Going Up!

 Map My Hike says this hike had 435 feet of elevation in it. Hmmm. 

I'm not sure how these apps that follow you figure that out. But I do know that from where I parked to the top of the narrow back ridge was a climb of 300 feet. That is according to the topo map from KVR. 

I didn't do a 'close up' of the map because I wanted those read the drivel I write to see what the terrain is like where I walk.

This is the terrain of the 'driftless' region of Wisconsin. The bumps are hills, the shaded parts are slopes. The terrain map helps visualize what it is like where I live. Nothing is level, it is up or down!

The trail is pretty straightforward to the top. 

It is either an old logging road or farm road, it leads to an open area that has been logged and left. Briers and Prickly Ash grow so thick in its place that I doubt anyone or anything would want to walk the open area.

The trail goes around this mess and stays on the sides of the ridge in a mostly old oak forest. Finding the trail in the summer is nearly impossible as Charlie and I found out last year.

We found the top of the ridge easily.

We walked out to the point to see if there was much of a view.

I could look south and see Highway 131 ...

and look north and see the Highway leading to Rockton.

In the summer these limited views are impossible. But, I satisfied my curiosity and decided to finish the trail.

Some places were well marked, and others markers were a spot of yellow ribbon tied to a branch or a tree.

There is no chance of really getting lost as long as you have looked at the map and know to travel around the top of the oddly shaped ridge.
There is a steep drop off  if you do get off the ridge.

It doesn't seem at first that Jug Creek has a lot to offer in the wow factor. However, the old oak stands and maple woods provide a lot of shade and it is nice and cool on a hot summer day on the narrow ridge.
In the spring the forest floor will be covered in Spring Beauties and Pinks.

According to the pamphlet that is available at the Visitors Center, this trail is still under reconstruction. Clearing sections of this trail is not going to be an easy task.

I'd actually like to come back in the winter and snowshoe around the ridge.

Section 44 done.

Hay Valley & Washout Trail ~ Trail Challenge

Hay Valley & Washout Trails, Sections 41 & 44. 1.86 miles & 1.30 miles respectively. Not extremely difficult, but nice long uphill and downhill grades.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Welcome back to Hay Valley Trail. 
Bill and I headed out from the trail head from Campsite U.

We are trying to get Charlie on all of the trails with us. It might be a BIG feat for such a little dog, but he is a surprising little hiker. 
He does wonderfully in cooler weather, don't we all?

This is trail section 44 which is a gradual but steep uphill climb . According to the maps, it appears that the climbs are up and down of about 200 feet.

Without the leaves and undergrowth obscuring the terrain, we could see that we were going around rock formations. 

If we weren't on a time schedule, I'd have gone exploring once we made the switch back at the top. But both of us have responsibilities.

We found the stone foundation just as Aurora and I did last week. This week there was a surprise waiting at the base of the foundation.

Ginger plants in blossom!

When we got to the intersection #10, I explained to Bill how the Bailout Trail went south and ended back up on Highway 131 just north of Bridge 9. Following the Hay Valley Trail would take us south towards Rockton.

Washout Trail would take us back to where we parked our vehicles. We'd have more gradual uphill sections and down hill sections that would take us across a small stream.
The Trout Lilies were just appearing in the valley.

 

In some spots, these spotted leaves were spotted all over along with so many Blood Root blossoms and Hepatica.

Below is one spot along the Washout Trail, Section 44 that had an amazing amount of Maypoles or Mayflowers sprouting up!

Our total hiking distance was about 3.5 miles.

Section 42 from Campsite U on to Billings Creek Trail head is a 1.87 mile walk alongside Hay Valley Road to County Road F. We will save that for a day we feel like walking on roads.

That area will still be scenic. There is the river to cross at Bridge 6 and some pretty little ponds alongside the road.

Next to where we parked the Virginia Bluebells were all along the roadside coming up alongside the Cow Parsnip which has white flowers in the spring. Wild Parsnip has yellow blossoms. It is a good habit to leave all wild parsnips alone while they are blossoming. 

