Orienteering Setting Afton State Park

Today I visited Afton State Park to mark the control locations for the MNOC May 16 orienteering meet. (see also this post on my running blog). A good opportunity to check on how nature is coming along as our early spring is continuing. I traveled about 26 km/16 miles and covered a wide swath of the park.

I saw quite a few deer, a good sized male turkey, a turkey hen, a pileated woodpecker.

Anemones were blossoming all over the place, I saw Wood Anemone Anemone quinquefolia and Sharp-leaved Hepatica (Liverleaf), Hepatica acutiloba, both from the buttercup family. Less pleasant and rather disturbing was the prevalence of the invasive species common buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica) throughout the park. Unpleasant, but not disturbing were a few patches of prickly ash, Xanthoxylum americanum.

Mellie was along for about half of the outing, she is a great companion in the woods. All in all, a good time out!