Let's Get Hiking and Learning - April 2024

There's lots of great opportunities in April to get outdoors to learn something new and hike as well! I've listed  a few events I've come across. Click on the event title to find a link to the event or organization.

Be sure to check often with local hiking groups, universities, naturalist-interest groups, nature conservancies, nature centers and their Friends groups, state parks, US Fish and Wildlife centers and others in your area to see what is on offer to help you understand the natural world around you better.

Signs of Spring Hike  FULL

- Saturday, April 6       Noon-2:30 pm
- Whitewater State Park (MN)

Join us for a journey down that old country road into the Whitewater Wildlife Management Area. We'll be searching for signs of spring while looking for hints of the past. This 2.6 mile hike will take us into the Whitewater WMA, a large swath of public land just down the road from the park. This often-unexplored area provides opportunities for years of new discoveries and adventures. Reservations are required. Email Jeremy.darst@state.mn.us or call 507-312-2301. Sponsor: Whitewater State Park

Guided Bird Walk 
- Saturday April 6         9:00am

- Frontenac State Park (MN)
Walk through a mixed habitat of prairie and woodland looking for resident birds that specialize in these areas. The trail is mowed grass and is well maintained. Bring your binoculars or borrow some from the park office. No need to register. If you have any questions, email janetmalotky@gmail.com. This event is free. Vehicles entering the park are required to have a State Park vehicle permit. Permits are $7 per day or $35 for an annual sticker. Meet at the Frontenac State Park campground shower building at 9:00 AM. Sponsor: Frontenac State Park in partnership with the Frontenac State Park Association

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Baby Wildlife: Keep Them Wild

- Saturday April 6       1-3:00pm
- Wildcat Mountain State Park (WI)

Baby animals are one of the cutest signs of spring. But should we approach them or leave them alone?Join us at Wildcat Mountain as we celebrate Keep Wildlife Wild week! Explore the best ways to interact with baby wildlife and how to help them. Take a short hike and see how many animals you can spot. Contact Emily.Alf@wisconsin.gov    or call 608-337-4775  Sponsor: Wildcat Mountain State Park

Garlic Mustard Pulling Project

- Saturday April 6    9:00-10:00 am

- Vetsch Park, La Crescent

Many hands make light work. Can you lend a hand? La Crescent's Natural Resources Advisory Group is looking for volunteers  to pull invasive garlic mustard at Vetsch Park. No experience needed! You just sit on the ground and pull out the pesky weed and toss into plastic garbage bags provided. Meet us at the Vetsch Park parking lot at 722 N. 22nd St and we'll take a short walk to the site. Bring gardening gloves, hand dandelion removers, knee pads or knee cushions. Wear long pants and long sleeves - and be sure to spray up and dress for the weather. We'll have a brief city volunteer waiver form to fill out on site. In case of inclement weather, the work day will be cancelled and a notice posted on the city Facebook page. We hope to see you there for a fun hour of combating garlic mustard's creep in our beautiful bluffland park! Sponsor: La Crescent Natural Resources Advisory Group

Solar Eclipse Party
- Monday, April 8        1:00 - 3:00 pm
- Winona State University

Image by Pete Linforth from Pixabay

WSU's Dr. Jennifer Anderson writes: 

• The Second “Great American Eclipse” will occur on April 8^th this year and so we’re having an Eclipse Party to view this event SAFELY: Telescopes with proper solar filters, telescopes that project the Sun, and various pinhole cameras.
• From 12:30 – 3:30 pm, my students, colleagues, and I will have a number of SAFE ways to view the eclipse right in the middle of Winona State University’s Main Campus.  The eclipse begins at 12:49 pm when the Moon’s disk first starts covering the disk of the Sun and ends at 3:17 pm when the last of the Moon’s disk moves off of the Sun.  The Sun will be 80% covered at 2:04 pm as seen from right here in Winona!  
• Plan to join us on campus that day between 1-3 pm to safely view the eclipse.  If the weather doesn’t cooperate, we will have activities in the Science Lab Center atrium and be live-streaming the event.  If you aren’t able to be on campus OR you have friends in other parts of the US who would like information about the eclipse, please read on for resources that I have found really useful about this upcoming astronomical event!

 

And REMEMBER:  Never look directly at the Sun or a Solar Eclipse at any time*, especially through binoculars or telescopes, UNLESS you KNOW FOR A FACT that you are using a device that safely blocks the vast majority of sunlight AND has been correctly set up by a knowledgeable and reliable person.

