Spruce Hill

New Years Day on Spruce Hill Preserve

2011-01-20T08:30:00.000-08:00

The first of January, a new year, a new day, a new weather system approaching, a perfect day for a walk on Spruce Hill, but then any day of the year is a perfect day for a walk there, no matter what the weather. There is always something interesting happening weather-wise on Spruce Hill, which juts 400 feet up from the valley floor below, and today was no different. The sun hangs low in the sky, but still gives light in its typical weak, wintry way here in southern Ohio. Clouds scuttle along in front of the approaching storm as the flat, broad Paint Creek Valley funnels it straight at the base of the hill.

I begin my hike at the SE corner of the isthmus, having crossed over Baum Hill Road and the orchard and two farm fields to get there. The weather is cool, high 40’s. The snow that had piled up over the last few weeks has all melted away in the last day or two, not even a snowball nestled or tucked in on the north sides of trees. The long quiet vista of the hilltop field is broken by the loping flight of a pileated woodpecker and the boundings hops of white-tails. The true winter colors of Spruce Hill are all here…browns, golds, muted yellows, more brown, greys, purples, bright greens, wait, what? Purples, greens, golds? Mardi Gras on Spruce Hill on New Years Day, you say?
Absolutely!!! Just take a minute and gaze around you and it is all there.

The gold I see is in the side meadows and field—in every shade and hue and tint. The vibrant greens are concentrated on the north sides of the trees and flaunted by the moss and lichens as well as by the lovely, slender leaves of the orchids that decorate the forest floor and the persistent rosettes of garlic mustard. Purples, where are they? ---in the raspberry canes, of course. No spring leaves or summer berries detract from this brilliant wash of color displayed by these canes wearing their dusty winter wrappings.

I hike through this winter palette of color down to the parking lot, teased and serenaded along the path by the sight and sound of golden-crowned kinglets. (Yes, there is gold here, too.) The salamanders at the farm pond still sleep--no activity yet. The water level at this farm pond is surprisingly good compared to the vernal pool at the top. That pool suffers mightily in the dry summers we’ve had recently. Perhaps the difference in level now can be explained by rainfall. I’ve seen it rain on top of the hill and not a drop fall in the valley below, and vice versa. I’ve seen snowfall 4 inches deep on top of Spruce Hill, with only a dusting in the valley.

Ascending the east side of the hill from the parking lot, I hear a heavy, strong sighing in the treetops as the wind collides with the west side of the hill, rushes up, rolls and tumbles over the hilltop, and finally breaks over the eastern edge in the treetops above me. By the time I move into the protective copse of trees at the vernal pool, a skyful of mist and wind now enshrouds Spruce Hill in a wild jumble of gray. I look back to see those mists and clouds slowly swirling across the point of that arrow-shaped field and embracing me as I walk. I am tempted. The weather woos me, bewitches me, stay it says, be with me, be part of me. My heart agrees---my head counsels otherwise. I turn back again, I hesitate then walk on to return another time.

2010 hikes

2011-01-20T08:26:00.000-08:00

The year of 2010 was an extra busy year for the ARC, so I only took 4 walks on Spruce Hill that year. As I review the four hikes I did get in, it gives me a sense of how the seasons change over time and how it affects the appearance of Spruce Hill. January comes with its brittle clarity and cold ice grottos. February follows with heavy, clinging wet snows. April explodes onto the preserve with its wildflower displays. Each season, month, day, hike has its treasures.

The 3rd of January was sunny, cold, highs only in the teens with a wind of 10-20mph. I crossed Baum Hill Rd, the orchard and the two farm fields to enter the preserve at the isthmus. Fifteen Canada geese passed overhead, honking gently as they winged their way southwest in search of more open waters. They are regular visitors to Paint Creek. The resident northern harrier cruises over the hilltop field. I visit the ice grotto on the southwest side, a regular feature this time of year. A small creek has sliced through the sandstone and dribbles and trickles over the edge of the hilltop; the ice sculptures along the steep streambed are awesome.

On the sixth of February, a heavy snow had fallen in the area, places up to 6 inches deep, the snow is always the deepest here on top of the hill. I hiked early just after the snow fell, and there was no wind, so the snow was piled up on the storm side of the tree trunks and on top of the branches 4-6 inches high. The winter wonderland did not last long, as the snow stacks were so fragile and delicate. They immediately started falling as soon as the breeze stirred. But pictures I took and the memories I have of that walk will stay with me forever.

In anticipation of the Wildflower Pilgrimage hike on Spruce Hill, I walked the preserve on the 14th of April. Everything looked in order; the wildflower bouquets and displays are all in place for the pilgrimage participants.

On the 18th of April, Mr. John Jaeger guided us as a group of twelve hikers on the Spruce Hill Preserve took part in the Arc of Appalachia’s Wildflower Pilgrimage hosted in April of each year in Highland County, Ohio.

2009-11-26T07:12:00.000-08:00

At last, my favorite time of year is once again unfolding up on Spruce Hill. The green leaves have turned to gold and fallen to cover summer’s scars, and as I hike I can see for miles and miles from the hilltop.
A three hour jaunt takes me from the southeast corner of the isthmus, around the hilltop, down the northeast side and back up into the field where I walk along the mowed path, past the milkweed packets, on to the pond and to the southwest corner of the isthmus.
The weather is overcast, in the 50’s, with occasional light drizzle.

