Bear Brook Interpretive Hike and Trail work

Mother Nature’s unpredictable temperament came just in time for the SCA CLC member’s hiking trip to Bear Brook State Park. A few days prior to the CLC event, a vicious wind and rain storm tore through the state uprooting hundreds of trees and knocking over power lines, leaving Bear Brook without power for nearly a week. Temperatures dropped the night before the event as a fresh layer of snow blanketed the unsettled park. The CLC arrived to Bear Brook awe-struck with beauty and ready to explore. The members bundled up for an interpretive hike lead by one of the SCA’s own knowledgeable corps members. Tracks were hard to come as the melting snow from the treetops fell to disrupt the fresh snow but that did not distract the avid members from identifying a number of plant life ranging from white pine, to red maple, to blueberry shrubs. The CLC even saw signs of moose and beaver. Then they headed back to the Bear Brook lodge to enjoy a much needed feasting without the luxury of electricity. Ready to get moving, the members geared up for some valuable conservation work. They headed off to ‘Broken Boulder Trail’ to clear and make the trail passable. This was the first conservation outing for the members and they worked diligently to remove fallen debris and saw off giant limbs from the fallen trees. Upon arrival at Smith’s Pond, the members gathered under the lean-to shelter on the ponds edge for break, and then they headed back to vans to warm their toes and head home.

Picture: CLC corps members enjoying a much needed break at Smith’s Pond lean-to