Trails at Bonshaw

The provincial and national parks are closed in Prince Edward Island because of the Covid pandemic but the trails of Bonshaw are open to hikers. Bonshaw and the adjoining trails at Strathgartney are two of our favourite hiking areas so my husband and I headed out this week.

The parking lot was almost full. Steady movement of people through the lot showed how eager people were to be out and about in these times. It was sunny, windy and cold, but among the trees it was comfortable.

The earth is beginning to yield new growth now as plants push their way through the humus. The trees have buds which are growing, giving the promise of the new green of spring in a few weeks.

The coniferous trees are becoming a vibrant green again as the hours of sunlight increase. Ferns will soon appear on the forest floor.

There are mountain bikers this day, sharing the pathways with walkers without any problems. There is plenty of room to move aside for walkers and riders. However, hikers and bikers spread out over the kilometres of trails are hardly noticeable.

While I love a walk on a beach, it is equal in comparison to the sense of well being I feel in such a woodland setting as the trails of Bonshaw.

 

The height of the trees alone is enough to take me out of myself and feel a part of something greater. The light through the trees casts shadows which dance over the ground with the sway of the trees in the wind. Light plays hide and seek with visitors. The air is fresh and clean and reaches deep inside as your breathing slows while you take in the setting.

Though one must be careful of the roots along the trails as they can be dangerous under foot, they make me smile. They are so important to the forest and I always tread lightly around them. The roots remind me of the unseen part of the forest so essential to its well being and ours.

While the picnic area was closed, we had a table and chairs with us and set up on the grass near the car. It was good to be back at Bonshaw for another year. 

Even this early in the season, the benefit of our time in the forest is obvious!

 

The bulb

The roots erupt a few hours after the bottom of the bulb touches the water. We watch with interest as the roots lengthen every day, the pure white tendrils answering the call of gravity.

Meanwhile, above water, the top of the bulb erupts with green which grows day to day. Before long the center of the bulb looks different, not merely expanding leaves. As it grows, it is apparent blossoms are curled inside and over a few days, they open.

 


The transformation is complete. A small plant sits on the table where it absorbs sufficient light.

However, this small plant demands attention. Walking downstairs towards the table, one is immersed in hyacinth-scented air. It fills the living room and wafts into the kitchen. The blooms last a week 

and the scent lingers for a day after the plant becomes compost. For the two to three weeks it grew and bloomed, it was impressive.

There is a lesson here.

Life force

The roots on the paths over the Bonshaw Hills are sacred. They are the vessels of the planet bringing the life fluid up to the leaves where oxygen, our breath of life, is produced. They are a reminder of the interdependence of humankind and nature. 

And again this spring, as the deciduous trees begin to leaf again and the coniferous trees become a more vibrant green, 

these vessels have been busy, the fluid has been pumping. The woodlands are alive now, awake from the long winter nap. Everything is in high gear as the forest awakens.

She doesn’t have long to switch into high gear either but she is glorious already. The leaves are beginning to appear so that hint of green is everywhere now. 

The forest floor, which will soon be darkened by the overhead canopy, has taken the opportunity these last few weeks to turn green too.

Last year’s ferns are flattened into the earth but fiddleheads are reaching skyward.

Mosses are hard at work on old tree stumps returning them back to the earth.

Birch trees are further along with leafing than other trees. 

As we climb the hills and look down through the woodland, the hint of green through the trees is invigorating. Being here in the heart of nature is good for body and soul.