Posts Tagged Trexler Park
A story: The Parkway to Trexler Park
Posted by Andrew Kleiner in Read this on March 25, 2010
Yesterday, I went to document a situation that has developed near the pedestrian bridge in the Parkway. Truthfully, I have no idea what the intent of this project was nor do I know who is responsible for it. I do know that it looks terrible, will dramatically increase erosion and will eventually kill the trees buried under the loose concrete fill.
Walking back to the car, I genuinely felt dejected. The parks in the city of Allentown mean a great deal to me and have without question, been one of the most inspiring things I have encountered in my 26 years of life.
As of late, I have felt enlivened by the possibility of spearheading volunteer projects that I see as the beginning of a real albeit slow change in our parks. Yesterday, that spirit fell slightly sullen on the sickeningly eroded banks of the Little Lehigh Creek.
I wanted to go to Jordan Park to take some new photography for a Save the Parks: Jordan Park post I have been intent on doing but I honestly couldn’t stomach it. I told Chris, who was driving, to skip Jordan Park and go to the lot of the Home Depot in Whitehall.
I wanted to see the creek here because a long time ago, around the time I was in eighth grade, I used to bowl at Jordan Lanes. After my youth league ended I would walk down to the “waterfall” and take pictures using my parent’s camera.
The pictures I took as a child are affixed to a poster board in my bedroom that my mother assembled back then so that the shots could be preserved. I look at the pictures everyday. The park here, maintained by the municipality of Whitehall was horrid. Litter was present in a greater display of diversity than plant life was. It was simply disgusting.
Man, was I bummed.
Later yesterday evening, I stopped in the lot of Trexler Park. Chris had gotten for himself a brand new fancy pants $600 dollar camera and he wanted to experiment with night photography.
What a feeling it is to stare into the infinite without the ability to comprehend it being of a finite mind. I stood and stared at the sky as every human as done for thousands of years. These stares into the night sky have elicited countless reactions from humans across the ages. Some created gods, others mystical beings that are outlined by the orbs of light we recognize as stars. Some people looked to see nothing. Some people looked to see exactly what they wanted to when they turned their heads to an eyeful of eternity.
Beyond the light pollution, we can ruin nothing. There are no islands sinking into the sea of space on account of the poor decisions of an arrogant species. There are no eroded creek banks. The entropy developing as the galaxies unfurl themselves across the fabric of universe is more civilized than we are.
The consideration of the night sky, of the universe, leaves the true observer in humbled silence.
It reaffirms the wealth of spirit that is required for an inspiration and in turn it reminded me of the value of one plant that wasn’t planted before I came along.
Last night, at Trexler Park, the truest meaning of a city park came to fruition through me and now, I tell you about it. I found my needed refuge. I found my missing inspiration. It’s why I want to save them. It’s why I want you to save them to.
For Chris
Yellow Signs of Spring
Posted by Andrew Kleiner in Read this on February 22, 2010
Amy sent me a text message from the Farmers Market which is roughly a block from where I live. She had come to Allentown to visit her husband’s mom. John(her husband) has been my best friend since high school and Amy is as near to me as he is. I was glad to hear from her, glad she was visiting, and glad she asked to go for a walk.
It was close to forty degrees, which after the winter we have had felt nearly tropical. Arriving at Trexler Park, it became quite apparent I was not alone in my quest to feel the warm afternoon. Trexler Park was full of dogs, people, strollers etc. 
Amy had never been to Trexler Park before. She grew up in Connecticut before moving here. She said Trexler Park was beautiful. Even here, in late winter, it was.
The height of the snow alongside the paths and across the fields was lower but still deep. The slightly warm wind blew across the snowpack and felt as frigid as always walking through the park.
We walked up to see General Trexler. He looked as ready for spring as we were. It would seem too early to find any signs of it yet. The birds in the park hadn’t returned. They never left. A cardinal posed for me by the bridge. 
When I got home from Trexler Park, my father was returning as well. He had just taken a journey through the Parkway and he brought news with him. He held a yellow flower in his hand, having discovered the first real signs of life any of us had seen growing outside in months. I would go to the Park way the next day and seem them for myself.
