Continuing on Spring Themes: A Hike in the Woods

Real woods. I’m not talking about secondary growth here people. Woods like I grew up in exploring and camping within, more than half a century ago. Imagine that. Yes, in this forest there was some logging done by the original owners who bought 100 acres from the First Nation peoples in the early 1900’s, but they left left most of the really old aristocrats that had been around peering through the mists of time for 500 to 1000 years. That’s a lot of misty history.

The natural beauty of John Dean Park is a haven of nature and resides about 10 minutes from the town of Sidney. There are fabbo trails, both short and long that wind their way through the incredible old growth trees, grottos of ferns, moss, salal, Oregon grape, many vernal ponds and little streamlets hooking them all together. All of which survive handily under the steady gaze and century to century care of their tree shepherds.

Birds flit about. Ravens grok and croak out their audible messages to one another and to anyone else who will listen. The echoes of pileated woodpeckers beating their woodsy rhythms waft through the as they tear at rotten stumps and trees hunting for carpenter ants, bugs larvae and the odd berry.