I enter the preserve and am greeted by severed limbs and the whine of heavy equipment and chainsaws as I realize that the neighboring property to the southeast of the preserve is being logged. I had been hearing equipment and was worried about which property was being cut. Now I know…it is the one that borders Spruce Hill along the southeast corner and north to Cuckoo Point. So sad to see these empty spaces where grandparent trees once stood. I wonder if these stumps suffer from ‘phantom limb’ pain, much like humans who have had a body part amputated. How disturbing to think that that may be the case with trees, as well as us. Another thought intrudes—what about that empty space above the stump? What happens when this space, so long occupied by living, solid, tree mass, suddenly loses its identity? Is there a ‘tree soul’…perhaps a ‘tree sprite’….that still hovers in that space? It seems somehow like it would be a sacred space, at least for a while until the neighboring trees adjusted to the loss, wouldn’t it? It feels sacrilegious to invade that vacuum with something as untreelike as my hand. I don’t cross the boundary; I journey on, still wondering what dimensions exist beyond my feeble senses, for I know there is something here I cannot comprehend.
Fortunately for the Spruce Hill complex, when the property was first acquired, I was urged by the director to pay close attention to the boundaries and mark them carefully and often. Fluorescent pink ribbons festoon trees every 50-100 ft. I walk the boundary, at least relieved to see there have been no incursions onto the preserve by the logging activity. The grandparents’ siblings still live.

The trails along the field edge are much less travelled by four wheelers than I have ever seen them. Of course, the fallen foliage helps to cover the scars, but most of the oldest 4 wheel scars are completely grown over with grasses. Very encouraging development!

The remainder of my hike is uneventful with the exception of the sighting of a northern harrier cruising low and slow over the preserve hilltop, just northwest of the pond. It sails, dips down to pounce, fails and swoops back up and around to settle in a small tree and preen. With binoculars, I can see the gray, black and white markings, and from the predominance of the gray, I would judge this one to be a male, but I cannot get close enough before my approach forces it to take flight.

The pond area is rich with bird activity, particular woodpecker types, but the only bird I can catch sight of and identify is a lovely, little bluebird. What a visual treat! The pond level is way down and the edges heavy with thick mud. Turkey baths and places where they have been scratching around the pond are evident.

10Mar2009

2009-03-14T04:53:00.000-07:00

I had an assignment to check Spruce Hill for wood frogs so for a change of pace, I parked in the parking lot and walked up the footpath to search the vernal pool for signs of wood frogs. But before I struck out for the hilltop, I was greeted by Igor and Jasmine, who appear to be setting up for vulture daycare in the old home place at the parking lot. Eastern towhee, chickadee and tufted titmouses flit around the farm pond which pulses with wood frog eggs, salamander eggs and salamander young.

Red ramps are unfurling all along the footpath, along with trout lilies and garlic mustard rosettes. The ice storm has deposited much debris onto the footpath, and the only deterrent to 4w traffic is a collection of several large trees too large to drive over. Below the point where the path is blocked to 4w traffic, that is the most abundant track---that of ATVs. Above that point, the most plentiful tracks are those of the deer families, coming and going up and down the hill.

Where the footpath pierces the rock wall, blue jays eat ice wine remnants and red winged black birds call. A mature bald eagle soars and dips his way across the narrow neck of the field and disappears behind the line of trees on his way to Paint Creek. I can hear a faint 'skree, skree' as I search with my binoculars for a sighting through the bare trees, but I can't decide if the sound I hear is that of eagle joy or tree love. Maybe in Nature-ese, they are one and the same.
Five turkey vultures ride the thermals above the pond, each daring the other to flap. Despite the vernal pool level being drastically low, it, too, seethes with masses of wood frog eggs. I can almost see the masses expand as I watch. I sit quietly, waiting for the turtles, downy woodpecker, rusty blackbirds and song sparrows to settle and resume their pool activities.

My reverie is broken by the sudden realization that the edge of the vernal pool has been turned into muddy ruts by the wheels of a crazed ATV'er. This past weekend, a Moose Racing event took place on a neighboring property. I could see muddy ATV tracks crisscrossing the field. Now, highly suspicious of what I might find, I checked the northeast face of Spruce Hill, and that is when I sadly discovered the Moose mud racing track. I had seen trailer loads of mud covered ATV's and quadrunners leaving the neighboring Browning property on Sunday evening, but never suspected the damage that has been done to our Spruce Hill. It was Spruce Hill mud that they were carrying away on their muddy ATVs, after all. The muddy trail cuts deep onto preserve property, then veers back onto private neighboring property. The damage will take many, many years to heal, if ever. The Earth is totally pulverized in places; it looks like it has been run through a meat grinder, from repeated runnings in the mud by the racers. The ruts are dug into the soil to depths of 2 feet in places. From the bottomlands at Black Run Creek, an ATV path has been carefully and deliberately laid out on preserve property, running parallel and just inside the property line that preserve volunteers had so carefully marked with boundary markers last year. The Arc of Appalachia staff had gone to great lengths last year after that year's invasion by Moose Racing, to ensure that we did not see a repeat this year of their lawlessness. Even a surveyor had come through and donated his time to remark this particular property line in efforts to clearly show where the preserve boundary was. Negotiations had been completed, and we had been assured by the race promoter and property owner that we would not see a repeat---yet here it is, staring us in the face! They left behind the scarred Earth, beverage cans, marker flags nailed to trees and yellow Moose Racing ribbons.

23Feb2009

2009-03-14T04:46:00.000-07:00

This is the time of year between the last gasp of winter and the springtime chaos. My favorite season of the year on Spruce Hill is fast coming to a close, and I needed to hike the hill once more to get a feel for it before it changes dramatically over the next few months.

