Wildcat Mountain State Park - Wisconsin

November is one of my favorite times to hike in Wisconsin.  Also one of the more difficult times to hike.  The leaves are almost completely gone.  The trees are dark, the grass is brown, the sky is gray.  The combination can lull you to sleep in the parking lot.  At time you must rub your eyes to keep them from crossing.  The whole of the world is muted.  There is a beauty in that scenery that many try to deny.  With the leaves on the ground and the grasses, thorns, bushes fallen as well, the lay of the land is visible in a way that was not possible only a couple weeks ago.  The forest vegetation has given way to the land itself.  Now visible are the rocks, logs, streams, but more importantly, the ridges, the draws, the hills.  This is not the same forest you were in back in August.

November begins hunting season.  Once a hunter, but not now, I completely agree with the practice of hunting.  I understand the need for people to commune with nature by harvesting, killing.  I mean no sarcasm here.  That is simply what is in nearly all of us.  I very much agree with the conservation benefits of hunting.  A discussion I'll not have here.   The downside is that almost all public land is given over to hunting from late October through mid-January.  During the bow seasons I do not worry so much about being shot.  Bow hunters are generally careful people who truly know how to take care of their woodlands.  I do worry about spoiling their hunt by walking around scattering their game.  I've had bow hunters tell me that I'm doing them a favor by making the deer leave their bed.  I've yet to take that to heart.   Gun hunting is a whole different story.  I have been gun hunting and I know what kind of people are out there.  Many are just as respectable as bow hunters, but a certain percentage have no business A. being in the woods B. carrying a weapon.  Foolish, careless, and deadly dangerous.   There are places to hike but they must be picked carefully.  Wear orange and understand how to interpret the report of a discharge.

November is a tricky month for weather.  Day-time high temps can be anywhere from 80F to 10F.  Rain, snow, sleet, sun, wind are all possible and in the same day.

I like hiking in November.  Good times.

Wildcat Mtn is yet another little gem in Wisconsin.  Situated in the coulee country of Western Wisconsin Wildcat offers some challenging terrain.  The town of Ontario lies just outside the park and boasts itself the Canoe Capital of the Kickapoo.  I cannot disagree with the claim.  During the Summer, canoeing the Kickapoo is big business and a whole lotta fun.  The Kickapoo is a lazy, shallow river with many bends, travelling through swamps and ringed by high bluffs.  I tried to get Ruth to go paddling on the Kickapoo a couple times this Summer, but she is resistant for some reason.  I'm not aware of any legendary river monsters on the Kickapoo so I don't think that's it.

http://dnr.wi.gov/org/land/parks/specific/wildcat/

The highway from Ontario to the Park is a steep twisting climb.  Some folks think they can far exceed the 25MPH limit and to them I say "Good Luck and don't try it when I'm on the same road!"

The plan for the hike was to park in the upper picnic area and take the Old Settler's Trail in reverse (clockwise).  At the halfway point pick up the Red Loop Horse trail and take it counter-clockwise.  Then, pick up the other half of the Old Settler's trail back to the upper picnic area.  The total distance would be right around 8.0 miles.  I planned for between 3.5 and 4.0 hours. 

I made the parking lot at 08:40 and was on the trail by 08:46.  The drive over saw the sky a mix of sun and clouds.  Low, dark gray, menacing clouds.  Temperature somewhere around 45F to 50F.  As I hit the trail the sky was a very dark gray, threatening rain at any minute.  The wind was gusting, probably around 15mph.  A wonderfully dreary November day.  I had my rain jacket packed at the top of the pack.  I was pretty sure I was going to need it soon.

Old Settler's Trail Head

The trail from the picnic area to the split of the trail loop is a steep downhill.  That means an uphill to finish the hike.... hooray!  :=P   Taking a left at the split the trail rolls along a ridge for a bit before descending to the bottom of a hollow and crossing a stream.  A large stand of Norway pine, planted back in 1951-52, made for some interesting backdrop.  The sky was drab, dreary, menacing.  The pine forest was very quiet, even the wind wasn't making much noise, but the trees... Groans and creaks that did not even sound like trees.  Popping and grinding as live pine strained against holding up a dead neighbor made for a very eery path.  Walking this part of the trail in the dark on Halloween would end up putting some people into therapy.

Bridge after Haunted Pines

After a long, steady, rolling climb to the top of a ridge there was a side trail that dipped down the other side.  The Old Settler's trail continues on up the ridge to Taylor Hollow overlook.  I decided to go down the side trail for a little bit.  The trail quickly makes the short descent to the bottom of the hollow and into a pine forest.  Within a couple minutes in the pine forest the trail had gone from groomed, to used, to barely discernible, to where the heck am I going.  Turned around and went back to the main trail.  Past the overlook the trail comes to the park office, the ampitheater, and weather station.

My back and left hip had been bothering me after I woke up.  Not a good back and leg day.  I very much needed to drop my pack and did so at the ampitheater.  Took off my quick dry sweatshirt and hung it to dry in the wind.  Had some water and stretched for about 10 minutes.

There is a mowed field across the gravel road from the ampitheater.  That field contains the weather station but a couple of XC ski trails cross there as does the Red Loop horse trail.  Not for me, though.  I had it in my head to go up the gravel road towards the group campsite and pick up the Red Loop from there.  That simply brought me right back past the weather station.  I waved to the Park office building as I went by.  There wasn't anyone there, but it still seemed appropriate.

Right after the field the Red Loop ducks into the woods and drops down to wind along about half way down a slope.  There are a few parcels of private land inside the park boundaries.  At this part of the trail and just below the trail was one of those posted private lands.  Be sure to stay on the trail, especially during hunting season.  There is plenty of park and no need to drop down and explore that land.