WHERE and WHEN is the eclipse happening?  Can I view it? 

• The April 8^th eclipse is viewable from anywhere in the continental United States and much of Canada and Mexico.  There is a narrow band that runs from Mexico/Texas, up through southern Illinois and Indiana, across northern New York state, and over through northern Maine within which a person will experience a Total Solar Eclipse where the Moon will entirely cover the disk of the Sun. 
• However, even if you are not within this band, you will get to see a Partial Solar Eclipse where the Moon’s disk covers part of the Sun’s disk.  To figure out what the eclipse will look like from your location in North America on April 8^th, go to this website: https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/map/2024-april-8?n=4554.  It will bring you to the Winona, MN information page, but you can enter any city in North America and it will tell you exactly how much of the Sun will be covered and what time everything happens.  Send this link along to friends across our continent!!
• Here is NASA’s website about the 2024 Solar Eclipse:  https://science.nasa.gov/eclipses/

 

HOW can I view the eclipse SAFELY?

• Here is NASA’s website about eclipse safety:  https://science.nasa.gov/eclipses/safety/  READ ME!!
• The ABSOLUTELY BEST WAY to view an eclipse is to USE A KITCHEN COLANDER!!  This is my hands-down favorite option for any solar eclipse.  Take your colander outside, hold it in front of you so the Sun passes through it and makes tiny little circles on the ground – except PSYCH!! they aren’t circles, they are hundreds of tiny eclipsed Suns!  The link above has an image of this.  April 8^th – Bring your Colander to Work Day!!
• Solar Eclipse Glasses ARE NOT Sunglasses!!!  Solar eclipses glasses are thousands of times darker than normal sunglasses.  If you have solar eclipse glasses on, you cannot see anything, but don’t just trust the darkness.  Make sure that any glasses you order/use comply with the ISO 12312-2 international standard.  If you don’t know whether they do, I highly recommend you not use those glasses and enjoy your colander instead. 
• For a fun project, you can build a solar eclipse projector with a large box and some simple household items.  Here are some good instructions for how to do that: 
• https://www.asc-csa.gc.ca/eng/youth-educators/activities/fun-experiments/eclipse-projector.asp
• https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/box-pinhole-projector.html
• https://www.adlerplanetarium.org/blog/how-to-make-a-pinhole-projector-to-safely-view-a-solar-eclipse/

Garlic Mustard Pulling Project

- Wednesday  April 10   10:00 - 11:00 am

- Vetsch Park, La Crescent

Many hands make light work. Can you lend a hand? La Crescent's Natural Resources Advisory Group is looking for volunteers  to pull invasive garlic mustard at Vetsch Park. No experience needed! You just sit on the ground and pull out the pesky weed and toss into plastic garbage bags provided. Meet us at the Vetsch Park parking lot at 722 N. 22nd St and we'll take a short walk to the site. Bring gardening gloves, hand dandelion removers, knee pads or knee cushions. Wear long pants and long sleeves - and be sure to spray up and dress for the weather. We'll have a brief city volunteer waiver form to fill out on site. In case of inclement weather, the work day will be cancelled and a notice posted on the city Facebook page. We hope to see you there for a fun hour of combating garlic mustard's creep in our beautiful bluffland park! Sponsor: La Crescent Natural Resources Advisory Group

Off the Beaten Path Hike
- Saturday April 13         noon-3pm

- Whitewater State Park (MN)

Join us on a crisp spring hike to points unknown. Whitewater has a few spectacular views that have remained hidden from even the most seasoned visitor. During this hike we will leave the trails behind us, as we venture out into a little used part of the park. No dogs allowed. Distance 3.2 Miles, Elev. Gain 350ft. Reservations are required. Email Jeremy.darst@state.mn.us or call 507-312-2301. Sponsor: Whitewater State Park

Wilderness Weekends with Emily
- Saturday April 13        9:30-10:30am

- Lake Lodge on Lake Winona near the picnic tables

Join us for an exciting free adventure! Our kid-friendly event is the perfect way to welcome the spring season. We'll take a leisurely walk around Lake Winona and embark on a fun scavenger hunt. Our ultimate goal is to inspire children of all ages to get outside and explore the wonders of nature. We'll be on the lookout for all sorts of sights and sounds during our journey. So, grab your walking shoes, and let's discover the beauty of Lake Winona together! Pre-registration required. Sponsor: Winona Outdoor Collaborative

