Our hike went off without a hitch until we met a flooded portion of the Wetlands Trail, which forced us to double back to find a dryer trail. We hiked for over three hours, but I have a feeling we could have stayed longer. I am positive that there are trails that we did not explore, and that there are photo opportunities still waiting out there in the wilderness.
The weather on Saturday was perfect for spending the day outdoors. It was not so cool that we had to wear layers of clothing nor was the heat sweltering. While the weather was favorable, we encountered a few of the inhabitants of the area. None were dangerous; one in particular sparked an interest. We discovered the Spittle Bug, which is a funny little creature. Here are a few of our group inspecting the creature
Discovering this little creature was fun. It sparked our imagination a bit. It really was protected by the "spittle" I would have never thought that a grown bug was in there.
Of course there were butterflies, and trees abound. My favorite trees were not on dry land so to speak. They were in the water, and were old and in a state of decay of some cases.
This tree had certain spookiness to it, especially with the reflection in the water. I could imagine a witch story or some other spooky tale being told about this old tree.
As for wildlife, we managed to not see any dangerous animals. This is a little surprising, considering the environment we were in. One spot particularly could have surprised us with some snakes!
I just loved the green on the water, but couldn't you just imagine a snake slithering out of that green film and just making us run. I don't know about you all, but I prefer to let the snakes have their space!!
We did, however; see some gentle, graceful, unassuming wildlife, in the form of butterflies. There were naturally all over the place, but they really aren't still for long, you have to be alert and watchful to catch one while it is standing still.
During our hike we came upon a place that looked like it could have at one time been a roadway. There was a clearing in the trees that was long and narrow so that cars could have passed. Almost like those back country roads that are so much fun to drive down when you need a break from the highways and traffic.
It almost looks peaceful now that nature has taken over, assuming that it was once a roadway.
But of course there were wildflowers abound. At the start of the hike, there were a few at the trail head
But at the end of the expedition, we came upon the field that is behind the education center at Clear Creek Natural Heritage Center, which was just filled with wildflowers
If you ever have a nice afternoon or day and are looking for something fun to do, I recommend the Clear Creek Natural Heritage Center. It was a great way to spend the afternoon.
1 comment:
great pics.... and you did stumble on an old road. It's still used for maintenance when its dry enough. Clear Creek is an awesome place to visit, never see the same thing twice.
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