This gradient continued for the final stretch before reaching the small hutt in the distance. The hutt in the past had been a trail mix and water stop however today would be my turn around point. I knew I could not yet put the rock down as every time I went to I had that same inner prompting to keep hold of it, and as I neared the top of the last fifteen minutes of steepness, the purpose of the presence of this irritating accessory was revealed. And it was not what I expected. 

I couldn’t help but see how gently the leaves landed on the forest floor. No big crash landing, just a gentle and slow relax into where they now lay. It hit me that what looked like death to them, to their purpose and their place in the world may not be an accurate description. The leaves now lay as part of a new environment, a habitat providing protection and nutrients to the wildlife and critters all around them. In fact, was it just me overthinking or did these fallen dead, seemingly displaced leaves now all of a sudden have a vital new role to play in the park’s eco-system?