Happy day

This photo showed up in my cell phone's memories of February 2018. This was one of the last times he was able to use his beloved skid steer. 

His smile was infectious. Plus he was a an awesome plow guy!

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So Monday my friend Pat said she was ready to go with me on a snowshoe adventure. Off we went. 

 Charlie led on the trail below the caves.

It was quite a feat climbing the steep hill in snowshoes, but it would have been worse without the extra traction.

The warm weather last week did do a number on the ice sheets, but I am always impressed by them. I never fail to think Wow when I see them.

I convinced Pat to climb up into them with me. It took a little coaxing, but she was brave and did it.

Here she is taking a picture of me while I am taking a picture of her. 

Her photo gives one a clue as to how large these formations actually are. You can barely see me behind some of the ice.

We trekked some more in the area and then headed back to the parking area. I then took her to the biggest Ice Cave in the area at Wildcat State Park. It was only a few minutes away.

Again, the warm weather last week didn't make the ice formation look as beautiful, but it was still quite impressive.

I nabbed the following shots from Pat's FB post. I had no idea she was taking shots of me.
Apparently this is my best side. 

Here is Charlie and I going around to the back of the ice at the large ice formation at Wildcat. I look positively tiny!

This is what I found with my camera on the backside. The sunlight coming through the ice gives off oddly beautiful shades of green and blue I assume from the minerals in the ice.

I was hooked on looking for ice in the winter the very first time I saw these strange colors and beautiful shapes.

Multicolored ice is more common than one would think.  Here is a photo from two years ago in another location. Note the colors in the ice. 

I imagine it is from the clay, the limestone, and the dirt the ice absorbed? 

I know there is a lot of crap going on in the world today. But I had to choose nature to go out and find the joy that it brings me. And I got to share it with a friend.

So it was a happy day.

Snow, snowfall, Frank the Plow Guy

Saturday morning. We had 4 inches by 
chore time. 
How can I tell?
It was chest high on Charlie.

He is a reliable measuring 

dog.

Sundance during the 

storm.

We ended up with about 7 inches depending on where the wind blew. 
 

I stressed all morning wondering if Frank the Plow guy was still plowing this year and if he remembered to put me on his list.

ALL morning. I paced, I cleaned the house, I dusted, I must have put on  quite a few steps pacing.

I cleaned up my Lego Medieval Village and considered starting to take out my Christmas Legos. I paced some more and moved a large cabinet to clean behind it.

[I texted him and asked if he was still plowing this year and if he was, please not to forget me. He never really checks his texts, he is an old fashioned farmer/earth moving guy who has a gravel pit.]

He is just Frank. 

Around 1PM I gave up pacing and got dressed to go out and shovel another walk way. 

I heard the rumble of his ancient red pickup. There he was just a grinning away. We spent a few minutes discussing the weather and the passing of his brother and his father this past year.

With a big smile on his face [and one on mine] he continued to plow that long driveway hill of mine and I felt a peace come over me.

When I came back inside I announced, "Frank was back!" I knew the house was empty, but I also knew that I was telling this to my hubby.

A friend suggested I purchase a side by side and a plow and do it myself. I weighed the cost vs. paying Frank and decided I would never spend the price of a UTV in plow fees.

I just have to be patient because as Frank said. "Oh, I'll get to you eventually!"

Now to get out and enjoy some snow scenes and shovel an area for Charlie to do his business. The snow comes up to his nose.

Gun season ends at sundown.

Goodbye November.

Colder than a...

.... well, you know the sayings! I will let you complete your own sentences.

Here's Fred staring at the porch door as I got put my boots on Friday morning.

They look cold, but aren't. I free feed hay and they have heated water along with cozy woods.

By the way. Fred is 37 according to our records. He seems to be doing much better this year than he was last year. Fiesty as all get out. He bosses the bigger ones around. Other times he goes off by himself and plays the Grumpy Ol' Mule and sleeps next to the huge oak tree.

By 9 AM my co-hikers begged off from going to the ice caves. I don't blame them, one of the kids was missing his boots. 

I was restless as this was a planned day. So I waited a bit for the sun to come up a bit higher.
Then I was on my way to do exploring.

I am known as the NUT who loves winter. And I am a Winter Geek.