The wind was very interesting.  Although early November and temps well above freezing the wind simply cried out "Winter."  November is such an interesting month.
Another item that needs consideration is that this is a horse trail.  There are only a couple of true hiking trails in the park and the Old Settlers trail is the longest of them at 2.5 miles.  If you are going to put on some more serious miles you'll need to take the horse trails.  Our equine friends can produce a prodigious amount of waste product.  What I mean to say is that the poop.  They poop large amounts and do so frequently.   Hiking on horse trails occassionally requires some agile footwork.   The other thing to keep in mind is that while the riders are typically looking out for other animals, including people, the horses may not be.  I've had horses get spooked when I was sure they must have seen me.  I'd been talking to their riders and still the horse had no idea where I was until right next to me.  Watch, listen, and give way early.

The part of the Red Loop between the park office and the junction with the Blue Trail mostly runs along the side of a bowl made by two ridges.  There is section of about 200meters where the trail follows along just below the ridge where the entire top of the ridge is exposed sandstone bluffs.  The trail then crosses a saddle and drops down to follow the other side of the ridge.

The Green, Red, and Blue Loop trails all meet up in one spot and branch off in different directions.   For quite a distance the Red and Blue tag-along on the same route.  At one point, before the Blue Loop heads down and across County Road F, the trail drops down into a bowl and follows the outside of a grand prairie with a small stream.

There is a bit of a climb up after the split the Blue and Red Loop trails.  A gradual, long, suprising climb.  About 3/4 of the way up you finally realize that you've been working pretty dang hard.
Another good climb comes just after the Red Loop trail passes the horse campground.  I was pretty beat at that point and that climb was not the most welcome.  Well, that's one of the reasons I'm out there.  Push things just a little bit.

I took quite a long break up at the group campground.  Despite the temp being only around 50F I took off my socks to let my feet cool down and dry.  Changed socks before I left.  I'd already had a short lunch break after the first climb mentioned, so no food.  Didn't need it.  Dried out the quick dry shirts, stretched the legs and laid down on the picnic table for about 15 minutes and close my eyes.  I suppose I should have been cold, but that just didn't register.

The group campground was the end of the Red Loop for me.  I followed the gravel road back to the Park Office area and picked up the last half of the Old Settler's trail.

Along the Red Loop I'd met two different groups of riders.  Met the same groups twice.  Stopped for about two minutes and talked with one group.  The lead of the group asked me the name of this blog and for Pete's sake... I couldn't remember!!!!  Bad stuff.  Boy, the grin he gave me...
The lady in the group made a good comment.  She said, "don't tell too much.  Wildcat is our little secret."  That is an issue isn't it.  Another point that the lead rider made was that the trails, years ago, were very narrow and not generally maintained.  In the last several years the DNR has widened the trails, put down significant amounts of gravel.  The idea, apparently, is to be able to drive their 4 wheelers along the trail to make maintenance easier.  I guess if we want our trails narrow and dirty we will all have to be able to put in far more volunteer time.  The DNR gets stuck between a budget and a hard place.  If you'd read my post on Devil's Lake State Park you'll know my dislike for paved trails.  The trails at Wildcat are not paved, but for how long?

I met three couples along the last mile and half of the Old Settler's trail.  One had a couple fun-loving dogs.  We shared war stories on old and sick dogs.  The trail, the way I was going, went down a pretty significant grade.  All three groups asked me "how much farther", as they were climbing up while I was going down  -  Only a few minutes folks.  The climb back up really wasn't very noticeable until after the junction.  Then, as mentioned at the start, the climb to the upper picnic loop is a real climb, but is very short as well.

Old Settlers Trail below Wildcat Mtn.

I made the parking lot by 13:00.  4 hours and 18 minutes after starting.  No rain and the sun actually tried a few times to make it out.

These are the little notes I took along the way to keep track of where I was and when:
08:36 - Upper picnic windy, rain threat 45F
08:42 - on the trail
08:49 - Loop junction
09:00 - groaning trees in pine forest
09:02 - bridge over creek
09:09 - trail down to pine forest (wrong way)
09:28 - trail to park office
09:30 - ampitheater, break
09:40 - break over
09:48 - Red Loop trail
09:55 - Weather station
10:06 - 200m bluff ridge
10:13 - cross saddle
10:20 - Hollow bottom; babbling stream
10:26 - other side of bottom
10:28 - Red/Green/Blue jct;  break
10:36 - Off again
10:52 - top of ridge; big climb
           Lunch  PB sandwich, Pepsi
11:08 - off again
11:18 - Blue Loop split
11:24 - Finished another climb!
11:28 - Rock Johnson Loop junction
11:43 - Horse campground
12:00 - Group campground - big climb
           Break
           Sun trying to break through
12:20 - Off again
12:32 - Park Office, Old Settlers trail
13:00 - Upper Picnic

Perrot State Park - Perrot Ridge Trail

Perrot State Park is located right on the Mississippi just outside Trempealeau, WI.  The Great River State Bike Trail runs right next to the Park.  Trempealeau Wildlife Refuge sits right on the Northern border of the park and just North of the refuge is Merrick State Park.  Just below the lock and dam in Trempealeau there are miles of backwater sloughs for fishing, canoeing, kayaking, bird-watching.  Even better... the Van Loon wildlife area is only a few miles East of Trempealeau. 

