25Jun2008

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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