I'm going to include a photo from a gazillion years ago of my father on a night he prepared to go cross country skiing. He was ALL in on winter. Imagine this, when I visited him we could ski at night for miles and miles. Our conversations were about weather, skiing, techniques, and nature.

Dang! He looks like an original Horror Film Slasher!

He studied cold weather and how to dress for it. Imagine how he would be amazed at how cold weather clothing has improved since the 1980's!

I was not the only nut out there. One older lady was skiing and there was an old gent skate skiing. His movements were rather fluid and it was a pleasure to watch him glide by.

I decided to do some off trail sight seeing. I knew I'd walk into the wind for about 1/2 mile but then I'd go into an area that was protected by woods and bluffs.

The river seemed frozen over, but I won't walk on it. I know how deep and swift it is near the bluff.

Getting the shots right were really hard and I am pretty sure I didn't do it justice.  I was shooting towards sunlight and dark rocks. 

My hands got cold. I'd put my mittens back on over my knit gloves. I did more walking and admiring more than anything else. 

Bear suggested we move into the sunlight. Bear is usually right about things.

I cut through the frozen backwater pond towards the trail and the sunlight.

The sun was very welcome.

Bear and I walked alongside the trail with the wind at our backs. The sun filled us with warmth. I crunched along and thought how fun this trail would have been to ski with my father. 

Bear agreed with me. I like Bear, he is a pleasant but stuffy fellow. He reminds me that life should be enjoyed and no matter what, a person doesn't have to be lonely if they have a friend like him.

It was cold but it was refreshing too.

Bear is a good partner. He never complains about anything. 
Not even my driving.

 

Just add imagination

"Do you want to go for a walk with the kids? We can go to the Reserve and do an nice easy trail...bring snacks?" I sent the question in an email to my neighbor.

We often went to my little creek for adventures, but the weather was supposed to be chilly. I wanted an excuse to get out of the house and visit with another female. And I wanted to go to my new favorite place. The Kickapoo Valley Reserve.

Off we went.

We took Harris Road Trail to the ponds. We detoured around the ponds which was good. 
That meant that I was knocking off one more trail that I had to complete for that Dam Trail Challenge. 
It is actually just called The Trail Challenge, I just like including the 'Dam' in it. 
This was one of those small intersecting trails that I'd missed the other times while hiking the south part of KVR.

The kids ran ahead while 'we' adults walked along behind just enjoying each other's company and conversation. 

The trail led around more than one frozen pond and of course the kids wanted to explore the ice. 

However with the recent warm days and melt downs I was super cautious and said emphatically NO! Lauren and I discussed our fears of falling through the ice and being trapped under it. 

Of course, I did something silly on the walk as we negotiated the path around the one pond. 
I blathered on to the kids about how in another month or so they could see Canada Geese, Mallards, a variety of ducks, and other birds. Did they want to keep an eye out for eagles?

I realized as I chattered on that Lauren was probably the only one hearing me. The kids were concentrated on the ice chunks in their path, the rocks, the stumps, and the pure adventure of the hike...and not the coming spring or birds.

I laughed to myself then. I thought, just enjoy the chatter of the children and the fresh but chilly air.

We came around a bend and there was a corn crib type structure. 
It was a blind set up with boards that you could open to watch those birds who would be coming to nest.
The kids ate snacks and enjoyed opening the little windows.

Sure, I tried to explain that this was a bird blind. That really did't impress my audience. Then I may have said that it was a way to spy on birds. Now that peaked their interest!

The only Eagle we saw at KVR was the finger puppet I added to my collection. 

I generally have a toy in my pocket of some kind even when I am hiking without children. 

Off we went again along the Old 131 Trail. The trail is flat and fairly straight. I think it was pretty boring to the kids. Up ahead near Star Valley there is a magnificent old pine that had been damaged by a storm. This pine became the place for the kids.

First we went to the benches and markers on Star Valley Trail. I wanted to show the kids the memorial. They were interested in the small pond created by the melt down. 
They were not being rude, they were exploring. A small pond with a mostly frozen surface is far more exciting than the little memorial. They could break ice up and throw it onto the surface of the flooded area and watch the ice splinter.

We had snacks and before the kids got wet, we moved away from the alluring little pond of ice and water.
The kids saw a trail that led across the field.

"Can we go this way?"
Of course! 
Off they ran, pausing at every area that had ice. 

Surely Mother Nature had put those little frozen places there just for them.

