The Carding Campgrounds were badly damaged by Hurricane Irene. Nearly three years later, the worst destruction has been cleared away, and the damage to individual houses repaired.

But the walking trails, covered by two feet or more of silt washed down by the Corvus River, had remained closed because there hasn’t been time to reopen them.

Until now. Last weekend, a troupe of workers with mowers and clippers reopened the main trail through to Royal Buchanen Road as well as some of the feeder trails.

We all marveled at the way some of the ancient plants—horse tail, fiddlehead ferns, and willow—have flourished. While invasives such as the dreaded Japanese knotweed and stinging nettle have spread.

But the paths are reopened. Hooray.