A well received break in the cold weather has allowed the dunes to green up a bit, and the sunshine sure helped as well. Some areas of these dunes have boreal leftovers that remain green all year. The patches of conifers can be seen mainly in West Beach, but small areas are seen in Central Beach, and the Dunes State Park as well. Walking through these areas of conifers instantly changes the feel of the area, often from bright sun and grass to shady Jack Pine; the sights, sounds and smells change right along with them.
A benefit of hiking these dunes in winter is the fact that there are no ticks! Ticks love the dunes, especially the marram grass, and theres a lot of marram grass at the dunes.
Even though the dunes are beginning to wake up, there are still signs that winter still has a grip on the area. A line of shelf ice can still be seen on shore, and the deciduous trees such as oak and sassafras are still without their leaves. It'll be a few weeks at least before the spring flowers arrive, until then, it's a back and forth dance between winter and spring.
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