Temperatures rose above 50 degrees—nearly balmy compared to the freezing conditions that dropped more than 15 inches of snow over the past two weeks.

This mornings snowfall didn’t alter those that live in the alternative universe of an endless summer on Long Island South Shore.

The heart of the park is the Connetquot River itself — fed by quiet tributaries, marsh flats, and shadowed wetlands. Trails roll from sandy carriage roads to tight footpaths knotted with roots and planked crossings that skip over wet ground.