The weather was cold but sunny.  Due to the cold weather the hike was pushed back to 2 pm so breakfast became lunch at Panera.  The 2 of us left the parking lot a little after 2:p.m. and we hiked down the main path on a snowy trail (Picture 1).  We headed along the bluffs of the estuary until we came to the split in the trail.  This split is the full loop of the Dutch Gap Conservation area, a tidal backwater estuary full of birds wintering over. 

We came upon the sturdy steel (picture 2) and crossed over after pausing to listen to the water and wildlife.  We continued on the loop and the snowy, shaded trail.  There was a slight breeze but not to terribly windy. (pictures 3 and 4).  Occasionally, we would get great vistas of the backwaters which were mostly iced over (pictures 4 and 6).  We took a little detour down a spur which looked like an old railroad bed (flat and wide enough for a locomotive).  The spur ended at the water’s edge and there was evidence of a bridge crossing to the other side (Picture 7).

We rested on a sunny bench for a few minutes before heading back around to complete the loop and walk back up the trail to the parking lot, visitor’s center and the Henricus Park (Pictures 8 and 9).