Stony Man: Seasons

Early winter can showcase the freshly fallen leaves underfoot

Among the mountains, the line between seasons is often blurred; one overlapping the other indistinctly. Seasons are another great building block for life above the clouds, providing natural recycling of the earth, and bringing constant change and renewal. Each season has its own distinctive sounds, colors and moods.

Summer brings the gentle rustling of oak leaves amid the chorus of birdsong in the morning and tree frogs calling in the gathering dusk. Greens of all varieties take center stage as the forest canopy fills in and ferns provide a lush understory. As night falls, fireflies light your path.

Autumn's gifts are nuts falling amidst the glorious colors which coat the branches and blanket the ground. Squirrels, deer, and even black bears rummage through the leaf litter, preparing for winter's long breath. Hawks and other migrating birds take flight, and the vibrance of a mushroom paradise gives the air a unique earthy musk.

As winter closes in, snow falls gently, the snap of an icy branch and the crunch of hoarfrost underfoot being the only breaks in silence. With fewer Park visitors, each hike is a unique solitary experience, often shared only with the cardinals and owls which have remained.

Then, suddenly, it is spring, and a flood of wildflowers casts a pastel palette over the peaks, accompanied by a cacophony of mating frogs and toads in the many hidden vernal pools. Snow melts away, rains fall, and the waterfall trickles become cascades once more. 

Changes occur when nature is harsh. A mountainside receives more rain, wind, snow, frost, and ice than the sheltered coves. Trees twist, gnarl, and stunt. Sections of forest are ripped down by gale forces and rainy deluges, while other areas alight like a tinderbox from a lightning strike. From death comes newness. These impacts open the canopy for new growth, and dead trees, both standing and fallen, are important to Stony Man’s wildlife as they serve forest animals with perches for hunting, den sites, nesting cavities, and safe and secure sanctuary from predators.

Each season brings beauty and change to Stony Man Mountain, but seasons are only a moment in time compared to the eons of change that Stony Man has known. Take note now of what the season offers to your trek up to the summit.