Christmas Rocks and a Big Surprise

On March 10th Joan and I drove down to Christmas Rocks State Nature Preserve. The morning was chilly but bright and promised to warm up quickly.

We hiked along the low-lying stretch of gravel road between the parking area and a chunk of private property enclosed within the preserve,

and soon were thrilled to observe a meadow of skunk cabbages emerging from the boggy area on our right.

Skunk cabbage is a thermogenic plant: it generates heat to thaw frozen ground and melt snow and ice as it sprouts. It also emits a foul odor that attracts pollinators. (The male and female parts of a skunk cabbage mature at different times, avoiding self-pollination.) In this photo a cabbage has split open to reveal the flower cluster within.

After Joan and I tore ourselves away from the show, we marched on past the private property,

Photo from February 2016

into the preserve. At junction C we began the steepest climb of the route, up to a sandstone promontory.

The trail climbs to the left and then takes a right turn. Here's a photo from the lookout.

This one's also from February 2016

After wandering and descending to intersection D, the main trail, we soon reached the spot where an old road crossed the creek. Depending on how high the water is, you can cross partway or entirely on stones and slabs. Looking upstream ...

Pause to look at your feet and observe the ripples.

Joan and I then followed the trail past intersection E and climbed up the ridge at the furthest extent of the blue loop. Along the way we encountered the leaves of an orchid, the rattlesnake plantain.

After completing the blue loop, we turned around and traversed it clockwise rather than counter-clockwise. Things always look different, or even choose to reveal themselves, when we hike in the other direction.

A massive fungus is giving this tree a beard.

A closeup.

This tree has been a woodpecker restaurant.

On our return we reached the gravel stretch and then passed the house, thinking we were about done. We weren't. A burbling din filled the air when the came around the curve. Wood frogs.

Click on the image to enlarge.

Lots of wood frogs.

We had hit the magic time when these woods-dwelling frogs emerge from hibernation and seek ephemeral pools to breed. The day had warmed enough since Joan and I arrived to draw them out.

And the sound and hopping about ...

Joan and I were extremely lucky to have picked Christmas Rocks on this particular day.

Dawes Arboretum, East Side

 On March 3rd Joan and I took advantage of a rare sunny day to visit the Dawes Arboretum, primarily the wilder east side.

Click on the image to enlarge.

Before reaching the tunnel under Route 13, whereby one accesses the east side, we passed through the witch hazel plantings; witch hazel blooms erupt before almost anything else.

After reaching the east side it was a short walk to the still-frozen Scout Pond.

Soon after finishing our inspection of the pond, we heard and then spotted a pileated woodpecker some distance away. The camera wasn't as good as the binoculars, but it was good enough:

The trail has been rerouted over the years due to various heavy rainfall and wind events, such as the derecho of 2012, which

deepened ravines and knocked out bridges.

The furthest east point on the trail overlooks the gorge of Quarry Run.

Much of the landscape here is the result of being on the edge of the Wisconsin glaciation, about 20,000 years ago, when the glaciers began to melt and retreat.

On the way back Joan and I encountered this exuberant moss pushing up through the leaf litter.

The southern edge of the east side holds a Native American mound structure, once eight feet high and forty feet wide. The Arboretum removed encroaching plants in 2015. I don't have a photo of the mound, but there's one in the lower right corner of this sign.

When we passed through the final meadow before reaching the tunnel, we spotted a cluster of insect galls that were reflecting bronze sparkles of sunlight.

Joan and I did some tromping around the more manicured west portion of the Arboretum, but I didn't take any pictures until we passed this tree in the main parking area.

A lovely spread of branches, but the head is now missing!

It was another good walk in the woods.

Rhododendron Cove and Rockbridge, Winter Hike

On a warmer mid-January day Joan and I laced up our hiking boots and ventured down to two state nature preserves, Rhododendron Cove and Rockbridge, both also documented at a warmer time of year here (for Rhododendron Cove) and here (for Rockbridge).

We started at Rhododendron Cove State Nature Preserve. Accumulated snow and sleet lingered in pockets.

We soon discovered critter tracks.

Not all were from the same creature.

There were plenty of sandstone features on the climb to the ridge top.

Amazing interactions between the stone and trees. Click on the image to enlarge.

At the top there are views into mini canyons, formed by blocks shifting downhill after splitting from the main mass.

Much of the ridgetop walk looked like this.

I'd say there's been some soil loss, or perhaps a log rotted away, since this tree sprouted.

After finishing our walk at Rhododendron Joan and I drove a short distance to Rockbridge State Nature Preserve. The trails were less crunchy here; we enjoyed the warming day but spots on the trails were treacherously muddy. In other, shadier and less trodden places, ice and snow lingered.

This tree and slope combination caught my eye.

I apologize for no photo from above the rockbridge, but there's one here from another visit.

At the viewpoint for the rock bridge, which we were underneath.

Let's apply a little blush with the Deep Dream Generator.

Joan and I added the rock shelter loop to our hike. Here Joan provides some scale for the rock slabs, center top.

We were treated to a few hawk sightings, but I was able to catch only one distant photo.

Joan and I have met a lot of folks taking hikes for the first time in these less well known state parks and preserves. We're all eager to be outdoors in a safe space.

Today was great; it was therapeutic; it was invigorating. So rare to have a day outdoors in January!