Indian Ladders Waterfalls

Indian Ladders is a hike I went on once with the Appalachian Mountain Club and I tried to go on it again but what I thought was it was not and we only hit one waterfall.  Very few people know this trail where you hit Tumbling Waters waterfall, Upper Indian Ladders waterfall, and Lower Indian Ladders waterfalls.  I remember parking by the Mile 10 marker off of Rt. 209 between Bushkill and Dingman's Ferry and entering with the group into a forest area. 

The hike started out along a stream and went upwards into the Pennsylvania forest.  We got glimpses of small waterfalls along the way.

We walked up a bunch of hand made stairwells. 

Lizards, newts, and skinks along the way.  Also fungus - lots of different colored mushrooms. 

First waterfall we hit was Tumbling Waters that we saw between the trees till we got closer.

Tumbling Waters.
Then we walked further and hit Indian Ladders Upper and then Lower Falls. 

I remember when I first saw the Upper Falls thinking this must be the Mother of all Falls, but I've been to waterfalls in NC now and they are just as equal in majesty.

This is one of the more scenic PA hikes I've been on.  I know that at some point we had to use a rope to descend part of the trail because it was steep, so you want to have some hiking experience behind you before you go on this trail.  I went on this hike back in August 2011, so you may want to check road conditions after the past couple hurricane seasons the Northeast has had and plan accordingly. 

Cabelas

This post is rather on where to get hiking and camping supplies rather than hiking itself.  I must stress again that I like my wildlife and birds alive and not dead before I start, but I do respect the art of taxidermy.  Cabelas is a store that not only offers great deals on products, but also has the most incredible taxidermy displays that are curated in a store.  They are museum quality.   The store I have gone to is the Hamburg, PA store.
Immediately as you enter the store, you are hit with the taxidermy displays.  There is a huge installation in the center of the store.


Several species of wildlife are on this display from deer, elk, moose, wolves, musk ox, bears (all breeds), mountain goat, etc…

You wonder how they get them posed so well.  They obviously didn’t shoot them posing for the camera - well I hope they didn’t.  That would be sadistic. 

This big boy is enormous.  It’s sad to think their lives were ended.

The moose actually has the whole family there with the female despite her not being pictured here with them.  The curator obviously respects the lives of these animals and want to show them in their everyday lives.
There is a separate room for deer.  There are lots of deer in the room alone.



There is also a section for African animals, which is my personal favorite since it’s highly unlikely I will be able to go on an actual safari. 

The African Lions are beautiful.

They curated them on a ‘hunt’. 

And there is a Rhino among other animals. 

Just another day at the watering hole. 

Besides the Center exhibit, the deer exhibit, and the African exhibit there are smaller ones in glass cases of birds and fish on the walls in the fishing department.  I believe more customers spend their time taking pictures with their smartphones than shopping - at least the first couple times they go.  I can’t speak for the other Cabela’s stores, but the Hamburg store is incredible. 

Bushkill Falls: Part I

I’m back : )  I normally do not fall ill to viruses that are going around but twice so far this winter I have had upper respiratory infections.  I guess I had two different strains so I should be good now.
Today I want to focus my writing on Bushkill Falls, which was one of my several hang-outs while living in New Jersey.  It’s a great, safe place to go hiking and has scenic waterfalls along the way.  The park is filled with chipmunks also.  The Poconos are my second favorite place to be as I like to stay around mountain ranges, but I have not made it out west yet.  I had gotten so familiar with the area, I could actually guide other people where they needed to go and often people would ask me.  I guess I look like the forestry ranger type. 
After you pay your admission fee (which last season was $12.50 for an adult - less for seniors and children), you will enter a building that has several taxidermy displays.  I like my animals alive, but I do respect the art of taxidermy (and you will see a lot of it in my next post).  You will end up coming out of the other side of the building where your waterfall adventure will begin as you enter the trails that will bring you to them.

The first waterfall you will encounter is the Main Falls - the grandest of them all.  Yup, right off the bat, you see the grand poobah of them all.  It’s gorgeous in season.  On this particular day I went there were rainbows being created by the water molecules shooting off of one another and hitting each other and the rays of sunlight at the same time.  This is what I live for - those magical moments in nature.  They are priceless.  You just have to be there at the moment they happen.

There are a series of walkways built out of wood that you walk upon around the Main Falls as well as the other falls.  You may see hawks or vultures flying high above the falls.   In the rocks that are by the falls, ferns and lichen grow that native animals feast upon.  And there are chipmunks galore.

Ferns growing in the crevices of the rocks that line the walkways.

Lichen - a reindeer’s favorite food. 

Chipmunks come out to harvest anything left by visitors.
One of the best things in being in nature (as I have said before) are those special moments that are caught at being in the right place at the right time.  While I was walking from the main falls to go to the next falls, I saw the sun reflecting on the stream to create a rainbow of colors.  The canopy of trees allowed just enough sunlight in to create this spectacular effect.  I submitted this photo to my stock photo agency and they said my camera malfunction.  It didn’t of course but to people who stay behind the scenes in an office all day, they see little of the special moments in life.

Always believe the Empirical evidence of your own eyes!
Continued to Part II …