Worms, wisdom and biking trails | Outdoorsy Newsletter
And we’re steering clear of the smoke.
If it wasn’t for our poor air quality conditions, I’d be telling you to “get on your biking shoes” in the tune of one classic Arctic Monkeys song. But thankfully I can still (safely) bring the outdoors to you through this newsletter.
⛅ Your weekend weather outlook: Friday may see some showers, with a high near 76 and some smoky haze in the morning. Saturday and Sunday should be sunny, so expect temps to reach into the 80s. Follow The Inquirer’s liveblog for ongoing coverage of the air quality in our neck of the woods.
Today, we’re scoping out the next spots to see once the smoke clears, including the top bike trails and Philly’s last bait and tackle shop.
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— Paola Pérez (@pdesiperez, outdoorsy@inquirer.com)
I was curious what my Outdoorsy readers are most excited to do outside this season. Several of you mentioned biking and cycling.
We have hundreds of miles of trails in the Greater Philadelphia region, some with riverside views, others with historic attractions, and all of them with plenty of fresh air.
Reader Kevin Johnson shared his favorite: “The Pennsylvania canal starting at Bristol that goes all the way to New Hope is a great ride.”
That sounds like the Delaware Canal Towpath. It offers a ride full of nature and history, and winds through several quaint towns.
🚲 Length: 58.89 miles, but there are shorter loops stemming from the trail if you aren’t up for an all-day adventure
🚲 Location: South Delaware Drive/SR 611 in Easton to Jefferson Ave. in Bristol
🚲 Best for: Hybrids and mountain bikes, or road bikes with thicker tires
🚲 Terrain: Flat, crushed stone trail
🚲 Kid-friendly: Yes. The trail is intersected by roadways in several locations.
Thanks to Kevin for that recommendation. There are other bike trails worth your while in our area. Go for a ride with the full list here.
News worth knowing
Our big story this week is the massive amount of smoke from Canadian wildfires that blanketed much of the Northeast. We saw the worst of it in Philadelphia on Wednesday, the city’s worst air quality day in a decade.
This is all happening while the region remains starved of moisture. Last month was the driest May on record in Philly.
Some haze is expected to linger into the weekend. We’re all about exploring the outdoors here, but you should keep the following in mind as conditions change.
Philadelphia’s air quality reached “very unhealthy” levels — and even hazardous levels — due to ozone and fine PM 2.5 particles in the wildfire smoke. These very small droplets can be dangerous because they can go deep into your lungs.
Sensitive groups are especially at risk, but even people without underlying health conditions can expect to feel the effects. We asked experts and city officials to answer questions about what this means for everyone’s health.
Officials urge residents to take precautions and avoid the outdoors, or wear a mask if you do have to go outside.
Keep an eye on your pets. Veterinary experts say air quality is a serious matter when it comes to their health. See what they said about about protecting your pets.
You can check air quality conditions in Philadelphia by visiting the city’s official website, or use AirNow’s interactive site for rankings across Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
🎤 Now I’m passing the microphone to Jason Nark. You’ll always find his work here.
Photographs of people holding fish have faded, like memories, just beyond the front door of Brinkman’s Bait & Tackle Shop.
Back in the day, between World War II and the new millennium, getting a Polaroid pinned to the wall of your local bait and tackle shop was a high honor. At this Northeast Philadelphia shop, on the corner of State Road and Linden Avenue since 1961, there was a picture of a woman kissing a largemouth bass, two guys hoisting a bluefish in front of a city rowhouse, and some guys chomping cigars in bloody butcher’s coats about to filet a fat striper.
“We had a guy bring in a tuna that barely fit through the door. There was the carp guy who caught a piranha in Philly. We had the state record crappie weighed in there, but it’s been broken a few times since. There’s too many to remember,” said Bill Brinkman, who sold the shop in 2018. “A lot of those folks in those pictures are long gone.”
A few hundred more photos lined the walls at Brinkman’s but most customers hurried past them Saturday morning, their pockets full of cash, hoping to get a deal on the shop’s last day after 62 years. — Jason Nark
Continue reading in Jason’s full feature story on the loss of worms and wisdom.
Give Mother Nature an inch, and she will give you 9,400 acres of splendor.
You may have heard about the Franklin Parker Preserve in New Jersey. But did you know it was once home to the third largest cranberry operation in the United States?
20 years ago, it was sold to the nonprofit New Jersey Conservation Foundation by J. Garfield Demarco, a longtime GOP, multimillionaire party boss. Then, nature took over again.
Today, we get to enjoy a Pinelands hiking gem connected to 250,000 acres of public conservation land. That land makes up five state properties: Brendan Byrne State Forest, Wharton State Forest, Bass River State Forest, Greenwood Wildlife Management Area and Penn State Forest. If you’re down to check it out, here are some tidbits to know:
🌳 The preserve is open to the public. The parking lots fill up on weekends, so get there early.
🌳 It has four trails of its own, totaling 21 miles. You’ll find heads at two entrances: Chatsworth off Route 532 and Speedwell off Route 563.
🌳 Hiking, trail biking and horseback riding are allowed, depending on the trail.
🌳 The trails are mostly flat, passing through open meadows or through dark pine and oak forests. They roam across foot bridges and a suspension bridge, with views of the Wading River, ponds, and the savanna.
Continue reading my colleague Frank Kummer’s latest to discover why it’s called the “Heart of the Pines.” 🔑
Fast facts: Tick edition
Going outside means encountering all sorts of creatures and critters, including ticks.
Ticks are out and about, hungry for blood, and most active through September. Many species feed on humans and domestic pets, and can transmit diseases like Lyme disease, the most common tick-borne illness in the northeast.
I recently learned that Pennsylvania is home to more cases of Lyme disease than any other state. But the good news is, there are steps you can take to protect yourself. Let’s start by arming ourselves with knowledge.
There are three common species: Blacklegged ticks (known as the “deer tick”), American dog ticks, and Lone star ticks. They can all transmit disease, but only deer ticks carry and spread Lyme disease.
Before you head outside: Use insect repellant, or spray your clothes with products containing 0.5% permethrin (a pesticide that kills ticks). Some brands even sell clothes pretreated with permethrin. And speaking of clothes, go for long pants, high socks and light-colored options.
After you come home: Conduct a full-body tick check. If possible, shower immediately, and throw your clothes into the dryer so that the high heat can kill any stragglers.
Check your pets from head-to-toe: Look closely between their toes and inside their ears. Talk with your vet about tick-preventative products.
...And now I’m itchy.
📮 Got any good anti-tick hacks? Let me know by sending me an email.
Continue reading on how to protect yourself and your furry friends this season.
15 seconds of calm from somewhere in Pennsylvania
🎤 Jason says: This was taken along the Appalachian Trail in Duncannon, Pa.
Soaking up that view, goosebumps form and I can almost feel the breeze.
🏕️ Your outdoors experience 🏕️
Last week, I called out for your stunning Valley Forge pics, and you did more than deliver. You stunned me. Thanks to all of you who responded with beautiful snaps.
The photos above were sent in by Joseph “Jed” Ellwood. He shares: “I started taking my two young boys to see the sunrise at Valley Forge during the pandemic, and it has become a regular occurrence for us. We love Valley Forge; it’s my happy place. I love to run there early in the morning as well.”
I hope those images warmed your heart as much as they did mine. I’m a sucker for a serene sunrise and sunset. Did you catch that cool fog?
📮 Give us a review of your outdoors experience for a chance to be featured in this newsletter by emailing me back.
👋🏽 Stay safe out there, and enjoy the day in whichever way that brings you joy.