Work Play Earth Day
- Saturday, April 13         9:00 am-noon
- Wildcat Mountain State Park (WI)

Bring along friends and family to join park staff and the Friends of Wildcat Mountain State Park for this fun annual stewardship event and celebration of Earth Month. Participate in individual and family-friendly activities that help enhance the Wildcat Mountain State Park. Activities may include tree planting, campground and trail clean up, invasive species removal, picnic table maintenance and litter clean-up. Bring sturdy footwear, and some work gloves. Refreshments will be provided by the Friends of Wildcat Mountain State Park. After volunteering, we encourage you to stay and recreate in the park for the afternoon! Questions? Contact Andrew.Haffele@wisconsin.gov or call 608 337-47775. Sponsor: Wildcat Mountain State Park.

Spring Gear Swap

Sunday April 21     10 am - 2pm

Curiosi0Tea House,  901 W. 5th St, Winona MN

Adventure lovers! Don’t let bad weather or lack of appropriate gear stop you from getting outside this year! Join us this spring at our next bi-annual Gear Swap. With all the stoke for an early spring, this is your chance to browse our selection of gently used outdoor gear and clothing. Make the most of your outdoor adventures! More information for folks interested in shopping, selling, or tabling at the swap are available on our website! Sponsor: Winona Outdoor Collaborative

Spring Bird Walk

 - Tuesday, April 23      6-7:30pm

 - Lytle's Landing Canoe Access, Lytle Road, Onalaska, WI 54650. Please park at the Brice Prairie Conservation Association Clubhouse on Lytle Road

n celebration of the upcoming World Migratory Bird Day, join refuge staff and partners on a bird identification walk through the floodplain forest! We’ll walk one mile or less during this FREE, informal program. We often see many birds close by and our pace will be more of a bird “crawl”!

Please help us make this a good experience for all participants by leaving pets at home. Registration is NOT required. A limited number of binoculars will be available to borrow on a first-come, first-served basis. Bird walks take place rain or shine but may be cancelled if there’s a high probability of thunderstorms. We’ll be walking along the Great River State Trail on a mostly flat surface of gravel or wooden boardwalk. World Migratory Bird Day events take place across our community and across the world to raise awareness for the need to conserve migratory birds and their habitats. This year’s theme is “protect insects, protect birds.” Learn more on our national website: https://www.fws.gov/.../world-migratory-bird-day-2024.  Sponsor: Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge

Experiencing The Spring Warbler Migration Webinar

- Wednesday April 24              noon-1pm
- online

One in a series of free weekly outdoor skills webinars. Registration required. Dozens of species of warblers and millions of individual birds will be winging their way north through Minnesota over the next few weeks as part of their travels from tropical locales to their breeding grounds in Minnesota and points north. This is a great time of the year to see some of these original “snowbirds” up close and personal. One of Minnesota’s expert birders, Amy Simso Dean, will share some basic tips on how to identify and where to find warblers this spring. She will also share some suggestions on how to introduce kids to birding. Sponsor: MN DNR

Free MN Park Admission Day 

- Saturday April 27

It's a great time of year to hit the trails and discover a new MN state park you haven't been to yet. This is one of 4 days annually (one in each season) that the state parks offer free admission. Sponsor: MN DNR

Ranger Walk and Talk: Post-Fire Ecology
- Saturday, Aril 27          10 am-noon

- Frontenac State Park
We regularly use prescribed fire at the park to keep our prairies and forests healthy, as fire is crucial in maintaining our ecosystem?s stability and diversity. Have you ever wanted to know why this is the case? Have you ever wondered what makes a prescribed fire different from a wildfire? Come get these and any other burning questions you may have answered at Frontenac State Park on the April Free Park Day! Join a park ranger on a guided hike around the prairie loop to learn about fire?s role in resource management at Frontenac State Park. We will be hiking in an area of the park where prescribed fire has been recently used to see first-hand how it changes these landscapes. The hike will last about an hour and a half and include uneven terrain. It is recommended to bring water, sunscreen, and bug spray, if preferred. Sturdy and comfortable shoe wear is also recommended. Severe weather or other factors may cause this event to be changed or canceled. For updates, or if you have questions, call Frontenac State Park at 651-299-3000. Sponsor: Frontenac State Park (MN)

Earth Fair, La Crosse

- Sunday April 28     11am- 4pm

- Nature Place,Myrick Park,  1200 La Crosse St

Activities, guided hikes, demonstrations and information booths celebrate sustainability, ecology and living on the earth lightly. Free. 

