Ice Hunting part II

After breakfast, we packed our backpacks and made sure that Rich was comfortable. He said he was going to lay down and nap.

So the Gang and I + Dogs, headed towards the Kickapoo Valley Reserve. KVR had their annual Winterfest going on and we went past the building and headed out to the area that I'd explored in mid December just days before Rich's hospitalization.

Those who run the reserve have put up some signs that would help a person locate the 'Ice Caves', but if you are a person that understands how our peculiar landscape works, you'd have no trouble finding the ones that are popular and the ones that others usually don't know about.

We wore ice cleats or Yak Traks. With all the snow melt and rain we'd had earlier this week any trails would be ice packed. Extra traction really does help.

We took Scout and Charlie and they had a blast. I was amazed at how athletic Charlie really is with those short stubby legs of his.

Here is a pano shot much like one I did in December. Except there is Daryl in the middle-right of the photo for perspective.

When walking up on this place you become literally stunned by how large it is and how incredible it is.
I stood with my friends and asked them if our eyes were deceiving us like I felt it had last month.

Doesn't it look like there are floating islands of trees? I thought it was just how things looked in the camera.
But we all agreed, it was bizarre and beautiful.

We came in above the second formation. The 'caves' are large enough to stand in. The warm winter and the recent rains have melted the old ice and the recent cold snap is freezing the water that is coming through the rocks.
In the above shot, there is Daryl again to the right and to the left is Charlie...or is it Scout? I can't tell!

Well this should give you some sort of idea what it was like. In a really cold winter, this would be a wall of ice of multiple colors from all the minerals in the land and rocks.

Charlie is inspecting a cascade of ice that has fallen in the last warm up.

Below...just other cool shots.

In this area, we stopped and ate some snacks and the hot chocolate I carried in the tiny thermos was so delicious.

We traveled along the ridge top and then descended into the valley next to the creek. This was not a creek like the one in our little valley. This was a proper creek.

We stood looking around and then noticed the ice on the sandy 'bluff' of the creek.

The colors were amazing and you could see where the water had been higher during the first part of the week.

I picked up Charlie as I was afraid that he'd get out on the thin ice along the edge of the creek.
My friend Amanda snapped a shot of us.
I love this photo!

Further down the creek we spotted some odd colored ice.

I called it 'Sherbert Ice' ....really, it looked orange!

To get a proper shot of this ice, we'd have had to walk around back to the parking lot and then follow another long trail to get across the creek to see this.
It really would have been worth it.

But we headed back to the vehicle and headed home, so we could rest and eat supper.

After dark we planned on a night hike with head lamps.

I didn't get many good shots, I didn't dress warm enough for some reason. However watching the clouds and the stars above was worth the bit of chill I had.

There is nothing that beats a night hike with friends....
Here are a couple of shots... and how we set up.

My shot didn't turn out very well for this experiment. In fact it sort of came out quite ugly. However I did nab a shot of the ice wall in our creek. You can see the water slowly seeping over the ice that is already there. I had my friends use their headlamps to light up the area.

And then there is the utter failure of a shot of the creek just using a crescent moon.

All was not lost however.

I loved discovering the Orange Ice.

And in one of the ice caves I found an intriguing ice shape.

I'll leave you with my favorite shot of the weekend.

Ice Sculpture:

Hiking with...just me.

Sometimes the outside just calls out to you. I thought it would be nice to get in a nice fast and hard hike to the back valley. I wanted to see what the snow melt, the rains, and the sudden freeze did to the ice 'cave' and other spots.
I have some friends coming to visit this weekend and they'd like to see some water, ice, and ice formations on their hikes.

They are not afraid of cool or cold weather.

Like me, they know how to dress for it and enjoy the fact that there are no bugs to contend with in the winter. There is no oppressive heat or humidity either.

And I don't have to worry about 'doing' my hair.

