Cross Country Trail

2.74 miles hiked today

32.71 miles completed total



Today we hiked the Cross Country Trail.  They had a sign for it but it didn't turn out to be listed anywhere.  I had to call the metroparks office to get a mileage on it.  I guess Firestone has 4 trails instead of 3.  The weather turned on us in the middle of the hike which made it a little uncomfortable but other than that we did fine. 

The ducks kept swimming over to where we were standing.  I think they thought we came to feed them because when we left the pond they followed after us.

Once back further on the trail there were places where there were more ducks.  Annie was able to get closer to them and get some great pictures.

And this

Annie is 11 and I think she did a great job. 

We also fed the chickadees like we did at nature realm.  The kids loved it.  Next time we need to bring more seed.  We had to find seed off the ground the the birds and the kids still enjoyed it.

Ever since our class on identifying trees in winter I have been trying to keep up on what I learned.  We found this seed pod but had no idea what it was

When I got home I did some research on the internet and determined it was from a female Kentucky Coffee Bean tree.  I had never seen a pod like this and liked the feel of it. I will have to make sure to go back in the summer and take a look at some of the leaves.

 The last thing I found was coyote scat.  You can tell it is from a coyote because it is full of fur.  Once the waste has  washed away it looks almost like a cat furball.  Kind of nasty but still a neat find.
The rest of the trail was just the trail in reverse.  I wish they didn't do this with trails.  I understand they need to sometimes but I am always disppointed when they do.

Firestone

Redwing Trail	1.1 miles		1	Redwing Trail is a loop footpath that connects to Willow Trail.
Walking Course	0.9 mile		1	The easy Walking Course is a favorite among seniors and young families. It passes the Tuscarawas Race and connects to Willow Trail.
Willow Trail	1.6 miles		1	Willow Trail passes the Tuscarawas Race, Tuscarawas River and Little Turtle Pond.

Trail Ratings

1=Easy

2=Moderate

3=Strenuous

Dairy cows once grazed the hillsides of the area known today as Firestone Metro Park. In 1949, Metro Parks received a gift of 89 acres from the Firestone Tire and Rubber Company. Acquisitions of nearby parcels expanded the park to 258 acres. In 1956, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources completed construction of a nearby dam, intended to create a reservoir for industrial water needs. As the reservoir of the adjacent Firestone Golf Course filled, the water table rose downstream, forming the large wetland and marshy meadows of Firestone Metro Park. Along with the Tuscarawas River and Tuscarawas Race, which once channeled water to the Ohio & Erie Canal, the area is home to fish, crayfish, frogs and turtles. The meadows and forest shelter foxes, coyotes, raccoons, skunks, muskrats, rabbits, mice, voles and moles, along with many beautiful summer and fall wildflowers. More than 175 bird species have been sighted in Firestone Metro Park, including various types of wrens, thrushes, warblers, woodpeckers, herons and ducks. A number of different raptors – including bald eagles – have also been spotted. A note to visitors: Poison sumac is found in the wet areas of Firestone Metro Park. This small tree/shrub contains a powerful skin irritant, similar to that of poison ivy. To avoid it, stay on designated trails.

The Chuckery Trail

2.4 miles completed
29.97 miles completed total

The Chuckery Trail is home of the Indian Signal Tree.  The Signal Tree was believed to be shaped by the Indians to direct travelers between the Tuscarawas and Cuyahoga Rivers.

I did find some more interesting fungus.  I wish I did better identifying it.  I think I will ask one of the naturalist for a recommendation of a book or something.

And some brown fungus

I also found a mature privet.  Usually they have been very small and they look very different from when they were mature.

Never really noticed the spines on it till I saw this one. It had the purple berries so I'm pretty sure it is a privet.  I didn't realize how dark it was getting while we were hiking but looking back at the pictures it really was getting dark even by this point in our hike.

The kids were resting after a strenuous hike up a killer hill.  They did real well though.  I have a cold so my lungs were on fire at this point.

This is a nest that was right next to the trail a little below eye level.  It looked to be a bird about the size of a robin or cardinal.  I don't know enough about their habit to determine what kind of bird made it. 

This tree trunk was buried in the dirt but had been cut and cleared from the trail by a park worker.  The worker had been creative and had made the stump into a seat.  Of course the kids felt compelled to model in it for all of you.

By this point the kids were having so much fun posing for me I didn't have a chance of getting any other nature pictures.  They weren't going to allow it. Plus I lost light after this anyway. 

