Umstead Adventure

~I’ve discovered an unmarked back entrance to Umstead Park near where I live, so I’ve been spending a fair amount of time there.  Recently, I rode my bike along one of the cycling/horse trails, and took a few pictures along the way:

^ Umstead is a state park, and I find it to be a calming oasis, away from the traffic of the highways that surround it.  It’s also adjacent to an airport, but the direction of the runway is such that airplanes never fly over the park.

 

^ A rocky steam under a bridge.

 

^ A strange, solar-powered contraption. Whatever could it be?  Let’s take a closer look…

 

^ So, it’s a device operated by the U.S. Geological Survey that monitors water levels.  Sounds like a useful thing to have around.

In fact, the website of the USGS has a real-time water monitoring system that lets you download state- and region-wide water information (groundwater, river depths, precipitation, etc.) from these stations.  I zoomed in on Umstead Park and sure enough, there was a green triangle icon marking this particular station (identified as “Station 0208726005”).  This station even has its own webpage where you can see the most recently-gathered water data!

According to the most recent reading from the monitoring station (just over an hour ago), the nearby stream is discharging 29 cubic feet of water per second, and is 3.61 feet deep.

 

^ Near the end of the bike trail, I encountered an obstacle: the path continued through water!  Not to be daunted, this fearless blogger plowed through the shallow stream on his bike and emerged victorious!  And by victorious, I mean dry.

 

^ What looks like a mysterious hatch near a bridge. I wonder what lies below?

 

^ Beautiful yellow flowers.  I don’t have my guide to wildflowers handy, so feel free to take a shot at identifying this plant.

 

^ AVISO DE PESDACO!  Mmmm, PCBs.  I hear they go great with seafood.

 

^ Wait a minute…this trail is clearly marked with a sign, but it isn’t on the official park map!  I wonder where it leads?  I will explore it later, and report to you on this blog!