It was an unseasonably warm day in late January. A group of us had come to the Fenderson Common trail head in Wells to hike to the beaver dam. The hike had been planned and advertised jointly by the Wells Public Library and the Wells Conservation Commission. Our group totaled 10, including leaders from the Wells Conservation Commission.

On a guided hike, people have their route chosen for them so they don’t have to worry about getting lost. People are free to take in the scenery and chitchat while the hike leader navigates the route and provides commentary about the property’s human and his story.

The snow pack had 100 percent coverage but was soft and not very deep. After much deliberation, we decided to not use the snowshoes that we had brought. As is always the case when the ground is covered with snow, many animal tracks are visible. Deer tracks crisscrossed the trail. We saw canine tracks that could have been domestic dog or coyote – we were not sure.

On the trail, we saw signs of a pileated woodpecker. It had left the signature rectangular hole in the side of a tree next to the trail. We talked some about these birds and moved on toward the beaver dam.

On the hike were people of varying abilities. Some went slower, and the co-leaders stayed back with them. As we neared the dam, we saw trees that had the bark stripped off around the base. Other trees had been chewed almost to the center and were waiting to be blown over by the wind.

By the time we reached the beaver dam, we were 45 minutes into our hike. Our hike leader talked all about the life of the beaver as we examined the enormous dam before us. When we were done admiring the dam, we headed back to the trail head.

On the return, we rejoined part of the group that traveled more slowly. It served as a reminder to all hikers that they should study the trail beforehand to estimate its difficulty compared to their ability. Hikers should always come prepared with proper clothing, water, a compass or GIS navigator.

I reached the parking lot and talked to some of the hikers there. Our group swapped a few more comments about the beauty of the land before entering our vehicles to travel home. Our guided hike on Fenderson Common was good experience for everyone involved.

— Bill Stride can be contacted at wrstride@aol.com.