KVR Trail Challenge ~ Rockton Trails

I once in a while use mapmywalk app to get an idea of exactly where I hiked. It is a fairly useful app and it is fun to see it with a Satellite photo or Terrain photo of the area hiked.

I started at the parking area for the Canoe launch and landing site #12. I'd walked a good half of this route along Old 131 [which is actually Old County P--but I won't explain that].

As soon as we started, it began to sleet. I was surprised but since it was sleet and not heavy rain I wasn't bothered in the least. 

Sleet on Charlie's back:

Rocks on Old 131:

I just love seeing these little rock formations!

Charlie and I walked south along Old 131 to the first Ho Chunk bridge and then took a right to follow Indian Creek Trail. I knew from previous studies of the map, that if I simply took right hand turns at each intersection, I'd likely do just fine.

First Ho Chunk Bridge:

Second Ho Chunk Bridge:

The trail signs at KVR are pretty decent, but having a map in hand is really handy to have also. When I reached one spot in the trail I had 3 choices. Point #9 went up hill into the pines towards Black Hawk Rock, this was an equine trail. Another arrow pointed to Indian Creek Trail. The arrow to the right said Rockton Trail. That was the one I wanted.

Further on down the Rockton Trail, that trail split into two sections, both labeled Rockton trail. I knew I wanted to bear right, but I decided to check the map. One of the trails was a bicycle use only and the other was hiking/riding. 
Curious though. The Trail Challenge it does not specify exactly which trail is to be done except I decided that was a no brainer. I followed the tiny hikers that are nailed to the trees.

I was so surprised to find myself in a pine forest that had been planted many years ago. The trail wound through the pines. The ground was covered with beautiful pine needles and well...

My little pocket camera couldn't capture the sights, smells, and sounds that we experienced. But the colors were muted and amazing under the sleety/rainy/dull sky.

We entered a hardwood forest and simply had to just stop. Well, I stopped and sat on a log while Charlie explored the great smells. 

I put the camera on a delayed timer and walked away down the trail. I'm wearing a safety vest as there are pheasant hunters in the field areas. Bow season is open but those hunters are rarely near a trail.

During Gun Season, I just stay away from all forests even those on my own land.

The trail was just so beautiful along here.

The trail led us to Lisney Road for a very short jaunt before it went back into the woods. And we ended up in the field behind Rockton Bar. 

I counted 12 horses tied to the rails while their owners were probably in the Bar eating burgers. Hubby and I used to go their for lunch any time we were riding the Gov't Ground as it was called years ago.

Charlie set the pace on this hike. He loves the cooler weather and he actually has a pretty fast pace. He can cover a mile in 20 minutes which I consider fast for a dog with 3 inch front legs. 

Sections finished:
#34, #35, and #36.

5 sections left to go.
I want to get those done before Deer Gun Season!

Three of the sections are going to be a bit harder as I will have a 2 mile walk in one direction and then have to turn around and come back. I am curious as to why they include walking along the side of a county road as part of their hiking trail challenge.

Walking along a county road that can be busy at times is not really my idea of a peaceful hike. However, I'll get it done!

Pausing on a rainy sleety day

First off, I am totally excited that my Granddaughter Ariel will be coming to spend next Friday with us. She'll stay over night.

She turns 19 next Friday. Where on earth did all those years go???

Here are some photos from years past. 

Ariel brought so much into our lives over the years. Her folks used to come often to visit and would drop her off at our house while they stayed the weekend at my Mother in Law's large house.

Ariel wanted to be like Grandma Val with a 
backpack and camera...

Dancing with Grandpa Rich in the yard.

Helping Great Grandma Lenise

Helping Grandpa with chores

Riding Badger

Ariel let me know last month that she was planning on driving up her new to her car that she bought on her own to visit us. She'd been wanting to do a solo trip on her own for a while.

She is no longer a child but a grown up. She is working on getting her own apartment and place to live which is not easy right now. 

