Posted By auntie on February 17, 2016

2.87 miles; Westerly, RI

Finally back in New England, and I was trying to decide where I wanted to hike first. It had snowed here, and in spite of the heavy rain and 50-degree temperatures of the day before, I wasn’t entirely sure the woods would be snow-free. I decided that my first choice, the Narragansett Trail via the Falls River Gorge, would be a little tricky with any remaining ice and snow, and it’s so heavily shaded, it would definitely not be snow-free. Then I had an inspiration. I’d look on my own “Favorite Local Hikes” page! Sure enough, the Grills looked like a great option, so off I went.

Orange Trail Looking Towards “Big Rock”

It was the right choice. The blue and orange trails, which were all I had time for today, were 99% snow-free. I wish I could say they were also dry, but hey, you can’t have everything, ammirite?

Fungus Shot

I think this counts as the first “Fungus Shot” of 2016—a little turkey tail on a rotting stump.

Pawcatuck River

The main channel of the Pawcatuck River was ice-free, but the side channels around Kedinker Island were still coated with a skim of ice.

Mystery Plant

And this red-budded whadyacallit* is a great harbinger of spring that is otherwise still a ways away.

*Too lazy to do a Google image search.

Categories: Rhode Island, Walks and Hikes
Tags: 2–5 miles, RI, Westerly RI