Saturday was the perfect day for a hike.  The air temperature was to my liking and the wind blew just enough to keep the forest fire smoke from staying around.  I made my way to Elk Island National Park to visit my go-to winter snowshoe trail.

The Amisk Wuche Trail is short and sweet; a good starter for getting back into hiking regularly.  The trail is hilly from beginning to end; crossing a pond boardwalk and meandering through thick forest.  I haven't been on this trail since spring so was amazed at how filled in the undergrowth was.  The hazelnut and berry shrubs on either side of the trail have doubled in size even though the earth on the trail is dry and dusty.  Visible roots are abundant and in many cases make natural staircases for the ascent and descent on the larger hills.

The beaver pond is covered in duckweed.  Beautiful pond flowers are blooming along the boardwalk.  The ducks living there scattered as soon as they heard my footsteps.  As I made my way across I noticed the many changes happening to signal the change in seasons.

Much of the undergrowth is yellow.  The leaves on the rose bushes are no longer green.  Red, yellow and orange add color to the landscape.  The rose hips are ripe and ready for the birds to feast on.  I noticed that many of the birch trees have turned yellow and are dropping their leaves already.  The poplars are just beginning to show hints of color.

There were no other vehicles in the parking lot.  I was alone on the trail and took my time taking in the sights and sounds of the forest.  The chickadees were busy gathering seeds.  A bluejay called from the top of a spruce tree.  A woodpecker was hammering on a snag. 

I made it to the bench on the trail and sat for a moment to watch the comings and goings at the pond.  The ducks were feeding.  There were many 'duck bums' in the air as they searched for tasty plants beneath the surface. Many just swam together as a group, enjoying the peace and quiet as much as I was.

As I hiked back to the parking lot, I heard a pileated woodpecker call out.  It took a few moments to spot it but when I did, I noticed that there were two.  A short distance up the trail I noticed two more.  What a treat to see so many of these beauties on the same outing.

The trail beyond the bench has more deciduous tree growth.  Chokecherry tree branches laden with fruit hung across the path.  I was surprised that the birds had not picked them yet.  The coyotes had been enjoying the fruit.  There was a lot of coyote scat on the trail that contained berry pits. 

On the drive home the bison were crossing the parkway.  The babies from this spring are growing nicely.  The mamas did not appear to be as protective as they were before.  A doe and two spotted fawns were grazing inside the park fence.  I stopped to watch for a moment.  They found a spot that had some fresh new grass after the last mowing. I heard birds calling and noticed cranes circling overhead and Canada geese honked as they landed with a splash in a nearby pond.

It was a great day to be outside.  The parkway was busy with vehicular traffic and many of the longer trails had full parking lots but I was lucky to have the Amisk Wuche trail to myself.  School will be starting soon and the park will once again be quiet through the week so my trips will be more frequent.  

The fall colors will become more prevalent and the birds will begin to gather for migration.  I love this time of year almost as much as I love winter.  Mother Nature is preparing to put things to bed for the snowy season and her slow preparation is a beautiful sight filled with beautiful sounds.  Let the regular hikes begin.