Hiking, biking, boating, fishing, paddling, the Trempealeau area has all of that.  Very interesting scenery includes bluffs along the Mississippi, backwater sloughs, wetlands, flat praries, farmland, wooded hills and forested swamps.
http://dnr.wi.gov/org/land/parks/specific/perrot/

Late October found the family camping at Perrot.  This was the first time the boys would also be staying in the camper.  The last time they stayed in a tent.  The campground at Perrot is fantastic.  There really isn't a bad site and the space between them is just enough.  This late in the season most of the running water is shut off and the campground is at about 30% capacity. 

We've had a good long Fall this year in Wisconsin.  The leaves stayed colorful on the maples, ash, elms well until mid-month.  The oak and birch still have their leaves even as November is on the horizon.  The colors were mostly bronze, deep red, and melon yellow.  The bright bold colors were gone, but there is a certain beauty to the deep darkness of the late oak and birch leaves.

Perrot Ridge trail is one of several trails at Perrot.  Perrot Ridge itself is about 1.5 miles of the 12.5 miles of trails in the park.  The boys decided hiking wasn't for them on this gorgeous October afternoon.  That left Ruth and I to hike up the ridge and then take the Riverview trail back to the campground.  The total trip took about 2 hours and covered about 4.5 miles.

The trailhead starts at the maintenance shop of the North end of the park.  The trail splits into two one way ski trails almost immediately.  Take the left path!  Da Chute climbs up the small incline through a short cut with the sides of the trail rising a few feet above.  Not exactly a canyon, but still a picturesque segment. 

At the first intersection take the right hand turn for the Brady's Bluff trail.  You won't be going up Brady's Bluff today, but that's the right direction.  A very moderate climb begins and continues for about 1/4 mile.  The next intersection is the split between Brady's Bluff trail and Perrot Ridge trail.  The left turn heads towards Perrot ridge. 
This is my favorite part of the Park.  I'm not a sitter.  I'm a mover, but I have sat on the trail for more than an hour once years ago.  I absolutely love this part of the park.  This is not Perrot Ridge yet, but a small lower ridge a couple hundred feet below the higher Perrot Ridge.  The woods reaching up to the top rise behind you, but in front is the coulee between Perrot Ridge and Brady's Bluff.  The coulee contains what is termed a "goat prairie", a natural grassland.  This prairie is ringed by birch, sumac, and small pine.

The climb to Perrot Ridge starts after the trail heads back into the woods.  A couple of long grades that I heistate to call switchbacks give way to a steep climb that almost requires hand holds.  Some effort is required to get to the top of the ridge.  At the top of the climb the side of the hill is open and there are views to the South, West, and North.   This was a beautiful sunny day with excellent views of the Mississippi, Brady Bluff, and the coulees on the Minnesota side of the river.

The trail continues to climb slightly and falls back into light tree cover.  The takes a sharp right turn, drops and rolls along the C-shaped ridge.  Some nice views of the East and South are possible from where the trail turns that direction.

After passing Reed's Peak at the South end of the ridge the trail drops sharply into a series of draws that have the personalities of canyons.  I must admit that in the past I have gone off trail and explored a couple of these canyons.  If you do that be prepared for very rugged and demanding terrain.  Also be prepared to get chewed out by a Park ranger.

There is a junction just after descending the ridge.  This junction offers the large loop of the Cedar Glade trail, a trail that follows the countours below Perrot Ridge, and a trail that drops down to the road where the Riverview trail.  This day we were headed for the Riverview trail.

After a short bit on the Riverview trail a side trail climbs back up the little incline to the park entrance building and bathrooms.

Most of the Riverview trails follows an old railroad grade.  The grade is very old and unless you knew or were paying close attention you wouldn't know that this was and old grade.   The new railroad line is visible only about 200feet out in the river.   The occassional train can make this a noisy trail.   The river is still visible and the trail is still worth taking.  The going is easy.  Years ago I almost walked on top of a rattle snake on this very trail.  Closest I'd ever come to stepping on one of those.

The Riverview trail crosses the parking lot for the boat ramp, walks along the shoreline, and then ends up outside the nature center.  The shoreline between the boat ramp and the nature center usually have pools of water and are very good habitat for frogs.  I took my boys here when they are about 4 or 5 years old and we spent an hour chasing frogs.

From there it was back to the campground and a supper for fire-baked meatloaf with potato packets (with carrots, onions, garlic)!!

Mill Bluff State Park - Wisconsin

Mill Bluff State Park in Wisconsin is literally split in half by the Interstate.  Located only a handful of miles from Tomah and just north of the Dells, this park is easy to simply drive by.
http://dnr.wi.gov/org/land/parks/specific/millbluff/

In the Summer months the man-made pond and beach is a favorite picnic spot for folks from Monroe, Juneau, and Vernon counties.

The park has only a couple hiking opportunities, but they are worth the visit.  We stopped by on a Sunday afternoon in October, just as the leaves were beginning to change.  6 days later now and the leaves are mostly gone on all but the oak trees.

A spectacular Fall day.  The sun was out with hardly a wisp of gray in the sky.  The temp floated around 75F with only a light breeze.  Just fantastic.

The first trail to try is the Camel Bluff trail.  This 1.25 mile trail is mostly flat as it snakes between the bluffs that stick up out of nowhere on this flat glacial lake bed.  The trail begins on Funnel Rd shortly after going under the Interstate.  Starting off in a woods with a variety of tree.  Hickory, Oak (lots of oak), Birch, Fir, Pine.  Within 100ft at a the top of a rise is a small clearing with a bench.  There is some viewing of the bluffs around you, but mostly just road noise from the I.  The trail dips into a hollow and the color on the trees is visible.  In a few places the Birch and maple take over the trail and the color is wonderful. 

