Black River State Forest - Tanner Flowage

GPS Track File

     Mid-August and summer was coming to an end.   There could be no better way to spend a Sunday evening in August than going for a hike.   I’d have a few hikes this Summer in the Black River Forest and looked forward to trudging through one more of the little two tracks that run off into the woods.  This time I would actually know where this one would lead. 

     The previous hike I wandered along a muddy overgrown path to the southern end swamp of a flowage – the Tanner Flowage.  The aim for this hike would be to take a two-track to the tanner flowage and then pick up the forest road back to the car.  

     I made the forest and parked just before 16:00, locking the care near the intersection of Kling Rd and Shale Rd.   I followed Kling Rd up a bit to where a two track heads straight east through a mixed pine forest.  I could not have asked for a better day with light wind, 75F, and a nice sun.  The flies, of course, made their presence known, but were a damn sight better than in previous weeks.

Kling Rd heading North

    The first three-quarters mile of the trail is dominated by a mix of pine plantation and thick oak forests.  Wildlife was out in plenty today as I spooked three deer (that I know of!), several turkey, and two blue jays that were not very happy to see me.

     The trail comes to a clearing where it’s apparent folks park their trucks for the day while hunting.  After the clearing the trail is wide, but is overgrown with wet swamp grass.  The going was still very easy and is still largely bordered by trees, though the flowage is no more than 50 yards to my right.

      

     Finally, after crossing a couple of small streams, the flowage comes into full view.  Blast my blundering ways.  Had I advanced on the flowage slowly and cautiously, more thoughtful perhaps, I would have been able to get some good pictures of several cranes.  They saw me and bolted before I could even get the camera off my hip.

     This time of the year there isn’t much to a flowage.  The water is blue and all the plants are green.  Flowers have faded and the nothing has gone brown , golden, or red yet.  I waited a few minutes in the hope that the cranes would come back or a turtle would come up.  I was rewarded with a groundhog sighting, but not long enough for a picture.  She was up, over the dike, and in the other side in rather a hurry.

     Leaving the flowage to east I picked up North Settlement Rd, then Kling Rd and back to the car.

     This short 5 mile hike capped off my summer adventure in the Black River State Forest.  I write  this in late October not knowing where I’ll be living next summer, knowing there are many other trails and forests, knowing this might have just been a once in a lifetime hike – this short 5 mile August trip.

Say hello to my little friend