PA Fall Foliage

[gardner17756]

Difficult to project the nicest weekend to view fall foliage in North Central PA (Selinsgrove-Williamsport-Wilkes Barre triangle on a map).
I would venture to say the weekend of October 13th and 14th could be the peak season for this area.

On Thursday rode Rt 118 to WilkesBarre for an afternoon meeting. The vegetation along the roadway is starting to turn to fall colors. Shumack is red, ferns are yellowing, and golden rod is golden. On the way climbed Red Rock Mt to view foliage at higher elevation of 2449 ft (PA's northern tier region). Pic is of Lake Jean which is located within Ricketts Glen SP

Colors were not brilliant. Possibly due to the dry summer.

Near WilkesBarre took the Hunstville Rd short cut off of Rt 118 and snapped a pic of the resorvoir. Lower elevation fall colors have yet to appear.



After meeting rode I81 S to the Rt 93 Conyngham exit near Hazelton. Took the Tomhicken Rd west to the Rock Glen Rd which I rode to Rt 339 into Mainville. First time on this route. It will not be my last.



I would estimate that this ridge is thirty miles south and a lower elevation than the first pic. The field crop is soy beans that were stunted by a dry growing season.



From Mainville took a few back roads to Catawissa (near Bloomsburg) to catch my son's soccer match. Field is in a natural bowl behind the high school. No dwellings visible, no noise pollution, just the sounds of athletic competition.



Returned to Muncy via the River Rd from Catawissa to Danville. Realized that I had been viewing signs marked PA Bicycle Rt V. Unfortunately this route has yet to be posted:
http://www.pahighways.com/other/bicyclepa.html

The ride from I81 to Danville was excellant. At least 1/3 of the road way was repaved this summer. The other 2/3's was in decent shape. Very little traffic.




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[Bicyclist]

Nice. Lots of nice roads in that neck of the woods. Is that RT yaller?
Pa has designated a bunch of bicycle routes. I think Gov. whats-his-name was a bi-cyclist.
When I was in upstate NY over the Finger Lakes weekend, I spied a few trees that were starting to turn. Hope ya got yer fur lined drawers and a pile of firewood ready. If you're standing around with nothing to do next weekend, ya oughta ride down to Oktoberfest and join the group.

[BMWGirl]

excellent report - looks like that first picture is a Calendar Contestant!!!

[gardner17756]

Normally fall is upon this region by mid to late September. Are we feeling the effects of global warming? Checked the milkweed in my fallow fields this afternoon for Monarch Butterfly catepillars. Finding fewer than other years. I wonder if they migrated further north this year?



North of Hughesville on the same plateau as Crystal Lake (http://www.crystallakeskicenter.com/) looking south.

[Bicyclist]

I have a bunch of Swallowtail caterpillars munching on my parsley.

[DogHouse]

So who won the soccer game?

[Ben_Ricci]

Pa has designated a bunch of bicycle routes. I think Gov. whats-his-name was a bi-cyclist.

That was Tom Ridge. He used to host "Keystone Rides" in different regions of the state. They were two-day rides covering about 100-120 miles. My buddy and I rode in a couple of them. It was a great idea and a lot of fun. The last was in 2000 (Adams, York and Lancaster Counties). They stopped when Schweiker became governor when Ridge moved to Washington as Secretary of Homeland Security.

[gardner17756]

So who won the soccer game?

The Hughesville Varsity lost to Southern Area 3 to 2 in the 2nd sudden death 10 min overtime period. The JV's played a stalemate of 0 to 0. While the loss was a disappointment the team play well considering six players were absent due to county marching band competition and the German club trip to Austria.

[DogHouse]

So who won the soccer game?

The Hughesville Varsity lost to Southern Area 3 to 2 in the 2nd sudden death 10 min overtime period. The JV's played a stalemate of 0 to 0. While the loss was a disappointment the team play well considering six players were absent due to county marching band competition and the German club trip to Austria.

That must have been a really exciting game. I love soccer.

[gardner17756]

I thought I would post a few pics so those viewing could gauge the fall foliage (or lack of) in my area which is 222 miles north of DC.

Vegetation and field crops are dying off as they end their growing season. Leaves on the majority of the trees remain green. Leaves that are dropping are doing so without a lot of fan fare.

Earlier today my son Brenden and I rode around the perimeter of our 17 acres.



We were out of petrol for B's Yamaha PW 50 so he rode w me on his 16 year old brother's scoot.



A few hours later I rode my BMW to a hunting club meeting at this productive family farm.



B, the quaterback and defensive end, had a football game this afternoon.



Unfortunately, B's team lost 33 to 18. On a positive note B ran for three touchdowns and had a couple of good tackles on defense.

[RocketMan]

I noted this weekend and on my Wedensday ride that most of leaves are falling as soon as they start to turn. Many are just diying and falling so I would not exspect much color this year, its been a very dry season and the plants are just saying the hell with it without much fan fare.

RM

[gardner17756]

In anticipation of good riding weather on Saturday the 20th; I braved rain Friday morning to work my way south to Lancaster and then road that evening to Harrisburg in a halacious storm.

Unfortunately, I discovered that my camera was inoperable Friday morning when I stopped to take pics of the Centralia area.

Except for occassional gusts of wind; Saturday was a nice day to ride. I worked my way back north with the goal of riding SR 125 from the Hegins to Shamokin. My cousin recommended that I take SR 225 off of I 322 which is on the north side of the Susquehanna River slightly west of Harrisburg. I crossed the first of four ridgelines on 225. At the top of the ridgeline there is a walking bridge for the Appalachian Trail. 225 runs through rolling countryside towards Halifax where the road ends when it meets SR 147. I rode 147 north for less than an 1/8 mi and made a right on Powells Valley Rd to Carsonville. For eight miles this is a nice rolling rural road. At the Carsonville Hotel I made a left towards Lykens. On this stretch of road I saw signs for Save Stony Valley. www.savestonyvalley.com. Five miles South of Lykens I came upon new asphalt as I started to cross the second ridgeline. PennDot's great paving job has turned this stretch into a great 3rd gear run.

In Lykens I took SR 209 East to Joliett where I made a left North to Good Springs and SR 125. SR 125 to Shamokin is a find stretch of rural road that crosses two ridgelines. 125 is noted on www.motorcycleroads.us. In Shamokin I worked my way north via SR 61 and 54. For those who are looking for an alternate route to the Finger Lake Rally these roads are worth considering.

While the stormy weather Friday night dropped alot of fall foliage; there is still alot of green foliage that has yet to turn in the Susquehanna Valley.

[gardner17756]

Had the opportunity today to take a short ride with my friend Pete who is the proud owner a rat bike. (yes that is age worn duct tape covering the seat.)



I imagine we looked like "mutt and jeff" to some people. LOL.

In a previous post I mentioned that the weekend of the 13th and 14th would be peak season in my area of North Central Pa. Appears I missed it by a week or two. In our brief ride I saw alot of Harley's and only two BMW's.