Fifteen people came out to hike the trail west from Ross Flats (formerly Duhamel) campground.
These days, it’s hard to know how to dress hike when the mornings start so cold and fresh. Thank goodness for layers, because even though the skies remained overcast, the day warmed up comfortably.
And there were almost no mosquitoes! This really is the best time of year to hike.
In the oldest part of the forest, where it is least dense, there are ripe elderberries everywhere. In other areas, we found flora that we don’t normally see, probably because of all the moisture we’ve had this year.
Along a ditch, we found swamp smartweed, in a meadow we found an early blue violet blooming again, and in the forest we found a prominent tapioca slime mold (Brefeldia maxima).
Thanks to trail maintenance for their work in clearing the trail. You can find more photos on Flickr.
