Lakeshore Trail - 04/22/09

I decided to celebrate Earth Day by driving out to one of the nearby state parks.  The part of the country I'm in is one of pocket landscapes; there's nothing huge and sweeping, no sublime vistas, no wildernesses big enough to get lost in.  There are, however, a surprising number of small trails good for an afternoon's ramble.  Most of them are under a mile or two in length, so I was excited by this trail, which is nearly 3 miles, out and back.

The drive was unexpectedly windy, with strong gusts shoving at the car both coming and going.  By the time I arrived I was worried that they might be the leading edge of a front, which around here typically means that rain and thunder will soon slam through the area.  I didn't mind the thought of hiking in the rain, but I hadn't brought proper clothing with me, and all I had for the camera was a plastic grocery bag.

As it turned out, there was no rain aside from a few spits; the wind itself was more intimidating, as it made the tops of the bare trees rattle and groan.  I kept an eye out for "widow-makers" as I walked, those leaning dead trees and limbs that could come crashing down if the wind hit them just right.

The terrain was not steep, but did have a roll to it, as the trail crossed several small creeks as it paralleled the shore of the lake.  It was a harder hike than I'd have liked, due to my lack of regular exercise and hormonal interference, but not bad.  It would definitely be worth doing again, on a day when I was feeling less tired. 

 

I saw:

• Gnatcatchers peeping in the trees
• A chickadee
• A heron, which I startled both on the way out and the way back
• Crows
• Vultures
• Swifts or swallows skimming insects above the water
• Ducks
• Canada geese
• A turkey and two deer (on the drive in, not in the park itself)
• Deer tracks
• Fox squirrels
• A chipmunk
• Mayapples
• A morel mushroom
• Three fishermen
• Redbuds blooming

I heard:

• The soft thin cries of the gnatcatchers
• The perturbed calls of crows
• A chickadee's song - and scolding
• The sharp whistle of a chipmunk
• The panicked smack of a heron launching itself into the air
• A bell at a dock across the lake
• The creaking groans of trees rubbing against each other
• The crackling rustle of a small animal hiding beneath the leaves

I felt:

• Buffeted by the wind
• Headachy
• The ground squish beneath my shoes at creeks' edges
• Too warm; thank goodness for layering
• Quiet in my mind
• Anxious about the rising winds on the way back out
• Sunlight on my back

Comments

[Rana]

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