Lookout Point and environs

[tigertoy]

The weather forecast said it was likely to rain all day, and more likely to rain in the afternoon than the morning, so my plan was to get up early and head over to Kennekuk to walk in some areas that I figured would be less soggy with recent rain than many of the places I like to walk, because sinking up to my knees in mud doesn't appeal this week.  When I woke up, a thunderstorm was in progress, so I didn't rush to get out as early as my plan had indicated, but by 10:00 I realized that it had stopped storming and looked decent (for a while anyway), so I got in the car.  Given that I was still expecting rain, and my contingency plan was "get wet", I left my camera at home and my shirt in the car.  I drove to Kennekuk and started down the Lookout Point trail.  The bushes were wet -- it had rained there too earlier in the morning, but by the time I actually got through the woods to the lookout point (which was probably deserved its name more a few years ago before so many trees grew up to block the view; it's fairly close to the river but you can't see it in the summer), the sun had come out.  I took the trail down to the river, but there were many trees down and the trail eventually disappeared.  I could see the river from several places, but couldn't actually get to the edge of the water -- it seems like it used to be possible to get down to the river without breaking your own trail but it isn't now.  I walked around in the area, and then past the pond to the parking lot by the barn.  The cage where the red-tailed hawk had been was empty; apparently the poor thing died.  (It was a rescue that was too hurt to be released, or so the sign said; I think it was an exhibit for classroom trips.)  I then started down the road into the marshes, assuming it would be too wet to go on the interesting side trails.  There was a dead critter on the road that I was afraid was a baby otter, but it was probably a muskrat.  About this point I started to realize that I was starting to accumulate a fair bit of time in the sun without a shirt, I hadn't put on sunscreen, and I probably was going to get a sunburn if I stayed out much longer, so I decided I'd see if I could get to the martin house without having to swim, and then go home.  I made it to the martin house without even a squish, but it seems to have fallen into disrepair and there didn't seem to be any martins.  Then, since it was so much less soggy than I expected, I decided I'd see how far I could get toward the beaver lodge (not expecting that to be very far) and amazingly enough I was able to go all the way along that branch.  The monarda is starting to bloom, and I saw a sphinx moth!  Then I headed back to the car.  I wasn't walked out but I decided it was better to go home and have lunch than to get sunburned, and since the sun had come out, it was getting hot and humid enough that I'd be uncomfortable with the shirt on.

I was out for 2 hours; probably between four and five miles total.  I suppose I should get a pedometer.

Comments

Walking trip

[markiv1111.livejournal.com]

Like all your posts, well-written and quite interesting. I am commenting primarily because I haven't talked to you in a while. It sounds like a nice fun walk and it is good to hear from you.

Nate

Re: Walking trip

[tigertoy.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the affirmation that there's somebody out there!

[birder2.livejournal.com]

Lookout point used to be a really wonderful view; it's too bad that it's grown up to the point where you can't see it any more.
Pedometers are fine if you don't loose them, says the woman who had hers disappear in Utah.