On a late March day, I hiked an old logging road off Landrus Road to a rugged section of Red Run, a tributary of Lick Creek. Some of last summer’s beech leaves still spangled the trees. More leaves blanketed the ground. In this sheltered area, pockets of snow were reminders of winter in the north-facing hollows. But the arc of blue sky reflected in the creek holds the promise of warmth and color to come.