There has been talk of a heavy snowfall this weekend.  The warning has been posted and I noticed some of the neighbors putting away the last few items of fall.  I had just about everything done and was determined to get out to the trails.  I wanted to see them a final time before winter laid down it's blanket of white.

The bison were out along the highway as I drove through Elk Island Park.  I made my way to the Amisk Wuche trail.  That is where I spend most of my time in the winter as it provides some hilly terrain for snowshoeing.

I got to the trail head at 9:30am.  At the boardwalk that crosses the first beaver pond, the sun tried peeking through the cloud cover.  Its rays reflected off the thin layer of ice on the pond surface.

On the opposite side of the boardwalk, the beavers were busy.  Numerous trees were chewed down.  They were stripped clean of their bark.

There were a few open spots of water to the west of the boardwalk.  I could see a muskrat in the distance.  It swam to the edge of the ice and was able to make it's way onto the top of it.

When I entered the forested part of the trail, I stopped and listened.  Not a sound was heard; not even the rustle of the tall grass.  The forest was silent and peaceful until a pileated woodpecker made its presence known.  Its distinct call came from a treetop above me.  I could hear it tapping but couldn't see its location until it circled round the trunk.  That bright red crown was visible without the binoculars.

The squirrels were gathering food and nattering at me as I passed by.  The blue jays and the chickadees were searching for seeds.  A crow's call came from the inner forest.  There was no wind. There were no creaking trees or leaves blowing around.  It was the calm before the storm.  

I spent an hour and half on that trail.  The leaf carpet was damp so it did not crunch underfoot.  I could smell the damp leaves and the spruce sap as it oozed from the old trees.  It was heavenly.  

I made my way to a second pond that is close to the end of the trail.  The beavers were busy there as well. I could see a hole in the ice where they broke through the ice.  They had a well worn path from one side of the trail to the other.  Soon the ice will be too thick for them to break.

The weather was perfect for hiking; not snowing or raining and not cold enough to chill the fingers.  I had to take advantage of this so decided to visit one more trail.

It took me 15 minutes to get to the second one.  I opted for a trail with a lake view.  The ponds were frozen here as well.  I couldn't help but notice how today for some reason, the colors were more brilliant.  Maybe it was because I knew that everything would soon be covered in white.

The red bark of the bare dogwood branches appeared darker than usual and the greens were greener.  This part of the trail will be beautiful with a white coat.  The red will stand out even more once the snow falls.

At the first stop with a lake view, there were still ducks swimming in the open water.  They took flight as soon as I set my gear down.  I was lucky to catch the last group before they disappeared to the other side of the lake.

The temperature was cooling off.  I could feel a distinct difference.  As I entered the forested area, the damp trail became frozen with icy patches.  The green mosses on the decaying logs stood out amidst the brown grasses and tree trunks.  It was a beautiful sight.

The day was grey, cloudy and damp but it was the perfect way to say farewell to a beautiful fall.  To see the trails a final time before winter set in was the ideal way to spend the morning.  As I was leaving the park, two white tail deer crossed the highway in front of me.  A coyote was searching for food in the tall grasses at the edge of the ditch.  

I got home and topped up all the bird feeders; adding sunflower seeds for the chickadees and peanuts for the jays.  There were a couple of things that needed to be tarped over before the snow started falling and some wood needed to be chopped. 

The snow started falling at about 3:00pm.  It was still warm enough out, that the first flakes melted as they hit the ground.  By 4:00pm a white layer covered the backyard.  I just checked to see what was going on outside and there's about an inch on my deck.  

The weather forecasters are saying that there could be up to 8 inches of snow this weekend.  I hope so.  If it's going to snow, let there be enough to snowshoe or ski in instead of just a little teaser that makes things messy.

As the snowflakes are falling outside, I'm hibernating inside.  I made a large pot of chicken soup, lit the wood stove and hunkered down with a good book.  The first thing I'll be doing in the morning, is pressing my nose against the window to see how much snow fell overnight.  My winter gear is by the door and ready for action; including the snow shovel.