Hike #884; Ricketts Glen Area Loop

Hike #884; Ricketts Glen Area Loop

10/4/15 Ricketts Glen Area Loop with Lyz Hagenbuch, Ric Giantisco, James Quinn, Michele Valerio, Eric Pace, Serious Sean Dougherty, Karen Ezzo, Angelo Ezzo III, Brad Anesi, Julia Vogelsang, Pete G. Wilcox, Nick Rondinella, Antonio Gines, Stacey ?, and Shannon ?.

Group shot at Ozone Falls

Our next hike would be a fantastic loop around the Ricketts Glen State Park vicinity. We had a lot of big plans for this event, but the weather didn’t cooperate and we ended up not camping or anything, and instead just hiked the loop at the park as planned.
Ricketts Glen to me is a gimmick concept. When I posted this hike, a ton of people immediately jumped on the sign ups. It’s one of those names that attract people because they have seen photos of the falls, they have an idea of how cool it is. For me, the more interesting aspects of it were going to be what was on the edges of these lands, the old logging railroads, ruins, infrastructure. It’s absolutely amazing what is out there. Don’t get me wrong, I love waterfalls, but that was only a small part of a large plan I had.

I ended up driving the entire way out by myself. I had planned to carpool with James, but he was farther out than I’d thought he’d been. I managed to get out there, but when I got into the park itself, the upper area, it was hard to tell where the parking area was that I’d planned to meet at. It was near the group camping areas, but didn’t look really passable. Eventually I found it, but others were way behind trying to get to the correct parking area. James was the last one to show up, when we were just about ready to leave.
On the previous Ricketts Glen trip, we began at the bottom and hiked up to “Waters Meet”, then took the right fork up Glen Leigh to pass all the falls there. We had not done Ganoga Glen yet, and so this time we’d start at the top, near the group camping area, and head down through the glen to Waters Meet, then repeat our previous route up Glen Leigh again.

Ganoga Falls

The last trip ended at Sorber Mountain, as a point to point using trails and the old Bowmans Creek Branch of the Lehigh Valley Railroad. This time we’d use that same railroad bed and others in the other direction to make a loop.
We began walking from the parking area down the Falls Trail, crossing over the stream and then into Ganoga Glen. The ravine was very similar to the rest of it we’d done, with some lovely steep steps and walkways making their way down stream. The first waterfall we reached was the Mohawk Falls, a lovely cascade. They were followed by the much smaller Oneida and Cayuga Falls. Both were pretty, but small. The next one however, Ganoga Falls, is the tallest in Ricketts Glen, at 94 feet from bottom to top! I walked out onto the edge of the falls about half way down, at a great cove of rocks along the trail. The view was outstanding. We continued down to the bottom, and I got another shot of Pete up at the top, which really showed how huge the falls were.

Seneca Falls

We continued down stream and passed the small but pretty Seneca Falls.
We continued down past Delaware Falls, followed by Mohican, Conestoga, Tuscarora, and then Erie Falls. When we got to Waters Meet, Shannon was hiking up from the bottom, as she was unable to find us and there is literally no cell phone service anywhere up there. She decided to come and do the hike with us as planned from there, and we’d get her back to her car at the end. From here, we began heading up Glen Leigh, where we hiked the previous time. It seems like Glen Lehigh has a lot more to it than Ganoga, at least from this time walking it. We passed by Wyandot Falls, followed by B. Reynolds Falls, R.B. Ricketts, and to Ozone Falls, one of my favorites. I got the group shot of everyone in front of Ozone.
We continued up and passed Huron Falls, followed by Shawnee, followed by F.L. Ricketts, and finally Onondaga.

Onondaga Falls

I actually got in the stream at a few of the falls and took some interesting photos I wouldn’t have gotten otherwise. By the time we were reaching the top, and the end of the falls, the park was starting to get pretty crowded. It was a good time to be finishing up. Also just after Onondaga, Serious Sean met up with us on the trail. He commented that he must be the only person in history to drive over three hours one way to Ricketts Glen NOT to see any waterfalls! We continued from here up to the head of Glen Leigh, then headed to the breast of the dam that is now purged, which once held back Lake Leigh. We had already been to this point on the past hike, but from here we would take different trails.
On the previous trip, we headed out Cherry Run Trail to the foot path leading down to Mountain Springs Trail, and beyond to Mountain Springs Lake. This time, we would follow the Mountain Springs Trail directly down toward the lake.

