Nature Center Trail

"The lesson which life repeats and constantly enforces is 'look under foot.' You are always nearer the divine and the true sources of your power than you think."

John Burroughs
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With a clear, blue sky, no wind and the temperature around 10 above, the afternoon was ripe for hitting the trail. Today's trail was the New Richmond Nature Center trail on the west side of town that runs along the Willow River south of old Highway 64.




I've been down this short set of trails in the spring, summer and fall, but not in the winter. Although empty today, others had made tracks of the trails. I could tell dogs had been taken for a walk. After a quarter mile hike along the Willow River, you are greeted with "No Trespassing" signs. Since I was following in the deer tracks and the deer had obviously trespassed, I kept following the tracks.

With the ice solid and a ready tree to steady myself, I slide across a frozen finger of water that marks the end of the trail during the warm weather months. After crossing the ice, the banks of the east side of the river get steep and challenging. Along a few treacherous stretches of trail, I used small saplings as support, in case I hit a patch of snow-covered ice and went sliding into the river below. What's a hike without a little danger?

When the terrain became to steep to continue violating the trespassing laws, I dusted the snow off a fallen tree, sat down and took a few pictures. I'm just starting to get the hang of my digital camera and took a few shots of the scene above. I like this picture the best.

While I sat on the log, geese few south around the river and a hawk flew up the river. I couldn't tell what type of hawk it was, but I don't think it was a red tail.

As I made my way back up the trail, I noticed the view of the picture above. There was a fallen tree in the right spot to sit and take a few pictures. After taking some pictures, I just sat and listened.

Water gurgled. Lone birds chirped from different directions. A tree popped loudly. Ice shifted. Sunlight glittering on the water through the trees. A large wasp nest dangling from a tree branch. Taking in the random sounds of nature, I'm always reminded of the musical composition Peter and the Wolf.

It felt good to breath in the fresh air and feel the cold on my cheeks.

As the sun began to sink towards the horizon, it was time to go. I made my way up the trail and headed back to my car.