"The Muck", State Game Lands 313, Wellsboro Junction, PA, October 2013

My fall on a trail in the Catskills along with the long drive into Tioga County sapped my energy levels for the remainder of my October vacation, and I wound up doing very short trails. Fatigue drained me and a stiff back limited my movement. But short trails can be rewarding, and my condition didn't keep me from one of my favorite. I went to play in the muck. 

"The Muck" is a short trail to a blind in the middle of State Game Lands 313,  on Dresser Road off Route 287 in Wellsboro Junction. The trailhead parking leads to a gravel trail and boardwalk. The trail is only a hundred yards or so long, and leads to a large blind in the middle of the wetlands. SGL 313 is on a major flyway and birders come from all over to observe; while there was no one there when I arrived, earlier that day a family from Baltimore had visited. I spent twenty minutes in the blind, sitting on the benches staring out the windows at the surrounding wetlands and mountains, and at a passing canoe. The light was perfect for photography, and the ledges on the windows made great platforms for the camera. I'm in love with Tioga County, and The Muck is one reason why. Once again I'm running out of words, and so I'll let the photos do the talking for the rest of this post. If you want more information on The Muck, the Tiadaghton Audubon Society web page is as good a source as you can get: http://www.tiaudubon.org/Muck.htm