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Sunday, June 11, 2023

Better Than the Average Beaver Pond - Day 434


This afternoon we passed (passed is a key word... not skirted or crossed the dam or waded) this truly lovely beaver pond.
beaver pond


The beaver pond earlier in the day was more of a challenge. Bill contemplates this pond, and he's standing in the opening where the trail used to go. Yes, right into the water.
beaver pond


The Peter Wolfe Chapter folks had flagged a good reroute around it, but it was a big pond, and the reroute was longish and wet. Here's the pond above the dam.
beaver pond


We thought we were going to have an easy 9 miles today because it wasn't very hilly. Ha! There were more than these two beaver ponds. There was a lot of lowland area with cedar swamps and difficult footing. We finally managed to pick up some speed on the final four miles which were more upland terrain through deciduous trees.

The Peter Wolfe Chapter had built some welcome puncheon in key areas that would have been awful to get across.

However, the day was nicely cool and dry. There were some fern fields in the morning, but we only got damp, not soaked. Well, until navigating mud pools around the beaver ponds. The mosquitoes were hungry. We were prepared.
hikers in tall ferns


One treat of the afternoon was finding a handsome dragonfly that held still for a picture. It's not a colorful one, but it is one I did not have a picture of. I think it's an American Emerald.
dragonfly


Miles today: 9.0. Total miles so far: 4769.4.

See Not Wet, Wet

3 comments:

Ann said...

That can't be a welcome sight seeing the trail go right through that water.

The Oceanside Animals said...

Charlee: "I had no idea dragonflies could be fuzzy! I bet it would tickle my nose when I caught it and ate it!"

Sharkbytes said...

Ann- fortunately we saw the blue flagging tape for the route around at just about the same time.

Charlee- I know! They are mostly shiny and buzzy and crunchy. But this one is fuzzy