Hidden Trail
By Dominic Lloyd
Tuesday, April 20, 2004
Douglas FirOn April 20 2004, the Wild Rose Ramblers met at the John Janzen Nature Centre for the second ramble of 2004. We hiked "Hidden Trail" which starts near the Douglas fir tree in Whitemud Park and goes east along the south side of Fox Drive. After climbing for a while we turned right (to Grandview Drive West) and made our way up to the viewpoint at the top of the stairs in Grandview. Then, continuing in the same general direction (west), we followed a trail back down to Whitemud Park. It turned into a bit of an adventure near the end as we bogged down in some mud near the creek, but we made our way up to the main trail and back to our starting point. We observed a pair of mallards and a pair of common mergansers in Whitemud Creek as we crossed the footbridge. The weather was pleasant for hiking - about 5°C and sunny, with some snow along the creek, and on the paths. Still no leaves on the trees, but some are budding.
Douglas Fir ConePat told us a story involving Gitchimanitou and some pesky mice. According to this story, the mice hid in the cones of the Douglas fir, and that's why you can still see their tails emerging from the sides of the cone, and their feet from the bottom. This is how a Douglas fir can be identified.
Bishop's Cap