Hike #952; Hellertown to Easton
7/14/16 Hellertown to Easton with Jim "Uncle Soup" Campbell, Lowell Perkins, Celeste Fondaco Martin, Dan Asnis, and Commando Tom Petruccio.
Our next hike would be a point to point night hike between Hellertown and Easton, utilizing the Saucon Creek as well as the Lehigh Canal and other area rail trails.
We met at the Home Depot at the Wilson area, 25th Street, and then shuttled to back streets in Hellertown.
While overall mellower in how it felt, this was also one of those life turning points where the world seemed to change subtly, and it really felt like we were witnessing a generational metamorphosis.
Natural roof kiosk
At the start, we walked down the road and got on the Saucon Rail trail, which was originally a branch of the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad. It’s wide because it was double tracked, and really should have been a candidate for rail WITH trail, because there was room, and it makes sense to have more commuter service from Philadelphia to Bethlehem PA, especially since the creation of the Sands Casino where Bethlehem Steel was. It’s disappointing there was no forethought there. we did pass a kiosk that had a natural roof of plants that I thought was pretty cool in Hellertown though.
From the little ball field park in Hellertown, we followed more closely the Saucon Creek.
We had to get in it at first, because I was not able to find the footpath I had been looking for easily. Lowell and I mostly walked up it, and the others took a bit more time. We got there though, and had a good place to walk along the shore after a spot where a bridge used to cross the creek.
Our route through here was the long abandoned former Thomas Ironworks site. None of the buildings appear to be standing today, in this swath of land between what is now the rail trail and the Saucon Creek.
Historic view of Saucon Iron Company, later Thomas Ironworks
We followed the trail along the creek for a bit, then made our way into the open area where I can only assume the buildings once stood. There was lots of refuse that had obviously been melted into a strange, distorted patter.
Thomas Ironworks site
We continued out the north side of the site and were soon along the edge of the creek again heading up stream through the woods.
We continued out until we got to Seidersville Road. We’d reached this spot before on previous hikes. The through style truss bridge here over the Saucon Creek has been closed for quite some time, but pedestrians can cross it. We turned left and crossed the bridge here to the other side, where there was a very old spring house building on the right side.
The first time we came across this site was on a Musikfest hike many years back. That time, we went up hill and followed some other trails through the Murray campus of the Lehigh University.
Seidersville Bridge
Always wanting to try something new, this time we would attempt to follow the Saucon Creek up stream further, directly on it’s edge. There was a good path along the left side, going out beyond the old Spring House.
Old spring house
We first went into the spring house to have a look around. There is still water running into it. It’s an odd one because it’s about two stories tall. It no longer has a roof, but the masonry is holding together pretty well.
We left the building and made our way down the trail a short while more, and to my surprise there was another structure off to the right of the path. It was closer to the stream and still had a roof. I was surprised to find it to be yet another old spring house. There must have been something more in the area to justify having so many of them in one little area.
Old spring house
The inside of the second building was much smaller, but it had a floor that was certainly set up for gathering water. Maybe it was an outhouse, for taking water away. I can’t be sure.
We continued on the path following the downstream Saucon Creek. There were a few more masonry ruins along the way, and we passed below a house that sat up hill from us. The route was so nice that I immediately wanted to change the route of my upcoming March on Musikfest hike to incorporate this pathway.
Soon, the path widened out and took on the characteristics of an old road.
Old spring house
The trail continued right up the old cut of the road. This road might have continued down all the way to Seidersville Road at one time, but floods on the creek would have washed out all remnants of it where we were narrowly next to steep rock edges.
Old roadway
I turned to the left briefly because I noticed a corn field. I love raw corn on the cob, and Lowell had never had it before. There were only tiny ones on there, but when they’re that small, you can just eat the entire cob and it’s alright. It was actually quite tasty.
The path turned hard to the left away from the old roadway just beyond the field. It looked like it probably went on to private land. It was also not going the direction I had intended for us to go. So, we continued straight on through some weeds. There were lots of little criss crossing paths, which were probably made by mountain bikes. We had to cut through another swath of weeds which took us out to College Drive.
Ponds
From here, we walked the road only briefly, then cut to the right into Saucon Park.
