I walked across the frozen lake and climbed up the cliff to lone rock on this visit. It was so beautiful and one of the most amazing things I’ve ever experienced. The sun was shining brightly, only a few cirrus clouds swept across the sky. The rocks were much less icy than in February, but ice and snow still filled cracks within the rocks. Each deciduous tree had lost its leaves, but the conifers remain green. I think that this month reminded me most closely of the summer months. While standing on the ice looking up at the rocks, I could pretend it was a summer day (ignoring the snow) because of how green the conifers stood, and how warmly and brightly the sun was shining. The differences between now and my first visit included the lack of wildlife (birds, insects, and plant variety). Also, it was less windy which I attributed to the lake, as it was frozen and created no waves crashing on the rocks. I saw no signs of wild animal tracks in my spot, even if walked deeper into to the forested area at Lone Rock, further back from the cliff. There were, however, many tracks which I guessed to be domestic dogs, as they fit the description for the track size and shape, and the prints were not in direct lines but instead in wild patters of twists and turns to show the way the dog had wandered. The grass, although their color has faded and they have thinned, are still present as they have been all year.
Lone Rock incorporates many natural communities! These include Mesic Maple- Ash- Hickory-Oak forest, wetlands, White-Pine Transition Hardwood forest, and Limestone enriched communities. The evidence of the forest types are apparent because those are the types of trees present. The wetland areas include clay and silty soils which are poorly drained. The limestone community is due to the calcium rich bedrock upon which lone rock was created, which allows plant life to take root.