 Later the trail comes into a small clearing before heading up a slight incline.  Disease or something must have facilitated the need for clearing out trees on that part of the trail.  What looks like would have been a pretty wooded climb is scrub and debris.  That open area does give a view of Mill Bluff to the West.  Eventually the trail meets back up at the bench and then back to the trail head.

After hiking the Camel Bluff trail the next stop is to climb the rock steps to the top of Mill Bluff.  The climb is steep and the rocks can be slippery.  A metal pipe railing is provided. 

From the top of Mill Bluff the country-side is visible in all four directions.  West shows the unglaciated bluffs and coulees that make up the part of Wisconsin I call home.  Northwards is a mix of bluff and marsh, but unfortunately these days the most visible site to the North is the sand mine just outside Oakdale.  The South end of Mill Bluff has obstructed views of Volk Field, an Air National Guard airfield.  There is also some interesting looking wasteland below. 

The East view is the great one.  From there the islands from the ancient glacial lake are fully visible and the unique geology of the area between Black River Falls and Wisconsin Dells are something to be admired.

Because Mill Bluff was small and sits right on the Interstate I'd never much considered going there for hiking.  We took the boys to the pond once when they were younger, but nothing about it attracted my attention.   My opinion is that I should have been more interested.  The road noise from the I is almost inescapable, but in much of the park it is tolerable.  If I were on my way between Chicago and Minneapolis spending 45 minutes in this park beats a rest area any day.

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Devils Lake State Park - Wisconsin

Who Paves Trails???

Devil's Lake State Park is a fantastic geological site.  The lake, the bluffs, and surrounding hills make are astounding in both their distinction and beauty.  Located a few miles South of Baraboo, WI and a short drive from I-90/94, Devils Lake is very accessbile.  This family friendly state park boast a lake that is 1.3 miles long and about half that in width.  The lake is sandwiched between two bluffs that rise 500ft above the lake shore.  Three very well kept campgrounds allow ample opportunity for RVs and tent campers alike.  Including the nearby Parfrey's Glen there are nearly 30 miles of hiking trails.  Some people call Devil's Lake the "Yellowstone" of the mid-west.  I'm not sure about that, but Devil's Lake is a must see when travelling through Wisconsin.
The nearby town of Baraboo is also worth a small note.  Baraboo is now a town of 12,000+ having grown considerably in the last 20 years.  My own interaction with Baraboo is very limited, but comes from having visited the Baraboo Circus World as a child and then as a tennis coach as an adult.  This small town is populated by one of the more friendlier group of humans you'll meet in Wisconsin.    Be sure to check out the Circus World Museum.  Allow at least a half day for that if not a full day.  If you have children under the age of 11 the money is reasonably well spent (and I'm a real cheap SOB.)

The family spent the weekend of Sept 23rd camping in our 20ft Jayco in Devil's Lake.  We brought along our younger niece to keep the boy's company.  The plan was that on Saturday we'd hike one of the bluff trails and then get in a canoe or two.  By the time we got on to the trail and got off the trail there was little time left for getting on the water.  Plus, the boat rental doesn't seem to keep it's published hours.  Nor did I find the rental manager very accomodating with information.
Perhaps on Sunday morning we could get up early and get on the water.  We got water on Sunday for sure, but it was getting on us.  Boy did it rain.  We were able to get Sunday breakfast made and almost cleaned up and then the torrential rains came.

The hike... we simply took the West Bluff Trail and then came back on the Tumbled Rocks trail.  I'll give you the good stuff first and then I'm afraid I'll have to rant a bit.

The West Blufs trails starts at the West end of the North Shore picnic area.  So does the Tumbled Rocks trail.  There is a walkway along the beach that joins directly into the Tumbled Rocks trail.  Look to the right and you'll see the West Bluffs trail perhaps 50ft away.  The trail immediately dives into the forest that comprises the majority of Devils Lake State Park.  The forest has a great diversity of trees; oak, maple, some ash, white pine, red pine, fir, and my favority birch.  The colors were just beginning to turn and some of the birch, poplar, and ash were getting yellowed.  Some maples were turning the light red.  If we'd been there a week later we'd probably have seen much more color.  Still, the forest there is specatular. 
The trail immediately begins to climb, gaining 500ft of elevation in about a half mile distance.  The climb up, though is not that severe.  There are areas were steps are made of stone and other areas that wind around large trees.  Most people find they can make the entire climb without stopping for rest.  You should stop, though.  There are three or four places along the climb up that offer vistas of the lake and surrounding region.  Turkey vultures soar mere feet from where you stand.  Mind your footing.  There are no fences or rails, just rocks.  These rocks give way easily, even the large ones.  The quartzite rocks have been polished smooth by millions of human footprints and get slippery quickly in even a light mist.  You won't fall into the lake, don't worry about that.  No, you'll bounce two or three times off a rock or tree before becoming lifelessly wedged between two boulders on the face of the bluff. 

Climbing the rock steps

One of the early vistas on the climb has been overtaken by a bees nest in a tree.  Not a good place to stop.  These bees are not the friendly variety.  You will hear them before you see them.  They are an impressive colony.  We stood off several feet and watched them for a few minutes before moving on.

Before you know it you are on the top of the bluff that runs a small ridge before descending again.  There are ample places to stop and take pictures and even a bench or two.  A very favorite spot is to go out on the rock outcropping just before the descent begins.  There is a bench and then across the trail two spots of rock outcropping large enough for a group of 5 or 6 to sit and lunch.  From this vantage point you have a command of the entire lake, both bluffs, the hills to the North and South and the ancient river valley to the Southeast.