The trees that encircle the hilltop field carry fresh scars from the ice storm---yellow gashes stand out against the dull winter landscape. Several dozen robins flashed through the woodlands, dining happily on ice wine grapes. The view to the east of Knockemstiff Hollow where it spills out onto the Paint Creek plains glows golden with scattered shafts of sunlight slicing through the cloud cover. A fruit-covered sumac has fallen onto the path, which is now strewn with bits and pieces of diners' red crumbs.

No salamander evidence yet at the farm pond. At Orchid point, I gaze out over the valley…no snow remains anywhere in the valley below, yet the Earth under my feet remains blanketed in the white stuff. As I and my companions begin the walk across the hilltop field on the NPS path, a northern harrier cruises low over the field northeast of the pond. Then my canine companion sniffs the air suspiciously. I turn and look in the direction she points. A dark, low, hefty canine form glides stealthily and silkily through the tall weeds, fading quickly into the cover of the distance. I'm sure I would have missed its passage, had I not been tipped off by Taku. No chase ensues; there is mutual respect for the domestic and wild barriers.

After some investigation, this is what I discovered about eastern coyotes. They typically weigh 30-50 lbs. and are 48-60 inches long, almost twice the size of their close relative, the western coyote. They have long legs, thick fur, a pointy snout, a drooping bushy black-tipped tail and range in color from a silvery gray to a grizzled, brownish red. Though coyotes are often mistaken for a domestic dog hybrid, recent genetic research has attributed the eastern coyote's larger size and unique behavioral characteristics to interbreeding with Canadian gray wolves. Unlike the wolf or domestic dog, coyotes run with their tail pointing down.

The final gift of the day lay at the end of my walk where the southwest corner of the isthmus rock wall overlooks Paint Valley towards Bourneville. The setting sun peeks out between fast-moving storm clouds, painting the valley with a golden-pink wash and turning the hills and ridges that gorgeous, smoky, blue-ridge color. It's been one of those special Spruce Hill days, once again.

28Jan2009

2009-03-14T04:44:00.000-07:00

28Jan2009: On the morning of the January ice storm, as the trees creaked, groaned and growled under their burdens of ice, I struck out into the teeth of the storm, much to the consternation of my sons, who envisioned their poor deranged mother crushed beneath ice-covered, woodland behemoths. Yet I cannot think of a better way to fully experience the power of weather than to be out in it.

To see the silent sawyer at work on Spruce Hill is worth having to trudge 4 miles in a dangerous ice storm. The ice works to seal every single twig, branch and blade of grass in its wintry envelope. The wind rises and rolls across the flatlands east of the pond and when it collides with the tree line at the eastern field edge, entire trees crackle in unison under the added stress. Some shed their icy bindings, some shed themselves of what weight they must, and some--no longer able to hold on--crash to the Earth in a shattering, splintering, exploding collapse of wood and ice.

In the hour it took to walk from the county road to the ridge top fields, the precipitation had changed states 3 times. The freezing rain had stopped, snow squalls came and went, and just before the snowfall started again in earnest, a cloud of dense fog rolled across the ridge top and encased my world in a cloud so thick and white, I lost sight of the line of trees in the fencerow at the isthmus, only a couple hundred yards away…another example of how magical the Spruce Hill microclimate can be.

1Jan2009

2009-01-25T17:45:00.000-08:00

Gun hunting season during much of December has put a damper on my enthusiasm to be out in the wilds of Spruce Hill. I had wanted to do a public, winter solstice day hike that would encompass the entire hilltop trail, the two neighboring hilltop fields to the south, my orchard, across Baum Hill Road and encircle my 165 acre parcel--amounting to a 4-5 hour public hike, but that did not materialize. Even with the landowners' permission, the concern over it being gun-hunting season was enough to set aside that idea.

But what a joyous way to start the new year! So when the first of the year wheeled around, I thought it a great opportunity to finally check out the route. We started before sunrise on January 1st, at 18 degrees F, circled our property, and crossed Baum Hill Road by 830am, where we got our first glimpse of the sun's warming rays and the resident pileated woodpecker. Traversing the orchard and the two hilltop farm fields that abut Spruce Hill on the south end, we crossed onto preserve property at the southeast corner by 930. Within the next hour, we had ringed the Spruce hilltop and were back at the southwest corner of the isthmus and home by 11. This hike basically takes you from one end of the Spruce Hill Ridge complex to the other, crossing four individual parcels that total almost 1,000 acres and stretching south from Paint Creek at Bourneville towards Camelin Hill at the other end.

I couldn't help but notice that our 4W invaders have definitely been inconvenienced by the huge stack of trees and branches that our friendly and sympathetic neighbors have piled at the northeast corner of their farm fields--where a major 4W crossing brings the riders from the preserve property at the isthmus onto the farmers' field. This popular thoroughfare is now completely blocked to motorized traffic. We will have to wait and see how the 4W enthusiasts handle this new obstacle course.

As I hiked across the orchard near the pond dam, I witnessed what I thought initially was a tropical paradise magically transported atop Baum Hill. Spots of bright red and bright blue, punctuated with bright white and dark gray flashes immediately caught my eye. What could it be? I threw up my binoculars and there it was---eight to ten male northern cardinals, a dozen eastern bluebirds, pairs and pairs of juncos on the southeastern face of the earthen dam---all enjoying the first rays of the rising sun, clustered in an area perhaps ten by thirty feet, warming themselves and enjoying a morning sip, where there was plenty of vegetative cover that broke the icy surface and created tiny unfrozen pools. It was one of those moments that can only be witnessed by being out in the wilds at just the right time---what a perfectly lovely, visual treat on that gray and frozen landscape.