Mathy Quarry, Quarry Trail (WI) Hike

Like many bluff trails, this Mississippi Valley Conservancy property (in cooperation with the City of La Crosse Park and Rec) was once a rock quarry. As such, it has quarry trails set on solid gravel and is a great bet for later winter/early spring hiking. The main Quarry trail is one that brings you to the top of the quarry as well as the quarry floor.  You have options to make this hike into a 2-5 mile hike depending on what you want to explore.

The "big" rock

On this hike, I like to start at the gate just to the left outside the parking area. You head through a lovely wooded area descending gently until you come out and turn left on the rim of the quarry. You pass a large rock and continue on down toward the floor of the quarry.

About a mile into your hike you will notice a narrow rocky spur to your left off the main trail. This is a pretty little 1/4 mile loop that rejoins the main trail. It gets you closer to the rock walls and is a fun diversion. You can continue past the old building foundation and turn around at the MVC border signs.

If you re-trace your steps to the large rock, you can return a different way to the trailhead. Watch for where the trail heads left along the edge of the quarry. This is a more eroded trail and can be mucky if wet but offers a number of spectacular views of surrounding bluffs to the north and east of the quarry as well as a bird's eye view of the quarry floor. You can turn right when you come to a T and rejoin the original trail to your trailhead or take a shortcut directly into the main parking lot.

There are also options to stay down on the quarry floor (Blazingstar Trail) and climb back up though a pollinator prairie which is in it's glory in the warmer growing months. One can also continue along the Snakeroot Trail for more mileage. The Quarry trail continues on a biking trail on the east side of the parking lot through a beautiful bluffside forest that connects to a number of other hike/bike trails in Hixon Forest. Maps of these trails are available here.

The southern quarry wall

THE HIKE

A 2-5 mile hike, depending on your selected route(s), with elevation gain of about 360 feet await hikers who explore the trails in this old quarry. One can do out-and-back and loops depending on your druthers. You start at the rim of the quarry and descend onto the wide quarry floor following old road bed gravel trails and some grassy more eroded trails depending on your route. The hike is known for its spectacular rim views of bluffs and layered rocks visible in the quarried walls. There are also woods and prairies depending on your route.

Location : N3065 Cty Rd,F, La Crosse.

In La Crosse, continue east on Main St past Losey Blvd and the railraod tracks and veer left to get onto Bliss Rd which winds you through hairpin turns up to the Alpine inn. Turn left there (a right turn would bring you to Grandad's Bluff) and follow the road for about 1/2 mile until you come to Cty Rd FA. Take a left and the parking lot is at the end of that road.

The view from the western rim

All images - Marge Loch-Wouters

I Spy on the Trails - March 1-15, 2024

The past two weeks have been notable for increasing bird song and migration. Red-winged blackbirds and at least one bluebird returned and joined in the early morning mating and territory calls. Swans, ducks, pelicans, eagles and gulls have been seen in great numbers in the Mississippi River backwaters. Migration is in full swing

Silver hairs on stem of Pasque flower

One of the earliest blooming wildflowers, the Pasque flower, made its appearance during the second week of March. These early harbingers of spring are a delight to find on prairie trails, hugging the ground in small, fuzzy clusters of lilac petals with a bright yellow stamen. Their name derives from "Paschal" (of Easter) since it appears around this holiday. Its sepals were used to color Easter eggs in some European countries.

Cluster of Pasque flowers

If you want to catch these fleeting little beauties, try Holland Sand Prairie (head to the right at the trailhead and follow the western fence near the houses until it descends a hill) or King’s Bluff Trail at Great River Bluffs State Park. Let me know where else you are finding them.

Eastern Comma butterfly

Insects too are back. I spotted butterflies, flies, spiders and wasps while out on hikes. Reports from other hikers indicate that ticks (and even mosquitoes!) are active as well. Stop here and here to read ways to protect yourself from ticks on your hikes.

You can help UMN Entomology researchers track tick distribution, seasonal activity and host associations across MN. Record your tick observations on iNaturalist to contribute to the Minnesota Tick Activity Monitor project which aims to document the species most commonly encountered by people, and improve awareness of when and where people need to look out for tick bites.

A small beach littered with
dried lotus blossoms

Temps stayed mostly in the 50's to 60s range with a few cooler days in the mid 30s and low 40s. Great hiking weather. We were lucky to have one significant rainfall during these first two weeks of March though. With our drought from last fall continuing throughout the winter, this is welcome but we are definitely hoping for more.