The climb down is a little less steep than the climb up and winds a little more through the forest.

The trail hits the South Shore Rd and within a few feet the entrance to the Tumbled Rocks trail begins.  At this point you've covered a little over 1.25 miles. 

The Tumbled Rocks trail begins on a road leading up to private cabins along the lake shore.  After perhaps a third mile the trail then enters into the boulder field that lines the entire face of the West Bluff from top of the bluff to the shore of the lake.  The trail skirts through the boulders and is almost always within 15ft of the lake shore.  The boulders range in size from people sized to small truck size.  Perhaps a few very large dump truck size boulders. 
There is a scattering of distressed pines that poke through the boulders now and again, but for most of the trail you'll find yourself open the elements.  On this day that was mostly clouds with an occassional glimpse of sunshine.  Temps hovered around 60F for much of the day with a very light wind out of the Southeast.

The trail ends right at the walkway on the North Shore beach.  Total trip distance is about 2.4 miles.   We stopped very frequently and made the hike is just under 1:30.

http://dnr.wi.gov/org/land/parks/specific/devilslake/

The Rant, or Who Paves Trails

If you know me or you have read my other entries you'll know without a doubt that when I go to the woods for a hike I'm looking for solitude.  I want to see very few people.  Those people I want to see I hope that they have a measure of respect and etiquette regarding the great outdoors.

On any weekend between April and October you will not find that on the East and West Bluff trails of Devil's Lake State Park.  This park is frequented by thousands each weekend.  The East and West Bluff trails are paved the whole way.  You will not be able to walk more than 50 ft without encountering another group coming up or going down.  You will wait to take pictures at the vistas.  You might get lucky and find one of the outcroppings mentioned earlier unoccupied.  We did and that was only by luck.

One major piece of trail etiquette is, as quoted by Elmer Fudd, to "be vewy vewy quiet."  Make some noise to scare off bears, but conversations are kept between two people and radios are left in the car.

Not at Devil's Lake on a busy weekend.  You'll hear conversations from people all over the mid-west and you'll hear at least three different categories of music as you hike along the trail.  We saw some very interesting behavior on the boulder fields.  I am suprised there are not more injuries and deaths.  Devil's Lake get's it's name from a somewhat skewed translation, but the real name of the lake was something like "The Lake Where Spirits Dwell."   Those spirits must be kind and benevolent.

I've been to two other parks that had some of the same issues.  Yosemite has so many visitors.  There was never a place of solitude.  There were always hikers, even on some of the lesser trails.  The difference with Yosemite was that most of these people, even in the Valley, had a healthy respect for nature and the people around them.  In Yosemite you could hear the hikers coming up behind you from their footsteps or perhaps a mumbling of a quiet conversation.  At Devils Lake, you hear them coming from the other end of the trail, literally a mile away.

Starved Rock State Park in Illinois is a place that I've been to once and will not go back to again.  Similar to Devils Lake, Starved Rock has picturesque vistas over the Illinois River and beautiful forests right up to the bluff's edge.  All the trails are paved.  All the vistas are packed with people.  The 2.5 mile hike I did there wasn't even a hike.  It was more like a series of short walks.  Frequently had to wait for people to decide they were going to let others by on the walkway (I won't call it a trail.)   Smoking, boom boxes, boxing matches, picnics on the middle of the walkway.  The whole time I was offended by noises, smells, actions, words.  This was not just one large group of people behaving badly.  This was dozens of smaller groups with absolutely no respect for people or nature. 

The good thing with Devil's Lake is that the East and West Bluff trails only make up about 4 miles of the 29 miles of trails.  The others are not paved. They dive off into the woods and roll along the hills, glens, and bluffs mostly to the East of the lake.  I've been to Devils Lake before and hiked the West Bluffs trail before it was paved.  Hiked the East Bluffs trail after it was paved.  The East Bluffs, although paved is an interesting one, but I would suggest coming off season.  The last time I went was the day after Thanksgiving.  No gun hunters near that trail.  I ran across three small groups of hikers.  Very pleasant hike with a challenging set of rock steps at the South end. 

Kickapoo Valley Reserve - La Farge, WI

Coming Soon!

Yosemite Natl Park

     One of the many places I'd always dreamed of putting my feet on is the grounds of Yosemite National Park.  This park turned out to be even more magnificent that I'd imagined, but also less impressive than I'd hoped as well.  That said, if you have a chance to make it to Yosemite, drop what you are doing and find your way there.  Ruth and I did just that in early August 2011.

http://www.nps.gov/yose/index.htm


Day 1 - Tioga Road and Saddlebag Lake

     Our first day there we got a rather late start.  I'll hold off on the rant for that, except to say that I prefer to be on the trail by 0800.  That means getting out of bed earlier.  That implies getting to bed earlier.

     So, the first day we went into the village and made reservations for a couple activities for the following days.  Then we drove and drove.  We headed up the Tioga road for a few hours of driving.  The sites along the road were pretty enough, very enjoyable.  This is a different kind of mountain that the Pacific Northwest and I found myself making comparisons of the vegetation, rock, and general lay of the land.  That is, when I wasn't busy looking for a way to pass or be passed.

      Yosemite, I think, is a native word for "High Traffic" or "Many People".  There is no place in Yosemite that is not highly populated by visitors.  Actually, that is not entirely accurate.  A friend of my is an expert on Yosemite, having visited there dozens of times and having been a guide at times as well.  I would certainly like to spend a few days there with him.  I enjoy his company to begin with, but in a place where he is so familiar... that can only be an excellent adventure (dude!)

