Ep 273 - Haunted Trails and the Comfort of Trees

Hello, fellow lovers of all things green.

On Sunday afternoon, Jolie and I ventured to one of my favorite places for meditative walks among the trees, Mohican Outdoor Center in Blairstown, New Jersey.

Despite lackluster autumn colors elsewhere, the foliage surrounding the camp was glorious.

Golds, oranges, and reds glowed against the evergreens.

As we drove toward camp, a sign announcing haunted trails caught my eye.

I wondered what that was about.

We parked at the base of Camp Road and walked uphill alongside the cascading mountain stream.

I cherished the sights and sounds of the water moving along the rocks.

Every season, it has a different song.

Slow trickles during dry times, racing tides after heavy rains, and frozen sculptures with water cascading through during the winter months.

Then comes the roaring sounds of ice moving during the spring melt.

While walking along the steep slope that day, visitors pass by on their way home from their adventures, some returning from hikes along the Appalachian Trail, which rises above the camp.

I've been visiting Camp Mohican for years and have been a member of the Appalachian Mountain Club since moving here.

It feels like home to me.

It sits within the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area.

Over the years, I've enjoyed meeting the thru-hikers that hike along the Appalachian Trail on Kittatinny Ridge.

Once, I met the same man twice while hiking the AT at Blue Mountain Lake, just up the road a piece.

Can you imagine the chances of that? Beyond the lodge, Jolie and I veered left toward the woodland trails where creepy creatures greeted us.