While it is exciting to see plant and animal life emerging and returning again, most of what I am observing is 2-4 weeks (or more) early. Combined with continued unseasonably warm weather, it suggests that last year’s record-breaking global and local warmth is more than just a powerful El Niño influence but continuing climate change.

Frost is out of most bluff top and prairie top trails and they’ve been hardening - those trail surfaces are firm enough for hikes. Bluff side trails, low wetland trails and forested areas can still be sloppy and muddy. When choosing hikes, be aware of whether you are heading into mud and consider choosing a different destination to preserve trails and prevent erosion.

Wildlife (seen/heard/detected)

• 
  
  Eastern comma butterfly
• Sandhill cranes
• Trumpeter swans
• Pileated woodpecker
• Bluejay 
• Bluebird
• Red-wing blackbird
• Downy woodpecker
• Robins
• Song sparrow
• House sparrow
• Pelicans
• Muskrats
• Turtles
• Red-shouldered hawk
• Great horned owl

Plant Life

• Pasque flowers (3/11)
• Motherwort (unbloomed)

What are YOU noticing on your hikes?

Milkweed pod

Two weeks of hikes:

Kiep's Landing Dike Trail, Trempealeau WI; Meadow Trail, Whitewater State Park, Elba MN; River Bottom Trail, Trempealeau Wildlife Refuge, Trempealeau WI; Holland Sand Prairie, Holland WI (3); Wagon Wheel Trail, La Crescent MN; Mathy Quarry, Quarry Trail and overlooks, La Crosse, WI, Riverside Park, La Crosse, WI

All images - Marge Loch-Wouters

Naturalist's Corner - Early Signs of Spring

I am delighted to welcome back guest naturalist Tracey Koenig to our Naturalist column that takes a deeper look at the natural world we see around us as we hike. Tracey, by her own description, is a purveyor of interesting tidbits. She is a retired nature center director currently living in Wisconsin.  Always interested in the natural world, Tracey shares her nature knowledge to help others understand the natural world around them.

I am not a fan of winter. It’s dark and cold when I am craving tropical weather. By the end of March, I am desperate for green and maybe a flower or two. Traditional signs of spring don’t come early enough for me. Over the years I’ve lived in Wisconsin I developed my own signs of spring, even when the snow is still there or after it melts and the brown and gray hues hang on.

Great Horned Owls
One of the earliest signs of spring is the nesting behavior of Great Horned Owls (GHO). In January and February, you can hear the male and female calling to each other, and the female is often sitting on eggs by the end of February. As the male GHO hunts within its territory, the back-and-forth hooting conversation between the owls designates the territory and lets the female know where in its territory the male is. During this time of year keep your eyes open for possible nesting sites and check back often. GHO don’t build their own nests, but they will use anything they find that could contain the family (abandoned hawk nests, squirrel dreys, a crotch of a tree with plenty of leaves and sticks collected there, etc). Keep your distance and protect the location from mass human curiosity. Throughout the time the female GHO is sitting on eggs or very young owlets, the male GHO feeds the female and any owlets in the nest. The female joins in the hunting when the owlets are big enough to be fairly safe alone or when there is no room in the nest for her. It is always amazing to me that the owlets hatch, grow, and leave the nest in about 30 days.

Birdsong
Some birdsong changes as spring approaches. Chickadees are among the earliest birds I listen for. Their “Cheeseburger” call (sometimes described as “Hey Sweetie”) begins in early January and continues into spring. You can’t help but smile when you hear it. Cardinals are also a great early sign of spring. You’ll hear them early in the morning as the sun is rising singing “Cheer, Cheer, Cheer” from the top of the tallest tree in the area. This is a territory call that doubles as a mating call. Once mated, the female adds her voice. This call is repeated well into summer.

Robins
A word about Robins, a traditional sign of spring. I don’t want to burst your joy bubble, but there is a population of robins that stay in Wisconsin and parts of Minnesota all year long. They stick around as long as they have food and water available. This may be a testament to climate change, but maybe even more exciting enough of us have listened to the native plant gurus and have planted trees and shrubs that provide berries for overwintering Turdus migratorius (love the genus name for Wisconsin’s beloved state bird – it means “thrush” and was given to the bird by Carl Linnaeus in 1766). So, look for a large flock of robins when searching for signs of spring. These are the birds that migrate.

