Trailing around Oakhurst

I have now made two return visits to Oakhurst Forest Preserve, and so far, I am liking what I've found. On both occasions I have tried to complete the Woodland Loop trail, only to find my way  hampered by a flooded path. I suspect I'll have to wait until mid summer for the trail to be completely dried out, much the ducks distress. 

So instead I jogged over from the Woodland Loop trail to the Beaver trail, which is runs adjacent to a brook that flows into (or from) Lake Peterson. 

The Beaver trail intersected with a couple of mowed paths, but as these where open and exposed to the sun, I opted to follow the brook into a shaded woods. When this trail finally opened up into a marshland, I found myself at the north-end of the Preserve, and could hear the cars travelling along New York Street.  

I had to cross the brook over a makeshift log bridge before I could continue along the northern part of the trail, which took me back into the woods. This part of trail is next to several businesses, and is the only place where I noticed a bit of dumping. Having circumnavigated another obstacle - a fallen tree - the woods gave way to a clearing, this time with a pond.

Here dragonflies whizzed passed, but they proved too elusive for a camera. Eventually I have to add these insects to my list of things to identify. 

At this point, the trail connected up to the Meadowview trail, which would take me around the eastern and southern part of the preserve, but not before I took a quick diversion onto the Black Maple Loop Trail. It was here I stumbled across a butterfly, sitting patiently for me. I scrambled for my camera, and was fortunate to take a perfect shot.....well, perfect for me.

Red Spotted Purple

No sooner had  I started walking again than I startled a deer. It stopped, about twenty feet away from me, and I was able to get another great photo.

WhiteTail Deer

The end of the Black Maple Loop Trail proved to be flooded, forcing me to turned around and head back to the Meadowview Trail. 

Meadowview trail

I took this mowed trail all the way back to the car. There I grab my bike out of the back, a completed one quick lap of the lake, stopping to take the occasional photo.