The Trail Challenge actually has 3 road sections which I am okay with as ... back in the old days we had to ride the roads to get to different sections of the 'Government Ground' as it was called before it became the Kickapoo Valley Reserve.

Hay Valley Spring Hike

It was time for our second Annual Spring Hike at Kickapoo Valley Reserve. Fellow Blogger Aurora [equine expressions] and I studied the weather and decided to go for it this week.

Not only was she early to our meet up place, she said she didn't get lost. 

Once we started, our Trail Master kept us on the right track.

At first glance, the trail may look a bit mundane and even boring. But it isn't. Spring feels a bit late this year, but ...

...it is slowly emerging and with a few warmer days it will explode.

If one looks closely, the flowers are emerging on certain hillsides.

Bloodroot

Dutchman's Breeches

Fiddlesticks
--Ferns

Hepatica
[see the fuzzy leaves?]

Wild Photographer
on the loose:

 

We stopped a lot and just soaked in the forest sounds. The day was a bit overcast and at times the sun peeked through but we just walked, talked, and admired everything along the trail.

And photographers who hike together will often grab a candid of the other person. Aurora was no exception. She caught me playing with my Legos.

What was I doing? Well, I was setting up a Lego BigFoot inside a 'cave'. However, I wasn't sure that he should have a fire inside a hollow tree.

The place I really wanted Aurora to see was the old foundation.

This was a much better place to discover Bigfoot.

Photos by
Aurora!

And this is what I was shooting. I found Bigfoot!!!! He was taking a photo of me!

We spent a lot of time looking at this foundation. It may be the only remains of one of the farm buildings that were purchased to make way for the dam that didn't happen.

We took our time and strolled, stopping often to look at things. I never even glanced to see what time it was. I was enjoying everything so much. Female human company AND the great outdoors.

Pussy Toes

this plant had

me stumped until I recalled

finding them before!

Shining Firmoss

If I'd had my way, I would have not even gone back to my vehicle. I would have waved a magic wand and become a woodland elf.

That outing relaxed me so much, it lasted through the weekend. I'm so chill right now I could just melt right into the ground and enjoy the misty rainfall.

My Gal Pal ~ by Charlie

"Let's go for a walk Charlie," she said grabbing my ringy ding ding collar. Yes I wear it. She makes me.
She says it keeps me safe.
Whatever, I don't care.

Off we went, her walking up the driveway and me trotting ahead of her watching for birds to chase. Perhaps I could chase a squirrel.
One can hope.

To my surprise we went to Basil's house. Oh what a delight. There are chickens in Basil's yard, I like to chase chickens. I caught a chicken by the neck once before SHE came screaming after me. Something about "NO Charlie NO NONO...and the little girl crying out too. Gosh I sorta felt bad. But I love to chew on feathers. I love to chase birds.

So I was almost to the back door when I saw the Chickens! Oh Oh! I trotted towards them and ... my collar started to shake and buzz. Dang. No chicken chasing. I gave them a backward look when SHE opened the back door and let out my bestest little friend.

Basil.

Isn't she just adorable? Cute? Feminine and sweet?

And then...we walked back to Sven's pen and let him out so he could join us.

And the walk was on! We ran down the trails while Sven trotted and stopped occasionally to eat things like sharp pointy bushes.

SHE was looking for something. She kept looking at things on the forest floor. Bending and looking. Then kneeling and looking. When Basil and I found deer and raccoon poop She scolded us to wanting to eat or roll in it.

Sven was boring. He'd discovered that the forest was full of stuff a goat could eat. Any time we got to far ahead She would whistle and he'd come running.

Boring. Except that he can poop tasty pellets.

Alas. Poor Basil and I couldn't take this nicey walkie thing any more.

Wrestle Time!

We just played and chased and wrestled and tumbled and played.

She watched with the Goat.

We played all the way back home.

Then after She toweled Basil off and let her loose in my house...Basil did something very weird.

She seemed to 'dry' herself off on the carpet...or she really liked the carpet???

What a gal my little Pal!