Saturday, April 28, 2007

Beavers in the valley

Westbound at dawn I cleared Vienna and was zooming down the grade toward the Difficult Run valley when I saw a pair of beavers in the creek below mile 12.5. One was pale brown, the other dark brown, and they seemed to be chatting, or perhaps courting. At any rate, after a few minutes, one swam away and the other followed.

Continuing west I saw a big herd of deer having breakfast among the Skunk Cabbage while being serenaded by the squeaky hinge call of the Red Winged Blackbirds in the marsh to the south. Farther west, an Indigo Bunting flew across my path and the Wild Azalea scented the air up on the Reston Plateau.
Out near Goose Creek about mile 30 the dogwoods and redbuds were spectacular on either side of the trail. Toothwort is blooming out there too.

Returning home I was handed a safety brochure by police at the trail in Reston. They were giving out information this weekend, and one of them said that they were going to start enforcing the safety guidelines along the trail in the near future. The Boy Scouts were clearing brush along the trail near Maple Avenue in Vienna. Be careful riding in that area, there are lots of people on and around the trail and the chain saws are making a lot of noise.