So Long, Summer

By Samantha Bean

It never fails to amaze me that when you introduce yourself to someone for the first time and you begin to share stories and vignettes, you eventually strike a chord with them about something you both have in common.

This very same thing happened last weekend when I met with several other hikers on the Force of Nature hike series hosted by Friends of Hopewell Valley Open Space (FoHVOS). All of us drove different roads and we all parked with our various makes and models of vehicle. And yet, once we got to talking and loosening our muscles before the two-hour climb to the top of Baldpate Mountain, we quickly shared our stories about what was present in our lives and families. 

As we went around in a circle and rolled our shoulders and breathed in the humid Sunday morning air a common theme of transition arose from all of our stories. Some of us were in the process of moving our children into college dorms. Some across the country, others, just across the state line...but equally as tough. Others were in the process of visiting colleges a year before the big graduation. Some of us were transitioning our kids into middle school while others were simply trying to transition the thoughts of no more lazy summer mornings. Morning that will soon be hectic dashes to the bus stop with the hopes that lunch wasn’t left on the kitchen counter.

Romy takes opening selfie after we stretch

Our stories shared, and our muscles slightly warmed up, it was time to move on and begin the hike through the Ted Stiles Preserve on Baldpate Mountain. At the Summit trailhead, I began to notice another moment in transition. The leaves on the trees, reacting to the shortened days and longer nights were just beginning to show their crimson and amber colors as the green slowly fades to memory.

The first few feet of the trail begin with giant flat topped boulders that poke out of the dirt at perfect stepping intervals. Neat, I thought. The trail was bone dry in the late August heat, yet I wondered if mid-April these stones offered safe passage across a wet portion of the trail, at the base of a mountain. Indeed, a mountain it was and I was impressed that even in a short amount of time my heart was pumping. The incline hadn’t stopped yet.

Further along the trail which I began to notice was heavily trafficked by both walker, dog, and trail runners alike, the trail itself began to transition. At first, just a narrow path through towering tulip poplar trees soon became much more rocky. Even an Icelandic pony would find the boulder-strewn path quite a technical one. A few times, more giant boulders strategically placed as a one- or two-step staircase further up the mountain. Moments later, it was apparent that these stone placements were not nature’s work, but the careful and very well executed work of trail builders. Ahead of us was a boulder staircase that a first glance may look like a post glacial retreat relic. Yet, nearly impossible to imagine that so many flat topped rocks could arrange themselves so neatly, and so precisely that upon traversing them, not one wiggles, moves, or wobbles. Reaching the top of that man-made Mercer county wonder, you can’t help appreciate what work and labor went into making that. No wonder this trail is so well utilized. It is beautiful!

Hawk watching

Red-tailed hawk

Not much time left to catch our breath, we carried on up the trail and I began to take note that those trees around us are enormous. Climbing still, the trees still had many feet above us. At this point, the trail offers you a long route (Northwest Loop trail) or a shorter Blue trail taking you directly to the summit to reach the viewpoint. We opted for the longer route. Further ahead, the trail meanders through the old summer house estate and pond of the Kuser family. Proudly reigning in his domain, a red-tailed hawk perched happily on the open branches of an old tree. The raptor grabbed our attention for quite some time. He didn’t move, nor did we. Our hearts needed a break, and dare we move, he might fly away. Yet, this bird was enjoying his slow Sunday just as much as we were.

Only a few paces later we took a pond-side break for some meditation and quiet reflection, led by our trail guide Romy Toussaint of RomYoga in Lawrenceville. The pond was so quiet and so still, broken only by the constant call of the cicada. As we transitioned out of our five minute meditation, it was time to keep climbing. The summit wasn’t far.

Walking a little bit further, this preserve covering close to 1800 acres was

starting to show its expanse. We continued through the open field of the old estate and into a lush grassy meadow. The yellow of the season was beginning to overtake the purple bergamot that was present before. At the top of the mountain, a long line of huge white pines mark the edge of the meadow. While in the other direction, a sweeping vista of the Delaware river in the distance. I can only imagine what this view will look like once all the leaves start to turn and the greens begin to fade away.

Our hike was taken to new level now as we traversed down the meadow and through the dense wildflowers and grasses. We stopped for a moment at the Strawberry Hill Mansion, headquarters to FoHVOS to admire the restored garden of native plants. A perfect sycamore in the middle of it all offering plenty of shade throughout the long day and dappling the array of native plants like beardtongue, monarda, and swamp azalea. Once the garden of the Kuser family estate, time took its toll and much was left untouched and as such, became overrun with invasive species. Today, thanks to FoHVOS and volunteers, this garden is regaining its beauty and harboring a home for butterflies and other pollinators.

