Finding A Forgotten Park

The past year my wife and I have been so focused on finding places to go that we have had a tendency to overlook some of the places scattered around us. Today we were driving around after a failed attempt to think of a place to go while sitting in the apartment. We drove up and down different streets that we hadn’t seen in years if not decades. As we approached Bryn Mawr I suddenly remembered a small park just off of South Ithan Avenue that I haven’t explored in probably 15 years, maybe longer.

Turning down the old road my wife was confused as to where we were heading. Turning left through the gate and over the bridge the look of bewilderment only grew as for all the years that she spent living on the Main Line she assumed that where we were going was an entrance to a private home. With only a couple of other cars in the lot it was clear that there still isn’t a lot of people that know about the park hidden in plain view. The park, opened from dawn to dusk, seemed to be a bit forgotten with an overgrown lamp and washed out hills around the parking area.

This was proven further when we attempted to walk down the paths along the creek which were overgrown and, in some instances, blocked by fallen trees. With little luck making our way further along the bank of the creek, we headed back and ventured onto the path heading up the hill toward the highway. What seemed to be an old road or driveway had an eerie feeling in its overgrown state and it made me wonder where this road used to lead.

After a few minutes exploring a bit of each path and taking a handful of pictures, which was the real objective of the afternoon, we slowly made our way back to the bridges. It is here that you can really see how dense the trees are along the creek and how old some of the growth is that is fighting to reclaim the park. There is even, for lack of a better word, a mystical quality to some of the trees that seem to live both on the bank and in the water.

 

 

On the other side of the bridge it seems a little lighter but still with a dense canopy muting the light and intensifying the green leaves handing above the water.

 

On a warm spring day it was nice to revisit this park that I had long forgotten existed. With the rare exception of the occasional travels down this road, I rarely think about this place. It was nice to revisit this place a saw on a daily basis riding the bus to school and explore the light and shadows as they danced across the moss covered sides of the bridge.

This will definitely be a park that we will explore again this summer when we are better prepared for the overgrowth. Glad we now have an option close to the apartment to explore when we need a break from all the driving that we will be doing this summer. I guess it just goes to show that sometimes you just have to search your own memories when you are looking for a place to explore.

 

When Was The Last Time You Went Spelunking?

 

The last time I went spelunking at Crystal Cave in Kutztown, Pennsylvania was when I was in elementary school about 20 years ago. I don’t remember much about the fieldtrip but it didn’t take much to have the memories come back to me once we stepped foot into the screening room near the entrance of the cave. While the clacking of the projector was now absent, the movie remained the same which allowed my childhood to come back to me.

With the heat index nearing 100 degrees, the 55 degree coolness of the cave was a welcomed change from the sweltering summer soup. It took some time for our eyes to adjust and the rock that surrounded us had little detail at the beginning.

Soon some details began to emerge and we were able to take a closer look at a few of the columns that surrounded us.

Fortunately, we are not in an earthquake area as the fault line ran right through the middle of the cave.

With our pupils fully dilated, the beauty of this other world began to show through with what, at first glance, looks like a garden of hanging carrots in the corner of the first room.

Our bearings established, we made our way deeper into the subterranean world.

Like many city streets that surround our neighborhood, even caves have pot holes. However, I have never seen a gap in the asphalt that looked like this one.

This second room is where the colors of the cave displayed the natural mosaic that provides warmth that is difficult to explain in words or pictures.

The growth of formations can also be witnessed by way of the variety of stalactites throughout the network of tunnels. From infants…

… to pubescent mineral deposits.

When viewing this progression of forming formations we are reminded here and there that they can easily be gone in an instant.

Walking over the stunted stalagmites we also took note of the immense lake that sits just beside one of the upper platforms. This body of water is also known as Lake Inferior.  

The flow of water in the cave is not limited to the slow drips from the ceilings and the pools scattered about the ledges, it also forms waterfalls frozen in time…

…and surrounded by small patches of moss from the artificial daylight.

Something to keep in mind when spelunking, especially when frequently looking through a viewfinder, is that a slight tilt of the head can make you a little dizzy…

…and make you feel like the roof is coming down on you.

So take your time and enjoy the colors that surround you…

… and don’t be afraid if it feels like someone is looking over you.

By taking your time and looking around at the different textures, colors, and formations you experience such an amazing variety of feelings.

There are different points throughout the tour where I would look up and see a clear autumn night full of stars.

But what took my breath away was when I looked off to the far end of the room and saw what looked like scaffolding climbing up the rocks.

It looked much like what I would imagine the structure that Michelangelo would lay on to paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. When I looked up I saw not a depiction of G-d but the work of G-d’s own hand.

Thankfully I had captured all the images that I wanted to before that discovery because there was no way that I was going to be able to follow that photo. So we headed toward the light and into the seasonal stranglehold. Crystal Cave was a completely different experience as an adult and I would encourage a visit for those that may have seen it as a child (the same can be said for most local caves). It was an interesting way to relive a small part of my childhood and see things from a completely different perspective.

To concluded our day trip this weekend we grabbed a quick bite, enjoyed a swift game of miniature golf, and spent a few minutes and a couple dollars browsing in the air conditioned souvenir shops (you can read about my discover at one of the shops in my previous post). With all buildings explored and the heat beginning to diminish our energy, we headed back to the car and made our way home. Now it’s time to rest up for next weekend.