Unnamed waterfall on Mountain Springs Trail

As we turned right on Mountain Springs Trail, which followed an old woods road at first, I heard the sound of another falls on this, the upper part of Glen Leigh, so I went down hill and found yet another small but lovely waterfall, apparently unnamed. We continued from this point down hill along the trail.
Antonio and Stacey decided to cut the loop short when we got to I think it was the Bulldozer Trail. This one would take them to the lower lot and they could see the remaining waterfalls they did not on this hike. The rest of us continued down Mountain Springs Trail.

Old railroad bed on Mountain Springs Trail

Soon, the Mountain Springs Trail began looking like a more level grade. I was rather sure this was an old railroad grade, and I hadn’t noticed that before. It must have been a logging railroad associated with the Lewis Logging operations nearby. I could see in places where the ties once sat. Later, I realized that this line must have been the one where connection was made along the up stream Cherry Run to access those logging lands. I didn’t know it, but we’d be on more of the rights of way later, and this hike would be almost entirely railroad beds.
We continued walking on the right of way until I could see it turning off to the right, away from the trail. We had hiked this part of Mountain Springs Trail before, but I missed the rail remnants this early on. Later on, Mountain Springs Trail is part of the old Lehigh Valley Railroad ice house siding.
This time, I continued on the right of way to a former bridge site across the west branch of Bowmans Creek. I could see some wood in the ground on the north side of where the bridge would have been. This would be our first of two bridge-less creek crossings. I helped everyone get over and we continued on the right of way on the other side.
The right of way seemed to peter out pretty quickly. I’m not sure if it went into the water, because maybe it was a logging line that predated the ice lake that is now Mountain Springs Lake, or if it was something that went around the outside and was washed out. I couldn’t see reasonably remnants. The informal trail continued along the shore and up hill very slightly to hit another old rail grade, at the border of private property from State Game Lands 57. We turned left on this grade, heading gradually down hill again, on a shelf above Mountain Springs Lake. We followed this until we got to the old dam, and took a little break. We walked out onto the dam and checked it out before moving on. There were hatches on the top of it with ladders going down. I noted that the lake was far more drained than the last time we were up at this spot.

Mountain Springs Lake dam

We continued along the trail, still the old railroad bed, which was starting to look more and more like a railroad bed. We continued until we got to an abandoned and beat up bridge over the Bowmans Creek to the left, which looked at first like it used to be some sort of road bridge. I may have been so, but Google maps shows it as the old railroad grade. It’s hard to say, but this could have been how trains accessed the north side of Mountain Springs Lake. It’s just too hard to tell. The bridge was rather low, but the upper portion probably washed away in floods.

Old bridge site

We continued on along the right of way, and there was another right of way climbing to the south. This must have been another logging line heading up the nearby mountain. The main right of way was somewhat wet at times, but totally clear and pleasant to walk on. The whole area was very beautiful. It was secluded, without the sound of a car or any other kind of vehicle.

Bowmans Creek

We continued walking and passed another side right of way, probably for loggign, and reached where there used to be buildings. We first passed a foundation on the right, then saw that there were more of them to the left. To the left, or the north, is the former site of Splash Dam #1 according to the maps, an old ice lake dam. The area around the former buildings was a bit more open than everything else around. We walked around the ruins, inspecting them for what they might have been. I assume this was certainly the ice house ruins associated with the first ice dam lake. I’d seen where the site of the likely second ice house at Mountain Springs Lake was on the previous hike we’d done out in this area.

We passed the sets of foundations on the right and left, then passed yet another one on the right, this time closer to the right of way as we moved on, back into more dense woods.

The right of was remained nice, and soon railroad ties were still visible on the fill. We were fast approaching where this line crossed the Bowmans Creek. The bridge has long been missing from here. It was probably of wooden construction and washed away at some point. I gave everyone the option of wading across or trying to find a nearby fallen tree. I went in to test the depth first, right at the bridge site. That turned out to be one of the deepest spots. Fallen leaves in the water masked how deep it really was. I made it without falling in completely though.

Uncertain ruins

I made my way across the creek, and soon others followed, but not at the same deep spot. Some of the group went up stream to an ankle deep spot, while others tried to cross at another spot just down stream. Both seemed to work alright. I finished the rest of the hike in my boxer shorts because I’d gotten my shorts so wet, and it became some kind of a joke because I almost always go Commando except for this time.
Most of the group was crossing Bowmans Creek up stream, and so I wandered over that way. I noticed that there was an open area with water in it, and then lots of old wood in the ground around it. I wondered what this could have been. It was obviously there to brace the ground somehow, but for what I have no clue. It looked like it was once covered over but that floods had washed away the surface dirt.
We got all back together and began following the right of way further. It curved slightly to the right and began making it’s way to the east.

