Day 9: Eagle Lake

Bracken Fern

The North Country Trail (NCT) is approximately 4,600 miles and runs from central North Dakota to New York.  Fortunately, this lovely scenic trail runs right behind the Au Sable Institute.  To reach the trail you venture across the soccer field past a large Basswood to Maple hill.  From here a trail enters the woods and crosses a power line and then through a very thick and tall area of bracken ferns!  These ferns remind me of childhood hide and seek games when I would lay under the ferns undetected by the seekers.  Of course that memory does remind me that there could be critters hiding under the ferns - so I checked before walking through the area.

Blue blazes mark the NCT which is just wide enough for single foot or mountain bike travel.  The walk to Eagle lake is beautiful as you wander along through a maturing forest of Sugar Maples (acer saccharum) and Basswoods (Tilia americana) with an occasional yellow(betula allegheniensis) and paper birch (betula papyrifera).  Walking along through this forest transported my mind to the sweet smell of our Maple Sugar house back in Candia.

Eagle Lake 

After about 1.5 miles of walking Eagle lake came into view.  This small lake is nestled into the forest.  Here the trail wanders along the side of the lake and there are a few Eastern Hemlock trees and wetland bushes creating a barrier between the forest and the water.

There is much to be said for the ability to identify the different kinds of species around you.  Over the years, I have found this to increase my appreciation of the Creation.  The discipline of learning the different species can sometimes leave one feeling like they know less and less.  For every species one learns you realize there are scores more you do not know. Instead of feeling down about this reality I would suggest it should encourage us that learning is a life long endeavor.  Additionally it is not necessary to know all the species of an area to appreciate and care for the Creation.

Maple/Basswood Northern Hardwood Forest