An Adventure with a Teachers' Hiking Club

When I received the invitation from a friend of mine to go on a hike with a group of teachers, I was excited.  These teachers are friends of mine, and I hadn't seen them in awhile.  The afternoon was to be almost 50 degrees which would be perfect for hiking.  And they were going to a place unknown to me...a new adventure.

The place was Clifty Creek Conservation Arean near Dixon, Missouri.  We parked in the small parking lot and prepared to hike. 

The trail was a 2.5 mile loop out to a natural bridge and back.  It was listed as moderately difficult, but we took our time, stopping to check out scat, rock formations, and the scenic beauty along the trail.  So it didn't seem too hard to me.  For most of the trail, we could look down and see the creek below.  It was relatively low; this has been a dry year.  And we commented on that fact along the way.

When we came to the natural bridge, it was breathtaking.

With this as a back drop, I felt pretty small!

Crossing the creek and continuing on the trail, we were rewarded with the first spring wildflowers that I have seen this year.  They covered one hillside. At the time I forgot the name, but later remembered it was the Trout Lily or Dog-tooth Violet.  No wonder I forgot...it has two common names.

Later, I looked this species up in a field guide, The Audubon Society's Field Guide to North American Wildflowers, Eastern Region.  In Missouri it is called the White Dog-tooth Violet. This name refers to the tooth-like shape of the underground bulb.  We were on a natural area, so I did not dig up to see the bulb.  I'll take Audubon's word for it.  The other name, which is more appropriate since the flower is not like a violet at all, is Trout Lily.  This is due to the distinctive leaf markings that resemble a brown or brook trout. Whatever you call it, the spring flowers were a welcome sight.

We continued on the trail and soon returned to the parking lot.  It was a great way to spend an afternoon.  To me, there is nothing better than sharing nature with friends.

As we parted, we thought this should be called the Teachers' Hiking Club.  And with this group, I'm sure there is another adventure in our future.