It's been way too long since I hit the trail so this Memorial Day I traded my traditional car camping and backyard BBQ's for a nice solo hike. I didn't get to the trail head until a little after 1 pm and there were only 2 other cars there. I only ran into 2 groups of people the whole hike and we were all courteous and respectful about giving each other the recommended breathing room.
The trail starts out pretty clear and easy going, but quickly gets pretty grown over. There are a fair amount of nettles overgrowing the path so I highly recommend pants and long sleeves. I wish I had a rain layer on my bottom half. I was just wearing leggings and they protected me from nettles, but because it had been raining, I got pretty wet from brushing up against the wet leaves. Luckily, they dry quick! There were also quite a few trees down that I had to climb under or over, but all were pretty easily manageable, with the exception of one large one that is down on a slope and goes all the way down to the river. It's easier to get over than it is on the way back because the ground is lower on the other side. Again, I made it happen, but depending on your physical level (or willingness to scramble), you may not want to deal with it. A small portion of the trail was muddy, but again, it had been raining. With hiking boots, it wasn't bad.
All of that said, the scenery on this hike is beautiful! You follow along the Saulk river a good chunk of it with very little elevation so between the rush of the water and mother nature's soundtrack, it was an easy and relaxing hike. The forest floor was in full bloom and there was plenty to look at and admire along the way. The lake at the end was serene and bursting with wildlife! There were multiple beaver lodges and I saw a couple beavers in the water making their way home. There was also an assortment of song birds, a wood pecker doing its thing, frogs, and even a salamander. I stood on the boarded off bridge/view platform for a solid 20 minutes just taking it all in before turning back around.
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