Nature Sneak Peek - August 2026

Tall grass prairie at Frontenac State Park
Image - Pamela Miller

The first weeks in August are always special. August 1 is the midpoint of summer, halfway between the solstice and the coming  autumn equinox. This day, Lammas or Lughnasadh, has long been celebrated as a harvest festival. Our gardens and farmer's market, lush with vegetables and fruits, are a continuing testament to this day.

Monarch on blazing star

Days are inexorably growing shorter. Already there are signs from birds and waterfowl that the busy season of mating and raising young is morphing into preparation for coming migration as daylight decreases. Plants and insects are responding as well to decreasing daylight  - we'll have lost over two hours of daylight since solstice by the end of August.

But there is plenty of activity during the dog days of August. Let's look at what you might you see on the trails this month.

Prairies

Big bluestem grass and
coneflowersgray-headed

Tall Grasses - bluestems, yellow indiangrass, Canada wild rye and eastern bottle brush are beginning to dominate in the prairies. Shorter grasses like prairie dropseed, purple lovegrass and side oats grama are also present.

Goldenrods - in the Driftless regions of Wisconsin, Minnesota and Iowa, there are between one and two dozen distinct species of this forb. While they are often tough to tell apart, their distinct butter yellow flowerheads lend their sunny color to August prairies.

Sunflowers - are clocking in for the month. They too have many varieties and can be found in sunny spots in the woods as well.

Blazing Stars - their pink-purple stalks are prominent in prairies this month. A favorite of butterflies, bumlebees and humans too!

Margined calligrapher hoverfly
on grooved flax

Insect Life - is positively bursting in August. Butterflies, flies, wasps, beetles, bumblebees and native bees are nectaring and gathering pollen at warp speed on all the yellow, white and purple blossoms. Their predators - damselflies, spiders and dragonflies are also busy! It's a perfect time to catch them on blooms as your hike. The sound of grasshoppers, katydids, and crickets are fast replacing the songs of nesting birds, many of whom are gathering  for the beginning of migration. 

Woodlands

Ghost pipes - not a fungus

Ghost pipe - this ghostly white plant is easily confused with a fungus. While they don't need sun, they also don't need chlorophyll. Instead, they tap into the mychorrizal network to get their food. Once established, they will reappear in the same spot each year.

Mushrooms and fungi - the damp, humid nights and heavily shaded forest floor of August are perfect to support the explosive growth of many types of mushrooms, fungi and molds. Chicken of the woods, russela, ink caps, coral fungi, slime molds, jelly fungi are all lurking, ready for you to find and identify. One of my favorites is lobster mushroom which is formed when a parasitic mold takes over a russela or inkcap mushroom changing not ony its appearence but also taking it from non-edible to edible. Ah, nature!

Trees - the changing light is also beginning to slow the chlorophyll production in deciduous leaves. You will start to note later in the month that the bold greens of the canopy becomes slightly less vibrant and often take on a hint of gray. While the leaves will remain on most trees throughout September, the road towards fall will begin as August comes to the end.

Wetlands

Jewelweed - have you been marking where patches of this flower are? Good. Because now it's playtime. The lovely orange and yellow trumpet-shaped flowers are now going to seed. And nothing is more fun for kids and grown-ups than popping their seed covers and watching the seeds spring out.

Frogs - spring peepers often still have something to say! While no longer mating calls, their call can be heard this month. Listen too for tree frogs in woods adjoining wetlands. You may also hear their call as well. And this is the month you may see some tree frogs on your doors or windows. Clever hunters that they are, they pursue the insects attracted to your lights at night to catch easy meals. 

Graphic courtesy earthsky.org

Finally be sure to look up! The Perseid Meteor showers which began in mid July will be peaking August 12-13. Fortunately, these dates coincide with a new moon so the sky will be marvelously dark. While the meteors originate in the constellation Perseus, thay can be spotted in any part of the night sky.

No matter where you go this month, be curious. Take some extra time to look and see what you can see along the trail. You’ll be delighted!

