On Saturday, February 2, we held our annual Winter Hike on the Harmony Trail. The temperature was in the mid-30s and the rain/snow mix the night before made the wooded sections of the trail icy. Although it was Groundhog Day, no one reported seeing any groundhogs.

Starting at the northern trailhead at Route 910, seventeen hikers and one dog headed south, following the gravel trail surface recently restored by the gas company after their pipeline work. We took the Brooktree spur trail, crossed Wexford Run on rocks, then up through the Brooktree office complex. We crossed Route 19 and headed into North Park, following the Bluebird Trail over to the north ridge trail, which meanders along the ridge before descending to the lake. The distance was nearly six miles and took about two and a half hours.

We ended at the Beaver Shelter, site of the Rachel Carson Trail Challenge finish this year, where everyone enjoyed brownies, cupcakes, and tea and cocoa brought by Marian Crossman and Patty Brunner. Many thanks to Mark Eyerman for organizing it!