Cape Cod Rail Trail

After a week lying on the couch trying to get over a cold, I really needed to get out and get some exercise. Of course, on the cape in January that meant laying up, but at least the temperature was above freezing (well, at least at freezing) and the sky was beautifully blue. We decided to check out the Cape Cod Rail Trail. As the name indicates, the path was originally part of an old railroad corridor. It runs 22 miles from Dennis to South Wellfleet, with a spur at Harwich that runs out to Chatham. Though it crosses some roads, the path winds mostly though old forests, past cranberry bogs and ponds. One pretty view was of West Reservoir, where several species of ducks and a couple of swans paddled in the water that was rapidly icing in from the shoreline. A great blue heron looked on from its perch on a gnarled tree ashore. Next time we'll bring binoculars for a better look. Here they also had a marker with information about the "river herring" (alewife and blueback herring) that inhabit these waters during a portion of their life cycle. We walked to the 2.2-mile mark before turning around so we would be back to the car before dark.

Winter bog

West Reservoir

Granite distance marker on trail