While summer time is arguably the season where the trails are used the most, with shady places to stop and rest and abundant wildlife, every season on the trail has its highlights to enjoy. In spring you can witness the trees coming out in leaf, shrubs flowering and migrating birds stopping as they pass by on their way to their summer homes. In the fall, as the days grow shorter, many areas of the trail burst into bright colours as the sumac and other trees and shrubs turn multiple shades of colour.
The trails in winter have their own uniqueness. With the trees and shrubs bare of leaves, the trails seem starker but at the same time larger with a wide-open sky. Winter trail users might see local birds or squirrels picking apart the sumac flower heads as they feed, or rabbits making trails in the fresh snow. If you are quiet and lucky enough you might even see a fox or coyote or at the least their tracks in the snow. If you are less lucky you might cross a skunk.
This winter has been snowier and colder than usual but the trail is still being used. Between snowfalls and drifting winds walkers continue to trampled down the snow making a narrow walking path and allowing access along most of the length of the trail for other walkers, runners and even a few bikers. Cross-country skiers have made their own paths through the deeper snow enjoying the straight sections of the trail. All these actives turn the “stark” landscape into a vibrant setting for health and recreation.
Don’t let the cold keep you indoors; embrace the season and discover the silent, beauty the trail has to offer. Bundle up, step outside, and make the most of this snowy season.