Billings Creek

This is rated as a fairly difficult trail on KVR by Wisconsin Explorer. Though to be truthful, the guy who rated it, did it from one end to the other and did it when the trails had not had straight wind damage and a lot of down trees. I did it out and back without crossing the large stream. 

This is not a trail to take Grandma on. 

It resembles a deer trail at times or a one track that is narrow and packed with roots, rocks, holes, and steep terrain.

Oh boy did I love that! It was just like hiking at the neighbor's land who has two valleys and steep difficult terrain.

The first time I wanted to do this trail I couldn't find the trail head. It was literally hidden in tall grasses and brush.

 

They've painted the markers bright orange now so it is more obvious.

The trail is easy to follow ~~  but as one gets to the ridge above Billings Creek [after some very mean climbs in and out of steep areas and around some windfalls...] there are a few more markers to let a person know they are on the right trail. Because the trail and game trails look pretty much the same in this section.

We stopped where we did because I'd need a day without a dog to figure out how to get around the huge piles of downed trees to continue down into the valley from the ridge.
I'd heard the noon whistle from Ontario and so my time was running out.

I'd taken an hour and 22 minutes to get to the spot we turned around. Mostly because I'd wandered off trail to explore old equine trails and peer down bluffs.

We were tired, warm, and thirsty. Charlie tried drinking right out of my bottle as I poured his water in a tiny lid for him.

I will be coming back here often because I found some places to explore when the light was different.

It was fun to sit on top of a bluff and watch school kids canoeing below us.

I need to go back and visit this again:

And this....

I fell in love with the bluffs and the pines. 

Someone was draggin' tail by the time we got back to the car, so I took him down to the river and 'beach' where we sat on a log and shared an apple.

I think we could have spent the rest of the day next to the river gazing at the rocks.

He slept while I drove home.

I'll be back.