I Spy on the Trails - February 2024

Root River WMA wetlands

February. Hmmm, what can I say? It was part and parcel of our ongoing "lost winter." I have been following meteorologist Paul Douglas' updates and musings on this El Nino-powered winter and that has certainly given me pause. 

Except for three days in the teens/20s, we experienced an entire month of daytime temperatures above freezing. Our two snows were pretty much melted by the following day. This extraordinary run of warm weather hit 40s and 50s throughout most days this month. Weirdly weird.

I will say more sunny days were very welcome. Much of January and some of February were foggy and hazy because of the warmer weather.

La Crosse River Marsh wetlands

Spring migration of Canada geese, sandhill cranes and tundra and trumpeter swans has begun. Robins are coming back and goldfinches as well. This is slightly earlier than I've seen other years. 

On the hiking front, the big quest for me was finding hike-able firm trails. Some trails have been mushy so my usual February hiking/snowshoeing haunts weren't available. We are also in a severe drought in this area of the state so that did open up other possibilities in this very early freeze/thaw cycle. Some of the wetland hikes that are too wet to hike are actually quite solid because of the low water and lack of snow.

Great River Bluffs State Park MN

One strategy for hikes  - I did alot of early morning hiking when trails were firmed up after cold nights. It prevented leaving muddy tracks and preserved the trails. I also keep a list of go-to outdoor trails just for freeze/thaw cycle weather (you'll see some of them below). Most feature old gravel roadbed trails which remain firm in this iffy warm weather. Last month's post has additional ideas for good freeze/thaw hiking destinations in the Driftless.

I returned a number of times to the hikes below this month and found something new and wonderful each time.

Trempealeau Wildlife Refuge

Despite the odd weather, there were plenty of beautiful things to see on the trails - whether trumpeter swans and eagles; ice sculptured reeds and snow covered prairie plants; foggy bluffs or hazy vistas

Wildlife (seen, heard, detected)

• Blue jays
• Robins
• Canada geese
• Goldfinches
• Tundra swans
• Trumpeter swans
• Sandhill cranes
• Hairy woodpecker
• Downy woodpecker
• Great horned owl

I also saw spiders and beetles near the end of the month!

Burr oaks, Great River Bluffs State Park

What are YOU noticing on your hikes?

Month of hikes:
Root River WMA, Hokah MN(3); La Crosse River Marsh, La Crosse WI (2); Necedah Wildlife Refuge, Necedah WI; Lytle’s Landing, Brice Prairie WI; King's Bluff Trail, Great River Bluffs State Park, Nodine, MN; Riverside Park, La Crosse WI (2); Wagon Wheel Trail, La Crescent MN (2); Lower Diversion Dike Trail, Trempealeau Wildlife Refuge, Trempealeau WI; Kiep's Landing Dike Trail, Trempealeau WI; (2) Reno Quarry, Reno WI; Reno Spillway, Reno MN; Oxbow Dike trail, Trempealeau Wildlife Refuge, Trempealeau WI (2)

A busy beaver at Trempealeau Wildlife Refuge

All images - Marge Loch-Wouters