Snow fleas

Snow fleas (greatly magnified)
Image -Janice Dinardo

This has been a great winter to see snow fleas (also known as springtails). Don’t worry, they don’t typically show up in your home or on your pet. On warm days in winter, you can find snow fleas if you look closely around the trunks of trees and shelf fungi growing on trunks of dead trees. Snow fleas are tiny (about 1/10”) and dark blue. They look like dirt on the snow until you take a closer look and find dirt in motion. When the temperature falls again the snow fleas return to their winter slumber. As the days stay warmer into March and early April they are active, and an exciting sign of spring. 

Deer fur
Deer have a beautiful, thick winter coat that helps keep them warm. You’ve probably seen deer bedded down in winter covered with snow. That is an indication of just how effective the winter coat is at keeping the deer warm. It’s so efficient that the body heat from the deer doesn’t escape through the fur to warm the air. The darker fur also helps absorb the heat from the sun. Typically starting in March, the deer begin to molt their winter coat to be replaced by a thin, reddish summer coat. This is a messy process that takes time, and it is not unusual to find the deer in what seems like a permanent state of “a bad hair day”.

Blue bunny pee

Blue bunny pee
Image - Andrea Bierbrauer
Heckrodt Wetland Reserve

WHAT? This one is my favorite sign of spring. There must be snow on the ground because you can’t see it on the grass or dirt. There is usually rabbit poo surrounded by blue snow. Late in the winter when grass and other things bunnies like to eat are in short supply, they resort to eating the bark and stems of European Buckthorn. The buckthorn contains a phytochemical that, when exposed to the right amount of sunlight, turns blue. When bunnies are eating buckthorn, their pee also turns blue when exposed to sunlight. Why is this a sign of spring? The sun must be strong enough to initiate the phytochemical reaction, which happens late in the winter, usually in March. 

By late March migratory birds begin to return to the area and I find that I am not so anxious. Moss greens up on fallen logs, making it more cheerful in the woods. Wood frogs will begin to call as the water temperature warms. We notice the growing baby bumps of does (deer) and begin to speculate on single or twin births. Then the neotropical migrant birds begin to arrive and we get swept up in the joy of spring!

Do you have a special sign of spring?

Trempealeau Wildlife Refuge - Two Bottomlands Trail Hikes

Beaver lodge on Oxbow Dike

This huge wildlife refuge has a number of trails that are right down in the bottomlands and backwaters of the Mississippi. Migratory bird action is always significant in the Refuge and the trails give you incredible access to them. Again these gravel trails, especially on the dike portion, are good bets for later winter/early spring walks when the ground is mushy and muddy elsewhere.

This post will focus on two trails, Oxbow Dike Trail and the River Bottom Road Trail that share a trailhead at the southwestern side of the refuge off WI Hwy 35/54 at the River Bottom Access trailhead. The first 1/4 mile of each hike is shared and takes you through a dense bottomland forest stand. The trails diverge at that point.

Oxbow Dike Trail
Take a left and you will follow the Oxbow Dike into a large open floodplain lake and wetlands. The trail is an out-and-back 3 mile trail up to a set of railroad tracks. The dike trail takes you through large open bottomlands forest area and waterways that are alive with birds and wildlife. There is a bench about halfway along the dike.  You can spot beaver lodges and muskrat houses along with eagle's nests. Spring frog song and migratory birds bring a chorus of noise during the spring. There are stunning views of bluffs along this trail as well. This portion of the trail features wide views of the backwaters and bluffs.

18-20 ft. high active eagle's nest
Image - Kris Lawson

My favorite part of this part of the hike hike is getting a good glimpse of a truly massive "high-rise" eagle's nest across the water. This is what the National Eagle Center in Wabasha writes about it saying this is "the largest nest we are aware of in the region around La Crosse, WI, Winona, MN, and Wabasha, MN. It sits amid the Upper Mississippi River Wildlife and Fish Refuge and it is both very old and MASSIVE! Once again, this nest is active! There are records of this nest going back at least 30 years and it is likely even older than that. It is around 18-20 feet in height and likely weighs in the range of 2000-3000 lbs! It is an incredible feat of construction and amazing to consider that Bald Eagles are able to weave together sticks and grasses so sturdily without the use of hands."

River Bottom Road Trail

Along the River Bottom trail

This 2.75 (or 3) mile out-and-back trail meanders along waterways, bottomlands and floodplain forests. This trail brings you up close and personal with wildlife and waterfowl. When I hiked the trail recently in early March with friends, we spotted turtles, a sandhill crane, a muskrat (whose progress underwater we could follow in the clear waters), a red-shouldered hawk, flocks of pelicans and eagles.

