First Hike of the Season

Melissa and I took advantage of the nice weather this past Saturday and went on our first hike of the season. Because we were having friends over for dinner and didn't have a lot of time, we chose a place close by. The Audobon Society of RI Headquarters is located at Sanderson Road in Smithfield. Directly behind the headquarters is PowderMill Ledges Wildlife Refuge. There are three trails total -the blue loop being the largest at 1.25 miles. It took us a little over an hour at a leisurely pace to finish all three.

While it was nice to be in the woods, I generally prefer to be more secluded when hiking. I'm sure when the trees start to fill in, you won't be able to see as many cars and the amount of wildlife will surely increase. Because Powder Mill is so close to home, I can see us returning when we want to get a short hike in and don't want to take the time to drive too far.

Incidentally, we learned that the Audobon Society of RI has many educational programs available. For example, on April 11th, there is something at the Parker Woodland Wildlife Refuge in Coventry called the "Owl Prowl". There is also the "Harbor Seal Walk"at the John Chafee Wildlife Sanctuary in North Kingstown on April 13th.