Part 2 of Two Hikes on a Spring Trail

Last week I took you on a hike in Roaring Brook WMA and as promised, here is the same hike along the same trail on the same afternoon in March. To my thoughts, Wayne's objective for this particular hike remains obscure; but the dogs and I were more than happy to tag along.

This is the VAST trail that connects the Vernon Town Forest to RBWMA . It descends Huckle Hill to Vermont Woods Studio, crosses Huckle Hill road and continues through the Village. 

We've hiked up and down this way many times. Ginny and Luna know the way well.

Wayne looking to satisfy a curiosity about a trail he thought branched off from here. 

While Ginny was more interested in taking her first swim of the season.

 Luna hikes the same trail time and time again with her nose in the lead. To Luna, this trail changes with every hike. Without her long lead attached, she would be off chasing bears.

As for me?  Sometimes Wayne grows impatient with my inquiries into nature. 

He follows his path and I follow mine.

Until something captures both of our attentions and gives us pause. We see this practice often in the RBWMA. One mature seed tree in a stand of saplings.

Even though this trail is well worn and straight forward, this upturned tree on the trail is a landmark for me. I have no sense of direction whatsoever and so coming upon it brings with it a sense of place. Someday, as it should be, this tree will be reclaimed and I will have no choice but to move on from its comfort.

We find ourselves walking atop of last year's bounty. Last year lays on top of the year before, which has turned into soil from which new growth comes. It takes about two years for oak leaves to decompose.

Here is where Wayne went off script and reclaimed his hike from me. We had arrived at the steep hill snowmobile sign and he decided that we had missed the elusive branch in the trail he was in search of.

 

He walked right through what only can be described as a paper birch graveyard and past what looked to be an old cellar hole. Wayne had heard rushing water and decided to find it.

Streams forming several paths intersected at this one place even though our maps didn't show any in this area. Wayne chose one and we followed it.

All new paths seem to go uphill.

One last look at the remains of winter flowing down into the valley awakening all that it touches.

We decided to follow the stream up to its headwaters. 

What we found was a catch basin surrounded by hills and ledge.

A horseshoe formed of stone.

Wayne once again waiting for me as I made connections,

at the place where the water sprang up from the earth and where water flowed down the rock to fill the basin on it's way down to the pools and river. 

Then rejoining Wayne,

to discover that we were at yet another place just steps from the main trail. A place where nature repeats her message on another canvas. Two hikes on the same day, on the same trail, at the same time. -Norma Manning