The park is really quite beautiful, one of those 1930s Olmstead Brothers style designed parks with freflection ponds and nice stone work along waterways. There was a stone stage, a big field, concession, and then the ponds, now full of algae.
We passed the ponds, then crossed a footbridge over Saucon Creek again. We turned left on grass on the other side and remained along the shore, past a pavilion, and then out to a lovely suspension foot bridge that crossed the creek again. We used this on a few hikes in the past too. Across, a set of steps leads up toward a cemetery.
Old Reading line looking toward South Bethlehem
This time, we skipped the steps and remained in Saucon Park along the west side. We followed the creek up to the next road bridge, to Millside Drive. We crossed again, turned left, and then made our way to the giant arched bridge that carried the former Reading Railroad high above the creek. My plan was to go up there, but first I wanted to take a dip.
We all got in the creek, which somehow is really super cold at all times at this point, despite whatever temperature it is outside. After cooling off for a while, we got out, and Uncle Soup had already made his way up the steep embankment to the old Reading Railroad bed.
Washout
I remember the line being in much better shape, complete with some rails in this area. It washed out pretty badly during the flood in 2004, and the rails and ties were still hanging over the edge, just like they were when I first walked through, although now there was a lot more weedy growth all around it.
We continued on the right of way ahead to where more tracks start. There was a very high platform tower directly behind us, on the other side of the bridge. I knew right away that if I brought the group out here that Lerch (Kralc Leahcim) would end up climbing up it. I dreaded the thought of it already, and had to put it out of my head until later.
Ruins in South Bethlehem
We walked along the all new chain link fence that was put around the rail yard. I told Lowell about how we used to walk right across the tops of the box cars years ago.
I start to wonder if I’m sounding like that old guy reminiscing more all the time, because I’ve got so many memories, and I’ve seen so much change. It feels so strange to think I’m still here, feeling the same, and I can see the decay in all of the things around me. The sensation came over me again as we left the rail yard and reached the old block building across the tracks from what is now developed as South Bethlehem Greenway. The roof was now collapsed on the old building, but I remember it being like a frame lattice work that held ivies and vines.
The building along the tracks in 2008
The building has decayed so much even since 2008, which was probably my first time inside it.
We continued on along the South Bethlehem Greenway, and soon the giant crane bridge came into view, now with the “Sands” word adorning the front of it. I remembered my first photo I ever took of it, where it was just the crane in the middle of the abandoned Bethlehem Steel complex. My first hike through South Bethlehem, and around Bethlehem Steel was much different. It was a rougher neighborhood, more run down. The area around the modern casino is crazy looking in comparison.
The crane in 2003
We left the rail trail, and soon crossed over Rt 412. The crane truss thing was just to the right of us, about where it was historically, but still so much different. We continued ahead to cross the Minsi Trail Bridge over the Lehigh River. There is a staircase on the other side where we could descend to get to the Lehigh Canal towpath. Commando Tom would be meeting us down there on his bike, to join us for a few miles of the trip.
My main reason for crossing Minsi Trail Bridge was to get a comparison photo, if possible, with a photo I had taken before the destruction of Bethlehem Steel in 2003.
Present view of Bethlehem Steel site
There was a very slight level of shock going through me, that I am now my grandfather, a relic of another age telling stories of how it used to be to those who are here now. It doesn’t seem possible that so much change can come in such a short time.
We walked across the bridge, and I had my phone out, responding to a text message from Commando Tom.
Bethlehem Steel in 2003
We passed other people on the bridge as we crossed, and a tall black man shouted out to us “HEY POKEMON PEOPLE!!!”.
I was taken aback at first. I had no clue what he was talking about, and then I realized from seeing it on line and a bit around town, that the guy thought we were playing
“Pokémon Go”.
Bethlehem Steel now
I had never played the game before, but I knew about it. Lowell had played it and so have many of my friends, thought I had never seen any of them playing it. In a matter of a couple of days, it seemed like everywhere we turn, someone is playing this game. It felt like this particular night was when it really truly hit. There was no ignoring it any more, it was all around us and just about everyone was on it.
Lehigh Canal
We reached the steps and descended from the bridge. I managed to get another photo where I had also taken one in 2003 for my “Then and Now” series of photos for Metrotrails.
There were more kids down on the Lehigh Canal towpath playing the Pokemon thing too.
