Beech Leaves

Posted by Russ Devan (New Hanover, United States) on 20 November 2008 in Plant & Nature and Portfolio.

This was shot about a month ago during a hike in Lebanon County, Pennsylvania in a very remote area known as St. Anthony's Wilderness. I wish I had an interesting story to share with you about how the area received its name. But the truth of the matter is, I don't have a clue. What I will tell you about St. Anthony's is it is exactly that...wilderness. It is one of the largest tracts of undeveloped roadless land in southeastern Pennsylvania, according to my trail book. And it is pure heaven. The area is comprised of two, parallel mountain ridges that stretch for tens of miles with a very narrow valley (less than a half mile across) between them. A handful of trails traverse the area, the most notable being the AT (the Appalachian Trail, which extends from Maine to Georgia). In the 1800s, a stagecoach road ran through the area, followed by a now long-extinct railroad that connected a couple of villages that also no longer exist. All that's left is hundreds of acres of quiet forest, streams, and mountains. The area is used mainly by hikers, hunters, and some mountain bikers.

While hiking here this particular day, I did not hear one unnatural sound. Even the birds were eerily and noticeably quiet. All I heard were my boots as they met the trail with each step and my own heart beating as the trail climbed up the side of the mountain. Oh, and Nala, panting away as she jogged through the woods exploring every smell that caught her black, wet nose.

My first time in St. Anthony's wilderness, about 15 years ago, a small group of us were backpacking one February weekend. Even though it was downright cold, it was a very enjoyable trip, especially with a nice camp fire burning in the evening. I remember we managed to find some anthracite coal nearby and turn our wood fire into a very hot coal fire that actually melted our empty beer bottles (yes...we actually packed in a few bottles of beer...and packed out melted glass the next day). The next morning, we awakened to a beautiful blanket of fresh snow (about 5 inches, if memory serves), which continued to fall lightly throughout the morning as we hiked to the end of the trail.

"The Master in the art of living makes little distinction between his work and his play, his labor and his leisure, his mind and his body, his education and his recreation, his love and his religion. He hardly knows which is which. He simply pursues his vision of excellence in whatever he does, leaving others to decide whether he is working or playing. To him he is always doing both."
- Zen Buddhist Text

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