29Nov2008

2009-01-25T15:19:00.000-08:00

Freezing temperatures and the prospect of foreign landscapes pry me out of my warm farmhouse and nudge me into the Spruce Hill climate once more. I spend the next 5 hours, observing and recording impressions.

It's hunting season; Minnie, Ralph and hunter orange are my shields.
Diagonal patterns at the isthmus---trees all fall in line with the raging winds that sluice up the ravine from Paint Creek Valley.
Frosted patches, brown leaf blankets, pileateds, sea of dried seedheads.
Copse of shrubby trees, deer-colored haunts; four white tails bound across the field, bellies tickled by dried goldenrods.
Plastic ribbons--artificial green; orchid leaves--real green, ferns, too--all on brown palettes with horizons broken by hefty sandstones.
Down the footpath, out to Orchid Point, woods with that unique exposure, oh the orchid leaves, many, many.
To the parking lot--glint of red, silver, metal. What? Hunters? No--gatherers, gathering for a National Park Service tour. I pass by barely noticed, audience enthralled by Hopewellian culture tales.

23Sep2008

2009-01-25T06:08:00.000-08:00

A six hour tour, a Tuesday, and it is once again, unseasonably warm for this time of year. My trail on this day started at the SE corner of the isthmus, then led diagonally across the open field to the pond, along the NPS path to the neck, down to the parking lot, back up the pathway, and along the eastern edge of the hilltop field and exited by the way I came. The forest floor is littered with leaves and branches(many the trimmings from the cicada hatch this year) from the winds of the remnants of Hurricane Ike that roared through Paint Valley over the last few days.
I wade through the field of spent glory, angling towards the pond, my path graced by New England asters, monarchs, goldenrod, Queen Anne's lace, mountain mint, false boneset, goldenrod and thistle up to my shoulder, scarlet poison ivy leaves, bursting milkweed pods and white asters. A tree at the pond has been laid over by the winds, and there is a bright yellow, softly convoluted fungus clinging to the newly exposed split wood. Recently, waves of warblers have been moving through the area, and I saw my share of them along the footpath by the old farm pond near the parking lot. I did not have my bird guide with me but am now positive in my identification of a hooded warbler, and somewhat less positive about a prairie warbler. Others gathered with them are tufted titmice and catbirds, and later along the footpath, a pair of eastern wood pewees traded calls.

24Aug2008

2009-01-24T06:24:00.000-08:00

Spruce Hill on Sunday, midday, in the middle of August is definitely the place to be to gain an appreciation for its true beauty and strength. Having spent the last week driving several thousand miles, it was such a relief to be able to get out and just walk with little direction or time constraints.
The 500 acre parcel south of Spruce Hill has changed ownership this year. The new owners have drilled in a crop of soybeans in both hilltop fields. I was amazed to see how much butterfly weed was blooming in the midst of the soybeans, and the plants were replete with monarchs, zebras and swallowtails. Cup plant and mist of the meadow remain in bloom as I step from the cool glade of the isthmus to the southern edge of the open field.
Out of habit and the human tendency to turn right, at this juncture, I normally follow the eastern edge of the field path. This time I veered to the northwest and crossed the open field to the western edge. This strip is shaded from the morning sun by the mature trees along the isthmus. As a result, the plants in that shade grow taller than normal. The boneset towers over my head, the tallest I've ever seen. Goldenrod, jewelweed, ironweed, smartweed, ragweed, Queen Anne's lace, horseweed(all those magnificent weeds!!!), fleabane, thistle, susans, agrimony, wingstem, virgin's bower and a profusion of trumpet vine pods decorate the field edges despite the mowing of late last summer. There is a particularly aromatic goldenrod that blooms where the field starts to narrow on the west side, much favored by the butterflies and bees.
Though it remains brutally hot and humid as I walk the field path, there is always a gentle breeze at the crest of the footpath where it meets the field edge at the northern tip-- a perfect place for refreshing green tea and a snack of homemade raisins.

Wildlife sightings: Turkey vulture, white tail deer, goldfinch

2Aug2008

2009-01-24T05:49:00.000-08:00

The second day of August was a pleasant but rather warm day. At Spruce Hill, 44 hikers, including donors, former area residents and locals gathered at the foot of the hill along with a National Park Service Ranger for a public hike. This was sort of a celebratory hike in that Spruce Hill is now 'officially' in the joint custody of the Arc of Appalachia Preserve System and the Ross County Park District. Wooohoooo!!!
We walked the footpath to the hilltop, then along the eastern edge of the field halfway to the isthmus, then cut east across the field to the pond where Ranger Bruce gave a detailed presentation about the short, but very convoluted, history of this unique acquisition. All in all, a very pleasant way to spend 5 hours of our day!

25Jun2008

2008-07-08T08:37:00.000-07:00

Approaching Spruce Hill from the south on a hot summer day, I enter the dark, damp, green coolness of the line of tall trees at the eastern corner of the isthmus. It is a fleeting but welcome break from the heat of this summer day. That tenacious garlic mustard still lurks at the woods edge along the path. I try to ignore the tall, erect stems, now bulging with seeds, and am almost successful as they blend in quite well with all the other abundant greenery.

