Elk Island National Park was abuzz with activity on Wednesday.  The Parks Canada staff were cleaning, painting and restocking wood bins in anticipation of a busy long weekend.  The campers were rolling in early.  A couple of tents were set up today.

I took advantage of a morning off to hike the Lakeview Trail.  It's just a short loop but it provides a variety of hills, flats, ponds and beautiful lake views.

There were a few wet spots that warranted a pair of rubber boots.  My hiking boots did not meet the need so I had to detour into the trees.  

The beavers were busy building dams; raising the water level.  It is close to overflowing the trail in more than one area.

A bench at a lake lookout was my first stop.  I sat and admired the sights and sounds.  Duck, goose and blackbird calls filled the air.  Just as I was about to leave, I heard a sound that stood out above the rest.  It is my favorite wilderness call.  Nothing defines a lake or wilderness area like the sound of a loon.

I continued on my way and rounded a corner where I came face to tail with a hare.  It was so busy munching the tender grass and grooming that it did not hear me approach.  I watched for a number of minutes before it realized that I was there and 'hightailed' into the underbrush.

The trail meanders along Astotin Lake and then loops into a swampy area that contains towering spruce trees.  A number of them have toppled and now provide a bug buffet for the woodpeckers.

I passed by some decaying logs.  Bright, spongy moss blankets cover them.  Wild violets bloomed close by.  Marigolds were opening in a little marshy oasis that I found in the middle of the forest.

There is a trio of benches where hikers can stop and take in the natural beauty around them.  Butterflies flitted from new leaf to new leaf.  Birds called from the tree tops.  A light breeze made the aspen branches shiver. 

The last half of the trail follows the shore of a number of beaver ponds.  I could hear muskrats calling each other.  Ducks created gentle ripples in the water surface as they swam away from me.  The boreal chorus frogs sang their sweet songs.

I was the only person on the trail this morning; just me and Mother Nature.