A fox hat works just fine and when the cold winds blow, I let down the fur flaps. I do get a kick out of feeling the fox tail wiggle around as I walk. Makes me feel as if I have a pony tail [which I don't...I keep my hair short right now].

The woods with north facing hillsides had a hard slippery crunchy snow cover. Any coyote or other wildlife could've heard me coming for a long ways.
The ridge top was wind blown and frozen with no snow on it. Not good for anyone with alfalfa fields. But there I was!

I was headed down into the back valley, where the sun doesn't shine most of the winter.

I was not disappointed!

Ice...ice, ice! Everywhere on little rocks where the water splashed and on bits of grasses and roots that hung over the side of the creek bank.

And to my delight, I had arrived at just the right time to catch the reflection of the sun on the hillside lighting up the back valley creek.

You can see where the snow is gone from the edges of the creek. That is how full the creek was on Monday when it was raining. I wouldn't have been able to cross it at all during that time.

I knew that I didn't have much light left so I hurried along the side of the creek and started the climb out of the valley. I was curious if the water had created an ice formation at 'the cave'.

I had a huge desire to go back down the side here and get a better shot. Common sense prevailed. I had no one with me and I had to get home. I could have gone back to the bottom of the run and walked up, but that would take too long and I'd have to back track.
So I hurried up the trail and crossed the ridge again dropping back down into the valley that our creek is on.

I hurried along the creek noting all of the beautiful little ice 'fingers' and formations along the way.

At the Sandy Wall, I stopped. The light was fading quickly in the creek bottom. But I just had to get a photo...of....

...more cool ice...

And I felt the temperature dropping. I looked at the compass thermometer that is attached to my backpack and it read 9 degrees.

Time to head home.

I took on look back before heading up the hill road....

The evening sun was lighting up the woods above me....

And as I crossed a field of ice, I felt joy and accomplishment in my afternoon hike. There was a self satisfaction that is hard to explain to those who don't venture out in cold weather or enjoy pushing themselves a bit. For me this was a treat better than a dinner at a fancy restaurant or night out.
I got to see mother nature in her afternoon winter's glory.

Some folks sure don't like winter.

But I love it.

With my handy dandy GPS running watch, I'd logged 4 1/2 miles of hiking. No mean feat across this landscape.

Man it was great!

Welcome October and rambling

Yesterday while hubby installed the heater, I played Twister on the stairs. I didn't want to go back to boring carpet so I changed things up and got the bright idea of painting the stairs a different color than the risers.

I went for a hike through the neighbor's valley before work on Friday to see what the flash flood had done. While hiking across the Merry Meadow, the gals decided to race up to me.
Talk about thundering hooves!

Curious Miss Sundance was the first to arrive as always.
I was hoping this summer to be done with most of the house remodel work to be able to spend time with Sundance and with Sunshine.

Sunshine is trained and a very reliable mount. She just needs a refresher course. With the interest in riding by the grandkids, she may get called into duty next year.
She was raised particularly for her good attitude and loving nature. 
And...she and Sundance are both from the very first horse I owned. Cheyanne. 

I was not disappointed at the forces of Mother Nature when I got into the valley.

The snow mobile 'bridge' over the creek was carried away. The culvert has been there for about 6 years. They'll be able to fix it but I imagine there are a lot of trails that will need attention before winter.

In parts of the valley the water cut a huge swath moving old logs, rocks, trees, and debris stacked in places. In certain areas the flood waters were as wide as the valley.

In others it narrowed and rushed cutting new paths for the creek. I was amazed that most of the waters were over 6 foot tall.

I didn't have any time to really explore, that will come later. I just wanted to take a look around and get some fresh air.

However I noticed that the colors are beginning to certainly change. I wonder what sort of fall we will have?

Suddenly I realized that I've been letting nature change around me and haven't been able to get out in it enough to enjoy this time of the year!

On my way to work later I took Tainter Hollow Road. The road is in poor condition but open and passable. There is a lot of damage to the bridges, but they are also open. Many of our township roads are just passable. 

