Perfect season for the winding, leaf-carpeted path of the Coates Bluff Nature Trail, Shreveport

Magnet geography / Coates Bluff Trail, Shreveport, a photo by trudeau on Flickr.

A friend from Salem, OR, came through Shreveport on Tues and we effortlessly hiked the Coates Bluff Nature Trail end to end. It was a gorgeous half-mile.

Two improvements have been made to the trail this week. Thanks to a Jon Soul-led work crew on Sat, the auto tire gallery seating has been completed. At this mini-amphitheater near Montesori School for Shreveport, it's easy to imagine students giving brief lectures to each other on the topics of sycamores, native pecans and southern beavers.

Near the Valencia / Magnet HS end of the trail, a recent tree fall presented a dual-trunk, stick-studded under-tree challenge. That has been cleared out and it is now an easy dual-trunk underpass.

At the Valencia Park end, a softball game was underway between Magnet and Airline girls' teams. The field had been mowed and the Valencia Community Garden was serene.

Near Montessori, ducks were playing on the water. Several sub-teen fishermen were learning the art of angling.

All in all, this week is the perfect time to make the trek. No poison ivy, no snakes; just tall trees and beautifully calling birds.

Begin the trek by parking at either Valencia Park or MSS. You will soon see the entrance to the footpath.