I hear the 'witchety, witchety, witch' of the common yellowthroat. Two, healthy butterfly weeds bloom at the first gateway. Male indigo buntings sound their fire alarms from the tops of small shrubs. Butterflies, dragonflies and goldfinch share their space while the white yarrow, trumpet creeper, and yellow and red clover add their silent, but no less vibrant, coloration to the living palette being painted before my eyes as I move through. A turkey vulture glides lazily overhead and lends its unique monotone. I reach the neck of the field and hear the yellow breasted chat calling high in the treetops. I stop and try to locate it. It takes me a while but eventually I see it perched just below a high, over-arching tree branch. It repeatedly calls a 'hoo, hoo, hoo, chip, chat' and proudly exhibits its vivid yellow breast and dark facial mask.

I investigate a trail that has been carved from the northern field perimeter, around the pond, and back towards the east. It meanders south across the field, passing hundreds of intoxicatingly fragrant blossoms of common milkweed, capturing the constant breeze along the low ridgetop, encircling the southwestern edge of the pond, and finally exiting on the east side. I think the way it was designed will discourage motorized traffic and encourage that of those with less ecological impact.

At the west side of the pond, I find a turkey sandbath; feathers, disturbed soil, and a slightly musty poultry smell are a dead giveaway. Standing quietly by the pond, I notice movement in the underbrush---a red fox squirrel is busy with its furtive investigations. Then oddly enough, stretched out atop the remnants of what Arlington Mallery in Lost America once described as 'the winged serpent mound on Spruce Hill', is an eastern garter snake. It strikes a supine, but intensely alert, pose as I snap its photograph. Contemplating that this snake's ancestry could likely be traced back for hundreds of years at this location, I feel the intruder in comparison and respectfully back away, leaving it to continue weaving that living thread.

4May2008

2008-05-09T05:18:00.000-07:00

Highlands Nature Sanctuary personnel had received a tip that there was illegal hunting occurring on the Spruce Hill Preserve. I set out at 6:30am to assess the situation over the next 3.5 hours. Two turkey hunters---complete with camouflage tent blind, guns, full camo dress, and two wild turkey decoys---had set up on the preserve grounds. They were clearly hunting turkey on preserve property. They were advised to leave, which they did. I then hiked to the neck of the enclosure and back south to the pool and plucked garlic mustard all around it. There is still a small stand at the SE side of the pool but most of it has been pulled now.

1May2008

2008-05-09T05:09:00.000-07:00

The purpose of this five hour trek on this very pleasant, partly sunny day was to meet with an elite garlic mustard plucking group with the eventual aim of eradicating garlic mustard from Spruce Hill Preserve. Our team of eight volunteers worked our way up the footpath, weeding as we went. We cleared the end of the north point along the 4w trail near the top of the hill, where the garlic mustard would impact the wildflower population most severely and also worked the upper north end of the hilltop west of the neck and then all along the edge of the field south.

30Apr2008

2008-05-09T05:05:00.000-07:00

The purpose of this 2 hour hike around the Spruce Hill field was to assess the garlic mustard. Particular problem areas were marked with trailing pink ribbon at field edges but basically it is all around the hilltop, with a couple of deeper inroads at the parking lot and along the 4W trail that veers north from the hilltop path. The worst stand is along the southwestern side.

20Apr2008

2008-04-21T12:03:00.000-07:00

Sunday, the weather was warm, sunny with temperatures in the sixties. We took 2 hours to do a quick hike to the vernal pool and back.

This was the weekend of the Third Annual Wildflower Pilgrimage, sponsored by the Arc of Appalachia Preserve System. After spending 3 days cooking and cleaning for the large crowds, it was refreshing to finally be able to stretch one's legs and rest one's eyes on the wildflowers carpeting the forest floor on either side of the path leading to the hilltop. There were two tours in progress, and we tagged along for a short time before heading up the path at a good clip, destination vernal pool. It was fascinating to witness firsthand how enthralled a group of receptive pilgrims can be while under the spell of a master naturalist.

16Apr2008

2008-04-21T12:00:00.000-07:00

I hiked the hill for four hours on 16Apr2008 to collect garbage and find the stone monument that marks the NW corner of the preserve where it approaches the west end of Shoemaker Rd.

Igor and Nanette greeted me while they perched atop the tin roof of the old farmhouse in the parking lot. The white throated sparrows are so plentiful at the farm pond that their dear sweet Canadas were being repeated so often that the individuals' trills often overran each other, ending in an almost constant musical stream. A pair of wild turkeys courted along the footpath.

As I walked up the path, I saw Dutchman's breeches, cutleaf toothwort, yellow trout lily, white trout lily, dandelion, spring beauties, yellow violets, purple violets, rue anemone, tall bellwort, toadshade trillium and serviceberry in bloom. The mayapples are about 4 inches tall, while the bloodroot leaves stand at their vertical posts.

12Apr2008

2008-04-21T11:58:00.000-07:00

Spruce Hill Hike of 12Apr2008

The major interest of the group was the archaeological and historical significance of the Spruce Hill stone enclosure but much time was directed towards its botanical wonders as well. The footpath on the upper slopes on either side are covered in ramps, trout lilies, tall bellwort, spring beauties, cutleaf toothwort and trilliums. Serviceberry trees are in bloom, while the red maple has already started dropping its spent blossoms.

27Mar2008

2008-04-21T11:53:00.000-07:00

March 27th was an overcast day with a light breeze, temps in the low forties, a great day for birdwatching. There is a brown thrasher and an eastern towhee that frequent the underbrush near the farm pond; they call quite frequently as one walks up the footpath. Trout lily leaves line the path, as do trilliums in bud. Several skeins of ducks and one of Canada geese threaded their way across the gray skies above the vernal pool.

We watched a pair of yellow bellied sapsuckers work a large tree at the western edge of the field. They would fly to their pre-drilled holes, sip, then withdraw their bills to let the hole refill with sap, inserting their bills repeatedly, slowly and silently drinking from their sugary wells.

