Mertes Slough (MN) - Snowshoe

One of the wonderful perks of living along the Mississippi River is the backwater sloughs and floodplain forests that are everywhere along the river. In the cold of winter when the ice is a solid 4 inches, they become highways into the interior of these islands and peninsulas.

On a recent frosty weekend, I joined a number of snowshoe enthusiasts on a guided hike sponsored by Winona Outdoor Collaborative (WOC) at Mertes Slough. Located just south of the Winona bridge, the slough lies in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Refuge. 

WOC folks greeted us with hot cider, coffee and donut holes plus snowshoes and trekking poles for those who needed them. After a demo on how to make sure the ice is thick enough (drill down 4 inches - no water coming up through the hole? Good to go), we were off on a 2 mile-ish tramp.

Much of our snowshoe hike was over the ice. Our snowshoe crampons provided traction. We got up close to a huge eagle’s nest along the shore as well as observed a lot of trees felled by beavers.

We also snowshoed through the snowy floodplain forest -a great off-trailing opportunity. For me, off-trailing and finding the best path from one point to another is my favorite part of snowshoeing. The depth of snow doesn’t matter. Snowshoes help you stay on top of the snow rather than plunging down. The woods are completely open to your wayfinding skills. 

Or, in my case, following the trails that deer make. In winter they are conserving energy so they find the easiest path between two points. Sometimes it takes you under low overhung branches or narrowly between trees but I find it a great way to avoid clots of tangled brush and downed wood.

The hour-long hike was a great chance to see stunning bluff scenery, beautiful frosted ice, a lovely forest and talk to people from all over the area. I highly recommend exploring this area in winter when the ice is thick on the water. You will feel at your wildest.

THE HIKE
Located just south of the Winona Bridge on the way to WI, Mertes Landing is part of the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge. This backwater, floodplain forest makes a perfect snowshoe, especially when the slough is frozen over. The snowshoeing is off-trail through the woods and over the ice. You can spot beaver activity, eagle nests, deer track and some spectacular views of the WI bluffs as you wind along the frozen backwaters. Create a loop or your own out-and-back trail of any length you want. The snowshoeing is fairly flat. The shallow slough makes it easy to get on and off the ice from anywhere along the shore.

The Location  S3629 Hwy 54, Winona MN

The landing is on the left hand side of the highway coming off the bridge as you head towards WI. There is ample parking. 

All images - Marge Loch-Wouters