Because this trail is further away from the highway, it was a quieter walk and birdsong and waterfowl calls were easier to distinguish. We heard the calls of trumpeters, wood ducks, Canada geese and sandhill cranes. This trail, which is quite low in some spots can be water-covered and less accessible during high waters.

Many small pools dot the trail

There are a few mini-spurs along the way. One leads you out to a boardwalk over the rushes to the water. It is on a high spot and affords you a view of the Oxbow Dike Trail and open waters and its' occupants. The other can be quite wet in spring but takes you to a nice western view and a small pond.

The trail ends at a footpath that is quite overgrown . If you want to try it (you'll be fighting alot of buckthorn) it ends at a very small pond by the railroad tracks. I turned back before then.

THE HIKE

Two beautiful bottomland trails - one on a dike heading out into the water and a lower road staying close to the wetlands share a trailhead just off Hwy 35 in Bluff Siding WI. These Trempealeau Wildlife Refuge trails are flat, gravel and grass trails that mostly hold during the spring freeze/thaw cycle. There is wildlife in abundance including eagles, muskrats, migrating waterfowl, turtles, hawks and migratory songbirds and waterfowl. The scenery is spectacular and the trails access a lovely natural area that not everyone is familiar with.

The Location

Turn right on Hwy 35/54 from Winona and drive 1.9 miles. Turn right at the first dirt road spur past Bluff Siding Park . From the Trempealeau Wildlife Refuge main entrance head back to Hwy 35/54 and turn left. Follow the road for approximately five miles and the entrance is on your left (you'll pass the giant eagle's nest shortly before the trailhead entrance.

Other Trempealeau Wildlife Refuge Hikes on the blog

Lower Division Dike and Kiep's Landing

Prairie Edge Loop trail

Pelicans wheeling

All images, unless noted - Marge Loch-Wouters

Early Springtime Care Of Trails

Due to the continuing unseasonably warm weather, the likelihood of cold overnight temps yet in March and the freeze/thaw cycle, I am sharing this always important message from the Mississippi Conservancy:

Trail Condition Alert!

Go back. Don't go around.

Spring is here and we're all excited to experience the many wonders that it brings. But hiking on muddy trails does serious damage to sensitive wildlife habitats. It can cause erosion and necessitate costly repairs, too.

Conditions change on a daily basis at this time of year, so it's essential for every individual to consider whether they are damaging trails by walking on them in spring. The basic rule is: If you can see your footprints in the mud, you are causing damage. When you encounter a muddy trail, PLEASE GO BACK. DON'T GO AROUND.

Please be mindful of trail conditions as we go through the freezes and thaws of early spring. The rule of thumb is:

If you can see your tracks, please turn back!

Some good options for places to hike on spring days are:

• New Amsterdam Grasslands
• Holland Sand Prairie (be the first to spot a pasqueflower)
• Sugar Creek Bluff (watch for migrating birds)
• Tunnelville Cliffs (see the arrival of spring from a ridgetop) 

It's always good to have one of these as a Plan B in case the trail you're on is muddy.

The photo shows what happens when people go off-trail to avoid muddy spots. They make the condition worse, causing erosion and permanent damage."

Marge note: 

I would suggest in addition to the MVC recommendations, these nearby Driftless trails which are paved or are on old gravel road beds. The gravel trails tend to hold up during the thaw.

• Goose Island Park along the roads near Wigwam Slough and down the slough trail south of the campground.
• La Crosse Marsh Trails (access from Myrick Park near the dog park on N. East St off  La Crosse St or by the Nature Place; or at Riverside International Garden for paved trail.
• Lytle's Landing, Brice Prairie (or other graveled bike trails in the area)
• Apple Blossom Overlook Park, Dakota MN
• McGilvrey 7 Bridges, New Amsterdam WI
• Halfway Creek Park, Holmen WI
• Trempealeau Wildlife Refuge trails (especially the dike trails), Trempealeau WI
• Root River Wildlife Management Area, Hokah MN
• Reno Spillway, Reno MN
• Lake Park Walk, Winona MN
• Wagon Wheel Trail, La Crescent MN
• Chad Erickson Park, La Crosse
• Riverside Park, La Crosse
• Pettibone Park roads, La Crosse

Naturalist's Corner - Making Maple Sugar

Our column featuring guest naturalists returns just as spring is around the corner. Naturalist Jon Cowan is a hiker (among many things) I first met hiking with the Driftless Drifters hiking club. He is always generous in sharing his knowledge on the trail. Jon was one of my inspirations in pursuing my MN Master Naturalist certification. I am happy he can share his story of sugar maple making with all of you! 