      As the road climbed to over 9000ft we passed by a few trail heads packed with cars.  The day was very sunny, clear, typical day in Yosemite in August.  The temps favored us very well, being in the mid 70s at that altitude.  We stopped for a few moments at Tenaya Lake, an interesting formation.  The place was packed with swimmers, sailboards, and other manner of tourism.  In a future visit this would make a nice place to have a lunch picnic. I'd like to see a sunset from the  Eastern shore as well.

     Onward we drove, past Tuolumne Meadows and out of the park.  We were interested in getting some altitude and since we were starting late in the day (at the visitor's center about 10:30), the ranger pointed us towards Saddlebag Lake.  At over 10,000 feet, Saddlebag Lake hangs just below the treeline and is one of several mountain lakes that feeds the Dana Fork of the Tuolumne River.
     At Saddlebag we were lucky and found a parking spot.  Although there were many cars we saw only a few groups of people at the South end of the lake.  Most were down at lakeside casting out to snag whatever fish might be stocked.  Our goal was hike the perimeter of the lake.  We made it to the North side of the lake and then took the ferry back.  Daylight was fading, I was fading, water was nearly gone, and we were not able to find the trail in the swampy area at that end of the lake.  There were about a dozen people around the North end and when the ferry arrived more folks came out of nowhere to catch the ferry. 


Ruthie!




Saddlebag Lake - East shore

 Most of the terrain was rocky and the treeline was just above us, maybe 100m up the slopes.  Tantalizing.  I kept telling Ruth, if I had an extra hour I'd make the treeline.


The lake was crystal blue.   I was reminded of Crystal Lake just below Long's Peak in Colorado.  Same feel, smell, temperature, wind.

North End Saddlebag Lake

The North end of the lake was swampy, with swiftly running water.  Foot trails meandered everywhere causing us to lose the trail altogther.  We made our way to the dock and the lake.  We considered just trying to cross the stream, but a after a couple of half-hearted attempts to step across those slippery rocks and ankle deep water we decided we were ready to take the easy way back to the car.
     On the ferry we talked with a group of women who had been there all day hiking around the lakes that form along the stream on their way down from North Peak and Mt. Conness.

On the way back out of Yosemite, along the Tioga Road, we stopped at Tuolomne and had some food.  We had been apprised that the food was expensive but very good.  The food was expensive. 

As daylight was fading we stopped at Tuolumne Grove of Sequoias.  We were quite tired and Ruth was hoping the walk would not be far... and there would be no uphills.  No problem.  The walk was only a little over a mile and there was only downhill to the grove!  Ok, yes, uphill a mile on the way back.  The stop was very well worth it.  I was already at a point where my hips hurt from sitting in the car so long.  The walk was very nice.  The view of the trees was even better.

     The drive down the ridge to the valley gave us views of a forest fire on the other side of the valley.  As it was night we were simply not able to get a picture that captured the forest fire the way it was presented to our eyes.

Day 2 - Horsie Ride
     Well, mules anyway.  The pretty and very touchy young lady at the end of the line rode a horsie.

     I've discovered that my back and sciatica are no longer suited for riding four legged creatures.  I need more back support than my legs in stirrups can manage.
     We took a half day ride from the valley part way up towards Vernal Falls.  The ride up was interesting, but did not provide many views.  At the hairpin turns where one could look out over the valley, focus was required to stay on the animal as it made it's way up the rugged rocky trail.  My little friend kept trying to take me off his back by dragging me across rocks that stuck out above the trail.  I can't say I care much for riding anymore.  The way back down I was in excruciating pain.  My back and left leg were cramping up as I tried to maintain balance while the beast picked it's way down the side of the mountain.
     Sorry horse lovers, but any animal that simply takes a dump whenever and where ever does not rank very high on my likable list.  Not just my ride, but others as well, it was clear that these animals barely tolerated us humans. 

     At the top we took a 30 minute break for a sandwich lunch and had great views of Vernal Falls and Nevada Falls.
     Ruth had a good ride although she had some anxiety about my well being.  That was too bad, although I was in pretty rough shape I was never at a quitting point, even when my leg cramped right as we were make a sharp, steep, downward turn.  At the same time the nasty four legger was trying to wipe me across a rock abutment.

    Ruth still has that little girl love of horses.  The thing could have bit her fingers off her left hand and she'd blame herself.

     The ride was an adventure but isn't something I'd need to do again. 

Would highly recommend for stable teenagers and adults.  Younger than 15?  There is a less steep and shorter ride available. 

 Do it!!  You likely won't regret it.

Day 3 - Panorama Trail

     Hike Day!!!
     I've ranted about this before.  When embarking on a hike be sure that your electronic equipment is prepared the night before.  If you don't know how to use your GPS, leave it in your backpack.  If you are not sure about the quality of batteries in said GPS, leave it off.  If you filled up your SD card on your camera discover that the night before the hike, not at the start of the hike.

     We took the guided tour bus from the valley up to Glacier Point.  The plan was then to hike the Panorama Trail to the Mist Trail and down back into the valley.  The bus ride up to Glacier Point was quite a bit of fun.  The driver, Dave, was knowledgable, and peppered everything with a wry sense of humor that I can only approach on my best days.   We were up close and personal to the forest fire we saw two days before.  We also came up close and personal to a BEAR!  This was the only bear we saw on the trip, though reports of them lurking among the streams of visitors abound.

