Features
Hawk Mountain a great weekend getaway
By Joseph Hart
Get away for the weekend.
Leave that homework for Sun
day night, that's when you
usually do it anyway, right?
Grab some friends, pile in the
car, and take a drive up to
Hawk Mountain.
Why Hawk Mountain? Where
else can you spend all day for
$1.50, see beautiful scenery,
watch hawks and eagles up
close, and make brownie points
with your humanities professor.
(Pretend you are going to
Mount Olympus and tell the
prof. you saw visions and
received an omen from one of
the migrating eagles.)
When the weather is nice on
the mountain, the hike is worth
making for the scenery alone.
The trees are ablaze with the
reds, greens, and yellows of
autumn and the air has the
crisp tingle of oncoming winter.
Being on the mountain when
the weather is overcast and
windy doesn't sound like much
fun but this is the best time to
spot hawks. During windy days
the birds ride the deflected
wind currents down close to the
ridge line, coming within a
stone's throw of Hawk Moun
tain's North Lookout.
If you visit the mountain this
week or the next the majority
of birds you will see are the
red-tail and red-shouldered
hawk, the marsh hawk, and the
goshawk. The golden eagle
which migrates out of the north
can be seen as it flies past
North Lookout during the windy
days of November.
A golden eagle seen up close
is really impressive, having a
six to eight foot wingspan and
weighing close to fifteen
pounds. This is a big bird. A
hawk, for example, has only
about one third the wingspan
and weight of a mature eagle.
If you want to see an eagle up
close before you go up to the
North Lookout, Hawk Mountain
Sanctuary has a lodge with ex
hibits of the various birds of
prey that pass by each year.
The lodge also sells spotting
guides, T-shirts, and other
memorabilia.
Feathers in the Wind or A
Field Guide for Hawks Seen in
the North East are two pam
phlets you can use on the moun
tain as guides for spotting
various types of hawks. Both
works are available at the
Sanctuary lodge.
From the lodge it is just a
short walk to
the South
Lookout
where you can
see part of the
Great Valley
system and the
River of Rocks.
The trail after
leaving South
Lookout begins
its ascent
towards the
North Lookout.
For the next
mile the
trail becomes
steeper and
occasionally
rocky in places.
After reaching
North Lookout
sit down and
take it easy,
the hard part of
the trail is over.
Going back is
all downhill. At
the lookout sit
back, enjoy the
panoramic view
of the valley,
have some lunch
and chat with
your friends
while the hawks For in depth information A
and eagles soar past. Guide to Northeast Hawk Wat-
Eating lunch will probably Ching is available in the library
make you wonder where the Information is also available
toilets are. You might not have from:
noticed them but there are two
sets of outdoor facilities placed Hawk Mountain Sanctuary
along the trail for those afraid Association
of bears in the woods.
Kempton, Pennsylvania 19529
When the weather is nice on the mountain, the hike
is worth making for the scenery alone.
Page 15
A pleasant day on the moun
tain can be had, even in bad
weather, if you know what to
bring. Since the sanctuary
doesn't sell food, bring a lunch
along and don't forget
something to drink. Hiking robs
your body of water through
your sweating and exhaling.
Dress according to the
weather conditions. If it is
cloudy, bring a water-repellent
jacket. A knit cap and some
gloves are also nice to have
while sitting for any length of
time. Wear shoes with thick
soles. Don't wear sneakers as
the stones will bruise your feet
and bang up your ankles.
If you know someone with
binoculars, bring him along so
you can use his glasses. A
camera is nice to bring for pic
tures of friends and scenery but
don't expect to get a picture of
a flying hawk or eagle unless
you have a telephoto lens. (The
lodge sells postcards.)
A trip to Hawk Mountain in
the fall can be an exciting day
away from the boredom of
school if you dress properly and
bring something to drink. You
could even bring something to
read (heaven forbid a school
book), if you just want some
place quiet to read for a while.