Laurel Ridge-Setauket Woods Nature Preserve

Last weekend, on an unusually warm November Day, we decided to explore the Laurel Ridge Setauket Woods Preserve in Setauket. We set out on the trails with some trepidation, since this preserve is more known for mountain biking than hiking. In fact, the trails are operated as a partnership between the Town of Brookhaven Parks and Recreation, Suffolk County Parks, and C.L.I.M.B. (Concerned Long Island Mountain Bicyclists). After our hike earlier in the year at Cathedral Pines, where the trails were unsuitable for hiking due to extensive damage caused by continuous biking, we did not hold out too much hope for exploring this preserve.

According to an old Brookhaven town news item, the name “Laurel Ridge” comes from the fact that the preserve is situated on the Harbor Hill Terminal Moraine. The woodlands on the preserve are dominated by a mixture of pine and oak trees, typical of much of the wooded areas on Long Island.  Perhaps, due to the time of year and the leaf cover, we were pleasantly surprised to find an actual trail instead of the hard-pan so prominent at Cathedral Pines. But then, we only walked a short loop to the high tension lines and back, so we never really reached the black diamond bike trails.

The small section we did hike, consisted almost entirely of oaks. Under the leafy ground cover, we discovered that the area was covered with ground pines. These miniature replicas of their taller cousins, along with the occasional greenery of the Mountain Laurel, were the only variation from the brown hue of late autumn.

Finishing up this short 1 mile loop, we found a lone holly tree, standing tall and resolute; the stranger determined to stay in an area where it seemed so out of place.

All too soon, we returned to our car to complete the necessary weekend errands, leaving further exploration for another day.

Stony Brook Harbor

Sometimes plans don’t work out as expected and you have to come up with a Plan B. Earlier in the week, I had read an article about the Forsythe Meadow Nora Bredes County Preserve in Stony Book and decided I would explore this small preserve on Sunday morning. The land was purchased in 1999 as part of a land preservation initiative. In 2012, it was dedicated to the memory of Legislator Nora Bredes. Later in 2012, a small parking area and other improvements were completed.

On my first try down the road, I passed the county park sign. I did located the sign next to a private driveway on my second attempt. Unfortunately, I did not find the parking area which I assumed was located on the road. I decided to be bold and turned into the driveway and discovered the parking lot at the top of the driveway. This is were my plan failed, for I did not see any trail beyond the parking lot nor did I see the granite bench mentioned in the dedication article. Another article had mentioned that the improvements included a split rail fence marking the boundary of the preserve but the only fences I saw were those surrounding the parking lot and a falling, rotting fence in the woods beyond the parking lot. Right next to the parking area was a sign that indicated “end of the county parkland. No entry beyond this point.” Being an obedient soul, I did not venture beyond the sign to see if there was a rail fence on the other side.

Frustrated by my attempt to take a quick walk, I sat in my car for a moment trying to come up with a Plan B that would not take me too far out of the way. I decided to take a quick walk around Stony Brook Harbor, located just down the road. I parked across from the Three Village Inn and began my walk looking out over the harbor from the parking field.

I continued my walk on the sidewalk that meandered around the marina, yacht club and a portion of the harbor. When the paved walk ended, I ambled on along the beach. Even at low tide  the beach area was not very wide, with the water dictating the width of a beach that was bordered on the other side by a ridge. Peering through the trees and brush I spied a stone wall. A door hidden by the vegetation suggested the possibility of a storage area.

As I proceeded on my journey, I was amused by the two straight lines of debris left by the tide. These lines seemed to suggest a path the the traveler must follow. I walked in this designated path for a short while, pausing now and then to observe the gull colony on one of the islands in the harbor. One island, that was within wading distance from land was occupied by a small cottage.

I strolled on until the beach narrowed and became somewhat muddy. Straining to see around a bend, the beach seemed to end near a desolate looking pier. I paused to observe a lone gull soaring overhead before turning around. My short ramble was only 45 minutes but it was a worthwhile Plan B.

South Shore Learning Center

Last weekend was one of those running around weekends where you try to catch up on all the things that were not accomplished during the week. Even so, I wanted to take time out for  a nature break on this cloudy but warm November day, so I decided to visit the South Shore Nature Center in East Islip for a short walk. This nature center is a successful example of people and organizations coming together to make something happen. The Center was shut down in 2012 due to financial problems in the town of Islip. The town eventually formed a partnership with the Seatuck Environmental Association, where Seatuck agreed to take over the operation of the nature preserve. As a result, the South Shore Nature Center reopened as the Orr Wildlife Learning Center in September 2013.