The old spur line near Bowmans Creek crossing

Soon, the game lands road, formerly the Bowmans Creek Branch of the Lehigh Valley Railroad, was just above us on the left. We were fast approaching the junction where the line we had been walking connected with the main through line. We didn’t follow it quite to the end because it got overgrown, and we climbed up to the other rail bed. From here, we turned hard left to continue on the main line, an unpaved vehicle accessible road, heading to the west.
We had followed this section here before, on the last trip, but it wasn’t too bad to cover over this bit of the same ground.
The Bowmans Creek Branch was completed in 1893, and the logging in the area was done by Albert Lewis. He was the one that created the two lakes. It turns out that the first was Splash Dam Lake. A Splash Dam was something they could hold back the water in somehow and then open it, allowing the fast movement of timber down the Bowmans Creek. The second lake was similar, and became Mountain Springs Lake. Both were used for ice harvesting, and there was once a village there known as Mountain Springs.

Old junction site

The right of way gained some elevation fast, climbing on a fill and shelf area heading up hill. We then passed through a bit of a cut and the direction started to shift to the north a bit more. We soon got to the point where the Lehigh Valley line itself crossed the Bowmans Creek.
The game lands road turned right here, down over it’s own bridge over the Bowmans Creek, and the old railroad bridge abutments are now vacant, the right of way overgrown. We walked across the road bridge, and Brad asked why we don’t walk the right of way by climbing up it. I figured it’d just be easier to walk the road, but when he went for it, I said “yeah, why not?”. Most of the group climbed the old rail fill and continued back to where the road alignment rejoined it. That’s why I love this group!
When we got to the spot where the road and rail bed came back together, I noticed something that I had not seen the previous time: one half of the old rail bridge, a girder span section, laid down below the right of way on the slope. The bridge must have been removed, and maybe only a piece of it was scrapped. This one might have fallen down farther and was just too hard to get back out, so was left there.
We continued on the right of way ahead, still slowly gaining elevation. A few cars went by, but few and far between. I spotted where we had come out of the woods on the previous hike, from an old woods road and possible other rail grades down closer to the old drained ice lake. We continued from here as the railroad bed made a shift from going more to the west to more to the north. The access road to Mountain Springs Lake came in from the left, and we continued north on a gradual grade.

The Meadows

As we walked the road, a white vehicle approached us. We weren’t doing anything wrong, and none of us were drinking or anything. The only strange thing was I was hiking in my boxer shorts. The vehicle turned out to be two DCNR park rangers. They were young guys, and they were just checking on us. The one in the drivers’ seat asked if if we knew where we were, where we were going. I said yes, and that we were doing a long loop hike. I told him we were heading for Cherry Run Trail. He told me that was still quite a ways ahead.
“Good!” I told him.
He again asked if we realized how far that was and cited that “We usually don’t see people come down this far...”. I reassured him that we do this all the time, no need for concern, and thanked him. We were then on our way. The one ranger eyed me up, of course noticing I was hiking in boxer shorts. They didn’t say anything.
The right of way leveled off a little bit after a section through a more narrow gully, and we reached “The Meadows” according to the map. This was a large shallow lake with beaver lodges and reeds and such growing from it. It was quite lovely. We headed out to the right at a side road that provided access to a good break spot. Everyone wanted to take a break to eat because we had been on the move pretty much all day. We sat down and enjoyed the spot, and while waiting the rangers we had talked to maybe an hour earlier came back and pulled off at the other side of a purged dam from us. They wanted to let us know the time, and asked again if we knew how far we were going. I told them again that we do at last fifteen miles at a time, and that we’ll be alright. They asked if we’d make it back before dark, and I said “Well I sure hope so!”.

The Meadows

Looking at the time, I figured we probably should get going. We did have quite a ways to go, and now that I knew the rangers were looking for us, we’d best be sure to get back before dark. I walked right across the rocks at the dam site and got back on the railroad bed heading north. There were more fantastic views of The Meadows from the road/right of way.
At the north end of the lake, the road and rail bed continued into more pleasant woods, more level this time, and turned slightly left. I watched for the Cherry Run Trail to the left as we walked. When we finally got to it, in Opperman Pass area, I had everyone regroup and let them know this was the main trail we were taking back to Ricketts Glen, to connect near the dam at Lake Leigh where we had first left the falls area.

