The Ted Gray Trail is not a trail for a first time cross country skier. This hilly trail is less than one mile long, but what a mile! Except for a boardwalk over a marshy area you are in a world of wooded ups and downs.

And you ski over a glacial moraine formed about 11,000 years ago when the last great sheet of mile high ice retreated. Keep an eye out for glacial erratics (boulders) torn from the Canadian Shield and dropped here as the ice melted. You will see some of these boulders trailside and on adjacent hills. Consider these photos a supplement to the hiking column that appears in The Oakland Press (http://www.theoaklandpress.com/) on Sunday February 27 that describes  Ted Gray in detail.  After opening the Oakland Press link type my name in the Search Box and all the published  hiking columns appear.

 For more on  Independence Oaks County Park -  the home of the Ted Gray and all 13 Oakland County Parks - explore http://www.destinationoakland.com/

(Note: Some of these photos are on the SpringLake Trail that connects you with the Ted Gray making an adventuresome loop of over three miles.)