April 25, 2008
Higher than usual temperatures, direct sunlight, and a little bit of spring wind have combined to clear all of City Forest’s trails of snow and ice, except for those few, small, patches that are in the shade most of the time. East, West, and Deer trails are also dry and firm, as are Main and Loop roads and Shannon and Tripp drives. Bog Brook, which was flowing rapidly two weeks ago, has slowed down and dropped a few inches as what little remains of the snow drains into the western fringe of the Orono Bog.

Mountain bikers might find the Veazie Railroad bed a little on the soft side, though, as the dirt continues to dry underneath the surface. The rail bed has minor flooding just south of its intersection with Woodchuck Trail, but it’s nothing to worry about. It’s another story where the rail bed trail enters the Bangor Land Trust’s Northeast Penjajawoc Preserve at the power lines. There, the beavers have built a dam on top of the trail to stem the flow of runoff from snow. The water on the trail is at least 6 inches to 8 inches deep in places, but it can be managed both on bike and foot. Last year this section of the trail didn’t dry out until about late June.

As for flora and fauna, the skunk cabbage is beginning to emerge in the forest’s wettest areas. As of Wednesday, only a very few of the plants had unfurled, with a majority in the “lantern” stage. Buds are now noticeable on the hardwood trees and dandelions are beginning to pop up.

Woodpecker activity is greatest near the end of Main Road. Other recent wildlife sightings include a porcupine along Main Road, a second porcupine along Shannon Drive, and a small snowshoe hare that dashed across Tripp Drive Wednesday night, its fur half white from winter and half brown for spring, summer, and fall.

Recent black bear activity has also been evident, even if the bears themselves haven’t been seen. Several trees in and around the forest have been stripped of bark by bears seeking nourishment from the cambium layer.