Once again nature has gone through her seasonal cycle. Maple syrup making is just about past at least here in the Champlain Valley. Maple sap is probably still flowing in the deep woods and in Vermont's higher elevations on the fringes of Chittenden County and beyond especially in Franklin County and the 'Northeast Kingdom' regions.  The last hints of snow are just about gone.  And, even if we do experience another snowfall in April, experience also tells us that it is not long before it melts into the aquefirs.  So, those of us who like to transition from winter sports of skiing, skating and snowshoeing to spring and summer sports usually turn our attention to biking, hiking and some variations of boating like kayaking and canoeing and dragonboating.  Dragonboating?  That's for another article altogether.  My bike was tuned at the end of last season.  So, I'm ready to ride on the first sunny warm day!  Hiking will have to wait until the woods are dry unless I hike on some of Chittenden County's various improved trails.  We are so blessed in the Greater Burlington Vt area to have many outdoor activists who are really activists when it comes to quality bike paths and hiking paths.  One such activist group is Local Motion.  This group has lobbied for years among the various towns in Chittenden County to provide outdoor enthusiasts with quality bike and hiking trails.   It is their mission to someday have interconnecting trails all over the county.  And, at some point in the future, this organization would like to see a series of bike trails all around Lake Champlain including into Canada and New York.  Let me extend my heartiest best wishes for a very joyful season of hiking and biking and boating.  To learn more about Local Motion  please go to their site.  http://www.localmotion.org/trails/