Trail Time – Signs of Spring
Winter is still solidly here but signs of spring are beginning to reveal themselves up here on the Gunflint Trail. Skiers and snowmobilers have had a great month enjoying the deep snow on all the trails that people work hard to keep groomed. Many people have said that it felt like more of a normal winter this year. The days grow longer every day now with the sun getting up before us, rather than sleeping in like it does all winter. Today it is warm and misty. Although I can see no precipitation, tiny droplets formed on my glasses when I was out and about. Colors are more intense on foggy days, with the birch twigs and cherry trees showing their deep red hues. The wet snow is starting to shrink and sink and forms icy boundaries so every road and path is like a luge run with hardened sides.
There is still several feet of snow on the ground, and if you look closely at the trees and shrubs, spring is starting to reveal herself. The buds are starting to thicken; the Pussywillows are just beginning to peep out. Maple, birch, willow and cherry trees all show subtle signs of the mysterious preparations that trees make for spring.
I went on a wandering walk to collect a sample of budding branches I could investigate. I had been reading about the budding of trees and I was eager to see what had been described. Inside each bed there lies a mysterious little package, grown the year before (buds are formed before all the leaves are gone in the fall). Under each dark carapace, tiny proto-leaves lie wrapped and folded. The leaves are arranged in a way that maximizes the amount of foliage that can fit in the smallest space. That is called “vernation.” Inside that mystery lies the story from last year: soil, moisture, temperature, and all the conditions that go into forming the buds, pollen and fruit for next year’s spring.
Of those I collected, the biggest twig, the mountain ash, was the easiest to dissect with a razor blade and inspect with a magnifying glass. Yes, folks, that is how eager I am for spring. I turned my dining table into a botany lab. I am always willing to make rather a large mess for the sake of science. The same goes for art, as anyone knows who has stepped into my studio and witnessed my marvelous chaos.
For the buds, first I drew the twigs and took notes on the peculiarities of each. Then I sliced them open with a razor blade. The relatively large Mountain Ash is my clear favorite — nothing looks quite like it or grows in the same way as it does. It has one big bud on the end of each hearty twig. It always makes me think of a witch’s finger. The buds look hard and shiny — like tiny dear hooves. But they cut open easily. Inside it is sticky and the leaves are packed in a beautiful folding pattern that made me think of cabbage for the way things are nestled inside each other. The cherry buds were the most delicate — far too small to dissect with my homey equipment. The birch buds were large enough and they unfolded with even greater vigor than the mountain ash, softly unfolding to reveal the greening mystery. There it was – spring on a tiny level on my dining room table. Green, gorgeous beautiful spring. May it come to you soon, wherever you are.
— Marcia Roepke
