Last time I was wandering there I hiked quite a bit. And learned
that Alderfer / Three Sisters Park is a great place if you don't want to
drive long hours and also want a nice a pleasant hike. There are a few
different trails and you can always create the route you want at the
moment. Something longer and challenging? You can do it... Something
easy and short - no problem. That was exactly what I wanted this
Saturday - something easy, relaxing, quick and... I didn't care if it
would be a bit boring...
So I dropped my car at the parking lot and decided on Hidden Fawn trail - just over a mile and relatively flat. It runs through the pine tree forest from the beginning and the cold morning air, infused with pine tree scent, is exactly what I needed after a week of work ;).
Sun was still low and most of the ground was hidden in the shadows.
Bright flowers made the walking much more attractive and enjoyable.
I stepped off the trail to take a couple of pictures of the flowers
and met the first chipmunk. It was sitting on the rocks and having
breakfast. I always liked these ground squirrels because of their bright
color, fast perpetual movements and infinite curiosity. It's always a
pleasure to look at them scurrying around and disappearing between rocks
or tree roots.
And soon after that I met the second chipmunk ;) Don't you worry, I won't bother you with the portraits of every rodent I met that day (It'll be way too many chipmunk and squirrel pictures), but I'll show a few, if you don't mind...
The forest changed again and when I was near the intersection with Three Sisters trail I found this stone bridge. Isn't it nice?
Look down if you decide to step off the beaten path and walk through the
forest... You can find something you don't want to step on! And for
heaven's sake, don't walk there barefoot!
...and sometimes you can find something special there... something
you didn't expect to find in the forest, wild and mostly stayed in its
pristine and untapped stage.
Sorry, this is the last one, I promise! But aren't they adorable?
Have no idea why, but this squirrel didn't want to be photographed. It ran down the tree trunk (vertically with head down) with lightning speed, breezed through the opening and disappeared in the bushes. The picture came out blurred, but it amazes me - what the jaws this animal has - to carry, run and jump with a cone half its size!
Here and there I was walking by a tough little tree - Mountain
Mahogany... Despite it looking more like a bush, you can see how strong
it is with its small but firm leaves. The flowers are a different story...
These hairy spiral strings looking in all directions always attract my
attention...
And definitely small pines growing on the rocks always capture my attention too ;)
On the openings you always can find a few Blue Bells. Another strong plant that can survive any climate, weather or condition...
What a pity these red berries weren't lingonberries. Something
different (and definitely not edible) but they looked just the same and
made the green rag covering the ground look even nicer.
I never thought about how the Blue Bell looks when they are not in full bloom... I guess I know now ;)
I crossed another aspen patch and found that my short hike came to its end. I was already able to see the cars in the parking lot... I
stopped for a minute to think if I am ready to go home or want to wander
around for a while longer and decided that was enough for this day. I
said goodbye to the woods and returned back to the city...
I would recommend this trail if you are looking for something really
nice and quick. There are no exciting views or anything special there
but the air and woods help you to forget about busy towns and feel much
better. Just over a mile or closer to two if you (like me) prefer to
leave the path and meander through the forest... About 600 feet of
elevation gain. No steep slopes makes it easy for everyone (unless you
are looking for some challenge and go sideways).
Pictures were taken on September 03, 2022.
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