I was so happy to see my favorite tree still standing in the valley.

After a long day of painting and twisting around on the stairs, I decided to take Morris for a walk to watch the glorious sunset.

The above shot was taken with my cell phone.

Indeed any camera would have done this display justice.

I'm very happy to see sunshine again after such a long time of clouds, rain, and dreary days.

Welcome October, I hope you are kinder to us than September was!

Baxter Hollow

Regretfully, I didn't have enough time to spend the day actually hiking back into Baxter Hollow.  I only had enough time to walk on the road leading into the Hollow itself along Otter Creek.

The road is closed off and there is a small parking lot to use.  I don't know if this place gets crowded or not during the warmer months.  I parked at Stones Pocket Road. Apparently there is another access on the north side.

There is a road closed sign that you will see first and off to your right is the small area for parking.

Once you walk around the gate you will follow the road for a mile before getting to the trail head.

You can view some interesting rock formations as you head towards Otter Creek.  At the bridge you get your first glimpse of Otter Creek.

And it is worth the short walk.

I wanted to get into Baxter Hollow, but because I didn't tell anyone where I was going and a lot of the trail conditions were pretty icy, I stayed on the closed road and took shots of the ice and the creek itself.

I will be coming back to explore this place more thoroughly.

I imagine in the spring it will be teeming with incredible wildflowers and I can't wait!

I've read reviews that the trail is faint and tough in may ways, but I spend time using deer trails as my own hiking trails in the land and woods that surround me, so it sounds just the sort of place I'd enjoy.

Besides, I like 'tough' and rough trails, they are so much for pleasing!

The Secret Place

On the third stop of what we now call our 2nd Annual February Outting and Hiking Trip, we came to a place that we found by looking for State Natural Areas.

According to reviews, it was hard to get to and required some hiking skills but was worth seeing.

Our one regret is that we didn't stop here first.
We used our GPS's to get close and when we figured out that we saw the State Land signs, we were good.
We parked and got out.

I listened and we could here the wind in the towering pines all around us.  The land sloped down to the west of us and we headed that way.

We entered a Hollow of sorts with huge rock formations and a granite field that looked like a giant had tossed the boulders and rocks about.  Amanda and I found the small stream running over the boulders and began to explore.  

Daryl and his daughters went to the rock formations and began to explore.
Pretty soon we were all there checking out the bluffs and rocks.

Amanda's oldest daughter climbed down and headed back to the little creek.

We kept exploring as we made our way down to where we could here the creek running in the bottom.

We had no idea of what we would find.
Were we ever suprised.  I think my jaw fell onto the rocks.

This is Daryl Clausen's photo from his phone:

Here is another photo from his 'phone'.  The composition was spot in.  I am amazed at what smart phones can do!

We ended up exploring the ice formations and the creek below the bluffs until we ran out of daylight.

This is a 10" exposure of the area.  I sat on the ice as the sun disappeared over the next hill and tried to catch some of the fading sun's reflection on the spot of open and running water.

We decided to make our way out of the 'gorge' or Hollow and discussed that we would be coming back to visit and not just once.
There was so much to explore and we had not given ourselves enough time for it.

As we began to climb out, we began to make more beautiful discoveries which made is even more determined to come back next winter.  And even perhaps this spring if we could.

Needless to say we didn't take the easy way out which made it so much more interesting.
I couldn't help but stop often and try to get that perfect shot.  Photo courtesy of Daryl Clausen.

Here is a shot of the 'Rock Tumble' that we climbed over to get back to our vehicles.  Again, shot courtesy of Daryl Clausen.

I want to call this Natural Area 'my secret place'.  I don't want it to become too popular and overrun by crowds.  I don't think it will happen as it doesn't have a real easy access.

I want to thank the Clausen family for arranging our "2nd annual Winter Hikes".  I hope to get some more hikes with them this summer and most definitely look forward to our next Winter Hike!