Heath boardwalk still needs some repair
The woodland boardwalks are faring OK. There are maybe 2 broken planks along the stretches, and everything else feels pretty solid. The ground is finally mostly dry now too. The kiosk is still well-stocked with trail guides. And the full length of the trail is also now well-marked with yellow paint marks on the trees. So even when autumn leaves and winter snow obscure the ground, there should be no troubles keeping to the trail for the whole way.

The bad news is that the boardwalk on the Heath proper is really reeling now from mother nature. I counted no less than 25 individual boards that have shattered mostly or completely. Most of this has happened within the last few weeks too. And twice that number look ready to go--splitting, getting soft, loosening. Worse, at the very end of the Heath another 8-foot section of truss has given way, sinking down into the heath.

The boardwalk is all still passable, even the section with the broken truss. But with a number of quickly weakening boards out there, I'd advise everyone to use caution, especially folks who aren't sure on their feet or whose eyesight isn't great. Also, the ruts getting into/out of the parking lot are still a menace. Folks driving in should be careful of the large and growing dip there!

The heath itself is getting quite pretty though. There are still a surprising amount of juicy, sweet blueberries on the bushes at the far end. Also, the bushes themselves are beginning to turn to gorgeous maroon. Plus the cottongrass is fully bloomed out. The wide-open section of the heath just past the benches looks like a field of small snowballs. Quite a sight.

Harold Johnson