Report by Jim Ipsen. Twenty-four brave souls assembled at the trail head of the Stamford Rail Trail toward Grand Gorge, for what turned out to be a five-plus mile (round trip) hike to Mayham Lake. Our group got started after a brief history lesson about the rail line from Ron Weiss. Thank you, Ron. It was overcast but the enthusiasm to get started was evident, (probably due to the cool temperatures). We had one new trekker, Anne Webster, join us; welcome Ann. We all walked at a good pace, covering the ground in relatively short order. About a quarter of the way into the hike we were greeted by honking geese and Guinea Hens from a local farm. Someone pointed out an Eagles nest near the lake, while we paused for our group photo. A white-frosted top to Mt. Utsayantha was visible to our west. Our hike back to the trail head was at a bit slower pace than going out; but still fairly brisk. Hiking on a groomed rail bed, makes for an easy hike, allowing us to cover a lot of ground. The overall elevation change of less than a 100 feet, made for an easy go of it, too. How fortunate we all are to have this common bond to look forward to every Tuesday. After the hike about half of us stopped at TP’s restaurant for lunch. A fitting end to a most pleasant few hours of genuine camaraderie.
Group photo by Allen Taylor.
Other photos by Laura Sause.
Susquehanna Chapter 