Even though it is only 50 miles from my home in Luzerne County, I never visited Swatara State Park in Lebanon County until a few weeks ago. And, I never heard of Bordner’s cabin until I visited the Park. I enjoyed my hike on the Bear Hole Trail on my first visit so I returned to the Swatara State Park last weekend. This time I parked at the Swatara Rail and Sand Siding Trailhead. It was mostly sunny and a seasonably cold 32 degrees when I arrived around 8:30 a.m. I was the only one at the parking lot.
I began my hike on the trail and received an unpleasant surprise, there was snow on the trail. The snow near my home and the Susquehanna Wetlands had all melted in a warm rainstorm a few days earlier. I thought it would have melted here too, 50 miles south of where I live. I don’t like walking in the snow anymore, which you would know if you have read my recent blog posts. But it was the first day of Winter, the Solstice was a 10:09 a.m. so I guess snow anywhere in Pennsylvania should be expected this time of year.
The snow wasn’t very deep and more of a nuisance on this part of the trail. I walked through the mostly maple woodlands along the trail. There were also a lot of large old black walnut trees which was a sign there were once farms fields along the trail. The 10 mile Swatara Rail Trail was once a Reading Railroad Company spur running from Lebanon to Trement and ran along the Union Canal. It was used to haul anthracite coal and was abandoned in the 1960’s and made into a trail in the State Park.
The leafless trees in the woodland were brown and gray. I did find some familiar greens along the trail. There was a lot of still green leaves on the invasive Japanese honeysuckle shrubs,
and here were invasive, frost covered garlic mustard,
and wild garlic plants growing along the wide trail.
There were not many birds active on the trail. I only saw a flock of dark eyed juncos. T he trail is not far from Interstate 81 and you could hear the traffic.
The trail continued for a 1/2 mile when it took me through a woodland with some hemlock trees.
The trail split here and I planned to hike to Bordner’s Cabin because of recommendations from a couple of friends. So I took the Sand Siding Trail,
over a series of 4 bridges
that spanned what I believed was the old Union Canal,
and the two branches,
of the Swatara Creek. It was nice walkover the bridges on this cold, now Winter, morning and I am sure it is beautiful in the Spring and Summer when the woodlands are green and filled with bird song.
After a short walk on the other side of the bridges I came to the Bear Hole Trail.
The trail took me between Swatara Creek and the a ridge below the Interstate 81 highway. The forest was denser and older here. Our State tree eastern hemlock dominated the first stretch of the trail. Large rhododendrons grew along the ridge.
Flat-branched tree or princess pine club-moss,
shinning club-moss,
intermediate wood ferns,
and Christmas fern grew beneath the hemlock trees. It was nice seeing so much green in dreary December.
After about a 1/4 mile I came to a mixed deciduous/pine woodland with red maple, beech, black cherry, basswood, birch, oak and tulip trees.
The ancient tulip trees towered above the trail.
I also encountered snow. Parts of the trail were covered in snow and was very slippery from tire tracks that created ice on the trail. As I slowly walked on the trail. Christmas ferns now covered the side of the trail below the ridge. I never saw so many Christmas ferns in one area before. Rhododendron thickets were growing above the Christmas ferns. I imaged how beautiful it would being June when the rhododendrons will be blooming.
The wasn’t much bird activity on the trail. I only saw this downy woodpecker on tree trunk.
After about mile on the Bear Hole trail I came to the iconic Bordner’s Cabin. I immediately loved the place. The log cabin was situated above the trail along fast flowing on Rattling Run and below Aycrigg’s Falls. It was built in 1939 by local teacher Amar Bordner using log and other materials from the nearby forest.
I expected the ruins of an abandoned structure and was surprised when I walked inside. It was dark but I could still see the cabin was well built and remained intact.
I was drawn to the picture window and spectacular view of Rattling Run flowing swiftly, and loudly, down the ridge. Aycrigg’s Falls could be seen on the ridge top. Mr. Bordner was a lucky man to enjoy this view until his 94th birthday in 1994. In the 1970’s homes in the area were taken by eminent domain for Swatara State Park. Bordner fought the state and won. He was awarded a lease in the cabin until his death.
I left the main room and stepped onto the deck
I stepped onto the deck over Rsttling Creek. Mr. Bordner was influenced by Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater when he built the cabin. His cabin was not a as grand as Fallingwater , I visited this beautiful structure situated in the Laurel Highlands of southwestern Pennsylvania, but certainly did a great job in his imitation. I am we have this rustic imitation here in Northeastern Pennsylvania…