8/30/13 Sunkhaze Meadows

Cold morning- 50 degrees when we got up at 6:00. I didn't feel like a long drive so we picked nearby Sunkhaze National Wildlife Refuge. We started with the Johnson Brook Trail which was much drier than we expected.

Some leaves turning

We took the spur to the beaver pond before doing the loop and found the water low there too. Kelley didn't care for the deep mud around the edges but eventually plodded through to get in the water.

Still some creatures around

Some of the bog bridges on the loop trail have become quite warped.

This leaf was on the bridge

There is a side trail called the 'Birch Grove Spur' . We have tried it several times but never found a birch grove. The trail starts out in good shape and even has a nice bridge

but soon becomes overgrown with lots of uncleared blow downs. We usually fight our way for a ways and then give up, which was what we did today.

Back on the loop you come to the cedar swamp which is very pretty. Because of the very contrasty , light my pic does not do it justice.

Other than the beaver pond there was little water along our hike but Kelley did find mud puddles to get into and ended up quite dirty. We drove to the Ash Landing Trail- a short trail to the Sunkhaze Stream- where Kelley could have a swim and get cleaned off.

A nice two hours in the woods- 70 degrees when we finished.