Happy to see spring begin
My granddaughter Gracie nets the fish she just pulled out of Meadow Run near Ohiopyle.
Jack Hughes
This past Sunday the weather forecast was for a lot of sun and temperatures warming into the 70s. No rain was in sight until later that night and after the cold chilly rainy days of the past few weeks, I was ready for a bike ride on the GAP trail in Ohiopyle.
I was on my bike just before 8 a.m. The air was chilly but no wind and with the promises the forecasters had made I was on my way. Only one other car was in the parking lot and within a few minutes I was warmed by the riding motion and the strengthening rays of the sun. Both the air and the ground warmed quickly with the strong April sunshine and, in an hour, the temps were well into the 50s; another hour and the temperature was approaching 70 degrees.
The rapid warming was just what Mother Nature needed to begin her spring journey. Within these few hours the brown forest floor covered with winter’s debris began to send up green shoots and leaves. I rode some 16 miles and on the return part of the trip, I noticed some yellow colt’s foot on open hillsides and along the trail’s edge. This plant does not appear to have any leaves and just shoots up on its own and is one of the first plants to bloom each spring.
More spring warming and a little further down the trail lavender spring beauties were hugging the forest floor and some yellow trout lilies made their appearance. A real spring treat awaited me around the next bend as a patch of white blood root wildflowers were beginning their annual show. This is my favorite of the early blooms and the white just stands out against all the dark colors of the forest floor.
Lastly, I did see a few trillium plants, however, these were only showing their leaves and it would be another few days before the hillsides would be covered with their white and red flowers. By mid-afternoon, the warming sun was enough to have the spring peepers put on an afternoon concert and the sounds of the the little frogs calling for a mate and the wildflowers made for a delightful bike ride. By midday, Ohiopyle looked like a summer afternoon with people enjoying the sun and emerging signs of spring.
Earlier this week, we took another ride and this time it was a car trip to Pittsburgh to see the spring flower show at Phipps Conservatory. It was one of those dreary rainy days before this past warmer weekend. The ride up Route 51 from Uniontown to Pittsburgh was very dismal and depressing. Nothing was in bloom and trash was everywhere. Tons of it was scattered in the ravines, hillsides and along the roadways. I will never understand why a can of soda or beer or a paper cup has to be tossed out of a car onto our roadways. Mother Nature did such a beautiful job landscaping Southwestern Pennsylvania and we go and mess it up with our trash and thoughtless actions.
Phipps was worth the trip. Thousands of plants and flowers were arranged in colorful spring displays, covering the entire glass building. Many of us will remember a trip to Phipps as a kid to see the spring or holiday season displays. Parking was free and we enjoyed lunch at the café.
The day brought a smile to my face. Speaking of smiles our granddaughter, Gracie, caught a 22-inch trout in Meadow Run as part of the Mentored Youth Fishing program. The kids get to go out a week before the regular season opens this weekend. This is a great program to get kids off the electronics and into the outdoors.