Hello and welcome to my blog! My name is Carly and I am just your average joe who happens to be researching the Haw River State Park for a project. I would like to preface this by saying I am no nature expert or wildlife fanatic. But by the end of this project, I would like to be the biggest fan of the Haw River State Park you have ever met. My first blog post (this one!) is going to be my first impressions of visiting the park. Well, technically I visited the park for a field trip about 5 years ago, but we’ll disregard that. The only thing I really know about this park is that it is located about 5 minutes from my house in Browns Summit, NC. I would also like to assume the park is centered on the Haw River, but that’s just a lucky guess.
Just a warning, these first blog posts are not going to be very formal and my descriptions of what I see are not going to be very scientific. This is all about my first thoughts as an amateur adventurer of the Haw River. Although not my brightest idea, I decided to go on a chilly February morning (around 30℉) that also happened to be Valentine’s Day. Additionally, I made the executive decision to not do any prior research and to not use any map upon entering the park. I would go in blind, not knowing what to expect, and just see what path I would go on.
Arriving
The first things I noticed upon my arrival were the sounds, or lack of sounds, at the park. It was very serene and quiet, except for the occasional bird chirping. I heard a chorus of bird sounds, harmonizing with each other. Some of the bird noises sounded like an owl’s “hoo,” while others were higher pitched, more like a “tweet tweet.” The different bird calls come together as though they are having a conversation, and I wonder what they could be talking about. Maybe they’re talking about the weather or what they dreamed about last night.
Compared to the hustle and bustle of my daily life, time felt as if it moved just a little bit slower at Haw River. I’m able to lose thoughts about everything else going on and focus on my surroundings, focus on my breathing.
As I walk from my car, I hear the sound of my shoes crunching the leaves that lay on the ground. The ground underneath my feet changes as I trek back. From leaves covering the dirt to the pavement of the walkways to the wet, red, muddy clay, they all are composed of different materials but all at one point share a similar purpose: providing me a path to get from one spot to another.
Enjoy this map of the park (hopefully it’s there) to suffice for my lack of photos:)
I know there was not a lot I actually talked about, but this was supposed to be a general introduction with some general reflections from my first visit to Haw River. Don’t worry though, because my next blog post will be part two of my first impressions. In that, I will give my world-renowned descriptions of the various trees I witnessed and provide more detailed information on the other aspects of my visit. Toodles!
