We frequently hear the phrase “in the dead of winter”, which perhaps sets the tone for the avoidance of hiking in the colder months of December, January and February. But our recent hike at Halls Creek Nature Preserve pushed back on the assumption that the deciduous forest is void of life during the coldest of months. Interestingly, we found many examples of life forms that take advantage of the lack of competition for sunlight, or utilize the near constant winter breeze, to assist them in completing their life cycles.
This was our first visit to Halls Creek (spelled without an apostrophe although it seems there should be one). There was not a lot of information at the preserve’s website, but we went forward without a trail description or map as the Ohio State Nature Preserves do a great job and always seem to have a trail map to photograph at the trailhead – until this day. The sign just off the parking lot encouraged one to download the Ohio Trails “Detour” app that is managed by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.
But, since we were in a narrow valley there was inadequate cell service for me to do so. Luckily our companion for this day, our daughter Caroline, already had it downloaded so, once we had climbed out of the valley and had cell service, we had our mobile map and could follow our position on the trail.
The app appears to have a lot of functionality that I need to familiarize myself with. It has a interactive touch map that allows displays trails throughout Ohio as well as a filtering screen that helps you find trails that meet your desires based on degree of difficulty, distance, and special features.
The Halls Creek trail starts out flat going through a deciduous wood alongside a creek.
But then the “difficult” part of the trail presented itself – a relatively vertical climb up out of the valley to reach the “easy” loop trail that makes up the majority of the hike. The climb is a series of switchbacks bridged by stone and wood stairs. It is only a climb of 210 feet but it is relatively steep.
Some of the rocks that made up the stairs and pathway had fascinating fossil formations. It was unclear if they were just exposed on the hillside or hauled up from the creek below.
Once we got to the top we had a nice view into the distant valley,
and there was signage directing us onto the loop trail.
And nearby was this Eagle Scout project, a sign that provided “low tech” directions.
The compass coordinates on the post were a unique finding.
The loop trail is officially called the “Knob Loop Trail” and meanders atop a ridge. Initially it is in a medium aged wood of American Beech, Sugar Maple, and Red Oak.
The acorns in this part of the wood were abundant and quite large (lip balm placed for size reference). Due to the saucer like shape of the cap I believe that this is from a Northern Red Oak.
Soon however it transitioned into a succession wood where Redcedars, Black Walnut, and Ash were starting to be replaced by young beeches, maples, and oaks. Probably until relatively recently this flat area had been a farm pasture or cropland.
As we looped back, on the northern segment of the trail, we entered a truly mature wood with massive Red Oaks and American Beeches.
American Beeches are interesting because they are frequently hollow, providing cavities for nesting wildlife. This one appears to be a bi-level, hosting a Pileated Woodpecker above, and perhaps an owl or mammal below.
The trail then begins to descend on what appears to be an old farm drive that exhibited some rutting and exposed stone.
Following directional signage we turned off the farm lane, headed south looking into the sun, and ascended a mild climb.
Atop the crest we suddenly found ourselves visited by small flocks of several bird species.
The first were a group of Eastern Bluebirds. The males are a dramatic blue with a rusty colored breast.
The Downy Woodpeckers were a challenge as they seemed to favor the shady side of the tree trunks. This one is a male, as evidence by the small red patch on the back of his head.
And finally, White-breasted Nuthatches. Nuthatches are the only birds in our forests that will go head first down a tree trunk.
In this photo it is perched on the edge of a tree hollow. Soon he jumped down into the cavity and preceded to throw leaf litter out as he looked for insects and grubs to feed upon.
Soon we met up with the descending leg of the trail, where we retraced our steps down into the creek valley and back to the parking lot.
Earlier I mentioned the “signs of life” that we witnessed on the hike. In the title photo one sees a moss in its active reproductive phase, hoisting new sporangia (the spore forming structures) high to catch the winter breeze to help distribute the spores of a future generation some distance from the parent plant.
Another splash of green on the winter forest floor was provided by Wild Garlic. It has a unique life cycle in that it goes dormant in the early summer but comes back to life in latter fall. In a deciduous wood in the winter it has no competition for the low lying winter sunlight and thrives.
In the Ohio River Valley region there are 4 ferns that are evergreen and we saw two of them on this short hike. The first was the Evergreen Wood Fern which have quite large fronds. It was somewhat worse for wear on the windswept knob.
By turning over the blade we could see the sori which are the spore forming parts of the fern. The location and shape of the sori help with species identification, especially in the summer months when many more species of ferns are seen.
On magnification, you can see the complexity of the sori themselves. Not all fern sori are this three-dimensional. The actual spores were probably released earlier this year.
The other evergreen fern that we saw on this date was the Christmas Fern. There are differences of opinion on why it is named Christmas. Some say that it is because it looks so healthy at Christmas time and was used for Christmas greenery. Others say it is because the pinnae (leaflets) are shaped like a Christmas stocking (see arrow in photo below). I favor the first theory.
The underside of the pinnae on the Christmas Fern were also covered with sori.
It is also on winter hikes when fungi are most noticeable, and at Halls Creek there were many different varieties. They are trying to squeeze in a last gasp of reproduction before the coldest days arrive. What we think of as mushrooms are the fruiting bodies for a much bigger organism, with the bulk of their mass, the mycelial network of root like structures, being below the surface of the soil or decaying log that they are growing on.
And this photo shows a thriving Ivory Waxy Cap mushroom with its gills exposed. The gills are the spore forming part of the mushroom. One reproductive advantage of dispersing your spores in the late fall and winter is that the forest floor is generally free of neighboring plants, allowing the breeze to carry the spores greater distances from the parent fungus.
Amongst the leaf litter on the forest floor was this member of the Ground Spider family. Rather than forming webs, they use silk from their spinnerets to entangle their prey, which they chase down on foot. Ground spiders are the largest group of spiders in the world with over two thousand species.
And lastly, another photo of a simple acorn – which in reality are not that simple. I find the geometric structure of their caps fascinating. This acorn is covered by a fuzziness that in the tree books is described as “tomentose”.
In summary, the woods are not dead in the “dead of winter”. In reality there is much to be seen as certain organisms have found a competitive advantage by making this their “can do” season. In addition, winter is the best season to study the architecture and bark of trees, as well as to appreciate geological features like bluffs and stone outcroppings. So bundle up and find your way into the woods – its beats the gym every time.
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Photo credits to Peggy Juengling Burns and Caroline Burns Grizzle.
Overview:
Location – 3232 Mason Morrow Millgrove Rd, Morrow, OH 45152, about 31 miles from downtown Cincinnati.
Parking – gravel lot for 8-10 cars.
Trail Conditions – bare dirt with some sections having exposed rock. The first quarter mile is classified as “strenuous” due to the climb, but the loop is easy. The total distance for this hike was about 2 miles.
Print Map Link – none. Download the Ohio Trails “Detour” App by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, or take a photo of the map at the top of the hill climb.
Benches – none noted
Picnic Tables – none
Facilities – none
Kids – six and over should do well. The stair climb could be challenging for shorter legs.
Dogs – prohibited.
Suggested Paired Hikes – none
Links:
https://ohiodnr.gov/go-and-do/plan-a-visit/find-a-property/halls-creek-woods-state-nature-preserve