Earlier this week, my husband and I spent a day at Ricketts Glen. Specifically, the Highland Trail and Falls Trail.
Being a gal from the South, spending time outdoors and enjoying all nature has to offer is just sorta in my blood. This hike though, it defies all I have ever seen in the Smoky Mountain!
Imagine: 21 waterfalls in ONE BIG LOOP!
Yes, it should now be on everyone's Pennsylvania Bucket List (or even your true bucket list!).
We decided to park in the Lake Rose parking lot after a moderate amount of research and thought as to which direction we wanted to finish. From this lot, its a quick walk down to the fork- left is the Highland Trail and right is the Ganoga Glen side of the Falls Trail.
One thing I only realized late in the planning stage: most people also hike the Highland Trail to complete the loop. Makes complete sense, but it just wasn't clicking in my mind. :)
Our thoughts: Finish with the falls and see the Midway Crevasse first. So, off we went down the left hand path. The path was a nice flat walk, so we made some pretty good time through here, but decided once we reached the Midway Crevasse that we were hungry! So we ate some snacks, enjoyed the peaceful area and sharp rock formations, and then we were off again. I liked how quickly this portion of the trail passed, yet there was so much to see in terms of vegitational varieties.
Once we reached the Falls Path, we almost immediately came upon our first fall of the hike: Onondaga (15') and it was beautiful- the perfect way to start our hike!
Pssst: Be sure to check out our fun Power T shot at the top of F.L. Ricketts (our 2nd falls) over on Instagram :) {@BellaVitaPhotoPa}
After passing the Shawnee and Huron falls in short order- we hiked a little ways, then came upon Ozone (60'). At first glance it didn't seem to be 60 feet, but after we hiked further down, I turned around and saw the following:
While hiking the Glen Leigh side first, you are walking down each fall, rather than up the fall, so you need to stop and take it all in several times (well, at least I did and I cannot be the only person that does this!). :)
This scene is like something out of The Hobbit or Last of the Mohicans. It is just so serene. So beautiful. So pure.
After passing 3 more falls, including the falls for which Ricketts Glen State Park is named after: R.B. Ricketts, we can to Waters Meet. This was a fairly populated section. Many hikers were having lunch, resting on the bench, reading the historical landmarker, kids were playing in the shallow waters and rocks. It is definitely a great stopping point.
We continued on down the bottom of the 'Y' of the Falls Trail, since we decided to see all of the falls on this trail during our hike. The first we came to was Harrison Wright (27') and I can see the allure of this fall to photographers. Especially those photographers seeking the creamy water, summer haze, and serenity that follows this particular fall.
I spent a little time here, soaking in this gorgeous fall, hearing the rush of the water. If I listen closely, I swear I can hear the falls by looking at this picture. What a fond memory!
We finished the next two falls quickly and returned to Waters Meet. Off we headed up the Ganoga Glen side of the Falls Trail. This side was significantly wetter and muddier than the Glen Leigh side. I am really glad we started on the Glen Leigh now, as I would NOT have wanted to hike down the wet surfaces on Ganoga Glen today.
After passing Erie (47') right away, we hiked a little ways, came upon Conestoga (17') and then Mohican (39') which was just inspiring, then Delaware (37') and Seneca (12') came shortly there after. Before I knew it, we were upon Ganoga (94')!
We decided to stop, enjoy the view and eat our lunch here. So did several other hiker families, as well as out for a short view of the falls. It was peaceful, then a little crowded, but if you waited out the loud talking and selfie-taking- it is well worth it and I am really glad we spent the time having lunch here.
Who wouldn't love a lunch-time view like this?
There are only a couple falls past Ganoga and it was thundering, so we were moving at a pretty quick pace. I was at set to get a shot of Oneida (13'), but when choosing between the shot and the camera potentially getting wet... the husband won the battle. It is just another reason to go back! ;)
The final leg of the hike back to the original fork only took us about 10 minutes, so in reality, this hike is loaded with falls, all the way to the end!
Happy Anniversary to my wonderful husband! 9 years of loving commitment to each other- the best 4015+ days of my life.
If you are interested in {traveling} or documenting your vacation, please email us at sarah@bellavitaphotopa.com for more information.
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Be Blessed.
This beautiful little girl was a dream. She slept almost the entire time and just woke long enough to have a good feeding.
I also loved hearing her name story! Her mother read a book, as a young girl and the heroine made a profound impact on her, thus securing this little girl's name on her "must name my baby this" list!
I cannot wait to see how much this little girl grows over the next year- welcome to the BVP family, baby girl!
Enjoy.
