Ice hunting part II

The wind chills were pretty darned cool. I think it may have gotten up to about 10F.

Hubby said 'Geeze, isn't it cold?'

I replied with my catch phrase. 

"Det finnes ikke darlig vaer darlig klaer!" 

Actually I don't speak Norwegian but said it in English.
There's no bad weather, only bad clothes.

Maybe I love the cold weather so much because I can wear all my funky crazy hats that are warm and odd.  More on my hats some other time.

Snowshoes were my choice this time. They have long teeth for climbing slippery ice packed slopes and can keep a person from wading through deep snow while brush busting. [Read that as going off trail.]

I wear snowshoes with crampons. My old ones have never failed me yet. 

The picture above is taken where I was standing on a steep slope. Below me is a stream. Last time I was through here, the traction was terrible. This is not a path I would suggest to those with poor balance skills. 

I stopped and looked at the first set of ice formations. After the next snow it will look like there are floating islands of waterfalls. This is always impressive to see.

I even tried it with my little Canon ELPH infared camera. The unedited shot right out of the camera looks horrid.

Without direct sun and 'into' shade, this little camera has a terrible time. I mean this photo looks like mud.

Even with some edits, it didn't turn out much better. 

The pocket camera is very limited and IR can be very tricky. This shot turned out noisy and honestly, pretty crappy. But I tried!

I climbed over the ridge and found the equine trail we used to ride from Ma and Pa's Camp. I followed that over the next set of ice formations and trekked through Prickly Ash and low branches to drop into the next valley. 

A nice little hiking 

challenge

Yes, those snowshoes were a huge help! 

I ended up where I'd taken Bill and the kids two weeks ago.
This is the Infrared Version of it.

I was more interested in experimenting with the tiny pocket camera than I was in using the regular one.

I wanted to go wild with Infrared and see what winter would do to it.

The Beaver Dam

Cool Tree

What if we did see in a different 

spectrum of light?

Wiester Creek Ice

My favorite one of

the day.

And then...

Wiester Creek in regular color...

I just sent in my older Olympus to be converted to full spectrum so I can enjoy the alternate colors of the light spectrum. 
I admit, it is not for a lot of people. But for me it is another way of exploring how we see things.

My little Canon really stinks in low light, and it rarely focuses properly if you try to zoom in on a scene. But I've figured out how to work with it and have fun.

That is my point. Explore and have fun. 

Oh and

"Det finnes ikke darlig vaer darlig klaer!" 

Best Day Ever

It started with a text to my hiking pal. He texted back that he would be gone on Friday. He had the grandsons and he was going to try to find the trail on his own...unless...

unless I could come too.

I checked with Rich and he was okay with it. So off Charlie and I went. As we pulled up to park in the dirt lot [really, if you don't know where to look for it, you will not find it], a big red truck pulled up. Two ladies got out and inquired about 'the Ice Caves'. Bill said they were in the right spot and better yet "We have a guide! He pointed at me. Val knows all these trails!"

We all adhered to distancing. It is funny how that has become normal now for us.

I found myself being a tour guide. Charlie was ecstatic beyond belief. He smelled and greeted everyone and then took off leading us all. I asked the ladies if they minded Charlie being loose and they said it was fine. In the KVR dogs have to be on a leash only during nesting season. They are allowed to run off leash. 

Bill didn't want to try and take the kids up and down the steep rocky walls where the ice caves were. He wanted to show his grandsons the Beaver Dam. I pointed the way for the ladies and told them to just follow the tracks and enjoy exploring.

The kids had a blast and didn't really look at the ice formations much. They were into tossing snow and sticks. They were into being kids.

I took them on a trail I know that goes above the ice formations in the above photo.

I found a spot in the pines where they could just play. I told Bill that we didn't have to hike but find a good spot for the boys to just play. And we did.

I had a blast watching Bill handle his grands who sort of listened to Grandpa. He is newer at it than I am. I kept silent and just laughed at his attempts to get the boys to leave the fun area and head back to where we all parked.

"Come on now boys! I'll leave you here for the coyotes to eat!" They ignored him. Then he tried another tactic. "Oh the bears will eat you!" He chuckled. I laughed.

