Natural Mid-Atlantic : PA Chestnut Grove Natural Area: An Epiphany Hike to Star Rock

Sunday, January 14, 2024

PA Chestnut Grove Natural Area: An Epiphany Hike to Star Rock

Chestnut Grove Natural Area, Star Rock, 2 miles

We are in a serious snow drought of several years but we've entered a storm cycle sequence now so maybe we have a chance of getting more than we did last year (zero inches) before spring arrives. Our first storm dropped inches and inches of rain and only a few inches of wet sloppy snow. Of course I had to go hike in the sloppiest conditions just to experience a skim of wind-driven slush before it melted into the run-off. With Amos now recovered from his cancer surgeries (for now) and feeling very energetic, we set off for a very wet hike to Star Rock, a fitting destination for Epiphany.

Wetland complex

Owned and managed by Lancaster Solid Waste Management Authority (LCSWMA) this little 170 acre gem is sited within slight view of the large operating landfill at Turkey Hill on a high bluff above the Susquehanna River. The trail system weaves in and around a remarkable selection savanna, grassland, and wet meadow habitats that attract numbers of birds throughout migration and nesting seasons, making this a hot spot for local birders.

Big Bluestem

The entire preserve was designed and planted in partnership with the Wildlife Habitat Council, a large non-profit conservation organization that works exclusively with land-holding companies to help them develop and manager wildlife friendly habitat within their portfolios of working and buffer lands. Today, despite being pulled like a train by a four-footed engine, I was able to see White-Throated Sparrows, Red-Shouldered Hawk, Bald Eagles (3), Raven, and Marsh Wren.

Wild Bergamot seedheads

Up and down an old farm lane we went, finally climbing a slight rise to the wood line overlooking the river. I managed a few quick snaps of meadow plants including my favorite grass, Big Bluestem. Once we made it to the woods, the farm lane ended and a trail carried us the rest of the way to a set of overlooks, Star Rock being the most scenic. By now, poor Amos was a little tuckered out. He hasn't had many long hikes since Thanksgiving and with his muscles and joints out of shape from so much recovery time, he carefully sat down and seemed to relish the break while I admired the view.

Purple Coneflower seedhead

Star Rock and the River

Enough snow remained on the northern slopes of the York County side of the river that it finally felt like winter. I sat a while enjoying the view and the cold gusts of wind. By the time I had gotten my fill of the place, I turned around to see poor Amos shivering, patiently waiting with a little whine. On the way back down the trail, we both slipped and slid mostly into standing pools of frigid water. With the snow rapidly melting and combined with the run-off from the rain, the old farm lane had become swamped. There was nothing to do but walk through it, which Amos particularly did not like.

Flag-tree pine

I thought about my American Orthodox friends in Alaska who sent me a beautiful Christmas card this year. They celebrate the Birth of Christ and the Festival of Light in the old tradition beginning on January 5 and through the day on January 6. It is also Holy Theophany, the Baptism of Christ, that honors holy waters (rivers) through baptism. I had to giggle reverently a little as we waded a half mile through flowing ice water thinking that this was indeed a good day for baptism. For Alaskan Orthodox Christians, Holy Theophany represents and renews a sacred duty to the environment through honoring water as a direct connection to God and the Holy Trinity.

Whitetail Deer

Patches of blue sky showed between racing clouds in the wind. Sunlight scattered across the grass hills and I thought I saw the tilt-and-dip of a Northern Harrier over the wet meadows. I looked hard for the tell-tell white rump patch but Amos was not having me stand still long enough to catch that field mark. He wanted back on dry land and into the warm dry truck. Onward we sloshed.

Up from Star Rock

With the truck running, warming up my shivering, wet coonhound, I stood a moment to honor the richness of the day. Water was flowing everywhere, across the meadows, through the wetlands, down the little stream that soon poured into the Susquehanna. The river will become the Chesapeake Bay and the Bay becomes the Atlantic Ocean. Wind gusted over the grasslands. Sparrows and wrens darted in and out of cover. Then came the familiar and loud retort from inside the truck. "Get a move on it. Let's get warm and dry!" he hollered.

A note on Amos - A Pupdate

Thank you to everyone for sending such wonderful notes, comments, and emails concerning Amos. For those not on my FB page or who know me through other communications except for this blog, here's the scoop... Amos was diagnosed with Mast Cell Tumor Disease, a type of cancer, back in November. After biopsies and a complete mapping of where these tumors were on his body, he underwent surgery to have them all removed. Lots of incisions and big scars! The issue with MCT disease is that these subcutaneous tumors can "seed" into the lymphatic system. A follow up ultrasound scan and x-rays have detected two more tumors, one in his spleen and one on the outside of his intestine which the doctor would like to needle biopsy to determine if these are cancerous or benign. So, we are still on this cancer journey which may include more surgery, chemo, or radiation if one or both are cancerous. For now is he back to his "normal self" but he seems way more sensitive to cold so I'll be shopping for a coat for a 90 pound dog! Onward.