Hike #435; Lower Lehigh Canal

 Hike #435 8/18/9

8/18/9 Lower Lehigh Canal; Phillipsburg-Bethlehem with Bill "Guillermo" Fabel, Alyssa Capo, Hila Wieser, and Kyle Zalinsky

Stopping to take a swim in the Lehigh near Chain Dam

Here's a link to all of the photos from this hike:

http://s587.photobucket.com/albums/ss318/sneezehorse6/hike%20435%208-18-9/

 

Kyle was always right there to do a night hike, and if he worked he almost always wanted to join up to finish with us. It was great having such a good friend who was up for any craziness I'd concoct.

Stopping to take a swim in the Lehigh near Chain Dam

Bar in Freemansburg

Bar in Freemansburg

Bar in Freemansburg

Bar in Freemansburg

Along Lehigh Canal towpath near Bethlehem. "IERhfjoijoisehjdofjsdlkfjsd gimme'sdiofhweo SEAGRAMS!!!"

Bethlehem PA

Bethlehem Steel...now Sands Casino

Heading home from a night hike

 My next hike would again be a repeat of the lower Lehigh Canal hike from Phillipsburg/Easton to Bethlehem. Joining me at the beginning of this one were Bill "Guillermo" Fabel, Alyssa Capo, and one newcomer, Alyssa's friend ?. This was another really late day hike, starting at 4:30 pm! We began in Union Square, Phillipsburg at the convenience store, then walked across the Northampton Street Free Bridge instead of the rail treslte passing by a somewhat new mural (1) before descending to the Lehigh Canal towpath. We walked the towpath on the slack water section, through Hugh Moore Park, then across the river and into the stretch passing Chain Dam and then through the wooded slack water section. It had grown in quite a lot since my last visit in the Spring (2). Along this section we stopped for a brief swim in the Lehigh (3). We continued on under Rt 33 where the trail became more developed, and then out toward Freemansburg. We stopped to swim at the rope swings again, which was amazing in the dark. When we reached Freemansburg, we stopped in a small bar near the bridge over the Lehigh for a few drinks (4).

Kyle Zalinsky joined us here to finish the trip with us (5-7). It was easy walking on into Bethlehem (8). We continued to the Hill to Hill Bridge I think it was, then crossed over into South Bethlehem.

We walked on to the Bethlehem Steel place that was now turned into the Sands Casino (9). I was impressed that the old truss tower was now used for the Sands sign, that they recycled it (10) and gave it character. We got into the parking garage where Kyle's car was, but the girls did'nt want to go into the Casino, so we had to leave (11). Oh well!