Continuing Rehab Walking There Again

 

Coming off a successful walk last weekend at Backbone State Park, Tammy and I took a moment to stop at the trail to Malanaphy Springs on the way home after our god-daughter, Turi's wedding.  The last time we walked this trail was a little over eleven months ago.  Even though that prior walk was in November, it was actually a bit warmer (and sunnier) that time around.  The biggest difference was the absence of any leaves on the trees that time.

Ok.  That, and last time we got to see and hear Pileated Woodpeckers.

This time around, we got to view the trail with some nice greens and yellows, along with some brown leaves (of course). 

One of the neat things about Fall walks in the woods is that you can take in that earthy/leafy smell as you go down the path.  It is usually a bit more prominent on a day that features a bit more sunshine, but it was present this time around.  And we were serenaded with the sound of wind through the drying leaves.

We were noticing, on the walk back, that there were maples, elms, oaks and numerous other trees in this woodland.  While there were many downed, older trees - we also noticed many younger trees.  It looked like the maple seedlings and saplings were the most plentiful, but we observed other young trees as well.

I actually like taking photos on days that aren't terribly bright because it is easier to show the depth of your surroundings.  Of course, a wooded area that has a good canopy and decent leaf cover provides enough shade to make it easier to handle those bright days.

I think the pictures I took this time around show a nice contrast between the darker shades in the tree trunks with everything else.  And it was refreshing to see the different shades going from green to yellow.

The goal for this walk is typically to get to the cold water springs (and waterfall) at the end of the trail.  We were not entirely sure that Tammy would be able to go that far, but she made it.  Upon arriving there, she found a good stump to sit on so she could just soak in the sights for a while and get a little more energy for the return walk.

While she got a break, I decided to meander around the stream and see what other pictures I could take.  I got some that looked upstream towards the source where Malanaphy exits the rocks and I took other s that looked down to the waterfall that drops to the Upper Iowa River.

While we were in the area of springs, the sun decided to make a quick appearance.  I think we were both pretty happy to get a few rays peeking through the tree canopy.  It was a bit like having a friend tell us that they were glad to see us there. 

A little extra light provided a little bit more texture on the waters of the Upper Iowa by reflecting a patch of blue back at me.  I just happened to be looking at the right time and decided to see how that would look in a picture.  

 

By the time we returned to the car, Tammy was probably feeling like she had put in about as much of a hike as she should at this point in her rehabilitation.  We were told that Achilles surgery has a long road to recovery, but it is one thing to be told such a thing and another thing to live the experience.  That said, she is recovering well and we're thinking it might be a good strategy to try to set aside time to take these walks each weekend.

I am not sure where we'll go next.  But, it certainly was a good walk with my friend at Malanaphy Springs.