R I C K E T T S G L E N
Ricketts Glen State Park is my favorite place in Pennsylvania. It has old growth trees, beautiful autumn color and great rock formations. But the star of this show is the water and the 25+ named waterfalls that are formed as Kitchens Creek tumbles over shale outcroppings from Lake Jean down to the lower elevations.
I have visited this place multiple times a year for many years in all seasons and it is always different, always my favorite place. As Edward Abbey said many years ago in Desert Solitaire… ”Every man, every woman, carries in heart and mind the image of the ideal place, the right place, the one true home, known or unknown, actual or visionary.”
There is so much to see and enjoy at Ricketts Glen - colors reflecting in the moving water, orange and yellow leaves covering the autumn trail, or water gently dripping over closeups of moss-covered rocks. Spring comes later to Ricketts Glen and Autumn comes a bit earlier because of the elevation - so choose any time other than winter and enjoy!
Autumn Snow At Ricketts Glen
I took advantage of my retirement at the end of September and visited Ricketts Glen four times in the Autumn of 2020. A couple trips were dedicated photography trips and some trips were to share the experience of this great place with family and friends. Autumn is truly special at Ricketts Glen. What is most striking for me is how the fallen orange leaves cover everything… the trails, the rocks, the water itself. I think of it as Autumn Snow! I’ve always made time to visit Ricketts Glen at least once each year. Now I can come here more often and really spend some dedicated time to learn its magic in detail.
Considering Our Place In The World
As I write this, we are in a lockdown due to the Covid-19 global pandemic - hopefully a once in a lifetime event. I found this image from several years ago and it immediately grabbed me - perhaps because of the situation we find ourselves in today. We are forced to isolate ourselves from other people and it’s become clear that we don’t have the level of control over the universe that we sometimes think we do. The small lone figure isolated against the vast backdrop of nature seemed to capture what we are experiencing today.
B Reitenauer April 18, 2020