If you are interested in {newborn} and/or {baby's first year} package, please email us at sarah@bellavitaphotopa.com
Follow us on {Facebook} {Instagram} and {Twitter} for all the latest updates and sneak peeks!
Be Blessed.
I am just loving all of the Newborn clients that have become Baby's First Year clients recently! Meet Miss E, one of our recent BFY clients. I am so excited to continue to watch this beautiful little girl grow and grow during her first year!
After a week and a half of rainy, rainy weather, the skies parted and beauty shone down on us!
This session is exactly why I reschedule sessions if the weather isn't perfect. My goal is to produce beautiful images you will always cherish.
How does the saying go? Oh yeah, "The sun always shines after the rain." I am a chaser of light and sunlight feeds my soul.
I hope you enjoy these!
If you are interested in {Maternity} {Family} {Newborn} or {Baby's First Year} packages, please email us at sarah@bellavitaphotopa.com
Follow us on {Facebook} {Instagram} and {Twitter} for all the latest updates and sneak peeks!
Be Blessed.
I have been so blessed to watch many of my newborn clients grow during their first year. I swear, I am like a proud parent for each of them- especially when I go through newborn images, picking out my favorites as the first official "throwback" to their newborn session.
Want me to share one of those "throwbacks"?
OK, you definitely twisted my arm. ;)
Can you believe how much a sweet little newborn changes in just 12 short months?!
Well, neither can I.
Here are a few more shots from this handsome little guy's session.
Enjoy.
If you are
interested in {Maternity} {Family} {Newborn} or {Baby's First Year}
packages, please email us at sarah@bellavitaphotopa.com
Follow us on {Facebook} {Instagram} and {Twitter} for all the latest updates and sneak peeks!
Be Blessed.
I cannot believe these twinsies are turning 1. I am SO sad that I am not going to see them every 3 months. I really get attached to my baby's first year clients and of course, these sweet little girls are no exception!
Enjoy these images from their 1 year birthday session and cake smashes!
If you are interested in {Maternity} {Family} {Newborn} or {Baby's First Year} packages, please email us at sarah@bellavitaphotopa.com
Follow us on {Facebook} {Instagram} and {Twitter} for all the latest updates and sneak peeks!
Be Blessed.
I have found that I am the most creative and I produce the best work when I feed my passions.
Sounds simple, right?
I am beginning to realize just how simple this idea is.
Today's post is a #feedyourpassion post. Soak it up, folks.
Butterflies. Who loves 'em? ME.
Who wants to see them? My daughter (and by default, my son). Adventure time!
Regal Fritillary Butterfly: RARE. Only 2 counties in PA are host habitats to this gorgeous little ditty: Lebanon and Dauphin (FIG spans into both counties).
The biology folks at Fort Indiantown Gap (FIG) host a tour for the public to see these beautiful butterflies during peak season, in their native habitat, which happens to double as part of FIG's live fire training ranges. Cool, right?
Even better?
THIS:
Taking the tour and having two A-10 fighter jets flying evasive combat maneuvers overhead. Talk about more bang for your buck (okay, so the tour was free, but you get the point, right?) Anyone have the Top Gun theme song running through your head? No? Okay, how about now? ;)
Anyhow, back to the butterflies.
The very, very knowledgeable biologists, guides and volunteers shared their findings, educated mini groups and walked through the 1.5 mile hike with us. We stopped intermittently to view butterflies, share information on plants and habitats, talk about the birds, you name it!
The following images were shot in a group of butterflies. I was closer, so many of these have more butterflies just off frame. It is a wonderful site to see!
"The Royal March" This one happens to remind me of royalty...fitting, since the lone different butterfly in the front is the Regal. :)
There were a lot of bees around, none of which posed a problem. This one seems to really like the Regal and this Milkweed he is feeding on!
While we were walking along, one of the guides found this extremely social Eastern Box Turtle.
I learned that this particular species is becoming endangered in PA (apparently people liked to have these as pets?). The guide allowed everyone to take a little look, snap some pictures, the biologists marked her and off she went. I also learned that males have a curved bottom shell and females have a flatter shell. This little one has a flat shell, so I am going to call her a female. :)
This tour is one that you literally could take every time it is offered and not see the same thing twice. The drive up to Fort Indiantown Gap is pleasant and it is really nice to get "out" of the city. I will be headed back in the future to learn more about the fascinating creatures.
If you are interested in learning more about the Regal Fritillary, please visit the following sites:
The Nature Conservancy: Regal Fritillary
Regal Fritillary Habitat at Fort Indiantown Gap
PennLive: Regal Fritillary Tour
Bella Vita Photography is available for travel and if you are interested in more {photography outings}, don't hesitate to email us at sarah@bellavitaphotopa.com
Be Blessed.
