Vernonia's voice., January 01, 2009, Page 14, Image 14

14
january
vernonia’s
voice outdoors and recreation
2009
Walking in a Stub Stewart
Wonderland!
By Scott Laird
Stub Stewart State
Park, located just ten
miles south of Ver-
nonia, is a great place
to go for a hike. You
can take a short easy
stroll or spend practi-
cally all day walking
the many trails, con-
necting to new trails,
and seeing the won-
ders of nature from
many different per-
spectives-- from great
hilltop views, to look-
ing closely at vegeta-
tion and wildlife. It
can be a quiet place
to contemplate nature and our place in it, and enjoy some peace and solitude.
Vernonia Survives Another Storm
The first storm of the new year didn’t take long to materialize, as New years Day brought
concerns about flooding when National Weather Service predictions called for rain, melt-
ing snow and Flood Warnings for the Nehalem River on January 2nd. Fortunately the rain
turned to snow and Vernonians awoke to blue skies and river and creek waters that stayed
within their banks. Thankful Vernonians gave a deep sigh of relief.
Rock Creek was higher than the wading
pool at Hawkins Park, but stayed in
within its banks (left). This time it was
snow covering Bridge Street instead of
flood waters (below).
Stub Stewart in winter, especially after a freshly fallen snow, can be especially in-
viting. The contrast of blue
sky, green trees and white
snow adds to the beauty of
a visit, the snow on the trees
and the views from the top ar-
eas of the park are especially
magnificent. Walking a trail
when you know you are the
first human to have traversed
it that morning can give an
explorer a certain amount of
satisfaction, and the oppor-
tunity to examine and follow
local wildlife tracks can be a
fun activity.
Beautiful views (below) and pristine trails (above) were found all
over the park.
When it snows at Stub Stew-
art, you can almost guarantee
you will be one of the few
visitors enjoying the park.
The staff does a great job
clearing the roads, although
when I visited in the early
part of the December snows,
the visitors center was not
open. Trail maps were avail-
able in a display outside at
the visitors center and park
hosts and rangers were evi-
dent in the campground and
patrolling the roads with
snowplows, and would be a
source of information.
A pair of snowshoes or cross-
country skis would be an ex-
cellent way to enjoy the park;
or just some good boots,
warm clothes and a camera
will suffice. It’s quiet, it’s
peaceful, it’s beautiful, and
it’s yours. Winter is a great
time to enjoy Stub Stewart.
A downed tree in downtown; served as an-
other reminder of this year’s holiday storms
(above). Waters at the confluence of Rock
Creek and the Nehalem River got a little
high (right).