This collection of images of Mink Brook Nature Preserve in Hanover show how the forest transforms from a barren floor littered with fallen trees and pine needles in April, to a jungle of phlox and ferns by the end of June. Green, velvety moss covers rocks and decaying wood. Fog hangs in the corners of the forest and settles along Mink and the narrow, winding Trout Brook. At the edges of day, light filters in through the forest illuminating its ethereal nature.
The brook is most exciting in April and May when it’s full and rushing quickly. The water surrounding the suspension bridge stands out like a scene from Yosemite with its tufts of grass. The smaller log bridge over Trout Brook is a lovely spot for children to dig in the mud and sail tiny boats, as we did one late afternoon. Treks along the accessible Quinn Trail are simply stunning in May as the phlox bloom among the ferns. I enjoy a swift (and technical!) trail run up Wheelock dodging boulders and roots along the brook, stopping to create long exposures of the rushing water. I have seen a bit of wildlife on the trails on both sides of Route 10—mostly deer, birds, and ducks.
I haven’t visited in the fall, but I will. I imagine the preserve is transformed yet again, likely into an autumnal dream.
1 Comment
Are your photographs for sale and assuming they are, how do we begin that process?