Allegheny National Forest , PA - Minister Creek

ABOUT THE PARK: 

Minister Creek - USDA 

DIRECTIONS: 

GPS Coordinates 41.620548, -79.153618

Minister Creek Parking Lot

TRAIL MAP: 

Minister Creek Trail Brochure - USDA

HIKE DISTANCE: 6.4 miles

THE HIKE: 

Heading back to New Jersey from Missouri on travel day 2, hike 2 of 2.

The trail starts across the street from the parking lot to the left of the blue sign.  We would be returning via the campground road on the right.

The trail is well-blazed with gray diamonds.

Female Black-throated Blue Warbler

Although we would mostly be hiking the North Loop, we took the left fork to the South Loop to hike the perimeter.

Standoff with a chipmunk.

Where this arrow points down, it really does mean down...

... steeply into the crevice.

The leaves were just starting to come out here.  It was like stepping back a month in time since other places I had been were already in full foliage.

Minister Valley Overlook

Now on the North Loop.

Several small creek crossings.

Minister Creek

The stepping stones for this crossing are under a couple of inches of water so feet get wet.

The North Country Trail joins in from the left at a campground.

The North Country Trail leaves to the left.

Minister Creek can be heard down below.

Crossing Minister Creek

A small waterfall on the opposite side of Minister Creek.

Where the North Loop turns right, we stayed straight on the Fishing Trail.

Through the campground ...

... and across the street to the parking lot which was filling up with weekend backpackers.

Cuyahoga Valley National Park, OH - Ledges and Pine Grove Trails

ABOUT THE PARK: 

Cuyahoga Valley National Park, The Ledges - National Park Service

 

DIRECTIONS: 

GPS Coordinates  41.223102, -81.510507

Ledges Parking at 6:30 AM on a weekday.

TRAIL MAP: 

Ledges Area Trails - National Park Service

HIKE DISTANCE:  5 miles

THE HIKE: 

Heading back to New Jersey from Missouri on travel day 2, hike 1 of 2.

From the parking lot, the trail starts on the paved portion of the parking lot entrance road turning left.

There are signs directing the way.

The the T-intersection of the Ledges loop, we turned right.  I found out later that we would have missed a lot to the left but when I realized that at the end of the hike, we came back and did that part.

The Overlook

We were heading down to hop over to the Pine Grove Trail when something caught my eye to the left.

A barred owl!  I had not seen one since 2015 in Massachusetts.  This owl was sitting with his back to us and had twisted his head completely around.  Zoomed in pictures were blurry due to the darkness but little did I know I would get another chance later.

Starting the Pine Grove Trail loop.

Veery

I had not seen a single pine on the Pine Grove Trail and was wondering if these dead trees were the pines that the trail was once named after.

A dead pine.  They must have all died.

Finishing the loop and heading back.

Continuing left on the Ledges Trail.

Here I turned right towards the Ledges Shelter where we had parked thinking we were finishing up.

All of a sudden something flew over to the right ...

Another barred owl!

It was at this map up ahead that I realized I had missed a huge chunk of ledges so we turned left ...

... back down the way we started then turned left at the T-intersection.

The Ice Box Cave which is closed.

Heading up these steps completes the part we missed.  At the top we turned left heading back towards the parking lot, the same way where we had seen the owl.

And there she was again!  She flew over to the left this time.  No doubt she has a nest there and was luring us away.

Back to the parking lot.