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Winter has a way of forcing a reflective spirit onto a traveler. The world seems monochromatic with warmth and life itself at an untouchable, unfeeling distance. 
The Parkway was as it had been, cold blanketed in snow. The tinge of warmth in the wind from the previous day had gone. 
Dad led the way down the familiar path with a completely unfamiliar surface.
I suppose what happened next shouldn’t have surprised me as much as it did. I first noticed summer turning fall in this exact spot. I heard my Dad call out and point towards the hillside. Sure enough, there by the receding snow, were little yellow flowers. Their petals were pulled tightly closed. The early Sorrell was cold, I was too.
I knew I wouldn’t be for long looking at these yellow flowers. 
Deep Freeze: Summer – Video Post
Posted by Andrew Kleiner in Read this on January 31, 2010
In the midst of an arctic blast, the following video is to serve as a reminder of warmer times. Check it out.
2010: A vision in Trexler Park
Posted by Andrew Kleiner in Uncategorized on January 4, 2010
There is no El Capitan to be found in the park system in Allentown Pennsylvania. There is no Niagara Falls. While our parks are beautiful in their own right, the seeming grandeur of majesty that is inherent in our National Parks is absent from ours. That may however turn out to not be the case at all.
What is it that gives the so called “majestic” elements to our most grand spectacles of preserved nature? Is it the bare rock face of a rounded mountain looming large over a valley? Is it the mile deep geologic history bared in river eroded canyon walls in a desert? Certainly these things can attribute an absolute majesty to these places but is there something else? Is there a greater wonder, a subtle wonder that truly defines what is majestic in the realm of nature?
Yes, there absolutely is and it is apparent in any place that nature is allowed to grow into herself and demonstrate the power of biological diversity and the inter-connectivity of ecosystems. Sure, the flowing lava in Hawaii is awe inducing on sight alone but the geologic processes at work at such a sight are what truly make the thing a wonder.
There are no flows of lava in Trexler Park. There are no high mountains. Now, in winter, with the idleness of a mere “passing by” it would seem that there is nothing much there at all save the barren face of winter stretched across the sleeping vegetation in brown and red hues.
Therein the exact majesty of Yosemite National Park is easily accessed right here in Allentown. Perhaps, due to the severely less “grand” scale of Trexler Park, this majesty may go unnoticed. Perhaps, we are simply used to Trexler Park and we have not allowed our eyes to see what is so blatantly obvious and strangely, on occasion, ignored. 
Giving the eye the chance to truly see the majesty of interconnectivity takes patience. The mind needs to pause, in the space of the observational moment and reflect. At nearly every footstep, a vital plot point of the story of life is written. Every blade of frozen grass, every dead leaf, every defiant red berry serve as the everlasting examples of what is truly awesome, even here at Trexler Park all of it is splayed across a small canvas that we have allowed to be preserved as example.
It is in this realization of sight and spirit that we, the eager and thirsty visitors of our city parks have the obligation to demonstrate our commitment to the preservation of such areas of epiphany in order to set the example for our neighboring cities, counties and municipalities. This moment I have described is one of defining purpose, and in raising the bar high enough to be forever certain that such awakenings continue to occur, we do our best to literally affect change at the highest level.
If we, as Pennsylvania’s Park Place, set the standard – we will lead the way for our entire state in the proper maintenance and preservation of our sacred open lands. It is my hope, that in turn, our neighbors will follow suit and eventually turn the tide of cultural ignorance back to the green leaves and cold streams that define who we are as a species. They do so because like grass, like trout, like the smallest single cell organism floating in water, we to are forever entwined and inexorably connected to our ecosystem.
That, readers, is the majesty of Trexler Park. It is the majesty of all of our open spaces and it is certainly the same majesty of Yellowstone, Yosemite or Acadia National Park. Walking among the sleeping vegetation on this particular morning I bore witness to the continued moment that is at all times present in our parks. I was left as just another interconnected functional organism in an ecosystem. The difference between the cat tails and I however, is the fact that I am glaringly aware of my place in the order of things and I know what my role is.
