The ridge I’ve been hiking on is called Blue Mountain. Other than the challenge of negotiating the rocky terrain, it is quite beautiful.

I dropped into Lehigh Gap and crossed the Lehigh River

On the other side of town is the Palmerton anthracite coal mine. Zinc was also processed in Palmerton.

It is a Superfund site and the ridge is a hodgepodge of rocks with few living things due to toxins produced in the mining process.

There is a process going on now to “remediate” the mess and grow plants and trees on the barren ridge. It was disheartening to hike through such a disturbed place.

Earlier in the day, some nice things came my way.

Wintergreen

This stalked mushroom was growing 3 feet up the side of this tree

Red maple

I came upon this scene. Anyone want to speculate on what happened here?

Glad I’m not that junco,

Junco