The last half mile of the hike was in complete dark and we were the last car to leave the parking lot.  I would have liked to get a shot of the rocks by the Cuyahoga River and the 6 deer grazing by the Signal Tree but maybe next time.  Guess I didn't plan this hike very well.  Better luck next time I guess.



















Highbridge Trail

3.2 miles completed today
27.57 miles completed total

Today we hiked the Highbridge Trail.  The trail starts out with about 50 steps.  I did surprisingly well with that.  The woods are really pretty there and I enjoyed the first part of the trail.  The trail winds around and eventually you come to the edge of the cliff where you are about 150 ft above the Cuyahoga River.  I was hoping that the trail would take us closer to the river.  We saw a nest that looked interesting.  Earlier we had learned that nests that were made of sticks were used by raptors or owls and nests that size that were made of leaves were used by squirrels.  Like usual I was having trouble with my camera so the picture is dark.

We continued on our way to see what else we could find.  Annie has been studying and collecting galls.  We learned that they come in all shapes and sizes so we took a picture of this one on a tree.

As we followed the trail it went up some more steps and we saw the bridge for which I assume the trail receives its name.

Once you get to the top of the steps you reach a gravel acess road.  It looks like it used to be used to reach the high tension lines there and now is used by the metroparks for the trail.  Annie found some interesting seed pods under the bridge.

I think it is lunaria but I could be wrong.  That's what it looked like to me but I didn't know it grew wild.  It may have escaped from someone's yard.  I knew this plant from my neighbor's yard or for all I know it may be a wild plant that my neighbor had in her yard.  I will definitely watch for this plant as we travel through the rest of the metroparks.

A little further up the gravel path we found scouring rush.  It is Equisetum though I don't know which kind. 
As you continue on the gravel path it looses altitude and gets closer and closer to the river.  You pass the falls

This is the waterfall that has a better vantage point from the gorge. Another metropark.

The rest of the 3.2 miles was walking to the road on the gravel road and then turning around and walking all the way back.  Annie and I were kind of disappointed with this trail.  I'm glad at least it was not the middle of summer.  We would have baked on the gravel road.  I guess this trail would be good for joggers or people who want to walk a trail that is gravel and level and clear and maybe are not as interested in being able to really get close to photograph nature but it just wasn't a good fit for Annie and I.  I couldn't get close enough to anything to photograph it.  There was a lot of trash from the houses up on the hill and I much prefer walking in the woods or at least a meadow.  Annie and I decided that at least the trail is done.  That kind of makes me feel guilty but I think this trail needs some work.  I did run into quite a few people who seemed to be enjoying it so maybe it was just me.

Overlook Trail

0.5 miles today
24.37 miles completed total

Today we walked the Overlook Trail which ends at the Overlook deck which views the oxbow of the Cuyahoga River that I pictured when we hiked the Oxbow Trail.  We took my 3 year old neice Aeris with us today since it was a short level trail.  She loved it and ran almost the entire way.  Unfortunately, she has had a cold and has now hacked and coughed the entire night even after giving her cough medicine. I think the cold from the air and the running irritated her lungs.  She had a bang-up time though :)  She collected rocks and banged sticks which is a great day for any 3 year old. I spent so much time running after Aeris that I forgot to take pictures.  I only got this.

Not sure of the kind but I thought it was kind of tall for a moss.  I looked on the internet but when I search for tall moss all I find are articles explaining why moss can't be tall so this is obviously going to take more research.

Earlier today I was at Goodyear Heights Alder Pond walking Jellybean.  He's one of my dogs.  I will have to put a picture of him on here later.  I always hike the same path for my fast hike but this time I hiked it in reverse.  I saw 2 different things today just by changing my direction and here they are. 

 I thought it looked like a heart.  I have walked by this tree hundreds of times.  Maybe even thousands but because I'm always going the other direction I have never noticed it.  It's right by the spur where I enter and exit the woods for the road.  I guess when I get to this point in my walk I am done and have never seen this tree because I am always looking the other way toward the road.  I'm glad I changed my routine today. 
The other thing I saw today was this

  The poor guy was probably freezing.  I was shocked to see him. We have had the strangest weather.   In the 40s one day, snowing the next.  I think it confused this poor frog. He was so  cold he could barely hop to get away from me.  Good thing I was not a predator and was friendly.  He slowly hopped to the edge of the board walk where at least he wasn't right out in the open and I guided the dog past him.  Hopefully he gets where he's going before a heron finds him. 