         Dave also clued us in that the forest fire that we were to drive through was caused by a lightning strike and was very carefully being kept alive.  Some visitors may not be aware of the need for fire in our forest and grasslands.  Yosemite employs a thoughful approach to fire management.  Details on Fire Management at Yosemite can be found beginning at this link.
http://www.nps.gov/yose/parkmgmt/current_fire.htm

     The air quality was definitely poor on the ridge and in the valley.  Two days before the air quality was perfectly fine, but both Ruth and I found sinus congestion to be a growing issue as we spent time at Yosemite.  We snore enough as it is.  We need no further help!   Visibility in the morning and early afternoon were good, but pretty hazy.  As the afternoon progressed visibility down into the valley and out to the other side of the valley was quite poor.

     The bus unloaded us at Glacier Point around 11:00.  We poked through the store there and took in the views from the edge.  Glacier Point has spectacular views of the features of Yosemite.  The valley, Half Dome, the Falls are easily visible from Glacier Point. 

     We spent probably a half hour at Glacier Point and then began the trek down the Panorama Trail.  All along the trail there views out where Half Dome, Nevada Falls, Vernal Falls, Washington Column, and North Dome are just off to the left.  

     The entire valley was just below our feet.

     After a mile down the trail Ruth realized here camera was not taking pictures anymore.  We quickly discovered that the CF card was full!!!!   Remember what I mentioned at the beginning of the post?  I had to really contain myself (we are on vacation, we have daylight, no big deal).  We spent nearly an hour sitting on the side of the trail while she picked through over 700 pictures to see which ones to keep.  Ruth kept asking for my help in deciding, but I assured her she didn't want me to decide how to handle this. 
     Now, I understand one perspective.  The day is beautiful.  The sun is out. Tbreeze is cool.  We found shade and a place to sit.  Why not spend an hour just taking in the view below?  There are really three reasons why not.
     Firstly, often-times on a hike in the mountains there is a long way to go and a little daylight to get there.  I've been chased by storms, darkness, and pain while on the trail.  Time spent means water spent and food spent.  On a hike like this where there are many many people that means that the last half of your hike is spent tired, thirsty, and miserable.  On a trail where the nearest person is 5 miles away, that means perhaps not making an appearance at work on Monday.
     Secondly, we knew, as do all visitors to Yosemite, that there are other places along that trail to spend an hour that would be more comfortable and perhaps more memorable.  Though, I have to say, I will not long forget my hour spent sitting on a stump only 20 minutes from where we started.
     Lastly, I'd be a terrible hunter.  The reason I don't hunt has nothing to do with an aversion to killing animals.  Neither am I a vegetarian, nor do I want to be.  Although, have you ever seen a horde of zombies attacking a broccoli patch?  No, I'm not a hunter only because I just cannot sit still while in the woods.  I have this deep need for movement.  I spend only a little time admiring views, and streams, and what-not, because I just need to keep moving.  Smell the roses?  Sure thing.  Done!  Now let's move out.
     Ruth tolerated my anxiety well.  I think we still amaze each other with what we'll put up with in each other.  Quite a woman.

     Glacier Point sits at over 7200ft.  The next point of interest on the map is Illilouette Falls, 1.6 miles downhill.  The Falls are at around 5800 to 5900ft.  Right at the Falls the trail climbs slowly back up to Panorama Point and about 6300ft.  Trail continues to climb up to over 6500 ft as it finds its way around the point and then to Nevada Falls.
     We took a little lunch break near Illilouette Falls and soaked in the sun.

Below Illiouette Falls

     As we began to climb Ruth began flagging.  On the trail we are opposites.  She handles the downhills like a mountain goat.  I pick and stumble my may along.  On the uphills she finds religion and prays for an early death.  I slowly but steadily work my way up the switchbacks.
     The climb from Illiouette to the top of the ridge is only about 700ft and occurs over the course of more than a mile.  There was only one set of two switchbacks that made me break a sweat.  I think that the poor air quality played a major factor in Ruth's discomfort.  She plugs along, though.  She'll not quit, plus how can you quit?  Where would you go?  Back is up and onward is up.   We took very frequent breaks and made the high point of Panorama Ridge. 

     We had a good time along that part of the trail trying to pick out the features and spot where we were on the map.  My map reading skills are passable, but certainly not what they should be.  I used to adventure race with a guy, Dan, who could spot landmarks on a map with his left closed and right eye blinded.  Here's another Kevin Bacon moment.  I almost bought his future wife's previous house.  How 'bout them apples!
    Ruth took pictures of various plants while we tried to identify them from the 5 minutes we spent studying a board on vegetation at the visitor's center.  We snapped a couple picks of a bird and chipmunk, about the only life we saw on the trail that was not human.

     As far as the human traffic, there was plenty.  Particularly at the beginning, near Glacier Point, there were several groups of hikers.  Our 60 minute picture deletion period kept us behind some of those groups, but there was never a time we were not within earshot of other hikers.  Usually at least one group within view.  Except at the water falls where water play was involved, people were quiet and respectful.  We could hear the hikers talking as they came within  a few feet, but you could not hear hikers far off in the distance as we did at Devil's Lake (see that post for more complaining).  Though crowded, the experience was not diminished for it.

     We met a lone hiker near the turn to head to Nevada Falls or take a right and head out into the wilderness and the Merced lakes.  He and some friends had been camping at Merced lakes and were now making their way to Glacier Point and then down into the Valley via Four Mile Trail.  At this point Ruth and I had been on the trail some 5.5 miles.  He still had about 10 miles to his car and had already covered over 11 miles.  Wow.  To be 20 years old again.  His friends were no where in sight.  Upon leaving him I realized he had no pack and only a 16 oz bottle of water.  Many questions.

