The Boy Scouts Camp at Roundtop

Posted on April 16, 2011 by Pat Miran

April 10, 2011

The sky was overcast but it was comfortably warm when Karen and I headed for the park. We packed our cameras in pouches and took pictures along the way. Into the park we trotted pass the pond and down Bobcat Road.  We stopped when we reached the large playing field and baseball diamond which was dotted with colorful pup tents. I remembered seeing the Boy Scouts’ camp last year. We turned away from the camp and took a trail that parallels the road. It was the first time we had been on the trails since fall; through the winter we traveled on the road. Most of the snow had melted and the trails were good not too muddy. We circled back to the barn, feed the horses apples and turned them out to pasture.

When I returned home I told my husband, Moe, about the Boy Scouts. We decided to hike into the park and talk with them. When we reached their camp we met Scout Master Hazen and some of the Boy Scouts from Troop #1 Athens.

“We saw you riding with your friend earlier. This is our club’s camping trip called New Scouts Outing designed for first year Boy Scouts moving up from Cub Scouts”, Scout Master Hazen said.

“What activities do the boys undertake?” I asked.

“The Boy Scout can choose from over a 100 different merit badges in a variety of skill areas including horseback riding. The program is designed to help boys develop social and life skills and prepare for their future careers. As a community service, on this outing when the boys break camp, they will clean out the trash from the woods surrounding their encampment to help with park maintenance,” replied the Scout Master.  

We said farewell to the Boy Scouts and hiked a mile or so back towards our car parked at the gate. It was a lot different on foot compared to the leisurely horseback ride earlier in the day. The sun tried to peek out from behind the clouds as we trudged along the soggy trail. The ground was still frozen but the surface was muddy and wet. We took a short cut through the woods, climbed a very steep incline, and rested on a rock half-way up the hill. Finally, we made our way back to the car and drove home.

For more information about Troop #1 in Athens, PA go to Troop #1 Boy Scouts

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The End of Hunting Season – December 12, 2010

Posted on April 11, 2011 by Pat Miran

Karen and I saddled the horses and rode up to the park. The temperature was in the lower 30’s, and it was windy with overcast skies. In Pennsylvania there is no hunting on Sundays, and deer season was almost over only four days left. Usually on Sundays there are a few people taking advantage of the fall foliage and the opportunity to safely walk in the woods. We were feeling relaxed and pretty sure that we wouldn’t come across any hunters.

A big truck was parked in the lot near the gate but we didn’t see anyone. We rode by the pond and up a wide open trail to the top of the park. The view was breathtaking with the entire valley spread out below us. We planned to ride down a trail from the picnic area leading across the park and then pick up Bobcat Drive on the west side of the hill which heads back to the barn. Suddenly a rifle report shook the air, and the horses jumped bolting a few steps. The shot was directly down the slope in front of us. We waited a few minutes and didn’t hear anything. We headed towards the trailhead when another shot hit the cold air this time closer. We decided not to take a chance and turned back down the road heading out of the picnic area.

Karen turned to me and asked,”Pat, have you ever been shot?”

I thought a moment and replied, “No.”

She said, “When I was younger my brother’s friend had an accident with a gun and was shot through the thigh. It took a long time to heal and was pretty bloody and painful.”

I reflected on that thought as we descended toward the pond and arrived at the intersection where West Park road turns and cuts across the park. We decided it was safe to go through the park as long as we stayed on the road. A short distance up the road, we met a tall, muscular middle-aged man in an orange jump suit carrying a high power hunting rifle.

We exchanged friendly greetings and after he passed I turned to Karen and asked,”Do you think he knows there is no hunting on Sundays in PA?”

She said, “I didn’t know, but I sure wasn’t going to ask him while he was carrying such a high powered weapon.”

The woods were deadly quiet the rest of the ride. The cold wind whipped across the open places. The sky was grey, the trees bare and the puddles were crusted over with ice. We hurried through the park finally returning to the warmth of the barn and the safe sweet smell of hay.

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Snow Riding at Roundtop Park, PA

Posted on March 29, 2011 by Pat Miran

Winter 2010-2011

Snowstorm after snowstorm fell across our region of the Southern Tier all winter long, turning Round Top Park into a winter wonderland. I rode with Karen and Marilyn through fresh snow, deep snow, falling snow. Throughout the year, the trails were used by horseback riders, hikers, four-wheelers, bikers and people walking their dogs, but in winter the park became empty, a place of profound quiet and tranquility.

Before the snow came leaves blanketed the muddy earth, and then the mud froze making the trails hard to traverse.  When our horses tried to walk over the uneven, icy ground their hooves sank, slipped and slide.

At the beginning of the winter some trails were better than others. A beautiful trail which wandered through a pine forest along the side of a steep ravine and led to a small creek was passable. However, the pond overflowed and the water froze across a wide grassy expanse making that part of the trail extremely dangerous to cross. Ice hidden under snow was an ever present hazard, as well as rocks and other objects buried by a snowstorm.

The winter season brought a tremendous amount of snow. The three of us rode on the main road which cuts through the park, and stayed off the trails. The road wasn’t plowed; however, the hard packed roadbed gave an even surface and good traction for the horse’s hooves. The freshly fallen snow provided a delightful and thrilling experience when the horses broke into a trot or canter.

Crisp, cold mountain air mingled with falling snow throughout the quiet woods. Animal tracks showed us that there was abundant wildlife throughout the park. Once we saw a small possum run across an open field barely visible in the deep snow, another time a flock of turkeys rushed onto the road and into the forest. Of course, everywhere we looked deer leapt and wandered all over the countryside.

All good things come to an end. The snow stopped falling sometime in March and turned to rain. The change brought new adventures, the pleasures of spring, renewal and the promise of summer.

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