First Spring hiking!

Momma and I had us some fun today...we went for our first hike this year! Momma says it's our first of what she hopes to be many of the same....I hope so too, cause this was lots and lots of fun! For this first hike we headed over to the Delaware Water Gap National recreation area, and initially she wanted to go to a place called Millbrook village.

We didn't end up going to Millbrook. Instead, at the almost there point she got distracted by a road veering off to the left that lead to Blue Mountain and Crater lakes.

This is where we ended up walking!

One of the first things we found, or rather that found us...was this little lady!



Can you see her hiding in the trees, staring at us? We almost missed her, she blends in so well. The only way we did see her was because there were a few other deer with her, and those deer had started to run before we even saw them. Momma heard them rustling the leaves as they ran and then viola! There she was.

Further on in our hike we encountered an old, fallen tree in our path...



Not that it proved to be any problem at all for me! Woosh! Up and over I went! Soon after the log-jump Momma noticed a patch of daffodils just off the path, and we stopped for a short while for a water break and some snacks.



After that there was more walking, with plenty of interesting smells along the way!



At a certain point we were starting to see Blue Mountain Lake in front of us and to the right...but before we even hit that Momma saw this to our left.



An old rock wall...to what did it once belong!? Momma thinks it was probably part of someone's house once upon a time. Before the government came to own the land here, people had houses here. Then the Tocks Island Dam project (click the link if you're curious about the failed project, it links to the Delaware Water gap info page on it!) happened, or maybe rather didn't happen, and we now have the Delaware Water Gap area instead!

After the rock wall, we came across these stairs to nowhere...which at one point Momma is sure lead to somewhere.
 So at the top of the stairs there was nothing where there was once something now long gone...at the bottom of the stairs was Blue Mountain Lake!

AND this nifty fallen tree!





It was a very pretty spot, and Momma and I did hang around it for a little while for more snacks and some more water to enjoy it before moving back up to the path and further down the way. Before long we came to another spot where we could easily get closer to the waters of the lake...

And that's when I noticed something suspicious in the water!



...ultimately it was just an old log sticking out of the water, or so my Momma tried to convince me. I wasn't ever really convinced, but I did allow my guard down long enough to actually relax and enjoy the scenery and the spring breeze.



Soon after leaving we ended up back at our start point, the parking lot and loaded up to head home. Momma called Poppa and told him she wasn't giving him a choice, at some point in the near future he WOULD be joining us in another hike down in the Gap!

I can't wait for that day, and to see what other fun things and trails are out there!