Oxbow Trail/ Winter Tree Id

1.2 miles completed
   23.87  miles completed total

Today we hiked the Oxbow Trail.  It is so named because it overlooks the oxbow of the Cuyahoga River.  I have never been to this park and it is really beautiful.  I think it will end up being one of my favorites.  We learned so much today thanks to naturalist Mike Greene.  He taught us how to identify trees without leaves by using other clues such as bark and twigs.  I had always relied on leaves but today I realized leaves are really only the smallest part of the bigger picture.  Some of my pictures didn't come out so I had to take some from the internet.
#1 Cottonwood

The cottonwood has rough bark with deep, wide, thick, straight, ridges.  It grows mostly in stream valleys.   It is in the poplar family along with aspens and has a fruit which splits and releases cottony seeds.  Cottonwoods can be either male or female.
#2 Sycamore

The sycamore is also called the buttonwood because early pioneers would use the "button" from the seed pod. The bark near the top of a mature tree looks camouflaged.  The hanging balls during winter are also distinctive.  Here's a close-up of the seed ball.

The sycamore is also a tree that follows the stream and river valleys.
#3 Sugar Maple

 

The sugar maple is the tree that pioneers tapped for making maple syrup.  This is also the point in the talk that we learned about opposite and alternate branch patterns.  As far as native trees in this area go if the branch pattern is opposite they will follow this mnenomic device MAD HORSE BUCKS.  MAD standing for Maple, ash, dogwood.  Horse standing for horse chestnut which isn't actually native though in the cities there are quite a few; and bucks, representing buckeye which is the state tree.  Everything else we will run into will be alternate.  Now, back to the maples.  If the tips this time of year are brown, think of brown sugar or syrup and you have your sugar maple.  If it is red you have your red maple.  And I don't remember what he said for silver maple :)  Obviously this is an internet pic in case you didn't notice the green leaves.  I don't know who to give credit to but thanks whoever you are, my pic didn't turn out and actually your pic is much nicer than mine was. 

#4 American Hornbeam

This tree was used to make yokes for oxen back in pioneer time because it is a very hard wood.The name hornbeam comes from the fact that it would have been the beam between the horn of the oxen.  Musclewood is probably the best common name because it will not be confusing like some of the other common names.  This is an understory tree and will never reach great heights.  It is usually found upland and rots quickly once it is down and comes in contact with water.  The tree looks like a musclar forearm. 

#5 Ash

 Ash has diamonds in the bark with deep ridges and valleys.  Ash trees generally grow near water and also upland.  There upper branches are sturdier than maples.

Ash trees are considered threatened and it is estimated that unless treated they will not be around in 5-10 years.  The emerald ash borer is a beetle from Asia that is decimating the ash population. 

This is the seed from the ash.  It looks similar to the tulip tree seed but the tulip tree seed has a little fin on it.
#6 Hawthorn

 The only info I really got on this tree is that it has big thorns and some fruit.  Sorry this is about all I'm able to tell you.  My picture also did not come out so this is also a borrowed image.  

#7 Tulip Tree.  This is one of my favorites because I'm always able to identify it.

The bark is very flat and looks almost like it was painted with little white stripes.  The tree grows very straight and tall.  It is part of the magnolia family. The seed from the tulip tree looks a lot like an ash but has a little fin on it. 

#8 White Oak

The shag doesn't curl up on the bottom. Humans can eat the acorns of the white oak bacause they don't contain as much tannen as other oaks so flour can be made from them.  the leaves of the white oak group have rounded tips while the leaves from the red/black oak group have pointed leaf tips.

#9 Black Cherry

The Black Cherry Tree Bark looks like it has burnt corn flakes all over it.  It has very rough bark.  It is called a pioneer tree because animals spread the seeds by eating the fruit and depositing the seeds in their droppings.  It is often easy to spot the "mother" tree and which trees came as results of the seeds being spread by other critters.

#10  Sassafras

Sassafras bark looks similar to cottonwood but has criss crosses and horizontal cuts in it.  The wood underneath has an orange color and a strong smell.  The extract from the root was used medicinally and used for tea.

#11 Red Maple

Red maples are opposite.  They have thin branching and red new twig growth. Something on them is red in every season.  Young bark is smooth and older bark starts to break up rougher.  Some describe it as knees and elbows and some describe is as the heartbreak of psoriasis. 

#12 Beech  

Beech trees have smooth light bark.  Trees can keep their leaves all winter though young trees tend to do it more than the older trees.  The new buds are long and pointy.

#13 Dogwood

Dogwood also have opposite branches.  Their bark is snakeskin like.  They have thin twigs and are an understory tree.  Leaf buds are thin but flower buds tend to look like chocolate chips.  During the winter you can tell how well a tree will flower in the spring by how many flower buds it has.