Charlie kept on eye on all of us and spent his time running ahead and then running back to the end by the boys and sitting next to them in the snow.

I told Bill we should make another date sometime to take the boys walking/hiking again. He seemed surprised and commented, "I thought they'd drive you nuts!" 

I guess he forgot that I've been a Grandma for a long time. Come to think about it, I've also been a Guide to friends in the KVR for a few years now too.

Besides, I could never tire of seeing friends and kids enjoy Nature's incredible beauty.

[Oh and since I rarely get to see anyone these days...well it was a bonus for me too.]

Hiking and new stuff

 

After 4 months, my friend Bill was able to feel up to hiking again. So I took him to the Ice Caves. The ice isn't well developed but I though it would be fun just to show him where they were in case he wanted to take his wife or grand kids there.

Covid raged through his house. His one son lives in the lower level and was sick for 4 weeks but finally was able to get back to work after testing negative. Bill said he went in because he couldn't breath and his test was a negative and the diagnosis was acute asthma attack. Phew. His wife is a nurse at our local hospital, she was home for 10 days with exposure and tested negative. She is back working long hours with our little overloaded hospital.

Bill also got a double whammy with Sciatica. He is just now getting back to walking. So we took it easy.

The 'cave' formation he is standing in will have 3 foot thick wall of ice formations this winter, depending on the weather. He will actually be able to get behind the ice...thus the name Ice Cave.

The photo above is his reaction to seeing 'the bowl' of ice for the very first time. There were all sorts of WOWs.

I explained how the ice formations developed. North hillside, no sun, sandstone caves...and seeping water...and very steep hills! 

The ice will continue to develop in areas like this all over the Reserve so I have routed short enough walks to many spots where Bill can enjoy the ice too. I generally time those hikes and walks to be about 3 hours which include driving there and back.

Another short jaunt took us to Weister Creek and the mini ice wall.

I led Bill on an old equine trail that we used to ride on 30 years ago. Bill keeps telling me he'd get lost out there and many people would unless they understand how the land lays. 

He commented that he'd need another few trips to the caves before he'd dare take the wife or grands. He wasn't comfortable to try and explore on his own. Smart fella to admit that. 

I've hiked all the horse/bike/foot trails this place offers with the exception of one trail. That is almost 50 miles of trails and about 50 miles of ones that are not official trails [ones I hiked and rode before it became the Reserve].