Wildlife sightings: Brown thrasher, northern cardinal, Carolina chickadee, eastern towhee, northern flicker, Canada goose, yellow-bellied sapsucker.

9Mar2008

2008-03-15T08:27:00.000-07:00

Spruce Hill Hike of 9Mar2008, Sunday, 3 hours, temperature approaching 30F, with 10-12 inches of snow.

The appearance or evidence of life takes on an entirely different significance when viewed in the context of the past couple days of blizzard-like conditions and a foot of snow. As we walked along the edge of the hill top , we happened to cross paths with a small, dark brown spider marching along on top of the snow. I would never have thought that spiders venture out in such weather conditions. I suppose they get cabin fever, too.

The surface of the snow cover on the hilltop had drifted and been blown and carved and painted by the wind that had more than likely reached 35-40 miles an hour with so little to stand in its way. The snow varied in depth from about 14 inches to 4 inches from the isthmus to the pond.

Every step along this hike was a three step process in and of itself. It consisted of first lifting each foot high enough to clear the top of the snow, then the sensation of not knowing how far one's foot would travel through the snow, then the eventual settling into the squishy ooze of the thawed, wet soil at some level below the snow cover. Having hiked all the way to the Spruce Hill isthmus cross country from Baum Hill Road, and after skirting the SE edge of the isthmus and southern tip of the pond, we decided to head home. But we did stay on the hill top long enough to see the sun slip behind the western cloud bank with a golden blaze, and that's when the snow took on that deeply-impersonal, evening-blue tint that is so enchanting in the winter cold.

What a great time to hike Spruce Hill! Oh that I had thought to bring my snowshoes!!!

Wildlife sightings: Red winged blackbird, pileated woodpecker, spider

2Mar2008

2008-03-15T07:15:00.000-07:00

Spruce Hill Hike of Sunday, 2Mar2008, 3 hours, temperature 30-40, sunny

Purpose was to fine tune boundary markers and enjoy the warmer temps and sunshine. The forest floor leaf mat is quite a bit more compressed than earlier in the year, resulting from the weight of recent snowfalls. The wet mat is soft and squishy to walk on. As I sat in the woods near the isthmus to catch my breath, two turkey vultures swooped low overhead, eyeing me to see if I warranted further investigation. I kept moving.

As I marked more line, I was pleased to find that the huge basswood stump on the western edge is within the property lines of Spruce Hill, along with many more of the large, mature trees than I had thought. Another discovery was that most of the old logging road along this perimeter runs just inside the boundary line of Spruce Hill. Walking north along this edge and peering west, there is a beautiful view of Paint Creek as it veers directly towards Spruce Hill south of Bourneville and joins with the Upper Twin Creek waters. Anyone standing where I stood could easily see any river traffic coming towards the hill.

The pond has water all the way up past the buttonbush grove, with most of it frozen except for near the tree trunks and pond edge. I would estimate the water depth at four to six inches at the buttonbushes. There are two areas where the pond is being drained by field tiles, with many broken tiles at both drainage sites. With the quantity of water being tapped from the top of Spruce Hill by those continuously running 'faucets', I wonder how much deeper that pond would be had it not been tiled.

Wildlife sightings: American crow, northern cardinal, Carolina chickadee, tufted titmouse, turkey vulture

28Jan2008

2008-02-08T06:08:00.000-08:00

Spruce Hill hike of Monday, 28Jan2008, 3 hour mid-day walk, with sunny skies and temps in the low forties, patches of snow still tucked here and there on the north facing slopes.

Purpose was to evaluate a recent survey, where it borders Spruce Hill, and also to fine tune the boundary marks along the western edge.

Starting at the southwest corner of the isthmus, I retraced the boundary line along a portion of this line. The wind gets so fierce rushing up the west face of Spruce Hill, that I found a corn shuck deposited amongst the leaves at the very top of the crest. It had to have come from the fields below, whose elevation is several hundred feet less.

There are several small but nonetheless, 'wild' and icy waterfalls along the west face. No wildlife found. I did find a plant that I believe to be a common elder, based on the shape of the umbel. There are many, many rosettes of garlic mustard along this western ridge crest, more than I've seen anywhere else on Spruce Hill. With pleasure, I remind myself that all that green that I see now portends of vats of yummy, garlic mustard pesto to come in the spring.

I'll continue to fine tune boundary markers, with my goal to complete before the April wildflower pilgrimage.

4Jan2008

2008-01-06T08:22:00.000-08:00

Spruce Hill Walk of Friday, 4Jan2008, 2.5 hours, temperature 17degrees, sunny, 10 - 20 mph wind. Three to four inches of snow had fallen in the last couple of days and with early morning temperatures still in the teens, I knew this would be a prime time to walk the hill and see what other creatures had had similar thoughts.

A pristine field of white snow cover is what I eagerly anticipated as I crossed over onto preserve property but unfortunately, I was greeted instead by ugly 4w scars and tracks that had been seared into the snow cover mere hours before. The tracks entered and exited at the same point on the east side of Spruce Hill, edged the entire field along its eastern length, crossed from the neck to the pond, across other property owners' parcels and then back down the eastern hillside towards Knockemstiff Valley.

