The weather had started looking up. Waking up this Sunday morning knowing Adel, John and I were scheduled for trail work, usually meant layering up and getting ready to go hike in conditions that I’m not the biggest fan of. But now that it’s late May and the weather is moving in a direction I have been looking forward to since I moved here, I was stoked to get out on the trail and enjoy the warm weather and sunshine today.
We had just re-opened the trails after muddy season and Old Bridle needed some work. Old Bridle is arguably our most popular trail, it goes up West Rattlesnake to an amazing view of Squam Lake and Lake Winnipesauke in the distance. This trail sees a lot of traffic, so keeping it cleared and dry keeps hikers on path and prevents erosion, widening of trail, and exposing roots and loose rocks. Trail work is a very important part of conserving the Squam Lakes Watershed. The three of us made our way to the trail and started heading up. We were clearing water bars of leaves and debris that was preventing water from making its way off the trail and down the side of the hill. The water bars on Old Bridle are spaced out very well, but there is one section of trail around half way up that hits a relatively step incline and gets narrow. This section relies on one water bar to keep the trail dry. As we started clearing the leaves we could see the water rushing off the trail. While moving leaves I saw a bright flash of orange and a little creature scurry back to being under a leaf. Upon looking closer I discovered a Red-spotted Newt. I had seen one in the fall doing trail work on Mount. Morgan, similar scenario clearing a water bars, but this one was so much brighter and vibrant, its coloring was very striking and it was such a cool sight.
Watching the water rush out of the ground, then into the troughs we had dug and cleared was oddly therapeutic for me. It was like a giant Zen garden and I could not help be stare and be mesmerized by the little streams we had created, it was so soothing. While watching the water cascade off the trail, I was not thinking about anything else, I could have stood there for hours. It was kind of odd that something so simple could calm me so easily, since majority of the time I’m bombing around like a chicken with its head cut off, Adel, John and Alex will attest to that, but it didn’t last forever. I was snapped out of it and it was time to continue up the trail and clear more.
As we headed back down the trail we could see the work we had done already starting to have an impact. It is a good feeling, seeing what you have done and knowing that it’s doing what it is supposed to. As we got back down to the lot Alex was trail hosting. We talked and joked around for a little bit before the three of us jumped back in the truck and started heading back to the SLA. Adel was behind the wheel and John was scrolling through the radio. He came to a stop at a station after a long period of static, and right on queue after a couple of power chords from an electric guitar, the three of us all started signing as loud as we could, “here I go again on my own, going down the only road I’ve ever known”. We finished the song and just started laughing. Moments like these feel like we have been life-long friends, even though we all met about five and half short months ago when we were moving into the Cottage from all over the country. It’s crazy to think about that in a few more months we will all head off in different directions, but knowing that the relationships I have made here are meaningful, is huge to me and something I will not soon forget.
Cole thinks sharks are cool, enjoys learning about cyanobacteria, and loves driving the honda civic. You can read more about Cole here.