Wintergreen Trail

The last time I was on the Wintergreen Trail was January 14th of this year.

I met up with Aurora and we went to explore it in all of its Fall Splendor. We hiked it on the 20th. When I look back on our last fall hike together, I discovered had been on the 19th of October last year! Wow!

Talk about just about making it the same time two years in a row.

Looking back again, I noted that Charlie and I hiked the Wintergreen Trail on October 30th of 2021. In fact, it must be one of my favorite spots to go to since I can look back and see that I hiked this trail on the average of 3 to 4 times a year in the past.

This trail is fantastic in all seasons. The only time I have not hiked it, is when the trillium is blooming in the spring alongside the trail. 

In damp warm weather, the trail area shows off with amazing fungi/mushroom finds along with ravenous skeeters. In the winter, there are ice formations if you know how to look for them.

In the fall? It is just amazing with the leaves coming down on the trail and the dense pines along the bluffs.

The morning light filtering through the trees was magical on the trail. 

I really just love the yellows that the maples drop. They make the forest floor glow for a few days until the leaves dry up.

In places where the leaves where really thick, Charlie had to wade through them. He didn't seem to mind as he was really on the look out for Chipmunks and Squirrels. 

There is one spot to always stop at and take a deep breath. It is an small bluff that overlooks the Kickapoo River. Every single time I take this trail I take a photo of it. Over the years, the trees have changed due to floods, but two seem to preserver on the banks despite the river's attempts to move them.

This is this boxelder seems to shrug off the river's efforts to send it downstream. There is the other one just south of it that holds fast too.

I've climbed out to the lower rock in all seasons just to sit and enjoy the view. I rarely go on the weekend as this is a pretty popular trail. I like to have this spot all to myself. Aren't I selfish?

The last leg of the Wintergreen Trail is on a bluff that is covered in pines and smells absolutely wonderful.

The walk is worth it. 

Shadows! Here Aurora and I stopped to gaze down the dry/wet runs to where ice formations form in the winter time.

Then we headed out to take on the last leg of the trail.

At the end of the bluff, I usually sit on the rocks and pretend the view is part of my own forest kingdom. Of course it isn't, but hey, I like to pretend.

Of course, I couldn't resist taking out some of my friends I'd brought along for their moment in the golden sunlight.

And here is a photo grabbed from a Wikimedia site.

I labeled it.
The photo was taken circa 1979:

The pink arrow points to the end of the bluff where the Wintergreen Trail ends. The dam tower still stands to this day. 

Since 1979, the river has slightly changed its route but the pines and forest around the bluff that was scraped clean of vegetation has grown back. 

I've walked around the tower and I've stood on top of the dam to take photos of the sun coming up and the night sky.

No matter how often I walk this trail and no matter who I walk it with, I am still left with a sense of wonder in any season.

And maybe I'm just a little bit happy that the dam project was never completed.