Wednesday Walk: Spring is mucky!

I headed out for my Wednesday walk a day early. The snow has been disappearing rapidly -- that's wonderful -- but as optimistic as I am, I still reached over my running shoes to the back of the closet for my hiking boots. That's what you call "experience."

Arriving at the trail, my suspicions were confirmed. It's going to be a mucky walk. Yuck! Still, it feels like spring and judging by the cars in the parking lot, everyone else thought so too.

Our recent ice storm left more damage than I thought. I had driven by some downed branches and trees on my way here and the people who maintain these trails had already been out nipping back branches and sawing through logs.

Spring snow is soft and wet but it beats mud.

I sometimes wonder if these bird feeders were unwanted Christmas gifts. On my return trip, there was a squirrel in this one and it was pretty comical but I just wasn't fast enough with my camera.

It's really slippery and a wipe out would be cold and wet.

This is where some trees had previously fallen after a big windstorm but some of this is new.

I have walked this trail enough times that I was expecting some dry spots. I was also expecting some really wet ones.

This is more like it.

I always stop to examine the oak tree where I snapped the photo of the sleeping porcupine but no porcupine today. I have only seen squirrels and little birds.

Down a hill, around a bend, and there are more fallen trees. What you can't see here is all of the water. I was jumping small meltwater creeks and using the logs people throw in the water for stepping stones. It all drains from the higher areas to the left down towards the quarry/beaver pond far to the right. I took photos but didn't realize until later that I was having memory card errors.

Last year's damaged tree has a purpose. They used to remove the fallen timber but now they leave it for nature to do its thing.

It looks like another type of fungus on this old log and I see green leaves!

Turn right at the sign post.

The wind storm of the other year really made a mess here. Now this spot is notable for where I met the porcupine.

No porcupines today but there is a squirrel on the railing. I will try to sneak up on it.

Cute!

This was a quarry, the remains of a cave whose roof collapsed. Beavers damned the far end and it's mostly bulrushes but there is some open water.

And to my left.

Stay alert and you will see life all around you. I love the little chipmunks.

A big puddle forms here. Give it another week of melting and those logs will be necessary. I can't believe how much snow left in the last week.

This clump of cedar is full of fascinating holes.

I think they were made by birds but I once walked up to one for a peek and a wasp flew out!

Just past the trees, I turn back at this marker ever since they closed the trail ahead.

Old Quarry Trail P5 to A23 to the scratched out B23, not far. Incidentally, that Trans Canada Trail on the map follows an old railway bed in this area and it's part of the 28,000 km trail that runs across Canada connecting to local paths and 3 oceans.

I paused to snap another too quick chipmunk sitting on the bridge when I spotted a ripple in the water, and there they were, two very quiet Canada geese.