January 16, 2005
HOCKLEY VALLEY PROVINCIAL NATURE RESERVE - 3rd Line
Meeting Report & Photos by Skeet Sutherland
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On any normal
January 16, Alexis would be awaiting the arrival of the days
participants, 15 minutes early, as usual. I, on the other
hand, had been up to the late hours of the mourning working on a
elm bow that my teachers said was going to become an addiction.
Needless to say, Jonathan, James, Cole and Craig broke out on
the trail like a bunch of cooped up coon dogs before I even
arrived. But this provided an interesting opportunity for how
the day was to follow. They had a head start and there
were multiple tracks along the main trail (7 or more people and
a dog). I headed out with this in mind and quickly came across 4
sets of tracks heading off the trail up a steep incline into the
thick Spruce. One set was of non-conventional footwear. Then
came the faint Red squirrel alarms from of in the distance. I
knew deep down, those were the trackers I was looking for making
that alarm. I had the advantage now I knew were they were. I
headed up the trail in a stealthy run, tucked around and came up
right behind them. Jonathan saw me first and that ceased our
little game of cat and mouse. We humorously retraced theirs
steps and how we all ended up here, after our little game. |
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We had a snack on
the trail or some of us up in the spruce and discussed how
erosive forces change the landscapes features over time. Then
someone asked where the deer were hanging out these days and if
anyone had seen any sign of them. With that in mind we headed
out. |
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Within 50 m. we
came across many single deer trails converging as they traversed
the hillsides and spreading apart again as they came up on
knolls. |
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We followed the
trails and came across a shrub that seemed to grow among the
mixed hardwoods, that no one seemed to recognize.
It grew low to the ground, being 3m tall at most, each
individual seemed fairly flimsy and most had at least one weird
bend or crook in the main stem. |
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The twigs were
stout with a slight bend at each nodule, giving the twigs an
offset look to them. The buds were tiny, fuzzy, blond at the
base and dark at the tip and almost embedded in the end of each
section as if to be covered or protected. The trunk and larger
stems was grayish-blue to gray to brown with whitish horizontal
lenticels. The bottom of the trunk, a lighter beige color.
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The twigs were
lighter in color at the ends as well, changing abruptly at the
nodules. |
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A little ways up,
next to the trail we came across some green still above the snow
cover. Small, horsetails and grasses. Apparently not browsed on
at all. |
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Then where the
young eastern hemlock formed a low canopy some scrape marks
showed us were a rutting buck formed it’s territory this past
fall. Notice the second one next to it. On the eastern side of
the hemlocks three day beds sat overlooking the whole open
understory of the hardwoods. |
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On we followed to
see were they would lead us next. |
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Among the hardwoods
here, there are still remnant dead standing Butternut trees.
This one has been shedding dead limbs onto the understory
saplings. Within a couple of minutes we had the young ones free
of there burdens and
the dead wood on the ground.
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Trails among the
hardwoods, in the day beds among the hemlocks, along the valley
and across the creek, the deer had us all over, even out in the
open meadows. |
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It seemed the deer were in every habitat of this area. Here
they passed, traversing the bank of the ice-sculpted river.
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And we find
ourselves back at the vehicles still wondering who this little
shrub is. We all sensed its seemingly feeble presence today,
knowing we’ll find out what they call him when we get home.
Asking the elders on the book self about our new found friend.
Together we followed the deer learning their secrets of
existence without having them physically there to observe. Their
wisdom, as with all the other inhabitants of the forest told us
of their presence in the subtle tracks they left everywhere they
went. It was a great day, and I’d like to thank James, Cole,
Jonathan, Craig and all who made tracks today, for leaving your
story for us to read. Until next time, Happy trailing.
Skeet Sutherland |
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