like them lichens

Despite having wanting to go for months after seeing a neighbor’s photos, we had not taken the time to head to Arabia Mountain until yesterday. Why did we wait so long? Nearby, free, uncrowded and amazing!!!

We were met in the “nature center” by a ranger, who suggested a hiking route for us to follow. We headed off into the woods. As we went along, we caught glimpses of the rocky outcrop, giving us a taste of what we would soon see without revealing too much. At the bottom of the forest trail — we had been heading downhill most of the time — we found a big lake with some bizzare structures in the middle. Rob learned, via geocaching.com, that the lake had been used as a testing place for underwater armaments!

Not much further along, we were thrown into a very different, surreal world. We headed up a huge granite outcrop, covered with various, vibrant species of lichens and wildflowers. As the landscape was so breathtaking, we hardly noticed that we were walking uphill the entire time. Little “tidepools” formed from the rain the other day supported new life. I had not quite understood who was attending the lichens class being held in the nature center before we headed out, but now I think I’d like to take it one day!

Further up the hill, we came to a “gravestone graveyard”, an area filled with large polished slabs of granite, which added further to the surrealnes of the preserve. The area has miles of bike paths as well, so I am sure we will return soon for exploring, biking and hiking.