The Sunday of my hike, saw the Glen Onoko trail jam-packed with people as if it were the Black Friday of hiking. The noise and commotion of the crowds, complete with dog-walkers (really?) and boneheads drinking beer in a State Park (honestly?), was quite distracting and brought to my attention the importance of the modern conservation versus preservation debate.
There is little left of John Muir’s call for Preservation in 2010. While a Conservation movement has become widespread and many headed, the idea of leaving nature unspoiled for the sake of nature itself is all but absent from this modern movement. Understandably so! There is so little left of wild nature in the modern world that whatever we can save, people should have the ability to access. However, when that access becomes destructive and/or deliberately abusive (as in the case of the beer-swilling litter dumping state park denizens), access needs to be regulated and/or monitored.
Now, after climbing and climbing and slipping and climbing and falling and slipping,
the first large falls came into view. (And, Muhlenberg students began to play)
The trail after this just flat out sucked. It was basically a climb and for this out of shape smoker the end of my hike at Glen Onoko. But I made it to the second great fall:
The rest of the Muhlenberg EnACT troupe marched onwards, to reach the higher points and vistas (The picture below is from the top of the waterfall above):
I stayed behind and found a place by the largest falls thus far to watch and consider their attractiveness.
Eventually I managed to find a seat on the crest stone of the first large falls and watch the water fall until a rock slipped out from under me and I nearly fell with the water to a rocky and awful death. A surprisingly deft maneuver saved me the peril. (Thanks survival instinct!) I was just left a bit wetter for the wear.
I walked back down alone. Well, alone as I could be given the massive number of people ascending to the heights from which I was trying to safely navigate back from. For all the frustration of the other visitors I encountered, the beauty of this place was impossible to ignore and every time a deep breath was able to be taken the so often ignored restorative spirit of Nature breathed its fire in me.
I needed to feel that burn. I had been so sick; I hadn’t been out in the wild in weeks. I couldn’t go if I wanted to. I was a man of Nature without any Nature to be of. I was lost, well – I am lost –we all are– shit happens: But for a few moments, on that mountain, in the Glen Onoko run of Lehigh Gorge State Park – the feeling of being found was as present as the waning spirit of autumn falling around in piles of yellow and brown leaves, that are beginning to rot and fill the air with the sweet stink of decay.
Part 3 tomorrow: Reclamation!
#1 by Monkey Momma on November 8, 2010 - 12:28 pm
Litter dumping on a trail is horrible. But beer drinking? Well, that is kinda fun. And what is the harm in having some suds at the top of a long hike, if you clean up your mess? The only problem with beer is that it needs to be kept cold and is bulky. Also, it makes hiking very difficult once the beer is consumed, which is why I would only consume beer on a trail once the hard part was done. And of course, I would recycle my cans. I can’t imagine tossing them onto the trail. See, not all beer drinkers are terrible!
Also, my all time favorite hiking companion was my beloved mutt, who passed away a few years ago. She was leashed and well mannered and did not litter on the trail itself – she was my protector on many a trail, and I saw nature thru her eyes as well as my own. Give the dog walkers a break if their canines are on a leash and well behaved! Oftentimes, the dogs are much nicer than the people who crowd a popular trail!!
Hey, somebody has to speak up for the dog walking, beer drinking nature lovers. It’s possible to combine a love of hiking, beer and dog walking and have it all be OK.
#2 by Andrew Kleiner on November 8, 2010 - 12:33 pm
No offense meant Momma , lol!
I complained about the beer drinking because of the large NO ALCOHOL in the state park signs that were about and normally, I have no issue with dogs at all but this trail was way too difficult for most and they caused a lot of congestion.
#3 by LVCI on November 8, 2010 - 1:20 pm
Kind of see why beer not a good idea at Onoko. Very rugged hike with VERY sheer slopes. Usually about once a year somone dies up there. Either from sliding down off the trail into the ravine. Falling off the falls or jumping from the old steam tunnel or the train tressel into the water.
Oft times then not it involved teens and beer.
As for me..We Cheat!
We always come to the falls from the top on two track fire hunting dirt road. You have to drive a few miles above Jim Thorpe and up a really steep grade, but I like it we bike rather then hike.
Coming back though you can easily cook your car brakes because of the steep road (they have a truck runoff). I know more then once I got up a little too much speed coming down and had my brakes chattering approaching the ‘T’ inserection at the bottom.. whew!
#4 by Anonymous on November 8, 2010 - 2:01 pm
Stop hating on dogs