November Trail Tracks

On this chilly November afternoon, I ride my bike on the Paul Bunyan Trail for the final time this season. The weatherman warns of snow before morning and cotton- batting clouds hover overhead. A sadness clings to me as I pedal south, clumsy in jacket and gloves, as a north wind pushes at my back.

It’s as if the trail is undressed and ready for bed. The earth, already sheeted in layers of dropped leaves, awaits the final coverlet of white before resting for next year’s busy season. My tires crunch dried leaves swirling on the asphalt path. The scent of winter bites the air and a perfect “V” of geese honks overhead on their southward journey.

I’m surprised to see white spruce and white pine seedlings growing vibrant green along the trail. It seems impossible that I didn’t notice them during the many times I biked the trail these past months. Usually hidden behind summer foliage, the naked aspen and tag alder no longer camouflage their presence. Their healthy green needles contrast sharply with the denuded branches now brown and empty. The greedy deciduous trees towering above the little pines rob them of needed sun and moisture. The seedlings cannot reach their maximum potential until the competing species towering over them are gone. They’ll wait years for their turn to be the tallest and strongest.

Survivors. Waiting for their time in the sun.

The wind sharpens and as I turn to head back for home, I think how those of us living in the North Country are also survivors. Like the spruce and white pine, we’ll hunker down and wait for our turn to soak up the sun’s rays next season.