Thursday, October 3, 2019

New Chanterelle trail

Chris studying today's hike
Only seven Senior Trailblazers decided to stay on a local hike and not head up to the High Country, since the chance of rain had expanded to 80% in the area of our original destination. And with a long drive in order to walk in rain, we chose to explore an old favorite, the Chanterelle trail, which has recently been doubled in length. The extended trail only opened a week or so ago.
Map that shows the old and new trails
Chris and Rich both volunteered to work on this trail during the summer months, and I must say the trail is wonderfully engineered and cleared of all brush, with three new bridges installed as well. We hiked up the black line (from the P showing where we parked). The picture below shows the viewpoint today, with rain looking imminent.
Viewpoint
This viewpoint has been the final destination for hikers and bikers on the Chanterelle trail (2.4 miles), unless you wanted to walk up the service road. We've done that many times, but today, we took the red line to the new terminus of the trail, 2.6 miles, making the entire trip 5 miles one way.
The new trail
When we started our hike, it wasn't raining, but threatening to at any moment. After a short while, a few sprinkles gave us the impetus to stop and get our rain gear on, as well as our pack covers.
Al walking in the light rain
The temperature was cool, comfortable except when we would get a gust of wind, as we hiked up the pretty trail for the first time. As long as we were moving uphill, we stayed warm, even in the rain.
Our lunch spot
This is where the trail ends. It runs into the service road and is much more pleasant to navigate than the road. But it wasn't all that warm, once we stopped, and Chris is struggling to make her fingers work as she donned another layer before starting her lunch. We didn't stay too long, but it was much nicer once we got our extra clothing on, for all of us.
A section of the new trail
Then it was time to head back the way we had come. I saw this picture showing part of the brand new trail as we started back. I was just amazed at how much better this trail is than the road, and how well it has been constructed. Thank you, Chris and Rich, and all the others who made this happen.
Banana slug
We saw this bit of wildlife on our way back, a huge banana slug, which was moving quite quickly across the ground (for a slug, that is). I think it's rather pretty. They are native to the area, while the black ones are not. Our friend Peggy always moves them off the trail and out of harm's way.
Mushroom bouquet
We also saw this green mossy area with a fancy mushroom border. It was a nice thing to see on a trail named after a mushroom, although this is not a chanterelle. I've never seen one on this trail. Yet.
Sunshine!
And then, not long before we reached the cars, we saw the sun come out. It got brighter and more delightful as we made our way back the way we had come. I'm not sure how the other group fared, as they decided to go up to the High Country, even with the forecast. I do hope they had a day that was as pleasing as ours was. We covered ten miles and 2,300 feet up and down. I'm feeling tired but happy, with my knee even feeling pretty good. Yay!
:-)

15 comments:

  1. It's always nice to see that tails are maintained. Some of our trails are forgotten as far as maintenance is concerned.

    ReplyDelete
  2. It looks totally delightful. Thanks to the education you and other bloggers have given me I recognised the banana slug before it was named.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Beautiful, all of it, even the slug!

    ReplyDelete
  4. So pristine (except for the slug). I love the densely wooded area with the trail that is ever-winding.

    ReplyDelete
  5. That's a beautiful view! It looks like a nice trail.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Nice hike. I have begun walking around the block over here, after a long hiatus, and it's been difficult. I can't imagine hiking like you.

    ReplyDelete
  7. How fortunate to have such lovely hiking trails provided and it's neat the the hikers help maintain them. So glad your knee did so well on the 10 miles. Think you are back.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Dear DJan, congratulations on your knee doing so well! All your recuperation work really did work! Walking is such a wonderful form of exercise I think--for many reasons, but the one that appeals to me the most is that all our senses are involved! Peace.

    ReplyDelete
  9. An impressive hike on a beautiful trail. Even with the threat of rain it looks wonderful!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Yeah for an okay knee and a great hike!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Beautiful trail! You're fortunate to live in a p-lace with such dramatic scenery!

    ReplyDelete
  12. I always love walking with you vicariously. It's all so very beautiful. I can imagine the cool air and the smell of the pine trees.

    ReplyDelete

I really appreciate your comments! If you see a word verification box here, just ignore it. I don't use the darn thing and Blogger is trying to get us to use it, I guess. Ignore it and your comment will still appear.