Following the trail back down the mountain, and even more carefully executing the boulder stairs, I could feel a sense of completion. The heat not bothering me, I knew that all too soon, the air wouldn’t smell of humidity and wildflowers, it would take on a whole new smell. As the trees transition into fall and the humidity decreases we remember how short the season of summer is and how all too quickly we are forced back into raincoats and boots and hot tea. For now, I’ll enjoy this heat while it’s here and worry about leaving lunches on the counter when the time comes.

The next hike in this series falls on Sunday, September 30th at 1pm.  This 2-mile forest bathing experience will at a surprise location in Hopewell Township. Location information will be shared closer to the event date.

 Please click here to register.

Still Waters Run Deep

By Samantha Bean  

Ash Tree at Thompson Preserve

The second installment in the FoHVOS Force of Nature Series began under the upturned leaves of the ash trees reaching up tall at the trailhead of the Thompson Preserve.  As the silvery backs of the leaves took over their bright green flipsides, we wondered if the hike might turn into a hustle of dodging raindrops. Thankfully, for the ninety minutes that followed, the Thompson Preserve remained dry. Well...dry from up above that is.

Romy from RomYoga of Lawrenceville opened the hike with some welcoming remarks and reminded us to be alive in the moment and to be thankful or grateful, or both. Next, some simple movements with shoulders, hips, and knees. Then we did our ultimate best to loosen the toes and roll the ankles. A task much more suited to bare feet. As we loosened our ligaments as much as our tread-heavy hiking boots could possibly allow, our senses started to notice something. It’s a feeling you don’t get inside the quiet walls of a yoga studio.

Made it to the trail!

While the chatarunga dandasana was not present and we didn’t hear the pit pat of barefeet around on hardwood floors that usually accompanies your first few yoga stretches, we were able to notice other omnipresent sounds that we tend to drone out. The wind whistled through the limbs at this force of wind velocity as much as it did through the leaves. There were birds everywhere and I even caught the brief coo of a rooster way off in the distance.

We finished our less than limber stretches as our gear was rather limiting, and then Romy headed us off in the direction of the trail.

While the clouds were able to withhold the impending rain that was forecast, the ground below was just not able to hold anything more. There were puddles of mud within the first fifty paces. While our feet did their best to avoid mud sinkholes, our senses began to pick up another token. The soon-to-be-summer air was alive and swirling with honeysuckle and multiflora rose. While not well-received in the native plant community, the scent by itself was. It lingered with the hike for the next mile and a half. And we all noticed it. It was subtle, but nonetheless a harbinger of warm nights and late sunsets.

At the end of first meadow, the trail takes a turn and offers the opportunity to move into the forest. The slight slope of the trail meant that the footing was drier yet the same scents swirled around from canopy to forest floor. The shift in topography also indicated that the downhill hike might bring us to a stream very soon. But first there was a presence in the forest in the shape of a dead tree. He was begging to be named. The wide trunk, the daft opposing limbs in the exact placement on his midsection as if to say “Whatever…!” Maurice Sendak no doubt could have used this tree as a character study.

As the trail moved deeper downhill, the wind dissipated, and instead the flow of water could be heard before being seen. The mighty Stony Brook, tested to the hilt in the past few months was running heavy. The water was not chocolate milk colored but a fresh crisp color and the water was bouncing happily over Sourland rocks and moving fast in the shallows. A few more steps along the trail and an Eagle Scout project in the form of a narrow yet sturdy bridge gave safe crossing over a steep ravine that, in the past, required

Grateful for Eagle Scouts

a leap of faith and a Hail Mary to cross on ones’ own. A little further downstream, the water quieted. There was no cascade. No bouncing bubbles of white froth over rocks. And the color changed. At this point, the wind and the birds took over their leading role as the sounds of the Thompson Preserve. The deep water was one of many areas of the Stony Brook where shallows and pools coexist in one rapidly and constantly changing stream bed. An enthusiastic crew of volunteers from Bloomberg, stewardship staff and board member, Ruth Jourjine, completed a stream-side restoration project for this very reason....to aid in erosion and streambed changes. The project involved the removal of invasive plants and

Giant birds nest sculpture

the planting of native ferns and deer deterrent foraging fences. A giant birdnest fashioned out of twigs and vines completes the area. After seeing the restoration in place, we kept our pace and moved on. 

Heading back uphill and leaving the windless stream banks, the hike comes back out to the far side of the meadow and farm fields from which we started. The wind was still swirling like mad and the mud underfoot returned. The wildflower meadow restoration project that took place several years ago is at this point--an inch above knee level. I’ll give it three weeks before the wildflowers are over my head.

