PA Martic Forge

 #48 2022 52-Trail Challenge: Martic Forge/Conestoga Trail Section/ 2 miles

A pair of trails within two miles of each other made for a perfect pairing of morning and afternoon hikes. The Conestoga Trail section in Martic Forge is now within a protected area called the Fox Hollow Preserve and though some improvements have been made to the parking situation, it is still best to get there early to avoid now illegal roadside parking and try for a spot in the small 3-car lot where the old Martic Tavern used to be. My daughter-in-law Rachel and I each scored a parking space and with grandson Sawyer snug in his backpack, we were off to see how far we could go on  this cold, icy day.

Pequea Creek 

I love hiking here in the deepest cold of winter as natural springs and rock seeps create some spectacular ice formations and the creek flows greenish-blue the colder it gets. There were sections of trail that were solid ice but walking on the leafy edges worked well enough, until we got to a steep descent that crossed a small feeder stream. We decided steep steps and ice-slick stepping stones weren't worth the risk and turned around for a mile out and back on the old trolley bed.

Pequea Trolley rail bed is our trail

Rapids through the canyon squeeze at Susie's Hole

This is one of my favorite sections of the Conestoga Trail, especially in winter. The deep canyon and whooshing drops of Susie's Hole catch just enough winter sun to throw some awesome golden light, but not so much as to melt skirts of ice on the creek and curtains of thick icicles that ornament the rock walls. With our recent deep freeze, every little ledge seep and spring had turned to into ice sculptures. Sawyer had his first taste of a fresh-picked ice dagger and smacked his lips in approval.  

Resinous polypore, Ischnoderma resinosum

Winter color change

Pequea Creek makes a dramatic drop through a canyon, the rapids adding extra oxygen to the cold water and causing fine bottom sediments to become re-suspended after a good tumble. In cold winter weather, with the creek approaching freeze-over, we can catch the sweet spot of river color change as low sun, fine limestone suspension, and cold water combine to turn the deep holes a glowing aqua green. An observant winter hiker can witness a range of vivid colors as the coldest season progresses and this little spot on the Conestoga Trail never disappoints. 

#49 2022 52-Trail Challenge: Martic Township Trail/ 2.5 miles

Navigate carefully!

After our morning hike, Rachel and Sawyer headed for home and a good, warm lunch. I continued on to the next hike of the day by driving just up the road a mile or so to the Martic Township Park and trailhead. This is one of those trails I've put off so long because I live close by and always figure I'd get to it someday. Today was the day. I was surprised by how quickly I was off-trail, bushwhacking my way through the woods. What happened to the trail?

Choice #1 - icy tree trunk bridge

The blazing on this trail system needs work and so trails of convenience have flourished across a great ridge of Chestnut Oak and Red Oak. I had to consult an AllTrails app several times to get  myself unlost, but it was clear that the crowd-sourced map also had people wandering around the woods to find their way. When in doubt, head downhill. I soon found a trail of yellow tape except that it was on the other side of a happy little coldwater creek. Being solo, I had to decide which option for crossing offered the least amount of risk. I hopped up on a well-used but high crossing log and found it to be slick with a skim of ice. So, I bushwhacked upstream until I came to a shallower but broader reach and just waded across. Brrrrr! I actually waded the creek three times to stay on trail. Note to self: best do this trail in summer. 

Lots of wet-foot crossings

The yellow trail followed the stream as it tumbled down its steep gradient through a deep ravine. A few more wet-foot crossings and I came to the pinch-point where a set of splashy ledges invited a beautiful rest.  I found a great patch of Tree Moss growing in its favorite environment of spray-soaked rocks. Tree Moss is widespread in the Northeast and Eastern Canada, but an uncommon find unless you find a place like this that fits exactly its preferred habitat. Tall (by moss standards) and luxuriously soft, Tree Moss does indeed look like a small forest of pines.

Tree Moss, Climacium dendroides

In gratitude to Robin Wall Kimmerer

I sat with the Tree Moss in the warm sun and cold spray for a long time and thought about how I came to love the mosses thanks to Robin Wall Kimmerer, bryologist and author of Gathering Moss  (2003). In Potawatomie  stories, the moss beings are the keepers of the memory of the water world before land was created with Turtle Island. As a member of the Potawatomie Nation, Dr. Kimmerer weaves science and indigenous understandings of nature in her writing, blending scientific and cultural knowledge. She is one of my favorite naturalists and writers. I gifted Rachel with her book Braiding Sweetgrass ( 2015) this Christmas Eve.

Splashy ledge 

A world made by moss, water, and stone

It is so easy to miss the mosses and easier still to miss their meanings. They invite us to sit quietly among their ledges and logs and marvel at their complexity and superpowers. They are makers of immense landscape and healers of broken lands. They have a lot to teach us about persistence and patience, sharing and community. 

Yellow blazed trail (can you spot the tape?)

Last crossing is dry but beat up

As I said goodbye to the Tree Moss I continued on down the yellow-taped trail to the only bridge across the creek, crossed it, and began the long steep climb up out of the ravine and across the oak ridge to the parking area. Not a high mileage day, but a day filled with beauty and reflection, shared in part with the people I love and a community of tiny green beings that so inspire me. 

Notes:

Robin Wall Kimmerer reading from Gathering Moss for the excellent podcast for Emergence Magazine. Here she blends scientific and cultural knowledge of transient states of moss and climate change. https://lithub.com/robin-wall-kimmerer-on-what-mosses-can-teach-us-about-persisting-amid-climate-change/

Martic Township Park and Trail  https://www.martictownship.com/_files/ugd/c2837e_3505a9472c834831afc3e71edaee34b6.pdf

Fox Hollow Preserve managed by Lancaster Conservancy contains this beautiful ravine section of the Conestoga Trail (often referred to as Martic Forge Trail - though the remains of the old foundary are not on this section) . Note that on the map here it shows the trail crossing Pequea Creek using the old trolley line path, but the old bridges have been gone for some time now and the hiking trail continues on the south side of the creek. https://www.lancasterconservancy.org/preserves/fox-hollow/