Places we go

And...

Tales on Trails

Bluffs and Hemlock Pines

Secret springs

fresh cool waters

Incredible landscapes

Coral Fungi

 Strap shaped coral fungi. 

I find them each year on these pine bluffs.

Spiney Puffball

The trail we were on is no longer found on any map. I rode it with my husband years ago.

When the Kickapoo Valley Reserve was created this trail became a hiking trail only mostly because of the unique landscape and micro climate that the bluffs and river create.

Five years ago the KVR management took that trail off their map. I understand why they did it. It is a difficult trail. A winter storm took down quite a few trees in one section which blocked off a section of the trail. 

Any work to clear the section would require nearly a mile of hiking with a chainsaw one way and would require a crew to do the work. The trail has a rather deep and wide water crossing at one point too. I assume that maintenance would be rather difficult.

The bluffs and the river create a unique micro climate that isn't found in any other parts of the Midwest.

Each August and September I explore this area. The trailhead is overgrown and no longer visible from the road. But IF you know where it is and push through the brush, you can find it. There are a lot of deadfalls and little detours along with some 'bush whacking'. The effort is well worth it.

I usually find so many different varieties of mushrooms and odd ones I rarely see anywhere else.

Boletes

Charlie hanging out at the beach ... 

The view of the unique river and its bluffs...

The dogs had a blast exploring and using their sniffers. 

They spent the rest of the day snoozing and maybe dreaming of all the cool scents they discovered.

Cooler weather

Monday looked like a perfect day to go hiking. Our roads were somewhat plowed and still quite icy under patches of snow. Going down this hill can always be fun in the winter.

The skies were gun metal grey and the forecast was little or no wind but expected flurries. The temperatures were in the low 20's. Awful you'd say for an adventure, but I've been dubbed as the 'Mad Hiker' so Charlie and I went.

We had been cooped up on the farm for 3 days and had to get out. I figured to do an easy trail. It is called the Wintergreen Trail and is one of my favorites for views of the river and for the Hemlocks and pines that grow there.

Our big surprise is that we were the first ones to break trail in the snow. 

Ok.
Charlie broke trail. The snow wasn't quite as deep here as it was at home. Plus, Charlie has been down this trail so many times, he knows it by heart. What a good leader he is!

We took in the bluff view, but not very close as the snow covered up ice on the rocks. Charlie stayed up and away from the edges.

I did too, but grabbed a shot through the snow of ice formations and chunks floating downstream.

We walked among the Hemlock trees and I marveled at the scent and the snowy silence.

Truthfully, it wasn't much of a photographic adventure. We stayed warm and we enjoyed the snowy views along the river.  The shot below shows all the colors that we saw. Brown foliage and grasses, green Hemlock needles, dark tree trunks, along with a green tint in the river, and of course white snow.

We got back to the parking lot and continued past the Visitor's Center where someone had walked on the upper loop. I wanted to get down to the river and look at it. I check this spot in each season. Here is where I generally find the first flowers of Spring to appear.

We hiked back to the parking area and had snacks before we left. The roads were getting much worse and I was glad I decided to take a short hike.

I think by the end of the week, I may just go check out the ice caves and see if this frigid weather has effected them.

I usually try to see the caves in the first week of December and then again at the end of the month and continue through the melt.

They can be a disappointment, or they can be incredible!

Two years ago in January:

With winter this 'cool' how can you not get excited??

I'm still catching up with my week. Hmmm. It has been different.

I did start this project though:

Finally.

Monday night was particularly stressful with my duties as a Caregiver. My 'patient' woke up at 1AM and I was able to get him back to bed around 3:30. I never got back to sleep. Around 4 I gave up trying to sleep and made a decision.

For my mental attitude [which would be rotten and evil without a good night's sleep], I ditched the plan of running errands. When Respite turned up, I left with my backpack and bug spray. I was going to take some serious quiet time.

Last year I hike 1,000 + miles at the Kickapoo Valley Reserve and other County Parks nearby. Imagine the change I've adjusted to. I haven't gone on a real hike since May 15th. Imagine my withdrawals from Hiking. It was as bad as I would imagine a withdrawal from a drug!

Our area has received a lot of rain. Monday, some areas received over 2 inches or more and the Kickapoo River was rising. Not much of a flood, but the river had seeped into quite a few hay fields and pastures.

I decided to take my feet to the Wintergreen Trail. It is interesting enough and short enough so I can casually hike and look around.

I always make a stop at the 'lookout' and peer down at the river below. It is easy access and only a few minutes from the Visitor Center. 

On nice weekends, this is a busy trail. I choose not to go during those times for obvious reasons.

The trails were reported as muddy and buggy, so I didn't think I'd find anyone else along the way. I was right. I had the place to myself.
And one mosquito found me in a very wet area where the trail goes through weeds and flowers that where waist high.

The shot below is near the end of the trail which stops on the top of a bluff. There is no magical view of the river, but you can watch it and listen to it between the Pines and Hemlocks.

This may be one of my favorite places to stop and just sit for a while. 

I hiked the whole trail to the dead end quickly so I could see if I could find cool and interesting fungi. Then, I took my time returning to the car, walking slowly to peer at every mushroom, interesting tree, and view of the river.

This is another shot I take every single time I hike this trail. I look for this tree that seems to point the way. 

Of course, I did take the Minime and Charlie along as well as a couple other characters. 

Here we found tiny seedlings of pines growing on an obscure part of the bluff. This is off trail so hopefully no careless hiker will trample them.

[Don't look too closely at the minifigs face...how in the heck did a real Charlie hair get stuck on the minifig's face?]

The spot we found the seedlings is right next to the rocks that are evident in the photo.

I'm going to save the cool fungi and other photos not from my cellphone on another post. This morning I am running out of time between chores and our 'date' with Steve for an adventure. 

With all the rain we've had and areas of muddy water, the fishing won't be great so we may just do a drive and a lunch day. 

Rich looks forward to these weekly outings more than anything else right now.