Hiking Northshore Trail

Some of our homeschool friends got together today for a hike on Northshore Trail.  It was a little cold but it was nice getting out in nature while getting some good exercise on the trail.

The ground was a little soft in areas and we found some neat animal tracks.

Although most of the bushes and trees had either brown leaves or no leaves, this beautiful holly stood out with its bright red berries which are a special winter treat for the birds.

The trail is really interesting in that it constantly changes elevation and there are interesting features like creeks and bridges.

Nicholas said it would be fun to ride this trail on his mountain bike.

Nicholas is loving his new camera that he got for Christmas.  He enjoys taking nature pictures.

He takes some really great pictures and I love how he slows down from his usual high speed pace to really slow down and zoom in on some good shots.  I think photography is really good for him.

A friend of mine always takes pictures of where she stands. It is an unusual perspective of the places she has traveled.  Here is mine for the day.  Exploring in my hiking boots.

I know this tree look barren and boring.  However, I still like looking at it.  With all of its crazy branches it just seems to be busy and active even though it looks rather dead.

I'm not sure which type of tree this is below.  It is likely a cypress or cedar tree.  I enjoyed it's colorful blooms.

The teens managed to mingle together and avoid the parents and siblings.  Nicholas has a great group of friends and we are blessed to be "doing life" together with them.

I love this picture.  It was still and quiet here but you can actually "see" the wind as it creates ripples on the water.

An idyllic little scene.  I'd like to paint this picture when I have some time.

Although we were staying warm walking, I was glad to have my coat and hat, especially when we were in open areas that were breezy.  I do not like being cold, even when exercising.

Ahh!  Wood sorrel!  Rachel's favorite edible plant.  It is all edible but if you find it early in the season these little yellow bulbs taste a little bit like pickles.  It grows all over here and is really easy to recognize in this stage.

I just love pictures of trails in the woods.  It just invites me to explore a little more down its path.

Although there doesn't seem to be a lot to look at in the woods in January, you can see from the pictures that there are still pretty colors and interesting plants to study.

This has been a fun trail to explore.  It is really long with lots of different entrance points.  We only covered a small part of it today but I plan to come back and hike other areas of the trail soon.