It is to assure that this balance continues indefinitely. It is to take the example of Trexler Park to heart and take care of all our parks, our waterways, and our open spaces. Without them, we will be left purposeless. Here, in Allentown Pennsylvania we can begin to demonstrate the thinking that should be shared by all Americans, by all people. We are not alone. We have the responsibility to care for what we directly affect and pollute. We can stop the damage committed daily and we can repair the wrongs we have done. 
The Little Lehigh Creek needs as much protection as possible. Trout Creek Parkway needs the Japanese Knotweed removed. Jordan Park needs its stream banks renewed. The list goes on and on. The point though is that one thing changed for the better will undoubtedly lead to more. It is time to see that change begin to happen. 2010 should be the year when we define our example. 
Beyond Berg: Top 5 Allentown Parks to visit
Posted by Andrew Kleiner in Read this on August 28, 2009
Today is moving in day at Muhlenberg College and in honor of all the students returning to Allentown in pursuit of higher education I offer a top five list of Allentown Park destinations to check out during the fall semester. As a life long “townie” and now as a Muhlenberg College student myself, I will tell you that with the expense of a little gas or spent footsteps, these locations will provide a respite for any student or anyone. Take a chance, take a walk. There is a world out there constantly begging to be discovered and rediscovered.
1. The Lehigh Parkway
The experiences that are possible at the Parkway are limitless. It is a place for joggers, disc golfers, hikers, naturalists and fly fishers alike. There are many places inside the parkway that are worth checking out. There is a fish hatchery, a bait shop, a museum of Native American culture and scattered throughout the park are old limekilns; ghosts of a proposed railway that went up in the bust in the 1850’s.
I recommend four individual hikes, although they can be combined or done all at the same time.
1. Hike One
Park in the lot that is down from the main entrance and across the little open grate bridge; the parking lot is easy to notice just behind the large stone walls that frame the entranceway. Head towards the paved path that leads into the more heavily wooded area. A few feet into this path head up the trail into the forest itself. It is a short but moderate trail hike that provides great views and excellent opportunities to encounter wildlife. The trail will end back on the main paved trail, which after crossing Scrieber’s bridge, will lead you back to the parking lot. Look out for the lime kilns along this path.
2. Hike Two
Starting in the same parking lot, head across the bridge and onto the creekside path. Follow on that path and cross the pedestrian bridge. Turn back and follow the path on the other side of the creek back to the parking lot. This hike offers the best views of the Little Lehigh Creek.
3. Hike Three
This time start at Bogart’s Bridge. (it is the red covered bridge off of 24th street) Head along the paved trail to the right of the bridge. This path offers great woodland experiences and is part of a planet walk that simulates the distances of the planets in our solar system. Once you reach the pedestrian bridge, cross, turn left and the path will eventually take you through Bogart’s Bridge and back to the parking lot. You can see the Allentown Police Academy on this hike.
4. Hike Four
This may be the longest hike of the four. Start at Bogart’s Bridge and follow the trail to the left. You will pass underneath the vaulted ceiling of the route 78 bridge. Keep walking past the Little Lehigh Fly Shop and you will reach the Fish Hatchery which is worth a visit on it’s on. Follow the same trail back, cross the bridge and you will again reach Bogart’s Bridge. Cross it and you will be back in the Parking Lot.
View Larger Map
So, fellow Muhlenberg students, this townie turned Muhlenberg Man has laid out for you five great opportunities to burst that famous bubble and steep yourself in the deep, varied, and wonderful park experiences that are easily accessed from campus. This blog has documented almost all of Allentown’s city parks as well as many nature preserves across the Lehigh Valley and some parks in neighboring cities and townships. Check them out too; perhaps you would like to make your own journey.
Welcome or Welcome Back to Allentown.
See Also:
Lehigh Valley In Site
Walk in the Park 2: One week from Today
Posted by Andrew Kleiner in Uncategorized on July 25, 2009
Next Saturday we will be meeting at noon for a walk and historical tour of Trexler Park. We will be meeting at the main entrance, right down the road from Wegmans.
The first Walk was great and I am really hoping to see more people out this time.
