2015 Accidental Hike (3/22/2015)

Sunday, March 22, 2015
A sunny day, but still below freezing temperatures. We had lunch at Sterle's Slovenian Country House, and afterwards decided to drive along St Claire Avenue. Realizing how close we were to Lake Erie, we turned on Martin Luther King, Jr, Boulevard and ended up at the Cleveland Lakefront Nature Preserve.

Lakefront Nature Preserve map

In order to see the water, we had to go through a turnstile and take the perimeter trail.

Bare branches against the blue sky

Wasp nest

Sea oats

We came to the Overlook Point with a view of the Cleveland skyline (and former Lake Shore Power Plant).

Overlook

The decorative iron railing was designed by Brinsley Tyrrell and put together by blacksmith Steve Jordan, it is meant to reflect the history of the site. “We’ve incorporated everything from lake vessels — a dredger, a barge, a tanker — to the creatures who now inhabit the preserve – butterflies, rabbits, minks, and, of course, birds.”

Kent and the railing

Iron railing (KSS)

Lake Erie is still pretty much frozen over.

Lake Erie ice floes are frozen in thin ice

We decided to continue on the 1-3/4 mile perimeter trail. The small peninsula was once called "Dike 14" and is reclaimed land built from the sediment dredged from the Cuyahoga River and Cleveland Harbor. Since 1999, nature has taken over and it was opened as a nature preserve in 2012.
Since it is springtime, the robins were out in force.

Turdus migratorius/American Robin

Another view of Lake Erie:

Lake Erie ice floes piled on the shoreline

Just to prove we did see deer!

Deer prints

View towards Bratenahl

Although not planned, we did take a hike today! After what seemed like months of zero degree weather, other people were also out to enjoy the sun.