Trail Talk – September 2023

The cooler weather that’s promised to us every summer should be somewhere below the horizon. We can only hope. Maybe it shows the age of your correspondent, but our summers seem to start earlier and last longer. And with such a short spring this calendar year, we find ourselves yearning for a cool autumn shower and a moistening of all wild places. And when did we last marvel at the miracle of the rainbow?

The hardy souls who’ve been out and about these last few weeks have begun noticing the subtle seasonal shift. Morning hikes are cooler and starting times have been adjusted to the tardier appearance of daylight. Poison oak has regaled us with its flame orange and crimson red foliage for some time now. Those dull red and purple trunks of madrone and manzanita have shed their skin, replacing the old with the emerald glow of youthful exuberance. Their two-year-old leaves, bug-eaten and scarred from the ravages of a year of hard living, have fallen to join the shreds of their old bark, giving us a slippery, but pleasant crunch, on woodland trails.

It’s a great season for reflection on our fellow travelers, as we prepare for a cooler time of year. Those miniature fence lizards that darted underfoot just a few weeks ago are now more solemn and deliberate in their movements. Feathered folk, who until recently seemed so elusive, begin to flock together, many readying for a migration to the south or to lower elevations. For so many of them, this year’s abundant manzanita and blackberry crop has been a welcome sight after last year’s dismal showing. Blacktail fawns lose their spots. And our friendly woodland black bears feast on the remnant yellowjacket wasp nests: our heroes.

It’s also a good time to be thankful for our volunteers, many who choose to remain unsung, for their constant vigilance and effort to keep our local trails in such good shape. For example, the yearly removal of poison oak along the trail margins might seem a thankless task, but gratitude is resplendent when the volunteers are encountered. The wet season ahead will find these same folks repairing, adjusting, and widening tread, as well as eliminating unauthorized (and often hazardous) shortcuts created by careless park patrons. Winter storms often bring an abundance of downed trees and limbs—certainly to be expected in a woodland area!

In other woodland news, the fuels reduction work will continue when fire season has drawn to a close. Chainsaws will be heard, and, at some point, brush piles will be burned. Many trails along the eastern flank of Forest Park will see temporary closures when crews are in the area. Knobcone Pine Trail will remain closed for the season as that area is most heavily affected by the project. Look forward to a grand re-opening next spring. We ask again that all patrons respect these closures and refrain from removing any flagging. When possible, trails will be closed at intersections where alternate routes are available.