#explorebloomington

January 13, 2018

We were excited to have an organized hike to join, followed by a couple drinks at a local brewery, but the region’s snow caused a few cancellations and worries over safety so the hike was cancelled and the post-hike beers turned into a brainstorming session. We had already committed ourselves to the hike, so we took our chances. We saw blue skies and fresh snow as we left our house and headed to the Sycamore Land Trust owned Porter West Preserve.

We decided that since the trails were short enough and connected enough, we would do all the loops! At the first fork, we went right. 

We reveled in the silence that comes with a fresh snow, and delighted in seeing tracks from deer, squirrels, rabbits, mice, and potentially a coyote! Below, the line down the middle from tiny footprint to footprint, is indicative of a tail. We didn’t get a picture of the coyote print, but we’re thinking it is most likely that because of the direction the footprints went; they came from the woods, crossed the trail, and continued into the woods. This section of the trail had not been walked on by anyone else, only animals.

It’s also very likely that it’s some neighbor’s dog (you know how those country dogs roam) that takes himself on adventures to his local land preserve. We’re hoping for the former. One of the goals of Sycamore Land Trust is to retain wild spaces, allowing for nature to flourish. Coyotes are an apex predator, so their presence would be a great sign that the food web is doing well. 

As always, we’re keeping our eyes peeled for mushrooms. We thought these dried out and frozen mushrooms growing up a tall stump looked so neat with the snow piled on top. 

One thing that I always try to do when we’re out in the woods, is look up. We’re walking by trees that have been around longer than many of our historical buildings. Their height is astounding!

After hiking up a steep hill, across the crest, and back down again, we found ourselves nearing the end of the final loop. The trail followed a mostly dry stream bed to two medium sized ponds. 

You might be able to tell that the stream bed seems to appear from the cavern to the left. It will be interesting to revisit this trail on a warmer day to see the trees full with leaves and the stream bed flowing.

Cooper, as usual, led the charge. Above, you can see him surveying the first pond. He wears little booties to protect his feet and prevent snow buildup between his toes. He is not always a fan of putting them on, but once they’re on he’s good to go! 

We encourage you to find your local land trust. You might not even realize they’re there! This property was acquired by Sycamore Land Trust through donation in 2008. Since then, they have done minimal management of the trails and trees and are allowing nature to reclaim her space.