tease, so I braved the mud, not wanting the hike to end. A displaced painted turtle made his slow trek back to the creek from a pine grove, looking indignant as I stared at his black and yellow markings. The Creek Trail eventually ends, so I turned around and repeated my walk in the opposite direction, this time stopping at the wildlife blind, which was a little flooded. I still wasn’t satisfied when I returned to my car on Creek Road, so I continued up the Raytharn Trail spotted with Indian grasses, to the top of a hill, where the spires from a nearby cathedral tower above the trees on one side, and on the other side, multi-toned horses graze in the meadow below. I realized at the top of the hill that occasionally my jaunts suffer from poor planning. I could have begun at the Raytharn Trail and taken it to the Paper Mill Trail, then picked up the Creek Road Trail. Perhaps I will try that next time, or maybe not. I am sometimes fickle, and suffer for it, but God willing, there will be other hikes with many different paths to choose from, and for this, despite April rains in June, I am thankful. If you sometimes suffer from poor planning like me and want to explore the Pennypack Trust, you can find a map at: http://www.pennypacktrust.org/docs/Main_Trails_map.pdf

I welcome your ideas and comments. 

Sandra