I've always looked forward to this time of year when nature does her slow dance between cold freezing nights and rapid thaws during the day - the time that the Anishinabe call "Boiling Sap Moon". For it is this dance between freeze and thaw that pumps the Maple Tree sap from its roots upward through the trunk, to the limbs and branches which is the life-blood of the tree.  It provides the energy and nutrients to bud-out in the Spring and produce new life.  

I was a young park ranger naturalist many moons ago in Michigan. It was my job to care for the park's old growth Maple Forest, its Maple Sugaring operation, and its educational programs for the area schools. I spent long hours, often overnight, keeping watch over the sap boiling using flat pan evaporators and other up-to-date equipment. It takes 40 gallons of sap to produce one gallon of Maple Syrup and the pans must never boil dry.   

Mokuk basket made by an Anishinabe basket weaver.
The birch bark (wigwas) is inside out and the marks
of the birch bark need to be "flying upward."

It was about this time that I met "Crowfoot,"  a young Native American man, who was also interested in the park's Maple Syruping. His people had  boiled the sap not for syrup but for Maple Sugar. Sugar could be stored for years in Birch bark baskets called Mokuks whereas syrup would spoil over time. They used the sugar not only as flavoring but also to cure venison in place of salt which historically was a scarce commodity.   

I had studied botany and anthropology at the university and I remembered a paper written by Europeans that said it was the French traders who invented the boiling of the sap to make sugar because they possessed metal kettles for boiling and the native peoples did not. Therefore, they assumed, it would be impossible for them to boil enough sap before European contact. 

Crowfoot, of the Odawa people, knew from their oral tradition that they were the ones who introduced the art of Maple Sugar making to Europeans. Crowfoot had made many large pottery vessels in the style of his Woodland Culture that stretched back thousands of years before Europeans had ever heard of the so-called New World. He made his pottery of native clay collected along river banks, tempered by native minerals and fired in an open pit. 

We both arrived at an idea, "Why not make Maple Sugar using technologies and artifacts that would have been available to the Anishinabe prior to European contact?"  He agreed to sacrifice one of his hand made pottery vessels and added a "Sugaring boat, " which was a boat-shaped bowl with high prows at the long ends but shallow in the middle with a flat-bladed paddle that fit into its sides. Both the paddle and the sugaring boat were heirlooms of his grandmother's grandmother and were both carved from Sugar Maple.   

The boiling of the sap took many hours over an open pit fire but it eventually started to darken as the sugars became concentrated. It was during this time that Crowfoot told me many stories of his people, one of which had to do with making Maple Sugar. Here is his story. "One day during the boiling sap moon, when the earth was young, Nanabijou, the trickster god, was walking amongst the Maple trees. He noticed his people cutting the maple Trees and pure Maple Syrup pouring out of the trees. 'My people have become lazy and arrogant' said Nanabijou 'and do not appreciate the miracle of making this syrup and sugar. I will teach them!' So he climbed up the tallest Maple Tree and then "made Water" and from then on his people had to boil the "piss" out of it to make the Maple Sugar". 

We both had to make a guess as to when the syrup solution had enough "water" boiled off and was ready for sugaring. Crowfoot's elders told him that when it was ready he would know and then pour the syrup into the sugaring boat and vigorously paddle back and forth as if our lives depended on it . Within minutes the syrup began to crystalize into pure Maple Sugar. Afterwards, Crowfoot and I happily consumed the delicious results of our experiment.

After all, we did not want to offend Nanabijou by wasting any of it during the Boiling Sap Moon.

Here's a bit more about Jon: "I studied anthropology, botany and natural history at the University of Wisconsin- Madison and served my Naturalist Apprenticeship with Dr Jim Zimmerman obtaining a degree in History as well.  After university I immediately started work as a Ranger Naturalist at the newly formed Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. Subsequent to my work there, I worked at many more parks in Wisconsin, Michigan and Washington State. I owe the native people who lived near many of these parks for patiently offering me their wide range of knowledge and stories. To them, I will be forever grateful."

Photo of Jon Cowen in his Park Service uniform
studying Ethnobiology with members of the
Red Cliff band of Chippewa
near the Apostle Islands, circa 1978