The Company Mill Trail at The William B. Umstead State Park - Cary, NC
“There are friends, there is family and then there are friends that become family.” - Unknown
“Surprise, Surprise, Surprise!” - Gomer Pyle
A Birthday Surprise -
On Saturday afternoon, following brunch at Herron’s in Cary to celebrate my birthday, Ginger and I headed to the William B. Umstead State Park for a hike. Honestly, we weren’t expecting much more than a chilly walk in the park. What we got was an actual hike on a very pleasant day, along with enough elevation change to be able to call it a workout. The Company Mill Trail was such a pleasant surprise.
Every Little Step I Take -
Hiking the roughly one mile spur into the park to Crabtree Creek was relatively mild and uneventful, although the path itself was filled with tree roots and some hefty chunks of stone that kept us alert to every step. The spur ended with a bridge crossing over the creek, where we chose a clockwise approach to the loop.
Do You Hear What I Hear? -
The loop turned out to be a delight for our ears. Walking next to the creek, we were soothed by its gentle flow, with brief interruptions by mild rapids. At one point, sudden splashing alerted us to a dog debating how to cross the creek. Its owner was encouraging a swim, but the canine was more keen to follow its master over a fallen log. Shortly after the path curved away from the creek and the elevation began to change, we heard the sound of rushing wind, even though the trees didn’t seem to be swaying to match. It turned out to be a trick of the forest, blending together the hum of a mild breeze with the noise of distant vehicles.
The most dramatic sound was shortly after that, from an army of upland chorus frogs. (Yes, I looked it up—a group of frogs is called an army.) It turns out these frogs mate in the winter and early spring. So, this was prime time and conditions for them to be actively trying to impress each other with their calls. We followed the sound, hoping to capture a picture of one of them, but we were not the attention they were trying to attract. They became silent and we had to move on without glimpsing a one of them.
Hail Fellow, God Save You -
In addition to the bounty of sounds, the Company Mill Trail offered up several additional surprises for us. We found a multitude of fresh water clam shells along the creek, the largest downed tree I’ve ever seen on a hike, and some large boulders that could have just as easily been on one of the mountain trails. The biggest surprise, though, was a man and woman coming up the path towards us who looked as though they had come through a circle standing stones, straight from medieval times. The man was even carrying a hefty shield and sword. (We did a quadruple take!)
Wrap It Up -
I highly recommend the 5.8 mile Company Mill Trail to anyone with some spare time in Cary. The trail provides diversity in scenery, plenty of water encounters, remnants of an historic mill (with a stone mill wheel on display), and easy access, parking and facilities. The Umstead Park itself has several more trails, and I hope to explore more of them in the future.
