RM | OUTDOORS Walking in a Late Winter Wonderland Ring in spring with a hike in Paddy Creek Wilderness by Zach Smith | zsmith@ruralmissouri.coop udding trees are beautiful, falling leaves are betWHUDQGOD]\VXPPHUÁRDWWULSVFDQ·WEHEHDWEXW ZLQWHUWUXO\RSHQVXSWKHZRQGHUVRIQDWXUHLQ0LV VRXUL$QLPDOWUDFNVDQGELUGVDUHHDVLHUWRVSRW DQGLI\RXEUDYHWKHFROG\RX·UHUHZDUGHGZLWKYLHZV\RX RQO\ÀQGLQZLQWHU6RPHRIWKHEHVWDUHKLGGHQMXVWDKDOI KRXU·VGULYHIURPRQHRIWKHEXVLHVWKLJKZD\VLQ$PHULFD &RPSULVLQJPRUHWKDQDFUHVRISXEOLFODQGLQ 0DUN7ZDLQ1DWLRQDO)RUHVW3DGG\&UHHN:LOGHUQHVV$UHD LVDFFHVVLEOHYLDWKH%LJ3LQH\7UDLOZKLFKZLQGVWKURXJK IRUHVWHGEOXIIVDQGRXWFURSSLQJVDURXQG%LJDQG/LWWOH 3DGG\FUHHNV7KHWUDLOKHDGVSURYHSRSXODUVSRWVIRUÀVK LQJSLFQLFNLQJDQGZDUPZHDWKHUVZLPPLQJEXWWKHUH·V QRVXFKWKLQJDVDQ´RIIVHDVRQµLQ3DGG\&UHHN B 18 RURAL MISSOURI | MARCH 2021 ´,QWKHZLQWHULW·VDWRWDOO\GLIIHUHQWH[SHULHQFHµVD\V 1DWLRQDO)RUHVW6HUYLFH5HFUHDWLRQ6SHFLDOLVW7UD\+DOO´,Q ZKDWZHFDOO¶OHDIRQ·WKHFDQRS\UHDOO\FORVHVLQDURXQG \RX%XWLQWKHZLQWHU\RXVHHVFHQLFYLHZVDQGSDUWVRI WKHZRRGV\RXZDONHGULJKWE\GXULQJWKHVXPPHUµ )RUPHUO\ORJJHGKRPHVWHDGHGDQGIDUPHGWKHODQG QDPHGDIWHU WKFHQWXU\WLPEHUEDURQ6\OYHVWHU3DGG\ ZDVGHVLJQDWHGDZLOGHUQHVVDUHDE\&RQJUHVVLQ 1HDUO\\HDUVODWHUWKHODQGLVDEXQGDQWZLWKZLOGOLIH DQGDKDYHQIRUSHRSOHVHHNLQJWKHVROLWXGHRIWKHZRRGV ,QRUGHUWRSUHVHUYHWKDWVHQVHRIUHPRWHEHDXW\WKDW·V XQLTXHWRZLOGHUQHVVDUHDVWKHUHDUHDIHZUXOHV )ROORZ WKHSULQFLSOHVRI/HDYH1R7UDFHHWKLFVOLPLWJURXSVWR SHRSOHRUOHVVDQGOHDYHWKHELNHDWKRPH³RQO\IRRWDQG KRUVHWUDYHODUHDOORZHG$VZLWKDQ\RXWGRRUDGYHQWXUH IDPLOLDULW\ZLWKDPDSDQGFRPSDVVLVDJRRGVNLOOWRKDYH