A...Lap In the Woods

This past Wednesday, there was a small field trip to the Blandford Nature Center in Grand Rapids, MI. This nature center features multiple different rails no longer than one mile long, as well as a small animal preserve where a few different animals spend their days lounging in the sun. I was not sure what to expect from Blandford, but I was hoping to get a taste of what the forest can truly give. After paying the small $3 fee at the visitor's center, the class was free to roam on the ground before meeting up again for apple cider and donuts out in front a small farm type building.

First, I followed the herd of classmates through the Wildlife trail to see exactly what Blandford kept on its grounds. A spattering of different cages and enclosures held owls, various endangered birds and a bobcat who was once held as a pet in somebody's home before a neighbor alerted authorities. Most of these animals were relaxing, so after the quick stroll over the wooden bridge I found myself on the "Back Forty" trail. From here, I broke off from the group and wandered through this trail by myself, and it truly was quite peaceful. I chose to go right at the fork in the trail, and it took me past a bog (pictured below) that was pretty stunning looking in the mid afternoon glow. From the bog, I meandered through the rest of the Back Forty, just taking in the overall atmosphere of where I was walking. At one point I had a thought, "Hey. I could probably hike the AT," but then 3 seconds later I glanced at my phone and realized I had been walking for 10 minutes. This truly was just a lap in the woods, and it was nothing compared to what people such as Bill Bryson have accomplished on the AT. Despite this somewhat startling realization that there is no way I could ever hike more than a few miles, I still enjoyed the mile or so I hiked throughout Blandford. Also, I can't complain when there was cider and donuts waiting for me at the end of the trail. Overall, I think I may go on a few different day hikes this fall to get a feel for truly what hiking is all about. Only time will tell if I will actually follow through with this, but the trip to Blandford was a good starting point.