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| European cranberry Image - Doreen Hegy |
We finally got snow during this month - as well as wildly fluctuating temperatures (47F on one Sunday and then 2F with -20 windchill by the following Thursday). These see-sawing temperatures continued for most of the month - although we lucked out with a little snow before the December holidays (whew).
Of course, with the fluctuating weather, we also had rain, icy drizzle, fog and some wicked winds. Getting outdoors was a matter of threading the needle. Combine that with the busy holly-day season and maybe it was lucky I found hiking time at all! Despite that, I managed two quick snowshoe tramps in the brief perfect snow conditions and was able to hike pretty continuously throughout the month.
However, during the colder days this past month, the bluff tops and bluffsides were particularly beautiful. Referred to by Emily M. Stone in her Nature Connections blog as the "see-through season", the leafless trees allow hikers to see vistas and rock formations more clearly. There is always something interesting along the trailsides to explore - or deer paths to follow off-trail in the snow!
Of course, with the fluctuating weather, we also had rain, icy drizzle, fog and some wicked winds. Getting outdoors was a matter of threading the needle. Combine that with the busy holly-day season and maybe it was lucky I found hiking time at all! Despite that, I managed two quick snowshoe tramps in the brief perfect snow conditions and was able to hike pretty continuously throughout the month.
Sadly, all the snow melted by month’s end with temps in the mid 40s and mid 30s. In the final week of December, the rain and high temps forced us out of the woods and onto paved or gravel surfaces to prevent damage to thawing trails, my least favorite type of hiking of the year. Sigh. But hey, some seriously cold temps are predicted to start January so trails will firm up again.
However, during the colder days this past month, the bluff tops and bluffsides were particularly beautiful. Referred to by Emily M. Stone in her Nature Connections blog as the "see-through season", the leafless trees allow hikers to see vistas and rock formations more clearly. There is always something interesting along the trailsides to explore - or deer paths to follow off-trail in the snow!
One of my fun, kismet hiking adventures this month happened on December 21 at noon during Winter Solstice. The sun broke through the cloudy day right at noon just in time to capture me casting my longest noon shadow of the whole year! It was truly a special science moment. You can read more about it here thanks to the US National Weather Service in La Crosse WI.
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| I'm being followed by a Solstice noon shadow, noon shadow, noon shadow... |
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| 5:00 pm daylight on Christmas Day. Welcome oncoming spring! |
I also celebrate the Winter Solstice as it heralds the beginning of longer sunlit hours. By tomorrow, New Year's Day, we will have gained a precious four minutes more of daylight - and an hour by the end of January. While it doesn't seem like much, I appreciate having lighted skies again at 5pm like we had on Christmas day.
What are YOU noticing on your hikes?
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| Bottlebrush grass on a goat prairie |
A month of hikes/snowshoeing
Hikes below in bold color or underlined have links to previous posts OR descriptions/location of the trails found online.
Stoney Point, La Crescent MN; MacGilvray 7 Bridges, New Amsterdam, WI; Pickwick Quarry, LaMoille, MN; Hixon Forest, La Crosse WI; La Crosse River Landfill Trails, Onalaska WI; Riverside Park Rotary Lights, La Crosse WI (2); Bluffside Park, Winona MN (3); Apple Blossom Overlook Park, Winona MN (2); Dresbach MN Rest Stop Infrastructure Hike; La Crosse Marsh Trails, La Crosse WI
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| Off-trailing to an overlook on the season's first snowshoe. |
All images, unless noted - Marge Loch-Wouters
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