On Friday, E., C. and myself took a nice drive out to Hacklebarney State Park to see how it looked in the wintertime. This trip presented quite a contrast to our last trip, on a beautiful September day.
Nature cooperated by giving us a nice dusting of snow as we arrived, a powdered-sugar coating on the rocks and trees.
With the deciduous trees bare, it was much more clear that we were in a hemlock forest. The blue-gray color of the leaves of the hemlocks was like a mist through the snow. These trees are unfortunately endangered right now by the hemlock wooly adelgid, an introduced invasive insect with no local predators to keep it in check.
Compare the photos from last September, and you’ll see Claire had to dress up a little more. You can also guess from the expression on her face that she should have gone with another layer or two. E. and I were a little better equipped, so we stayed out longer.
We did a loop on the “red” trail, which followed the Trout Brook towards the Black River, then looped up the hill to the northeast. After coming up near the edge of the Park, we could see a few unsightly McMansions on the adjacent land. We got a laugh out of the barbed wire across the fence — was it to keep us out, or keep them in?
Descending the hill to the Black River, we followed the rocky trail alongside huge glacial leftovers, some boulders as big as a garage. The brilliant greens and blues of the lichens and mosses contrasted with the dusting of snow, and the sounds of the rushing river made it complete.