How can you compete with Mother Nature?

We went off trail as the kids wanted to see the river. They liked the huge chunks of ice that seemed stuck in it. I called them ice shoves, but they are actually ice floes. 

That did get some "cools!" from the kids.

I told them to lead on!
And they did.

I felt that the little trail would lead us back to the old damaged pine tree.
And it did.

However now the kids were busy. 
The adults merely stood back and let them play.

Play is the work of children.
It is very serious stuff.
~~ Bob Keeshan [Cpt. Kangaroo]

The tree and part of the branch that had broken off became something different that could only be seen through a child's imaginative eyes.
They played.

Lauren and I stood back and watched. 

I am always amazed at how quickly children can find something to play with. They don't need toys. Sticks, pieces of bark, or even a rock can become toys. A field of grass and a stump can become a fort or house.

Just let it go and let the children play, they will bring their own imagination.

KVR ~ Trail Challenge ~ Little Canada ~ Part One

I hiked Little Canada, The Ice Cave Trail, and the trail to campsite "I" just below Little Canada and along the Bridge 14 Trail.
I'm going to have to divide things up.

Little Canada:

I picked Sunday because the temperatures would be in the higher 20's and the winds would be light.
I didn't want to walk on the warm days. The trails would be mushy and slippery.

A light snow had come down overnight and had coated the world with a fresh blanket of white. That is, a fresh blanket of snow over the icy surfaces below the snow!

I pulled up into the small parking area on County P and put on my Yak Tracks.

Under the car, it was glazed ice, slippery even with the Tracks on.
I headed south on Old 131 trail towards the trail head for Little Canada and the Ice Cave Trail. I'd suspected that there was a Hiking Only trail that wasn't marked on my map. I'd seen it indicated on the route for the Dam Triathlon, as part of the 3 mile running course. I thought I'd keep my eyes open for it.

I suspected that it was part of the trail that ran near the bluffs above the river that we used to ride years ago. It was deemed too dangerous for foot traffic and equestrian traffic.

It soon became evident that I was the only hiker in the area. I'd seen cars parked near Mule Trail and Camp J on 131. But mine were the only tracks.
And they were the only tracks made on these trails.

The old road bed was a bit slippery so I chose to walk alongside the road in tufts of grass. This was to be the strategy for the entire hike.
I got to Bridge 15 and wanted so badly to walk along the river as I'd done last year to see what had changed.
I reminded myself that I was doing a hike.
I had a route to take.
For this trip, I had my pocket camera and my Olympus stuffed in the back pack. I used the pocket camera mostly. I was here to hike and not spend hours taking photos.

The view from Bridge 15 always makes me stop and admire it. See the ice 'shoves' on the banks? That was from our 50 degree day.

Onward.
Past Bridge 15, I found the Trail Head for Little Canada.

The Hikers Only trail was clearly marked and I knew that it should join up with the Little Canada Trail at marker #6.

The trail was rather easy and it went alongside the river through a huge stand of pines.
It was eerily quiet and sometimes a bit dark and foreboding on the trail.

I was able to find the old equine trail we used to ride about 20 years ago.

I could see the faint path of the trail still and I wondered how in the heck I was ever brave enough to ride that.
The old timers scoffed at the closing of this trail. Looking back, I applaud it.

I moved along the "Hikers Only" trail and saw a few places where I could see through to the multi use trail.

I stopped at Marker 6 and had a snack. I'd hiked for an hour and had done some back tracking and exploring. I didn't get close to the bluff. The footing was too iffy, but I used the long lens to grab a shot looking down on Camp "I" for reference later.

I don't know how people rate trails. I've read in Wisconsin Explorer the only trail they cover it the Billings Creek trail and they say it is a 4.5. I am not exactly sure what that means.

I do know that this trail can be challenging if you are not used to this sort of terrain. In areas it is wide and easy. Then it gets steep and narrow, sort of a single track horse trail. It winds back and forth and goes down to the river before climbing again to the bluffs and winding around the areas where the dry runs form ice caves in the winter.

I found marker #3 and had a moment of confusion. The trail didn't seem correct after such a narrow track. I consulted the map and then figured out that this section was also used as a snowmobile trail.
Boring...

However I did get back down to the river and took a shot towards Camp "G".

Things got a bit more interesting when I got to marker #5.
To be ...
Continued...