Peaked Hill

Peaked Hill is one of the highest points on the Island which fortunately, with the acreage around it, has been preserved for the recreational enjoyment of the people and the agricultural use of Island farmers.  It’s one of my favorite places to unwind and absorb the natural world around me.

This day did not disappoint. It started out foggy, which most spring and summer days do around here, but cleared up quickly. The leaves on the oak trees haven’t even thought of coming out yet, this emptiness of filler seems to amplify every sound in the area. All the birds were very chatty. There were so many different songs to hear and the busy woodpeckers were tapping the trees. I could also hear the low moo of cattle, though I didn’t run into any.

The lack of foliage on the trees also gives the wild flowers in the underbrush a chance to bloom and absorb the sunshine. These little dew kissed blossoms were in the middle of the trail.

These were hiding off the trail.

The trail meanders uphill and opens up to a high point with an area of mostly blueberries and huckleberries, which have been apparently drinking up the sunshine and have already started to bloom.

 

The high point also presents a lovely view. It seems the fog hadn’t quite burned off completely and the bank was sitting right off shore. It was at this point I started to hear a cacophony of noise. At first I thought it was geese, but it didn’t seem quite right. It took me a few minutes to figure out it was guineas. Lots of them. Singing and chatting at the top of their lungs off somewhere in the distance. 

The way back is a trail through enormous boulders left by the glaciers in the last ice age.

The picture above is visually deceiving. The boulder in the front right looks like a stepping stone, but it was up over my knee in height and several feet long. 

This trail can be extended by other trails that go off in several directions across hill and dale. It’s easy to spend the whole day wandering without realizing it and travel quite a ways away from your car. The hike we took today was a good hour and a half for me with all my picture taking stops and bird listening stops which was enough sun without leaves on the trees or my parasol.