Autumn was still showing off some fancy attire as I walked by a small pond near the entrance. A bench, strategically located with an open view of the pond and several bird boxes, invited the visitor to pause for some birdwatching. Nearby I found an aster in full bloom, oblivious to the calendar stating that it is time to retire for the winter. After watching a group of ducks for some time, I continued around the pond towards the Woodland Trail.

The North Shore Nature Center is one of those interesting places that take the traveler through several habitats; first upland woods, then wetland woods, followed by freshwater pond and marsh, and finally saltwater marsh. The uplands wood portion exhibited the same brilliant displays I had witnessed by the pond. Another bench was placed in the open woods for those who desired to experience the serenity of this quiet landscape.

Soon, I came upon a boardwalk that made of the marsh trails. The first part of the boardwalk meandered through wet woodlands, a perfect platform to keep from tramping through mud but allowing me to observe the woods around me. I spotted several deer along my wanderings. They were not at all skittish, looking up to keep an on eye on the two legged creatures invading their turf but making no attempt to bolt off into the woods.

Pretty soon, the woods gave way to more marshy ground. Here, the reeds on either side of the boardwalk were six feet high or more. I walked for some time through this tunnel, hearing creatures scurrying through the thick vegetation but not being able to see them. There were one or two side paths that lead me to observation platforms looking out over the water, a perfect spot for watching migrating birds.

After a while, the boardwalk ended, forcing the traveler to continue through some muddy areas. Eventually, the ground became a little drier but the path became a lot narrow. I am sure if I continued on, I would have been able to discover the hidden life near the bay, but given the warm temperatures, the fact that adult ticks peak through November,  and the fact that Long Island sees 500 to 700 cases of Lyme disease a year I chose not to venture any further. Instead I turned back towards the boardwalk and selected a turn I had passed on my way.

The boardwalk trail eventually gave way to the Uplands Trail but I came to a junction that indicated the trail was closed. I could go no further.  I assumed that with the center having just opened in September, that there must still be a lot of work to do in order to make the trails safe, especially since the center closed just 2 months after Hurricane Sandy.

I turned back and retraced my steps back towards the entrance. As I approached the pond, I noticed that the ducks I had observed earlier had decided to take a stroll on land. I watched the pairs amble nonchalantly  back to the pond and continued on my way. I had been able to take a refreshing nature break for about an hour, walking a little over a mile.

Maiden Cliff – Camden Hills State Park

Last week we took an extended weekend trip to the Camden Rockport area in Maine to take care of some business and to try to fit in a hike or two. During our summer of 2012 trip, our innkeeper recommended that we hike up the back side of Maiden Cliff, stating it would be an easier trail for me prior to my surgery than hiking the Maiden Cliff Trail on Route 52. We took her advice, but somehow we never made it to the cross at the top of the cliff. The trail seemed to dead end and we could not find the continuation to the top.

This year we were determined to  locate the summit. The trail is located on a side street (Maiden Cliff Road) off Youngtown Road in Lincolnville. We walked up the gravel packed road towards the trail head and found a Wooly Bear Caterpillar along the way. At the end of Maiden Cliff Road a trail veers off into the woods to the left.  We meandered along this wood road for a short time before it ended at a field in front of us and the trail head to our left.

The gradual incline of the trail made our ascent somewhat easier but  the loose gravel and erosion tracks all the way up added some difficulty to our climb.  The fallen leaves covering these obstacles also complicated things a bit. After this short struggle we reached a field and were rewarded with views of brilliant colored sumac throughout the field and Megunticook Lake below.

This field was were things got interesting. A year ago, when we could not find our way to the cross at the top of Maiden Cliff, we mentioned our failed attempt to reach the summit to a few people. Everyone was surprised and all said the same thing; “you will come to a field and you’ll see a big rock with an oak tree. Head towards the tree and follow the trail to the top”. Now a year ago we never found said trail and we really searched for it. This year, we stood in the field and all of a sudden we had that “DUH!” moment. There to our left was a granite boulder with…? You guessed it. The hard to find oak tree. To give us some credit, the trail we were on did continue straight to another field so we probably hunted for this landmark in the wrong field.

We took this trail which skirted the boulder and entered the woods once more. In a manner of minutes we reached the cross at the summit of Maiden Cliff. We sat for a while admiring views of the lake and Camden Harbor, pleased that we had achieved our goal.