Secretly, I'd love it if she moved near us and worked at one of the nicest places around "Go Macro".  I doubt that will happen but I could wish it.

I'm not her 'blood' grandma, but I sure do love her.

I always have enjoyed our time spent together. She is a quiet person with a great imagination and is very intense in her sense of responsibilities.

I am looking forward to her visit as is Grandpa.

Burdocks and Bows

After spending two hours cleaning tails again, I picked up the loppers and machete and went hunting for burdock in the woods where the mules like to hide out from the weather.

The offending burdock grows in inaccessible areas to machinery. Rocks, logs, an steep inclines keep me from mowing. The only solution is to do the work by hand.

I think I got most of it picked up and piled. Now I have to wait for non windy weather to burn the piles. I ended up with about 4 piles. I make them small and also rake all the dead leaves from around each pile before burning. 

For now, the mules have to stay out of this section until I get things cleaned up. I have to admit that all of my work in this area for the past few years is starting to pay off. It may not look like it, but the burdock has been reduced significantly since I 'took' over the pasture work.

There is another section of woods that I'll address later. I missed the spring clean up of the area and didn't maintain it this summer. It looks like it should be easy to clean up with a skid steer and a brush hog, but the rocks that jut out of the ground would make short work of anyone's blades.

At least I have things to keep me busy, right?

Bow Season is in Full Swing around here and Glen the Hunter who hunts the meadow to the east of us texted that he and his daughter would be bow hunting this weekend. He wanted to know if we would be around as he'd like to drop off venison for us.

Of course!

I told Glen he could come down our driveway and park in the fence line for easier access. After two years, hubby has decided that Glen was an okay guy. I have to give the guy credit as he has made the effort to be friendly to my husband. The meat never hurts either. It is a great bribe to an old deer hunter!

A few years ago, the land owner of the meadow told Glen to just use our driveway to access hunting on their property. Of course having a strange vehicle come down our driveway and park on the edge of our land was concerning to an old veteran with Chronic and Severe PTSD. 

Glen realized that getting to know hubby and befriending him would benefit everyone. Glen and I exchanged phone numbers so he can text us for the two weekends a year that he'd be out roaming near us.

I think that is a great lesson in being neighborly.

The landowner should take a lesson from Glen the Hunter.

Glen and his daughter or son only come for bow hunting as they feel it is the ultimate challenge.

Gun season is for nutcases on the neighbor's land. I bring the mules out of the woods and keep them in the lot near the house.

After all, hunters get Buck Fever. Right?

I've never personally hunted a deer. I've sat with a few people over my life time and found it rather boring. I'd rather sit in my blind with my camera for a few hours and catch a photo of one. Less work.

Falling

 

The leaves are falling everywhere!

Oh no! I feel like I am going to miss it. Wait miss what? I'm not exactly sure. But Fall makes me feel like I am missing out on something as the leaves drop and blow away leaving the trees stark...

...and
amazing in their winter garb.

But until then I will enjoy their colors and the leaves dropped onto the forest floor. With winds gusting up to [40 mph] according to the weather sites, leaves came down in a hurry around here. My gutters filled up with locust leaves and pine needles. 

I won't clean them until the rest of the leaves are down for the year. The yard is done. I mowed two weeks ago and it has frosted and been so dry that the yard won't grow much.

Below ~ Our first hard frost October 8th:

Since then the leaves went into hyper drive change mode. That is the one thing I wish they would not do.

Wouldn't it be nice to see the leaves change slowly and give us more time to enjoy them? 

So during Fall, I chase the leaves. Last year I chased the leaves at a few county parks, this year, most of my color/light chasing has been done right here around home.

I chase the leaves, I chase the light. I want to skip meals and just soak up the forest around me in these precious Fall days.

Charlie has no objections to it either. He likes wandering the forest and finding neat hidey holes for 'possum, raccoon, and other critters. 

