Last Sunday was a perfect day for a walk. It was spectacularly sunny (for a change), not too cold and not too warm. My husband and I took advantage of the unusually pleasant spring day to visit a Webster park he had never been to, and which I haven’t hiked in about five years: Four Mile Creek Preserve.
This is a beautiful natural area situated at the corner of Phillips Rd. and Lake Rd., at the very north end of town. It’s got a spacious parking lot and about 3 miles of trails. And you don’t have to travel very far down those trails before all the traffic sounds from Lake Rd. fade away and all you can hear are bird calls and the burbling waters of Salt Creek and Four Mile Creek. Plus, there are a few unexpected surprises along the trail which I won’t divulge.
It’s a great place to enjoy nature and reflect on the beauty of our town, and especially of our trails.
And that thought brought me to where it often does when I’m hiking our local trails: appreciating the awesome job the Friends of Webster Trails does. If it were not for the tireless dedication of this all-volunteer organization, we would not have been hiking Four Mile Creek that day.
I remembered back a while ago when, in my monthly Friends newsletter, I read that membership in the organization numbered about 200.
I thought it was a misprint, and they meant to write 2000. Because I KNOW that more than 200 people a year use Webster’s awesome trails — trails that are so awesome BECAUSE of the Friends, who spend hours every summer to create new trails, improve existing trails, remove invasive vegetation, install signage, and build bridges.
And it’s not just about the trails they’ve created and keep cleared. I mean, have you ever checked out one of the maps posted on a trail to see where you are? You can thank the Friends for that. Ever glanced at a blaze to make sure you’re still on track? Thank the Friends. Ever relaxed on a bench or paused at an overlook platform or walked across a bridge? The Friends work with local Boy Scouts to build these structures.
The grunt work is completed by volunteers, but a lot of the improvements cost money. So far the Friends have accomplished amazing things with the limited funds they have. Just think about what they could do if 100 or 200 more families would throw them $10 or $15 to become members. (P.S. that’s all it costs.)
If you’re not familiar with all of the terrific trails we have here in Webster, check out the Friends of Webster Trails website, then get out there and start exploring. If you ARE already a fan of our trails, please consider dropping $10 for a single membership or $15 for a family. Your donation will go a long way toward helping these fine folks help US enjoy our town’s natural beauty for years to come.
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Four Mike Creek is a fantastic trail system! One time when we were there we kept hearing a flute. It was like God was playing fir us. We eventually saw the flutist deep into the trail. It was beautiful!