Most of the trails out there will be in pretty good shape…fairly dry and without much debris, thanks to a winter was short on snow and a spring that to date has been short on rain. With most of the biting insects still asleep, you can enjoy a great stroll through some very beautiful trail areas without the Wisconsin state song buzzing in your ear. I cannot think of a better time to take a hike, and watch nature waking up all around us.
Sixty degrees, sunny, light wind. The bugs have not yet awakened from their winter nap, but the birds are singing, the flowers are blooming, and the trees are all showing signs of green. These all make up spring hiking at its perfection. With Easter in the rear view mirror, and with the list of garden and yard chores beginning to grow, make sure not to miss this perfect opportunity to hit the trails.
Most of the trails out there will be in pretty good shape…fairly dry and without much debris, thanks to a winter was short on snow and a spring that to date has been short on rain. With most of the biting insects still asleep, you can enjoy a great stroll through some very beautiful trail areas without the Wisconsin state song buzzing in your ear. I cannot think of a better time to take a hike, and watch nature waking up all around us.
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A warm sun meeting a cold March breeze was my greeting this morning as I left the house for the beginning of the work week. As I tightened the zipper of my jacket, I couldn’t help to long for a morning on the trails. The thought of calling in healthy was being flirted with as I walked those last few steps to my car. Point the car west to head to the office, or north to any number of trails? I do keep a pair of hiking boots in the back, and have a bottle of water with me already.
I opted to do the responsible thing, and began my journey towards the office. As I was driving, I reflected on the ups and downs of this past weekend. Saturday was a day of feeling like I don’t belong to this world, which I finally cured that evening in a home yoga session. Sunday felt energetic and scattered, despite starting the day off with a yoga class and a relaxing talk over a cup of coffee nearby. Leafing back through the pages of the past, I found these strange emotional ebbs and flows are consistent with the coming of spring. Could this be the result of unrealized cabin fever on my part, awakened by the coming of spring? I try to get out a few times during the winter, but maybe this isn’t enough. During a recent warm snap, I was able to escape for a few hours to the Butler Lake recreational area, which is in the Northern Kettle Moraine Forest in Wisconsin. Although I became disoriented (which was because of the breaking of my rule to have a copy of the trail map with me), I had a blast and felt invigorated for days after this hike. Being out in nature, watching first hand as the forest was waking up, was exactly what my mind and soul needed. This revelation will require some changes on my part for next winter. Instead of dreaming of getting out into nature, I need to just go out and do something during each of the four seasons. There is a different feel to the surroundings during each season; the patterns, wildlife, and smells change with the calendar and need to be experienced in the purest way possible. Only then will the soul be complete. As we enter March, thoughts of spring begin to come to mind more often. Sure, we all dream of spring in January and February, but there is something about March 1st that makes something in our minds click as to the beautiful spring weather to come.
For me, the long wait for being able to hike without having to dress like an artic explorer is the thought that hits me the most. Don’t get me wrong; I love to hike in the winter. Nature is in its most quiet and serene states. The snow covers everything in a white sheet that glistens in the sun…a white sheet that will be pulled back to reveal the wonders of nature when Mother Nature deems fit to do so. The snow also covers things that can lead to some tricky footwork for those that are balance challenged, like myself. Buried tree roots, slick leaves under shallow snow cover on a hill and rocks are some of the hidden challenges a winter hiker can come across. I have landed on my derriere on more than one occasion thanks to these hidden obstacles, and spring marks a time in which these obstacles will soon have to show themselves. Spring brings with it a time to plan. Just as farmers, gardeners, and landscape artists begin to draw up their master plans for the upcoming growing season, I begin to map out my hiking activities. What new trails would I like to tackle? What challenges should I try to experience this year? Included in this planning of course is a review of my hiking gear and supplies. What clothing items do I need to replace or improve? Are my boots in a good enough condition to make it through another year? What about the condition of my water bottle, backpack, etc.? Is my first aid kit fully stocked and up to date? Do I try out the new “green” insect repellent, or stick with the usual suspects on my journeys into the wilderness? Questions, questions, questions. Today I ventured out bright and early in order to take advantage of the new fallen snow. The branches of the trees in my area all were wrapped in fluffy cotton; the nearby pond was semi-frozen with varying stages of white to blue coloring throughout it. The vision of the sun’s rays as they danced into the tree cover from the east was spectacular, and the serenade of the early birds back from the southern states chirping out their welcome back songs had me forgetting about wishing for spring, at least for a moment. The moment ended when I stepped onto the pavement, and fell on my butt. |
AuthorMore of a journal than a blog, follow me around as I explore the off beaten paths of the world on foot. Archives
March 2016
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