Trail Talk – December 2020/January 2021

By the time you read this, I hope we’re seeing some moisture in our fall skies. I can’t complain about the balmy fall weather that kept my jacket, raincoat, and boots in storage. Working/walking in our forest lands has been quite pleasant. The chilly mornings have warmed rapidly with the absence of humidity. There hasn’t even been enough moisture through early November to bring fog creeping on cat’s feet.

But, oh, how our parched earth calls out for seasonal rains! When I read that cities in the desert Southwest accumulate more precipitation yearly than our fair valley, it tells us things are a bit out of whack. Maybe this will be the year with abundant rainfall and deep mountain snow packs, but isn’t that the same thing we said last year? And the year before? We’re watching our more sensitive Douglas fir forests browning into extinction with the continued drought and subsequent beetle kill. So, continue to look to the skies for those raindrops and snowflakes. Wouldn’t it be lovely to see a rainbow again?

The colors this fall, after a few frosty mornings, have been spectacular. Scrub oaks have been brilliant scarlet and maroon. The big-leafed maples, after losing so many leaves during the hot dry days of early fall, have regained their composure to command the creek valleys with the brightest yellows imaginable. Even the low-elevation aspens found their natural fall golds instead of the sloppy grays that result from too many foggy days.

The forest trails will soon be dustless, we can hope. Mud on our shoes will seem a novelty, and we’ll anticipate the trickle of water in gullies and long-dormant creek beds. With the cold comes the silence, as the birds and frogs find their winter homes. Our resident juncos, with their “Thht, thtt” as they forage will enliven our walks, and the lucky traveler will find Pacific wren in the creek bottoms chirping its work song, as well. Sunny days will bring robins to the madrone trees, laden with fermenting berries, and like drunken sailors, their boisterous carefree cacophony will fill the air.

In park news, many patrons of the Woodlands trails have expressed enjoyment of the new map, particularly the more accurate mileages. For those who haven’t found the map yet, check at the Visitor’s Center and City Hall. Hopefully, we’ll see some available at local merchants soon, as well.

Forest Park finally has an information kiosk at Parking Area P7, courtesy of Eagle Scout Seth Hungerford and his crew. Ironically, the road to P7 may soon prove too sloppy for winter travel, but hikers and bikers should still find it accessible. Maybe with snow, we can ski there.

And all those closed trails near the old dam are an indication that the new bridge is under construction. Thank-you to those honoring the closure. The project is funded by a grant from the Raymond Family Foundation and the City of Jacksonville. Look for completion mid-winter.