Trail Talk – November 2024

ONE CONSIDERS THE THANKSGIVING SEASON most often from the perspective of gustatory delights, time with kinfolk, and brilliant change of the seasons. Here in the Siskiyou region, we can be thankful that the long, hot, dry summer days have yielded to more temperate conditions, beckoning us into the woodlands that surround our valley. Heading into the shorter, darker days of onrushing winter, we stand on the shoulder season, collecting our harvests and planning our celebrations. Be we garden foragers or forest foragers, be we venison hunters or fungi hunters, it’s the season of plenty.

For too many years to count, we’ve attended the road races and trail runs that seem to crop up like so many seasonal mushrooms. Our legs and feet seem anxious to get out on new adventures. Our lungs yearn to breathe afresh the cooler autumn air, now rife with the scents of falling leaves and newfound moisture in the dusty, thirsty earth. Grateful hearts welcome the changing season as the longer nights give us permission to lie abed a bit longer, to linger over the steaming beverage on a frosty morning. The whole world takes a deep breath. And we venture forth, aware of new sights and sounds.

It’s the change of the season that delights us, the knowledge that we live and play in an environment where there’s noticeable differences throughout the year. For many, the first snows bring anticipation of time spent on skis. For others, the cooling rivers bring the hope of healthy fish runs. The fall colors yield to winter’s blast and we scramble to remember just exactly where we have stored our heavier jackets, gloves, and hats. We have permission to drive a bit more slowly on icy roads, to linger in the warmth of a winter’s hearth, and to daydream of adventures to come.

Our small town with the big heart recognizes and wishes to bestow gratitude on the myriad volunteers who make it such a delightful community. Early risers see the litter being collected along the downtown streets and in the parks. Flags go up and flags come down in celebration of days of national recognition. Common areas are spruced up: painted, weeded, and pruned. Woodland trails are cleared of obstacles and the treads maintained. To live, recreate, and shop in the town is made more pleasant through the efforts of so many who give so much.

One such group of volunteers helps to maintain the “bench challenge” in Jacksonville’s Forest Park. For the uninitiated, it is an invitation to visit the more than fifty trailside benches placed along the hiking and multi-use trails throughout the park. Shirley and friends have placed notebooks and pens at each of the benches to sit and record your thoughts and observations as you enjoy your well-earned rest. With the fuels reduction work, a few new benches are being added, and the location of other benches has been modified. Happy hunting and happy trails.