Hiking nowadays I seek out unfrequented spots, such as the Red Pine Trail using the adage “a mile makes all the difference” to find peaceful corners even in popular New York State Parks. A turn onto Woodard Road finds an intersection with a Finger Lakes Trail. On one side heading away to woodlands and fields. The other side the same with the option of hitting Treman’s Rim Trail.
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Phlox
Buttercups
Much of the infrastructure of our local parks were built in the 1930’s during the Depression, witnessed by this plaque. Substantial work is ongoing, such as a bridge over Fish Kill by the Finger Lakes Trail volunteers.
The new bridge changed my plans for today, previously Fish Kill was a barrier.
View from the new bridge
To be continued…..
Copyright 2020 All Rights Reserved Michael Stephen Wills
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Perfect weather
I break away from household chores on a week day for exercise, arriving am impressed by the COVID-19 mitigation.
Six Foot Separation begins with parking
The new one-way trail rules, posted on the Rim Trail sign, means my planned route must change. Today’s COVID-19 strategy is to use the Red Pine trail, a very steep climb, a pine woods ramble, ending with descent to the Gorge Trail suitable for a mountain goat. The rules mean I cannot turn right on the Gorge Trail to form a loop. Instead commitment to the Gorge Trails means a 4 mile loop to the bottom of the park, returning on the Rim Trail. I decide to climb to the top and return.
I take an interesting detour on the way, visiting an archaeological site, fields of strongly scented wild roses, lush ferns.
Wild Rose fragrance filled the air
Wild Rose
Fern Bank at the Foot of Red Pine Trail
All these photographs and video are from an IPhone 7, sent to my laptop via ICloud.
I cross a nameless stream to the trail head, follow this stream uphill to where it cuts into the slope where the trail turns sharply and climbs into the pines.
Today, I have a companion post to “A Summer Flower and Waterfalls” from a time of Coronavirus (COVID-19) from a walk cut short by inconsiderate people not following New York laws.
All photographs and videos are from an Apple IPhone 7.
Here is a long and close shot of Columbine Flowers thriving on the edge of a gorge cliff.
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With a video of the movement of this wildflower against a backdrop of flowing water over a 100 feet below.
A scan of the upper gorge with some marvelous clouds.
Continuing onto the forest trail I spotted this Jack-In-The-Pulpit. Here is a photograph and short video.
My walk this day was cut short by joggers, unmasked, on the narrow trail. For each I stepped off to put 6 feet between us. So inconsiderate and unnecessary, selfish.
Copyright 2020 All Rights Reserved Michael Stephen Wills
Nectar at the base of each flower petal may be the quixotic quest of this mosquito. Quixotic because the physical characteristics of benefit to human predation, a light body, makes it unsuited to delve into the petals. Flowers are like people in emitting carbon dioxide, another mosquito attractant. If it is looking for blood here this mosquito is also at a loss.
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Another lily with a tiny fly (mosquito?) perched at the base.
Here is a gallery recapping my afternoon among the wonders of Fillmore Glen, a New York State park, Moravia, New York. I visited there during the New York COVID-19 “PAUSE.” ENJOY!!
The Trout Lily (Erythronium americanum) is named for the mottled brown leaves resembling marking on trout.The Trout Lily (Erythronium americanum) is named for the mottled brown leaves resembling marking on trout.The Trout Lily (Erythronium americanum) is named for the mottled brown leaves resembling marking on trout.
Copyright 2020 All Rights Reserved Michael Stephen Wills
Amazing natural sights were mine while living 25 years on the edge of the Malloryville Preserve near Freeville, Tompkins County, New York. None more so than early one Memorial Day, 2004, walking the bank of Fall Creek opposite home I came upon, totally unexpected, a first time sighting of a Trout Lily.
Today’s header image is one of my attempts at capturing the Malloryville Trout Lily’s from April 2006. This year’s visit to Fillmore Glen yielded my first “perfect” photographs of this flower.
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Several popular names for this flower originate from the distinctive leafs markings, “Adder’s Tongue Lily” and “Fawn Lily” among them. The second is from the American naturalist and author, John Burroughs, who observed them from his home among the Catskill Mountains of New York State.
The Trout Lily (Erythronium americanum) is named for the mottled brown leaves resembling marking on trout.
Three corolla (petal) characteristics of the Trout Lily (Erythronium americanum) are seen in today’s photograph: the pointed ends referred to yesterday, a reflexing (bending back) seen when the season warms up. Purple striations grouping together basally and spreading toward the tip is the third.
A purple flush, tending toward red, is a coloring associated with the genus name. “Erythro-” is from the Greek for the color red.
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Trout Lily (Erythronium americanum) is named for the mottled brown leaves resembling markings on trout. The source of another name, “Dog Tooth Lily,” is hidden. My surmise was the pointed flower petals, instead it is for the pointed corms, modified stems developing underground and used to store energy to survive winter conditions.
An individual Trout Lily is seen here in an environmental shot, cradled by a tree root, and in a macro with the leaves that suggest the common name. Both shots are from the Canon 100 mm “macro” lens. All photographs in this series are from my May 5, 2020 afternoon visit during the Coronavirus pandemic.
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Michael Stephen Wills Photography 