On another note!

~~~~~~
I got weary of the winter shower curtain that I just put up. It is pretty but just looks cold. I've had it for a few years. I have a few of them. I have a summer one of a photo I took and made into a curtain. I have one for fall with pretty leaves on it, and the winter one...plus a white lace one.

I told Rich that I wanted to spruce up the colors in the bathroom after Christmas to a bright and cheery curtain. I wanted something to remind us of things to look forward to in the bleaker parts of winter.

This will be the mat to step out on:

This will be the curtain:

That should brighten things up for sure. I think this will be our Christmas gift to ourselves as it is slated to arrive after Christmas.

Sunday afternoon Charlie and I went out back for a check on the neighbor and his camera. Since he had pointed the camera to view my side of the fence, I'd attached silver garlands to branches to wiggle in the wind and set off his motion detector.

The camera was moved to view only his side of the fence.
Hmmm, I wonder if he enjoyed the thousands of photos of the garlands waving in the breezes?

He said...

"Why don't you take a day off?"

My husband was sitting in front of the TV while I was looking out the window at the mules I'd just got back in from feeding.
Charlie was buried in blankets on the couch.

"What a good idea!" I answered. "I'm going to the Ice Caves, do you mind?"

I got that look that sort of said he DID mind. Then I asked if he wished to come along. He gave me another look.
I then asked if he wanted me to stay home and watch him watch TV?

He shrugged and replied, "You are going to go anyway."

That was sort of a snub I guess. So I thought about it for a bit. I didn't want to make him feel bad. But he was able to get up and move around if his brain would let him, but I think his brain won't at this time. I ask him to go places with me and have lunch and he decides he'd rather sit at home. Socialization is very important for him. Yet he avoids it like the plague.

"Yes, you are right. I am going anyway because I cannot sit around all day." I am honest with him and he knows I hike or walk every single day when not shoveling or doing chores.

So I packed my backpack with my usual gear and headed out.

I'm so glad I did.

I enjoyed a beautiful hike exploring the Ice Formations near Wiester Creek in the Kickapoo Valley Reserve.
Saturday the Reserve had a paid guided tour  and the folks that had walked made a nicely packed trail which made the hike much easier.

View from above the first 'ice caves'.

Inside the 'caves'.

The footing was a bit tricky, but I'd planned ahead with my YakTraks so it wasn't too bad.

The second ice formations. Inside and outside.

It was eerie listening to the water drip from the rocks through the ice formations.

I continued on towards a good view of Wiester Creek and the tiny bluff where more ice formed.

I noted that the guided tour ended there and circled back, but I knew about the old equine trail that went up and over those ice formations to another one that is usually not seen by anyone.

My hike ended at the Orange Ice.

Charlie and I had come to this same spot on the 4th of January and it had changed!

I headed home after talking with a group of people in the parking area that were headed out. They'd asked if the hike was worth it.

"Oh yes."

And it was.

Three hours to myself was very helpful. I felt refreshed.

All was quiet when I got home.
Rich was taking his usual nap.


He complained of not feeling well after supper and went to bed.
I worked on the gnarly tree and the Fairy House project until I felt ready to go to bed.

Let's see what Monday will bring us.

Gone Hiking

Saturday looked like another dreary winter day. With very little snow and a 'brown' look to the frozen mud and woods, it wasn't exactly cheery looking.

I decided that it would be perfect for Charlie and I to head to the Kickapoo Valley Reserve to get my new yearly pass. Honestly, the $20 fee is reasonable as far as I am concerned. I don't mind paying it for access to about 8,600 acres of unique landscape.

I feel pretty lucky to live within a half hour's drive to get there and choose a good trail to hike. Last week the neighbors and I 'did' Warner Creek. This week Charlie and I were going back to Wiester Creek.

I just packed water and some emergency supplies. I wore a bright red cap too as there is public hunting allowed on the Reserve.

I am horrible at taking 'selfies' with my camera. However I thought it would be fun to see how Charlie's attitude about 'road trips' has changed over the past year.
I pulled over to snap this. Note that Charlie is indeed looking as if HE were the Navigator!

He now understands that we are travelling somewhere when I put his harness on. The past few times he has run to the passenger side of the Subaru and waited for me to set up his car seat.

I got to the little parking area and snapped the leash on Charlie. Off we went. I found it a bit unusual that the 'Ice' signs were not up, but it didn't bother me, I knew where we were going.

I let Charlie loose and immediately he took off following the tracks of a raccoon. I called him back and snapped up the leash. I doubted he'd find the raccoon, but I didn't want to take the chance that Charlie would corner him. Charlie is tiny and a raccoon...well, much bigger than Charles.

I wanted to head down Wiester Creek to the place last year where we'd seen what we dubbed the Orange Sherbert Ice Formation.

I took an old horse trail that ran just above the creek. The trail hasn't been used by equine in at least 20 years, but the indentions are still evident.

I think you can see why I like hiking in the winter time.
There is also the bug factor.
No Bugs!

Charlie suddenly stopped in the trail and stood as tall as he could.

Of course I expected him to say...'DANGER!' He didn't, he just listened and looked. Across the valley a combine fired up and started to work a corn field. No danger, just noise.

On we went until we came down to a draw with an ice flow.

Fresh tracks of raccoon among other kinds. They followed the ice flow to the creek.

Coyote tracks:

I stepped into the middle of the creek that had a little rock island.
And there was the ice in various stages of melting and forming.

Last year I couldn't get near to the orange looking ice because of the brush in the way and the shape of the creek itself.

Hopefully we will get some good weather for the ice to become 'more creative' and exciting.

Charlie and I hugged the bank and used an old trail to walk along the creek as far as we could heading back.

We found some interesting patches of ice hugging the crevices of the rock formations.

We spent quite a while here just sitting.

I had a lot of things to mull over and this was the perfect spot to do it.