I never have had a problem with it, because it actually gets the kids out there. Really, the game is almost like an exercise app, which somehow people are getting addicted to. We turned right at the bottom of the bridge and began following the Lehigh Canal towpath to the east, along the north side of the Lehigh River.
Lehigh Canal
We stopped for a break as we reached the Freemansburg area, and Commando Tom pulled up on my while I was looking at my phone, and he asked if I found any good Pokemon or something. He’d of course noticed the Pokemon Revolution in the streets of Bethlehem like crazy as well.
We laughed about it a bit, and pretty soon we were off along the trail together. I considered stopping at the bar in Freemansburg, but then decided against it. I was actually feeling kind of tired and out of it at this point. Maybe there was a hint of depression in my sudden realization of the passage of time. I’m not sure.
Lowell showed us a boat!
The canal passes through the town area pretty closely, but Lowell asked if we’d like to see a weird washed up boat, which is partially soiled over from being run aground long ago. I didn’t know a thing like that existed, so of course I wanted to see it.
There is another trail below the Lehigh Canal towpath that runs further down the hill, more out of sight, and Lowell took us down to it, then down another path which brought us to the edge of the Lehigh River. There, sure enough, there was this boat full of dirt, partially buried into the hillside. It might actually be a pretty cool swim spot, but I wanted to hold out for the really good one at the rope swing just a bit further to the east.
We headed back to the towpath, passed the old lock and the Freemansburg lock tender’s house, then were into the deeper, darker woods. There were still Pokemon hunters walking by pretty regularly for a bit, then some people that had been swimming.
By the time we got to the ripe swing no one else was around. It was a great feeling to get into the water. It certainly made me feel a bit better. Maybe it’s because this section of the trail hasn’t really changed at all. There’s some comfort in the dependability of places that stay as we’ve known and loved them. I always want to see more, but change can so often be disappointment. I’d recently let my grey hair, which I’d been dying since I was seventeen, grow out, and though I was never really uncomfortable with it, now it feels like it really does reflect my age. People thinking I was forty years old when I was 19 was funny. But now I’m 36 and still feel 19.
We climbed out of the water, and Commando Tom headed back home. The rest of us continued on the Lehigh Canal towpath to the east. Before we reached the the Rt 33 underpass, at the boat club, there were several vehicles and people with flashlights parked. I was concerned at first, but eventually we just walked through. No one gave us a problem. We continued where the canal towpath used to switch sides at the road, then to where it used slack water of the Lehigh River up stream from Chain Dam. When we reached the boat launch parking lot, we headed across, and then up a footpath which leads to the former Central Railroad of NJ right of way, now a paved trail. This was the line that went up to connect with the LV Railroad’s Easton and Northern Line right about where we were parked.
We turned left on the rail trail and followed it gradually up hill, back under Rt 33.
We had to have flashlights off through here, because it’s too exposed. I thought I saw headlights ahead on the trail, but they seemed to disappear as we moved forward. We had no problem making our way out past the hospital property, back under 33 again, and then through the developed part of town.
Reaching Home Depot
The last stretch was sort of a tired blur. We moved along at a pretty good rate of speed to the end point.
It was kind of nice to be able to reflect on the day a bit; it probably helps for later when we try to piece together and interpret our experiences.
This one felt rather bland at the time, but as I look back, it was something much more. The past, present, and future seemed to come together seamlessly on this evening. Each step along the way was a tight knit web of familiarity for me, yet we still had these swaths of new ground I’d never bothered to explore, and still so many others that bare little resemblance to the places I once knew.
At the same time I was reminiscing and comparing, countless heads buried in phones walked by, looking for the next Pokemon, headlong into the future heedless of today. The Pokemon craze had only just begun, and we all knew that this was just the beginning of what was going to be a worldwide phenomenon. In the days to come, we’d have people pay the ten dollar admission to Spruce Run just to catch Pokemon, my girlfriend Jillane would be wandering through Washington trying to get them herself, and many friends on the hikes would be running their Pokemon apps rather than their GPS tracks to try to “hatch eggs” for the things.
So much has happened, over the years, over a few days, but there’s a strong thread that holds it all together, and I’m continuing to do what I love, taking it all in, and sharing it with close friends. As long as I never lose that, everything will be alright.
<3
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