Hubby knows this is my Fall routine and that I get on a roll and can't be stopped when Fall is here.

Maybe it is the shorter days that make me feel like I can't miss a thing. By midwinter I seem to adjust well. 

Even the leaves on the ground are amazing. Below are macros of Maple leaves.

Yesterday, we had rain. A long awaited rain. Just enough to settle the dust for a few minutes. 

Then a cold front swept through in the late afternoon and dropped temperatures drastically along with some 40 mile an hour gusts of wind.

Everyone got in on a bit of goofiness. 

I got cold!

I totally misjudged the temperatures last night! 

When I left home it was 60 degrees. I was warm and toasty. When I arrived at the Reserve, it was 50. I'd only brought a light sweatshirt and a windbreaker. 

Note to self. Next time, add some jackets to a bag and leave it in the back of the Subaru. I thought I was getting good at figuring the weather out. Obviously, I forgot it was October.

I did get there just before sundown and enjoyed watching the sky and listening to Red Wing Blackbirds as they settled into the branches around me on their migration route. I didn't get any photos of them, but I could identify them by their song and the songs of Robins too.

Just as the sun dropped another flock of Canada Geese went overhead to the east. I think I was enjoying the sounds and songs of the birds more than anything else. 

To stay warm, I hiked around the pond trails and finally settled on a spot to watch the moon come up. I had 20 minutes to wait for moonrise and at least another 10 minutes before it would appear over the bluff to the east.

As the light faded, I watched some beavers -- or muskrats -- swimming in the east side pond. I think it would have been beavers because when they swam closer to where I was standing, they alarmed by slapping their tails against the water.

Oh, the sounds of nature when you can be right in it!

When I got to Bridge 18 I stopped to glance at the moon on the river. It was so beautiful. It seemed to glow orange.

I wanted to stay longer but my hands were freezing.

And as I put away my camera I heard a Hoot Owl calling out. I smiled, I love the sound of those owls.

Then I heard a blood curdling screech. I actually stopped a moment because it did actually sound like a scream.

It raised the hair on the back of my neck until I recognized the call of a Barn Owl. Yes, they do screech and it sounds pretty awful at first.

Another terrifying night sound is a fox screaming. But I haven't heard that in a long time. I did hear the coyotes calling out to each other when I reached the car.

It seems that all the creatures were enjoying the beautiful moonlight with me.

Enough about my night time wanderings.

Looks like the weather will change for the cooler and perhaps I'll be smarter about what I wear!

The Subaru said it was 39 degrees when I left for home. 

Night Walkers

I have a 'bucket list' of sorts for things I would like to photograph. One of them is the moon rise from Blackhawk Rock. 

Another is a photo of the moon reflecting on the beaver pond at KVR. On Friday evening, Olive wanted to know if we could go for a moon walk. She hadn't really ever been on a moonlit hike before.

I decided to take the Old 131 Trail and we arrived at KVR just after sunset. While we walked the wide blacktop trail the western sky was still light and the moon [Gibbous Moon] was rising to the east. 

The Hoot Owls were very talkative and we stopped a few times to listen to them. A raccoon ran across the trail in front of us. Olive was startled and I laughed. Of course there would be night critters. It is the way of the forest.

By the time we reached the beaver pond area the moonlight had taken over. 

Both of us just stopped in our tracks and gazed. It was brilliant and beautiful.

Gibbous Moon 

Here is a photo of the moon reflecting on the beaver pond. 

In my mind, I think there should be a way of shooting the moon so you can see the moon surface and see it properly exposed in the water also. 

I haven't worked that out yet.

But now I can think about it because I know how beautiful it is. 

I tried this last month at a another pond in KVR and it was a bit of a failure due to the heavy fog and the angle of the moon. I got Jupiter's reflection but the moon was like the shot above...blown out and hazy due to the fog.

