Sometimes the best part of the trail is actually looking up. It seems a lot of the time people are so focused on moving forward they never take the time to stop and observe what's around them. I love how the sun illuminates the outline of all the branches and the moss. It's rare to have a beautiful sunny day during the winter.
The trail comes up to several clearings, looking out onto a sort of side lake or slow moving stream. The sun shines over the tops of the trees behind you, illuminating the opposite shore. The water looks so calm and it's quiet. At this point, the road noise is gone and the only thing you can hear is the occasional far off motorcycle or high flying jet.
The trail takes you back inside the trees, with the sun beaming in through the gaps. The air temperature is slowly rising and the fog is lifting. The fresh, crisp air is like heaven. The patches of gravel crunch under your feet and woodpeckers can be heard working away in the distance.
After a few bridges, you can see water again. There are a lot of ducks peacefully swimming and resting on logs. A cool breeze drifts in from the water and the trail grows slightly muddy. It's tough to get close enough to photograph the wildlife without scaring them away, my camera lens doesn't zoom much!
The trail continues on, but this is where I turn around. I've gotten to see the lake and experience the calm, and it's time to return to society. Hiking is a great way to take a break, even for just a few hours on a Saturday morning. It's easy for us to forget to stop and smell the roses, especially in high school. We all need an escape, and taking pictures of the natural world around me is mine.