As I continued my trek along the SE field edge in the woods, I distracted myself from the ugly 4w scars by listening to the wind building as it crossed the barren expanse of Mitchell Flats. The winds embrace the tall bare tree tops, which grab hold of it, translating it into a visual symphony for me, as they wave and sway and roar gently in unison. Snow cover, too, in a place like this, adds an entirely different dimension to a hike. In between gusts of wind, all is quiet---throbbingly quiet. Often the ground is hidden, so every step can be a surprise as far as where or how it ends up. Gone are the boring browns and grays of the long-fallen leaves; everything is alight with white and when the sun hits the snow at the right angle, the snow-covered, open field turns into a magical vista of sparkling diamonds.

Spruce Hill and its companion ridge are renowned for hosting their own microclimate. Often, when the hill will be blanketed in several inches of snow, the valley below will have received only a mere dusting in comparison. This was the case today. While the valley's thin snowcover melted away, Spruce Hill still retained its four inch deep insulating blanket of white. (That's why I like to think of Spruce Hill as our own little local version of Mount Kilimanjaro.) In the spring and fall, when fog settles in the valley and neighboring hollows, it will be perfectly sunny on the hill. Yet, at other times, especially when the spring thaw occurs, the hill remains cooler and as the day breaks, draping fog and clouds collude to totally obscure the ridgetop, and it is only by driving down into Paint Creek Valley and seeing no fog there, that one realizes that the entire world is not blanketed in white mist.

From tracks in the snow, I deduced that a pair of coyotes moved thru on the NE side of the field about 15 feet into the woods. They appeared to continue onto the footpath and down in the direction of the parking lot. One had scuffed up the leaves and marked his territory to the right of the footpath. I followed the tracks partway down the path, then veered off the trail and walked north to a tree-covered promontory--taking in Paint Creek Valley--virtually in its entirety. I also spied many, many wildflower markers--recent décor on that particular point. From this spot, one can see west all the way past the Jones Levee/Rt.50 junction, the entire hamlet of Bourneville, Twin Township Cemetery, as well as east towards Chillicothe and the Blain Highway/Rt. 50 junction, and even beyond that. The cars on US Route 50 look like 'Matchbox' cars, as I gaze down on them from almost a thousand foot elevation. What a view!!

As I finished up my trek along the southeast edge of the field, I used my binoculars to scan the landcape west along Paint Creek Valley, where Route 50 slithers across the foothills of the opposite ridge. As I got my bearings after a bit, I realized that that tiny, tiny, white, buttermint-shaped mound far, far off in the distance was Seip Mound! I had heard for many years that it was possible to see that mound from Spruce Hill. What a joy to finish my trek with that discovery and to actually sense that connectivity to those who had come before.

Wildlife sightings: American crow, red-bellied woodpecker, northern cardinal

31Dec2007

2008-01-03T16:24:00.000-08:00

Spruce Hill Walk of Monday, 31Dec2007 for 4 hours, with the temperature in the high 40's, sunny, 10-20 mph winds. What a difference a year makes! Last year, I hiked Hocking Hills on New Year's Eve. Who would have believed that in a year, such wondrous events would occur that would allow myself and many others to finally consider Spruce Hill saved and available to share its magic with the world?!

Since I had not walked the property since early November, I felt compelled to take one more hike on Spruce Hill before year's end, making this my twentieth documented trek. At the SE corner of the isthmus, it was painfully apparent that the 4W had been through recently when it was wet, so the path was quite muddy and chewed up especially along the SE edge of the field. The heaviest traffic is obviously running between the Moose Racing entry point and the SE corner of the isthmus. All the other paths around the fields have not been used in months, and the only traffic evident there is from ungulates and canines. What an improvement!!!

Down from the field's eastern edge, at the end of the 2400 foot boundary line, on a smooth knoll overlooking Black Run Creek, rest the remains of an old collapsed wooden frame barn/house with rusted tin roof. Beside it is the hull of an old pickup truck and also several metal debris piles. There also rests another old 1920's era pickup truck in the same SE corner of this tract along with a tall, wooden-slatted shed. This is a lovely, protected spot as the knoll rises about 20-30 feet above the creek bed, and one can easily view much of the creek and fields northeast through the trees and even see all the way to Black Run Road. It is quite understandable that this would be a choice homesite for someone to settle long ago. I just wonder how it was accessed with Black Run Creek running so close to it---perhaps by way of a path that originally connected to Spruce Hill Rd.?

By 2p, I had completed the trek down and back up the boundary line(quite a steep little climb), so I took off along the eastern edge of the field, immediately noticing the absence of 4w tracks. The only tracks I saw on that section were deer, coyote, fox and perhaps a member of the weasel family. The track was small and had five toe prints, which I am unfamiliar with. The 20 mph wind was really picking up as I crossed the open field, and it blew steadily as I walked with nothing but clear sky and strong winds above me.

My hike finished by way of the pond, where I stopped to check the water level. There has been enough rain and snow recently to create standing water almost all the way north to the buttonbush group. Though the pond is far from full, it is certainly holding more water now than it did during the drought of the summer. So despite the drought, this can still be considered a "perennial" pond---at least for the year of 2007.

Wildlife sightings: Gray squirrel, northern cardinal, red bellied woodpecker, chickadee

16Nov2007

2007-11-18T06:39:00.000-08:00

Four and a half hours on a crisp fall day at Spruce Hill in the company of fellow hikers always makes for a good day.

We trekked the entire perimeter of the hill top with several stops along the way to gawk at the views or investigate an interesting plant or animal. The winter vistas are becoming more and more plentiful and exciting as the entire western edge slowly becomes denuded of leaf cover. A hike this time of year compared to one in the spring or summer is an entirely different experience, although just as rewarding. I highly recommend that if you hiked Spruce Hill earlier in the year, in spite of the ticks, then you certainly should return in the fall or winter to experience some different aspects of Spruce Hill that do not reveal themselves except at this time. As a matter of fact, it is now possible to see the bleachers at the Paint Valley High School athletic field from one of the vista points. Perhaps one a clear day soon, Seip Mound will be visible.