There is a Facebook event page for this meet-up.
Any questions, leave a comment.
Check out:
The first Walk in the Park
Riparian Buffers 3: Trexler Park
Posted by Andrew Kleiner in Uncategorized on July 22, 2009
The Riparian Buffer zone at Trexler Park was one of the first established in our park system and has been rampantly successful.
The buffer is large and covers a great amount of the heart of Trexler Park. Cedar Creek here is cold. While standing in a deep section, I had the unique experience of feeling trout swim around and between my legs. The wildlife that is present here is varied and in abundance. There are many types of songbirds and waterfowl in addition to salamanders, trout, chipmunks, groundhogs, squirrels, snakes and more.
Riparian buffer zones keep excess sediment from building in creeks and help keep the stone and pebbles on creek floors established for wildlife habitat and decreased turbidity:
I have witnessed two different kinds of snakes at Trexler Park. The first was a large Northern Water Snake. This snake is often confused with a Water Moccasin, but the Northern Water Snake is non-venomous. The second type of snake I have encountered is a Garter Snake, another non-venomous species.
I cannot locate the original plans for this area so I have no idea what was planted there in the beginning. I do know that many native plants are present here and flourishing. 
I saw the disturbing presence of one invasive species, Japanese Knotweed but in one area. This plant needs to be removed as soon as possible. I would hate to see this area lose itself to knotweed like Trout Creek Parkway.
There is a small area with no Riparian Buffer alongside part of the creek. Here, you can see what erosion can do to a stream bank:
This Friday, I will be interviewing Dr. Abigal Pattishall about the upcoming Riparian project in Cedar Beach Parkway. If you have any questions you would like me to ask her, leave them as a comment and I will try to fit them in. The interview will be posted for Monday morning.
A Walk in the Park 2: August 1
Posted by Andrew Kleiner in Uncategorized on July 17, 2009
After a very nice and successful inaugural walk, I have decided to set the date for our next one.
The second walk will take place at Trexler Park, at noon on August 1st. I will be guiding the walk and offering historical insight about the park as we make our journey. A facebook event page will be created and I hope a lot of folks will be able to make it out this time.
Mark your calenders! August 1st Noon.
In case you missed my afternoon posting yesterday:
Cedar Creek Construction Update
Invasive Species 1: Japanese Knotweed
Allentown Park Log 9: Trexler Park 2 and Beyond
Posted by Andrew Kleiner in Uncategorized on July 6, 2009
(I discovered that I seem to have skipped park log number nine and moved right to ten. So, this latest park log is labeled nine even though it is the newest one.)
Like all of our big city parks, there is so much area to cover that oftentimes even daily walkers miss many of the places that exist inside them. This log is about the backside of Trexler Park which I did not visit or cover for my park log or subsequent posts.
Behind the statue of General Trexler is a large grassy expanse with the familiar paved walkways cutting through it:
During my visit I was able to see many different birds and try as might they were all rather camera shy, especially the oriole. This is an interesting part of Trexler Park that looks and feels different than the main expanse below the statue. Tilghman and Cedar Crest are visible here and the traffic hums loudly; but the urban distractions serve only to highlight the natural respite offered here.
Further down, the paths lead into a wooded area. There are some excellent south mountainesque views of a developing (fragmented) forest here.
There is a little trail that will take you to an exposed boulder and offer a great overhead view of the area.
At the bottom the path splits. Turning to the left will take you back to the main part of Trexler Park. To the right, over a Trexler Memorial Bridge, a path will take you to another city park, the Allentown Municipl Golf Course. 
I ended my journey at Trexler Park hitting a few golf balls at the driving range over there.
I am not the best golfer in the world but I had a good time hitting some balls. It sure felt strange to be standing in a city park and using a driving range. Goes to show how varied and unique each one of our parks is. 
The Pictures that haven't been posted- Part One
Posted by Andrew Kleiner in Uncategorized on June 20, 2009
When I took this pictures, Spring had just really begun to take hold:
The Spring House:
My brother and blogger Bryan viewing the General:
The spillway of the “lake”:
Some views of the man-made “lake”:
