First Day Hike!

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A total of 70 adventurous souls took advantage of a balmy New Year's Day to hike at Soldiers Delight
For many, the very best way to celebrate the first day of 2019 was to get out and hike in one of our country’s wild and natural places. And we at Soldiers Delight Conservation, Inc. (SDCI), the Friends group for Soldiers Delight Natural Environment Area in Owings Mills, Maryland, are thrilled to report that the turnout was robust for the afternoon “First Day Hike” on our picturesque Serpentine Trail.                                                      

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PVSP Naturalists Katie Crane and Courtney Birkmeyer lead the way at SDNEA's First Day Hike on the Serpentine Trail
Patapsco Valley State Park Naturalists Katie Crane and Courtney Birkmeyer, together with three volunteers, including SDCI board member Hazel McWeeney, led a hike designed to accommodate families with young children and appeal to a wide range of physical abilities. They chose a mile-long stroll along our beautiful Serpentine Trail, which takes hikers through the diverse landscape that comprises the most unusual topography of the Soldiers Delight wilderness.

The turnout was great! A total of 45 adults and 25 children followed Katie and Courtney's careful instructions to walk in single file along the sometimes muddy trail, careful to tromp through puddles on the trail and not around them so as to minimize trail encroachment into the sensitive habitat on either side of the winding path. Children and adults happily obeyed those requests, splashing through the mud puddles in childlike innocence and wonder as they made their way through winter meadows on a surprisingly mild and pleasant afternoon.

What is your new year's resolution for 2019? While our visitor center is closed to the public for renovations until the beginning of March, why don't you resolve to enjoy our diverse and beautiful trail system while soaking up the healthy benefits and wild beauty of a truly special habitat?

Happy new year from your friends at SDCI!

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