    Nevada Falls is a short climb down from that intersection.  There is another intersection just before the Falls.  A left turn would take us back to where we parked our mules the day before. 

    Nevada Falls was packed with people.  They make the climb up the Mist Trail or the Muir Trail, view the Falls and then head back down again.  I hold no disdain for that endeavor, even with having covered seven miles of trail.  The climb up, and down, is shall we say... notable.
     The area around the falls is a flat worn rock that is excellent for catching the sun.  We spent a good 45 minutes with our feet in the frigid water taking the sun and enjoying the cool mountain air.  The temp up there was probably not quite 80F.  Perfect.
     The only bad news was on the posters about the three missing hikers.  Two went into the water above Vernal Falls and got caught in the current.  Their friend waded deeper in to help them.  All three went over.  If you ever see the Falls you'll understand that it is not likely they will find the bodies intact.  Very tragic.
     These are not small waterfalls.  I've played around in some small falls on the Black River in Northern Michigan, but Vernal and Nevada are not those kind of waterfalls.  If you wish to play in the water of these falls stay well up stream.




Nevada Falls



 

Vernal Falls

      The path down from Nevada Falls to Vernal Falls was a nightmare of stone steps.  Even Ruth described some difficulty negotiating these steps.  My trip down was, well, I kept my mouth shut.  Downhill does not treat me well.  Steps do not treat me well.  As you approach Vernal Falls you begin to understand why it is called the Mist Trail.  Especially after you cross the bridge and have the vantage points of Vernal Falls...  You might mistake yourself for being in an Irish countryside valley.  The rocks are slick and the mist hangs in the air.  Moss and greenery grows on every possible surface.  The stone steps of the trail are narrow and wet.  Occasionally, metal pipes form a handrail on the trail, but these are of little comfort.  The area around Vernal Falls was simply fantastic.  Worth the trip, whether coming up or going down.

     8.2 miles after we'd started and over 6 hours later we hit the valley floor. 

Day 4 - Wawona and Mariposa Grove

     The plan for Day 4 was to drive to Wawona and take the shuttle bus to Mariposa Grove.  Both of us were a bit beat up from the hike the day before.  My left knee had bothersome tendinitis from the descent to the Valley.  Ruth was just plain leg weary and had a blister on one toe the size of Delaware.  Yow!  So, walking opportunities were going to be short.  Turns out we walked more than we thought we would.

     We knew we couldn't dawdle much on the drive to Wawona, which took us on part of the bus route from the day before.  On the way up there is a tunnel and just before the tunnel there is a pull-out.  I beg you, please pull out and take many many pictures.



Yosemite Valley from the West

     The smoke from the fire had already filled the valley at 0900.  That is easily seen in the pictures.

 

Map showing fire area

     At Wawona we spent a little time in the gift shop.  More than I'd care to, but yesterday was do what Mikey wants.  Today was "sure thing, Dear" day.  Take it easy and just do whatever.

     There were people, people, everywhere.  We missed the first shuttle bus to Mariposa by about 50 people.  We missed the second because the length of the line to the women's bathroom was rivaled only by that of the mighty Mississippi.  We caught the third bus.  The driver was giving some interesting facts about the area, particularly he described some of the plants and wildflowers.  Unfortunately, the noise of conversations on the bus kept us from hearing more than a 1/3 of what he said.  Still, we used that information to spot some of those described flora while we walked through the Mariposa Grove of Sequoias.  We probably even identified some correctly.

     The tram ride at Mariposa is not cheap.  Actually, few things at Yosemite are cheap and whether good or bad, nearly everything takes credit cards.  Have plenty on your credit limit or bring lots of cash.  Be willing to spend it freely and you'll have a good time.  The lady at the ticket booth has a son who lives in La Valle, WI.  She spent a couple months each Winter at her son's cabin in the woods outside La Valle.  Snow shoeing, skiing, and ice fishing.  How about that!  Summer in California and Winter in Wisconsin. 

     Still, take the tram ride at least on the way up to the grove.  Then walk around and maybe hop a tram on the way down or just walk all the way down.  We took the tram up and it was an informative ride.  We spent a good 90 minutes at the grove itself, walking slow through the trail and taking a picture of anything and everything.

     The size of these trees are indescribable outside of scientific measurements.  I can well imagine the awe of the first time a person would walk up over the North Ridge and see these monsters.

     The Sequioa is still being cut down in places, even though it is protected.  Manifest Destiny or Rampant Stupidity?  Who can tell.

     We hopped another tram and took it about halfway down.  Then we walked the rest of the way.

Mariposa

Mariposa



Notice trees growing together



 The history of the area was fascinating.  There was and still is the classic struggle between modern progress and natural preservation taking place at Yosemite.  I became quite impressed with the life of Galen Clark.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galen_Clark

Galen Clark Cabin





Wawona Inn



  

     The Wawona Inn is a first class resturant, especially in price, but the food was also very good.  The setting was fabulous.  We spent 45 minutes just relaxing on the porch and reading/napping and then had a good supper.

  

   We should have timed things a little differently, but didn't think about it.  We took our time on the way back to the valley and snapped some great picture of the waterways, and views.  We stopped at nearly every turnout to see what we could see. 

What would have been best is if we would have given ourselves a chance to get to the Tunnel Turnout before the sun went down.  Now, we can only imagine the Valley at Sunset.

Still, we snapped a good picture of the valley, but not quite at sunset.  We still did see a good sunset further up the mountain.



Sunset At Yosemite



Yosemite Valley after Sunset