by Wren West, BTLT summer intern
We ventured out to Cathance River Nature Preserve on a sunny June morning, beginning our journey on the Heath Loop. For the next few hours we traversed many landscapes, weaving among what felt like vastly different worlds.
The loop led us through a shady forest, and the partially sunlit trail was decorated with the silhouettes of a tree canopy far, far above us. Eventually, we approached a marshland alive with the sound of ribbits. Frogs galore! We strolled along the wooden boardwalk through tall grass, greeted by croaked hellos from our camouflaged friends.
As we gazed across the marsh to the tree line in the distance, our view was distinctly split in half. North of the tree line was the rich blue of the cloudless sky. South of the tree line was a mosaic of greens, yellows, and browns, of chartreuse shrubbery and murky brown water delicately peppered with lily pads.
We soon completed our walk on the Heath Loop and set out west on the Highland Trail, via the Pond Trail that begins just across the road. Walking the forested trails, we passed swathes of ferns and stepped over thick tree roots.
Then we reached the river and turned east. The trail became wide and clear, with looming trees shading the dark expanse below. The Cathance River Trail runs right along the river, which shifts between a tranquil surface and a rocky rush of rapids. On the rippled surface, the water reflected brilliant blues and greens from above. Further on, the trail ascends high above the riverbank, and we gazed down to the rushing waters below. The sound of the Cathance and the cool relief of the shade made the Cathance River Trail a particularly pleasant walk.
We left having explored only a fragment of the Preserve—surely another visit is in store.
