April 15

From the trailhead, I’m hiking east on the White Pine trail in Lumberjack Park. With overcast morning skies, a gusty north wind and temperatures in the mid 30’s, it seems like the weather has retreated from spring back to winter. Continuing east along the Pine River, my ears tune in to the call of a Red-Bellied Woodpecker while high up the trunk of an aspen tree are fresh, baseball-size holes made by a foraging Pileated Woodpecker. Gazing skyward reveals a leafless canopy. Making my way down to the river’s edge, I pause to watch the flowing water as Titmice sing in the distance. Tracks in the mud mark the place where deer came to drink. Down in the leaf litter, I spot a turkey feather as well as another sign of spring-the mottled leaves of Trout Lilies. Curving north through a stand of tall Red and White Pines, I notice a log covered with harden Oyster Mushrooms that were fleshy and edible last fall. Picking up the Mud Creek Trail, I turn south and approach the creek to observe the disabled bridge that was partially displaced by spring floods. While the bridge is functional, a group of park volunteers are in the process of repairing it. From the middle of the bridge, I pause to watch the water gently flow west where it empties into the river. Following the trail west, I spot some green vegetation in the wetlands as duckweed and sedges appear. Next, I turn south across the boardwalk and pause to observe another sign of spring-maroon sprouts of Skunk Cabbage. Up the stairs, I loop around the Sugar Maple Trail back to the boardwalk, back over the bridge, through the pines, down the slope and pick up the White Pine trail as it heads west to the trailhead. Finally, I make it back to the car where I’m pleased by the condition of the trails and look forward to working on a new section in 2019.

Riparian wonder

Runs free and clear

Carries the fish

Quenches the deer

Washes the rocks

Cleanses the ground

Water of spring

Flows eastbound

Current is strong

Her banks confine

Nature’s creation

River called Pine

D. DeGraaf