Woke up to some chilly temps in LL Stubbs Stewart State Park but by 1pm, it was up to 75°, so delightful. Took a long brisk morning hike on several of the extensive collection of natural trails in the park. The path would go from wide enough for an ATV to just enough room for your foot but all were well marked with desirable views. Most of the trails are “horse friendly” so we had to play dung hop scotch for most of the walk. In one pile of manure, John spied a huge black slug, an invasive species, enjoying his breakfast. The underbelly of these forests are cool and pristine with thick untouched vegetation of Douglas-Fir, Pacific Silver Fir, Cypress, Hemlock, assorted Pines and so many different species of plants. We had fun with my Seek app identifying all the flora we passed. I was sure this one 3 leaf plant was poison ivy and was desperately trying to avoid it when it turned out to be Salmonberry. We’ve seen a lot of huckleberry products in this region from honey to licorice to ice tea and we finally got to see what the plant looks like growing out of a dead stump. Later we walked part of a 21 mile trail that borders the park built on an old railroad tract like our Pinellas Trail called Banks-Vernonia Trail, all paved and a favorite of bikers. Tonight we are determined to stay up and drive to the upper level of the park to see the amazing Oregon sky.
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