Several groupings of American robins and cedar waxwings and assorted, other species were seen feeding at about every complex of grapevines. One would see a flurry of activity ahead, and it always turned out to be a flock of birds feeding on the wild grapes. As I've mentioned before, I will never cut another grapevine after having seen on my last two hikes what a multitude of species depend on them for food.

The water level at the pond continues to drop. Much more of this drought, and the perennial pond may completely evaporate. As we exited the pond area at the SW corner, we investigated a large depression in the ground that sits atop a prominent rise. I had discovered this anomaly back in October. It appears that this large depression may not be the work of rodents after all but possibly the remnants of an undocumented old well or even a sinkhole, since Spruce Hill is in a karst region. Further investigation is warranted.

We discovered 3 large piles of deer feed that had been dumped out in the open field next to the path, just west of where a deer stand has been erected on adjacent private property. It appears that someone is baiting the deer on preserve property.

Wildlife sightings: whitetail deer, eastern meadowlark, American robin, cedar waxwing

11Nov2007

2007-11-18T06:11:00.000-08:00

Spruce Hill continues to change as the leaf drop accelerates. Four hours on a mostly sunny day with a 15-20 mph breeze makes for a pleasant hike---and, for those of you who experienced Spruce Hill during the earlier seasons when the ticks abounded, this is the time of year to return. My walk consisted of an entire perimeter hike along the field edge path.

A deer stand has been erected just a few feet south of the eastern boundary line, facing directly west towards the edge of the Spruce Hill field. I also found two trees that have suffered multiple gunshot wounds on the side that faces the deer stand. So be careful when hiking this time of year and try to make sure someone in your party wears safety orange.

Just to the southeast of the neck, to the right of the trail where two very tall Kentucky coffee trees are embraced by grape vines, I interrupted quite a feast. There was an assortment of birds visiting the grapevines and dining on the grapes. The group included at least a dozen cedar waxwings, a family of American robins, a downy woodpecker, a northern flicker and a white throated sparrow.

As I descended along the leaf-strewn footpath to the main entrance, I encountered hundreds, perhaps thousands, of "blackbirds" flying and lighting and flushing back and forth across the parking lot area and hillside. They seemed continually in motion so I never got a chance to positively identify even one of them, but did hear a "check" call as they flew over. Sunning itself on a tree trunk along the footpath was a strange fuzzy mustard-yellow caterpillar with several long brownish-black spikes along its back. I took several pictures. When I came up to the top of the hill, I flushed what I think was a woodcock from the Rosa rugosa thicket; although, I've since been informed that it may have been a Wilson's snipe. I will need to study my bird book on the differences between the two.

Wildlife sightings: American woodcock, northern flicker, American robin, cedar waxwing, white-throated sparrow(tan morph) and downy woodpecker

30Oct2007

2007-11-05T05:59:00.001-08:00

Two and a half evening hours spent on Spruce Hill are always like a breath of fresh air, even though this time the fresh air included smoke from Paint Valley farmers burning off crop fields. It was sunny, with the temperature in the fifties and almost no wind.

At about 5:30pm, I disturbed what I think was an owl at the edge of the woods at Cuckoo Point. It was a good size bird. It flew from its perch at the edge of the woods, sailed rather low over the open field in the direction of the pond. I lost sight of it behind a rise before long but saw enough of it to see dark wrist markings, a light buff chest and long wings, slightly upturned at the tips. It was a very controlled and quiet flight…..rhythm was flap, flap, flap, flap, sail; flap, flap, flap, flap, sail. With the healthy frosts of recent nights, the leaf drop has accelerated. If one stands quietly in the woods, one can see at least one leaf quietly zigzagging its way down at any given time. The tumble is completely noiseless until the slight, crisp "tap" as the leaf comes to rest among its companions on the forest floor.

Those who were on the Plum Run hike recently can relate to my excitement when I espied a buckmoth flying at the edge of the woods just as I headed southeast towards the pond. At the pond, I flushed an American woodcock. As it was no more than 10 feet in front of me, I could clearly see the long bill and hear the twittering wingbeats as it took off from its spot in the understory and flew past. I even found the rounded-out spot where it had been sitting on the leaf-covered ground, as evidenced by the wet excrement it had dropped just prior to taking flight.

Sightings: American woodcock, buckmoth, possibly an owl(short-eared?), and New England aster

12Oct2007

2007-10-14T04:51:00.000-07:00

Three hour jaunt, starting at the main entrance, to the pond, then back to the "neck" and west along the boundary overlooking the "Valley of the Kings," back by way of the footpath. Weather was mid to upper 50's, damp, overcast, 7-10 mph westerly breeze. Narrow pathway from the "neck" to the pond now exists in preparation for Sunday's tour. The field perimeter may eventually have to be measured with a GPS to get a more accurate idea of the acreage. Continued to mark boundary line and pins with pink tape. Collected garbage. Saw evidence of basswood stumps along the western edge that may have been 8 feet or more in diameter when they were cut. The leaf cover along the western boundary and woodlands overlooking USR50 & Bourneville is becoming sparser as the season matures, gradually revealing more frequent glimpses of the spectacular winter vistas to come.
Sightings: whitetail deer, northern flicker, blue jay, Pandion haliaetus, white throated sparrow, eastern towhee, wreath goldenrod, and white snakeroot.

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2007-10-12T17:59:00.000-07:00

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