Section 50 Cut Off Trail

 I'm getting down to the last few trails for my Trail Challenge at Kickapoo Valley Reserve. Sunday morning I set out to beat the heat and humidity and knock off a trail I wasn't too excited about doing.

Since my pal Bill has bowed out of hiking the trails with me due to some hip issues and family obligations, I have to make loops out of these hikes. Sometimes that means walking double the distance or backtracking.

I'm okay with that.

The map has the trail as a 1.41 mile end to end trail. In order to do that I had to walk up the gravel road to the one trail head and then hike back to my car on the trail and part of the gravel road. I walked just about 3 miles to accomplish a completion of section #50.

The views walking the gravel road were pretty nice. In fact, it was prettier than I thought it would be. The sky was overcast for the most part.

Then the sun broke through as I reached the top of the hill and turned to look back...

I saw a lot of trucks parked on the side of the road and recalled that deer bow season had just opened. It was hot and muggy and all the bucks I've seen still have their velvet. It didn't make sense to hunt in this heat and in this rough terrain.

Then I heard a couple of shots that sounded like .22's. That made me curious.

I found the trail head and set off.

Fairly quickly I ran into one fellow in all camo who was huffing and puffing while he climbed up the steep hill from the roadside. 

We talked briefly. He and a couple of other guys were Squirrel Hunting. He was polite and even told me, "Have a great hike ma'am."

Uffdah! Ma'am! I told him to have a good hunt.

I'm glad I hadn't brought Charlie, the overnight light rain and the humidity would have made it hard for him. The few gunshots I heard would have reduced him to a quivering Pekenhund Puddle. I would have had to carry him.

The trails were quite muddy in some spots and slippery. However, this trail is pretty but not very challenging. It basically runs alongside the gravel road in the woods.

I walked past two fellas that were looking at the woods and talking about ... I assume bow or gun deer hunting spots. We nodded and greeted each other as we passed. I was surprised. Normally, I don't see another human on my morning hikes.

However, different hunting seasons are now open. 

The light would have been fantastic in some parts of the woods had I waited for a late afternoon sun, but I had to pick my hikes when I could get them in and not always plan for the best light.

The Sumac in some places was astounding! Near home, it has just begun to change, but here it was blazing with incredible colors.

I ended up back on the gravel road and headed downhill to where I parked at the 'other' Cut Off Trail Head. I'd hiked that section with Bill and Jason on January 8th. I have one more hike to do in the north east section by Warner Creek and I will have finished that part of the Reserve.

A truck passed me and then parked behind my Subaru. I was curious as the men inside the truck didn't appear to be hikers. When I approached they stepped out of their truck and said hello again. They were the two fellas I'd passed on the ridge.

They were from Michigan and had decided to come to "Weesconsin" to check out the Reserve for deer hunting. They lamented that if they shot a deer there would be no easy access to drag it out. The terrain was really rough and there were so many trails, they had no idea where to even begin!

We talked for a couple of minutes and then I walked down to the bridge to take a shot of Warner Creek. Which...on Google Maps is called Jug Creek. But that is wrong. 
Oh well.

Warner Creek never disappoints me and I always stop to take a shot just like this in every season of the year at this bridge.

The hike was hot and muggy, but not really buggy like I expected. The Fall colors are starting to show and are simply beautiful.

I checked my time and was happy. I'd be home before lunch and could make applesauce and do laundry.

One more section off my list!

Cut Off Trail

Sometimes wandering from the path is a good thing.

Yesterday on a whim, I texted to my neighbor that I'd be off to the Kickapoo Valley Reserve later on, just in case anyone would be interested.

Lauren and I often text each other on a whim for activities 'just in case' it works out for either her or me.
Yesterday it worked out for her and the kids...and the dogs too.

I guided them to the Cut Off Trail which I had hiked last February with Charlie. We'd only gone along below the bluffs that day as I wasn't sure just how long or where exactly the other end of the trail came out on County P.
After the hike last year, I drove over to where it came out and decided that I'd do that leg of the trail and walk the road back to where I'd park next time out.

I always carry a map and have a compass [yes a real live compass] attached to my back pack. In the back pack, I have snacks, water, hot chocolate, dog treats, emergency blanket [the space age kind], a lighter and a Fire starter log.

Hiking in KVR is pretty remote. So I always feel the need to be prepared. Hiking near home is the same way.

Well there I go, sidetracked!

We walked along the lower edges of the bluff and the kids kept exclaiming *Wow!* Each time we found ice formations or cool roots...or something interesting.

I can assure you, that the little frozen 'dry run' that had water seeping down through the rocks was so much more interesting than the trail was.

The day was pretty dark and gloomy, but there was a whole lot of laughter and exploration happening.

We eventually headed up the trail and along the ridge tops, following a trail that used to be equine only, but is now a multi use trail for hikers and equine. In the winter it is used by those brave folks with fat tire bikes and others with snowshoes.

By the time we got back to the vehicle, it was getting dark and the little dogs were tired. I'm pretty sure that Basil had run twice the distance that we had walked. Charlie was a bit more conservative in his distance running.

We got home after dark.

It was a perfect afternoon.

Travels with Charlie...

Charlie is about 13 months old now, and I've struggled for a while to get him used to car travel without getting sick.
In his crate he gets sick.

So I'd made him a DIY car seat and he liked it but still drooled and acted as though he was going to be sick at any time on most car rides. On the way home from our hikes he always curled up and slept, so I figured it was just nerves about going places. He never has acted sick while someone was holding him...

So!
Yesterday I decided to take him to the Kickapoo Valley Reserve. He has proven over and over again to be an excellent little hiking partner. He is easy to take on a leash and is excellent at trail walking when I let him drag a line or leash. He still has issues with wonderful smells and ignoring me for those smells. But that is what a dog's life is all about. Smells. Charlie teaches me to stop and 'smell' the forest and look around.

On our drive to KVR he just sat in his car seat and looked around.
This isn't a very good photo, but I stopped to make a turn and grabbed a quick shot with the cell phone.

He was curious, but NO drooling or gagging!

When we finally got to our parking spot, he came alive and started to whine a bit. He has it figured out. Car ride = Hiking and Cool Smells.

I found the trail head for this section of the Cut Off Trail and we started along the rock formations. The snow, the big melt, and the big freeze had created a tail only fit for Yak Traks or cleats. Snow shoes would have worked with ice cleats, but I'd worn my Yak Traks.

What was amazing is that the Polar Vortex had cooled the rock croppings and the rapid warm up had created a frost on the surfaces of many rocks which gave the rocks an odd look as if they had white fungus on them.

Charlie forged ahead following the trail around this bluff ...

I was torn between taking closeup shots of all the ice and textures in this spot or just a landscape shot showing the trail along the rock formation. Ice formations were all around.

I just went with the 'Big' picture.

It was so overwhelming.
It was so quiet, except for the crows...
It was so peaceful.

The ice was beautiful in its own way, if you like winter.

We then turned and made out way back towards the stream and along a rock outcropping.
I walked between the stream and the bluffs.

The stark contrast between the ice and the frosty bluff was pretty neat. I didn't go any closer as there was water flowing under the ice between myself and the rocks.

Charlie and I made it back to the car and then we drove down and around the corner and parked.
We took another long walk to check out where Warner and the Kickapoo joined up.

There were Ice Shoves from the recent melt down and gnarled twisted wrecks of trees from this summer's flooding. Yet it was still beautiful.

We walked and took in the scenery.
When I got back to the Subaru, I set Charlie in his car seat and he curled up and fell sound asleep.