Back on the Trail!

I took the winter off and have certainly taken my time getting back into my hiking regimen.  Part of the problem has been a new interest in trail running.  I tend to be less adventurous with my trail runs, sticking to the same 3 beautiful and conveniently located parks and trails.  But, I am recommitted and last weekend hit yet another trail chosen from the book 60 Hikes Within 60 Miles of Madison. 

I have many times visited Indian Lake County Park in the winter.  It is a favorite cross country ski and sledding destination of mine.  This was the first time I set out to hike the trail without a layer of snow present which made the view very familiar and yet very different from what I had in my memory.  For one thing, the hike I followed which was as recommended in the book went in the opposite direction of the cross country ski trails.  Hills I was used to skiing down, I was now trudging up and vice versa.  Views of bare trees and white snow were now filled with so many different flowers and hues of green, I was unable to name many of them.  My companion, David, and I did our best through our combined knowledge, but still left with a couple mysteries.

The trail starts with a trudge up to one of the highest hills in the area.  At the top is a small historic chapel (2-4 people can fit standing up).  Very quaint and very cute and a place I like to visit each time I am there.  A little further on is an overlook with a great view of the prairie, the lake and surrounding area.  Here is the first mysterious flower covering the hill surrounding the overlook - heather perhaps? Back down the hill part way, I found myself somewhere I had never known to exist previously until we came out at the base of the sledding hill.  Off topic here, but this is a fun and gentle sledding hill with a huge fire pit at the top, a warming house with wood stove, and an outhouse.  This makes Indian Lake my favorite destination each year on my birthday for a full day of sledding, picnicking, and fun!

View of the lake and park from the overlook

Unknown plant - heather?

The hill - at the top is the chapel and overlook.

We walked on through a buggy wooded area.  Madison's wet spring has been very conducive to mosquito breeding, so we were bombarded with buzzing and biting pests.  The goal here:  keep moving or be swarmed!  I am so very lucky not to be seen (or smelled) as delectable by mosquitoes, but the large numbers this year make even me a possible meal.  This wooded area is one of my favorite parts of the hike.  I just love to walk through spaces surrounded by trees and moss and ferns.  It seems enchanted and magical. 

This goes on for a while before we carefully make our way down a steep and rocky hill and now things change completely.  The trail is open, the sun shines bright, the blue sky above is clear except for a few puffy, beautiful clouds and there's the lake some way ahead.  The trail is mowed through tall prairie grasses.  At one point, I see a flash of bright blue and then notice that the blue flash is the tail feathers of a bluebird going into a house built especially for this purpose in the midst of the prairie.  Again, that flash of blue as the bluebird flies past to a nearby tree.  How exciting!  I can not remember ever seeing a bluebird use the houses I helped to build in other parks at other times in my life.

Prairie in bloom.

There are poems along the trail.  Winter poems only and I remember back to a ski adventure through a no longer used part of the park, another poem that made me love this park and the people who preserved its space.  Coming up to the lake is a dog park and we are greeted by 2 friendly beasts, one is well-behaved and ready to join us, the other obnoxiously bites at our hands as if we were responsible for his owner's slow pace.  Maybe we can keep up with him instead? 

Alas, we are going in the opposite direction toward an amazing field of yellow.  It is tall enough to feel almost like going through a corn maze.  Another foot or so in height and it would be much the same experience.  I believe this to be yellow yarrow.  It is a sea of yellow, literally, all around us. 

The prairie and the lake.

Yellow yarrow?

The sea of yellow!

The last leg of our hike is a walk along the length of Indian Lake, a quiet small lake left by a glacier.  There is a great deal of evidence of geese populating this space, but none to be found today.  I make a note to plan a trip out to the lake with my kayak.  It looks like the perfect spot for the kind of kayaking that involves paddling to a central location and floating lazily with the paddle in the boat and legs resting out on top.  No motors and not much more than one canoeist out fishing the edge today.  Also, along the lake's edge, yet another mysterious plant!

Lake edge plant - unknown identity.

The hike is about 4.5 miles and took us about 2.5 hours.  A nice number of hills to climb and flat areas to enjoy make this the perfect hike for getting back into my routine and moving on to longer distances and more challenging terrain!

If you would like more information or happen to know the identifications of the mystery plants, please contact me!