Notes and changes since last report:
- It was cloudy, 50° and calm at 1:30 PM on October 31, 2012.
- There was a fair amount of damage from hurricane Sandy, mostly on the Cary Pines Trail.
- Today was the last day of the season the grounds were open to the public. Grounds reopen April 1, 2013.
The Trails
- It was cool and gray as I looked back while heading towards the Scotch Pine Alleé.
- I knew picking up sticks from the storm would warm me up and I could see the first up ahead.
- The bigger ones I would leave for the guys with equipment.
- As I continued, I could see more ahead.
- Close up, it was bigger than it had appeared.
- It was actually picturesque from some angles.
- The rest of the way to the Fern Glen was just sticks.
- There I could hear the water under the bridge, but it wasn't that high really - we'd only had 1/2 inch of rain.
- The wind, however, had removed all the leaves of last week's interesting Solomon's seal.
- Continuing out on the Cary Pines Trail, I came upon the next large tree down.
- So intent was I on clearing branches from the path that I was almost startled when I noticed another knot of fallen trees in front of me.
- Then I came upon the biggest pile of the day.
- Even the view from the other side doesn't convey the size; this was several double or triple trees that fell across each other... centered on the path.
- This was just uphill from the Acid Rain kiosk - on one side of which lie a dead tree...
- ... and on the other, a fallen hemlock.
- There was nothing sizable along the Wappinger Creek Trail or through the Old Pasture until the Sedge Meadow Trail where lie the last piece of an elm that had been collapsing all summer.
- An optimistic note to end this last walk of the season was in the front Old Hayfield: a single yarrow with fresh, untouched blossoms.