Meticulously planting our feet around bogs of mud and perfect imprints of various dog paw prints, we wandered back through the meadow and the trail towards our cars and ultimately, our daily life. But for a little over an hour, we got to immerse our senses in the sounds and smells of an outdoor yoga hike. One with elements not found within the walls of a studio.

Thankfully, and just in time, another Eagle Scout project was underway. Wood chips were now being spread over the dense muck that more resembles thick chocolate pudding than a trail. With time, and hopefully a little less rainfall, the trails on this hike will be dry and the only thing holding water will be the deep pools of the Stony Brook.

The third hike in this series falls on Sunday, July 15th at 9am at the Mount Rose Preserve in Hopewell. A 2-mile wellness hike that will include a guided meditation and forest bathing experience. Please click here to register.

Note: FoHVOS Force of Nature was inspired by a national campaign started by REI to encourage women and girls to get outside and play...putting women front and center, and hosting classes and events nationwide.

January Force of Nature: Anne Nixon-Ellery

We are happy to introduce our new FoHVOS Force of Nature column. FoHVOS Force of Nature began as a 2-mile REI-sponsored hike at our new Mount Rose preserve. Led by wellness expert Romy Toussaint and supplemented by FoHVOS land steward Beth Craighead, the hike featured an in-forest guided meditation experience. The Force of Nature hike almost immediately sold out and exposed a desire to celebrate new and exciting Hopewell Valley lands and women. Thus our new FoHVOS Force of Nature (FFON) feature was born.

FFON is a tribute to both Hopewell Valley lands and ladies. Early spring, we will announce our new FFON hike series. Today, we introduce our first monthly FoHVOS Force of Nature honoree. 

Anne with Lisa Jordan,
FoHVOS Development Dir

Anne Nixon-Ellery is a true Force of Nature. Her family and barn are featured on the cover of Hopewell Valley Neighbors magazine.  In addition, FoHVOS would like to honor her efforts and dedication to the environment on our blog. 

Anne has volunteered to do literally anything FoHVOS has asked and we have asked for some pretty wacky stuff. 

In just this past year Ms. Nixon-Ellery has:

• Designed our new FoHVOS 30-year logo shown on this page,
• Bartended for our Meet The New Executive Director Open House,
• Designed a BioBlitz science logo, Gala invitation, balloon tix & gala favors,
• Donated the Glenmore barn for our annual gala and as an auction item,
• Enlisted her husband and others for significant volunteer efforts,
• Carved our HV Arts Council Pumpkin to win Community Partner award,
• Designed Facebook Frame for FoHVOS “Giving Tuesday.
• And so much more!

Here is our interview: 

Lisa: You spend a lot time and effort on FoHVOS activities. Why are you so committed? 
Anne: Our property is completely surrounded by you. We feel connected and we really love the fact that you surround us. It is wonderful that this area in Hopewell has permanently preserved land. Thank God you did that because otherwise it could have been McMansions or something. We like the green belt around Hopewell. It really is an emerald necklace. We are so fortunate that preserves envelop us and it gives the barn a really unique feel that you won’t find anywhere else.

Lisa: So would it be safe to say that you are glad the FoHVOS Thompson Preserve is next door and you are “paying it forward?” 
Anne: Yes I am paying it forward but not just for the preserve by our barn. Granted I love the feel living here, but I am appreciative of far more than that. FoHVOS is all about community and that is what connects me so deeply. FoHVOS protects Hopewell Valley's character through open space preservation and they have land in all parts of the Valley. Further, I love community-oriented aspects like guided hikes and walks, and that your staff goes to people’s private homes and recommend the best ecological use of their land. It’s great for the environment and community on so many levels. Getting people out on the land keeps the community, people, and land healthy and connected. I love being part of that. 

Yes, I try to pay it forward. I use everything available to me to help further the mission because it is important. Our barn can be a community location because there isn’t anything like that around here. My design services can help with branding to spread the word of all the great opportunities available in our community. Plus, I get exposed to so much that I otherwise wouldn’t have. Who else is going to have me bartend or carve a pumpkin? 

Lisa: What was your least favorite volunteering activity?
Anne: After the Pumpkin Carve, FoHVOS was so proud they extended the pumpkin display time by showing it in front of Brick Farm Market. It stayed a bit too long, so I carted it off. My car was filled with rotting pumpkin and fruit flies. It was pretty disgusting. 

Lisa: Too funny... We appreciate you taking one for the team! That's a perfect note on which to end.Thanx for being a committed volunteer and our FoHVOS Force of Nature.

An abridged version of this article appears in the January issue of Hopewell Valley Neighbors magazine.