September Gibbous Moon/Jupiter on the ponds
near the Visitor Center

At the Beaver pond, I turned around and decided to get a shot of the Kickapoo backwaters.

I used LiveComposite mode to catch a bit of star trails and let the camera do its work for 4 minutes. I didn't have a lot of extra time to experiment like I normally do. Olive had a time she wanted to head back home.

This turned out pretty neat and since I was happy enough with it, 

we turned around and headed back.

We were back home by 9PM which fit her schedule just perfectly.

Sunday night I met another friend and her children who wanted to see the full moon on the river and by the ponds near the Visitor Center.

We watched the moon come over the top of the trees and then shine down on the pond.

We took  the grass trail around the other ponds and the bird observation point and then walked to bridge 18. It was a short walk. The kids -- being kids had left home arguing with mom about what to wear to stay warm.

The daughter got really cold and since she was all hunched up inside her fleece jacket looking miserable, I just snapped a shot of the full moon and we headed to the vehicles.

You cannot force a teenager to enjoy themselves if their heart isn't in it. The younger one was more interested in the on/off switch of the flashlight. Mom was frustrated because she wanted the kids to enjoy themselves.

I actually think they did as there were a lot of wows said and we had fun trying to identify the north star. The teen pointed to Jupiter and said it was the north star.

I hugged her and laughed. "I'm not getting lost in the woods at night with you!"

We all laughed. I picked up the youngest one and made to throw him in the pond when he was arguing with mom about a shower. "After getting slimed in the pond, you WILL want to get a shower!"

More laughter.

We wrapped it up and said goodbyes in the parking lot.

I'd told hubby that I'd be back home around 9 so I left.

BUT...

I want to go back tonight without distractions just before sundown and explore ...

Besides, the geese coming in last night were pretty cool. This shot from the parking lot.

[Not a very good shot, but I liked it!]

I know my son thinks I am annoying when I hiked with him and had my camera along. -- Roll of the eyes -- indeed I was on that trip.

Recently I've just put my camera away while hiking with friends. They don't really want to stop and see me take photos. 

And now I realize that unless I am with another photographer. Photography is a very solo sport. 

That is okay. I can live with that. Charlie is always patient with me anyway. If I take too long in the woods, he gets busy by digging a hole nearby. I don't know why, but that keeps him busy and he rarely complains!

Tonight? I'm going solo. Sometimes it is just better that way.

Just do it

I admit it. I am a 10 year old trapped in a 66 year old body. 

It has taken me years to admit that. I'm just a kid at heart. Truly I am.

In public and private I have to be responsible as I am hubby's Fiduciary and his CareGiver. CareGiver with bold letters. I won't bore you with what I have to do for him each day.

However, I have found a few things that allow me to maintain sanity in an insane world where stress seems to be lurking in our lives every moment.

I leave the stupid phone at home or stuff it in a backpack but leave it on Do Not Disturb. Then I wander around the pastures and the woods near by.

Last year about this time, I decided to take a tripod into the woods and dress up and do a forest glamor thing. I wanted to look like a wild gypsy in the forest dancing carefree.

You can see that here: Into the Woods.

This year, I was thinking more along the lines of how much fun we used to have playing in the leaves as kids.

The tripod and camera came with me. The shot above is me walking along a cow trail in my neighbor's pasture where I walk often. 

I'm not so great at doing portraits, especially those of myself. I'm not a model and I am weatherworn. At this point I no longer care.

I want to enjoy myself and feel free which was exactly what happened when I got into the Maple Forest.

I simply tossed leaves into the air and had a good time. No one was there to even hear me laugh.

But man did it feel wonderful.

And no, I did not come home with hordes of wood ticks either.

I came home feeling pleased and smiling. There is just something fun about play.

If you notice that I am wearing two different colored gloves, you are right. I buy a pack of those cheap stretchy ones each year and keep them in my back packs. I often lose one or another and then just grab whatever. No need to match!