Cherry Run Trail, former logging railroad

We headed onto the trail and I pretty quickly noticed the level grade of it. I wondered if this could have been an old logging railroad right of way as well. I had no idea of any existing in this area at all. I wasn’t totally convinced of what this could be right away, until I walked a little further on it.
The levelness of the grade was too good for just a woods road. I was soon sure that this was an old logging line. Further ahead, I started seeing sure evidence of this. There were disturbances in the surface of the trail for much of it’s distance where the ties used to sit.

The right of way weaved around a little bit, and started to gradually make it’s way up hill. We soon reached the point where there must have been a switchback, or a junction. The trail turned hard to the left, but continued on the gradual right of way. I remember mentioning to Eric that this was certainly an old railroad bed. He was doing particularly great with the distance. I had planned on only about a fifteen mile loop, but somehow it went for longer than I’d intended, and we ended up finishing with about twenty two miles!

The railroad bed and trail remained one for almost it’s entire length. We passed a scenic meadow on the left, and crossed the tributary to it. We also came to a spot where it looked as though there might have once been a bridge, where some rough stone abutment remnants were in place before a steep decline. The railroad tie marks became even more obvious as we continued on.

Cherry Run Trail on the old logging railroad bed

We continued on until the trail abruptly turned to the right, climbing a knoll to above the old railroad bed. I could see it continuing ahead beyond this point. Also, the trail continuing down to along Cherry Run toward Mountain Springs Trail also broke off at around this point, and I went down to see where it crossed the railroad bed. It would appear that the old logging line continued down along the creek, and probably was more of the line we followed along Mountain Springs Trail earlier in the day. Quite interesting.
We continued on Cherry Run Trail toward the former Lake Leigh dam. I stayed back with Eric for some of this section to be sure he was alright. He did fine as we reached the old lake dam. We continued from there along part of the Falls Trail to the Highland Trail and another one that went directly out to the parking areas. Eric decided to follow that, the closest one with Serious Sean I think, because he was parked up there. We all walked that way initially thinking that was the way we had planned, but then as I was walking to catch up, the entire rest of the group was walking back toward me. They wanted to walk the Highland Trail which went through the Mid Way Crevasse, so they turned back. Despite running over with mileage, they still wanted to do it. So they turned around and the rest of us continued on that route as well.

Mid Way Crevass

We had to walk a bit of the way down Glen Leigh in order to reach the trail that cut over. There were still a lot of people in the glen. First people we passed went by me, and when they saw Lyz and Ric, they were saying something about “Is that guy in his boxers?”. Ric chimed in, “Yes, he’s in his boxers!”. The second people I came across, two young girls, were not so quiet about it. They just bellowed out “Yeah! Hikin’ in Boxers!” as I went by!

When we got to the final turnoff on Highland Trail to connect to Ganoga Glen, I was feeling energized. I put it out there to see if anyone wanted to run the entire length with me. I don’t know if anyone tried, but I took off running. I went to a lighter shuffle on some of the tougher up hill parts, and stopped only to take some photos of the Mid Way Crevasse, a rock formation the trail was routed through the middle of. I took off after that on a pretty easy trail, which led right back out to the top of Ganoga Glen, with the parking lot just beyond.

Serious Sean and Eric were already there waiting for us. I hung out and waited for everyone else to come out off the trail. We still had a good enough amount of time before dark, so I was happy that those rangers couldn’t laugh in my face.
I thought the hike went really great, and it put things so much in perspective for me, more than it would those who just come to see the waterfalls. I saw the industry, and more the full picture of what had happened here to make it what it was. I could see the story of the settlers who came to Ganoga Lake (even though this time the lake was dry, being worked on), who’s son Robert Bruce Ricketts founded the “park”, and the hotel that made Ricketts Glen a destination, as well as the industry that built it up and kept it going. The ice, the logging, and where it fit in with shaping the land of today. Ricketts was on the verge of financial disaster for two decades until the Lehigh Valley Railroad opened up the property to the outside world like it had never been done before, but that right of way today is just a simple gravel path through the woods that people think twice before attempting to drive.

This hike opened up so many more places I want to explore. Of course, I want to continue on the old Bowmans Creek Branch line north to Lopez, but also explore the Lehigh Valley Railroad’s Ganoga Branch which went to the hotel at Ganoga Lake, more of the logging rail lines, trails, and even off trail through adjacent state game lands with lesser known waterfalls and swimming spots. We’ve only begun to scratch the surface of the Endless Mountains. More to come.