Ellen and Joan Work and Walk at Crystal Valley

The morning was wet and cold, with ice on the windshield that had to be scraped. But Ellen and I had plans to be outside, so we weren't going to be deterred by that. We decided to go to Crystal Valley Ski Area, and do some cleanup on the trails.

She's an avid skier (I'm only mediocre), and belongs to the association that maintains those trails. So we pulled limbs and sticks out of Loop 4. Clearing them makes it easier for the groomer, and a smoother surface. Even if there is a lot of snow, loose branches have a way of working up or twisting up to trip a skier.



By noon, the sun had come out and the woods was really pretty. It was seriously difficult to pick just a few pictures. You can see how many leaves have fallen, and yet, there are still occasional trees like this one.



Frankly, when the sun shines, even the less bright leaves are outstanding. Here are some white oak.



I leave you with the find of the season... the largest red oak leaf I've seen this year, maybe ever. Ellen will model it for you.



In addition to cleaning Loop 4, we walked Loop 5. It's not completed yet, but is all flagged, so we could follow it. All together, we hiked more than 6 miles.

	See It's the Oak's Turn
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