Images, unless noted - Marge Loch-Wouters

Blazing stars on an August day - Holland Sand Prairie
Image - Kris Lawson

You can read my quarterly column on seasonal hiking suggestions in Inspire(d) Driftless Magazine available online or pick up a free copy at businesses and organizations around the Driftless areas of Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa.

Nature Sneak Peak - July 2026

July hiking and nature observations are always a treat, despite the heat and humidity. Wetlands, woods and prairies all have interesting plants and wildlife to find.


Like the blooms on the common milkweed on the left, found widely throughout the Driftless area, both we and wildlife are attracted to the flowers of so many plants.

Here are a few July highlights to keep your eyes out for on the trails.

Prairies

Rainblow of Blooms - the prairies are bursting with colorful flowers this month

• Pink - Deptford pinks and purple poppy mallows have an almost neon brilliance

  

  Tiny Deptford pink

• Yellow - prairie coreopsis, black and brown-eyed Susans, sunflowers, evening primrose, cinquefoils, and partridge pea are just a few of the yellow flowers you'll see this month
• Orange - butterfly weed is always a star, not just for its flowers but also for the pollinators it attracts
• Blue/purple - lobelia, purple prairie clover, harebells, wild bergamot, hoary verbena
• White - false boneset, yarrow, white prarie clover, spotted bee balm
• Gray - Leadplant - also once known as "devil’s shoelaces" because of its deep taproot that can be as long as 15 feet which made it difficult for farmers to plow under - is a sure sign of a healthy prairie The white hair on its leaves gives it a downy appearance. It has just started it's brief blooming period so don't miss it.

Plus keep your eye out for the towering flowers and grasses - yellow cup plant and compassplant, pink Joe-Pye weed and common milkweed, and the greens of big bluestem, indiangrass and Canada wildrye

Want to learn more about the above flowers? Stop by Minnesota Wildflowers webpage or Online Virtual Flora of Wisconsin.

White-faced meadowhawk dragonfly

Damselflies and dragonflies are whirring around the prairie. These tiny predators are great mosquito hunters. Wisconsin alone has over 160 types of these onodates. One's time in the prairie can be well-spent quietly observing and identifying these busy insects that sometimes rest perched on leaves, grasses and flowers long enough for you to get a photo!

Bumblebees - With the increasing blooms, bumblebees and butterflies are beginning their pollinating, foraging and nectaring. Plump young queen bumblebees (gynes) are less in evidence as their first hatched smaller female workers are taking over the foraging and brooding tasks. The queens then devote their life to egg-laying in the nest. 

Wetlands and Woods

Jewelweed aka touch-me-nots, will begin to flower

Jewelweed

 this month, especially in wetlands and in damp, partially-shaded woods. Their arresting yellow and orange horn-shaped flowers continue blooming into August. Look for their seedpods - when ripe, the seeds explode out at a touch. They are a favorite when hiking with kids. 

Birds and Birdsong - with their young raised, birdsong that marks territory starts to decrease in frequency. One exception is the common yellowthroat’s “witchity, witchity, witchity” song heard in prairies, marshes and woodlands. This warbler is one of my favorites - perhaps because it’s season-long singing was long enough for me to learn it!

Mushrooms and Fungi - this is the month that fungi begin to fruit in earnest. puffballs, boletes, chantarelles, lobster mushrooms, chicken of the woods are just a few of the types of mushrooms you may find on the trails. Jelly and coral fungi are also much in evidence. With their varying colors and unique shapes, they are a delight to spot and marvel over. As always, do not forage any mushroom unless you are absolutely sure what it is and that it is edible.

Leadplant in bloom
Great River Bluff State Park MN

No matter where you go this month, be curious. Take some extra time to look and see what you can see along the trail. You’ll be delighted!

Images - Marge Loch-Wouters

You can read my quarterly column on seasonal hiking suggestions in Inspire(d) Driftless Magazine available online or pick up a free copy at businesses and organizations around the Driftless areas of Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa.

Nature Sneak Peek - June 2026

Bulblet bladderferns

Summer is here! We are officially in the warm season of abundant plant growth and abundant wildlife activity. As the weather heats up, nature is enjoying a massive growth spurt. It makes June a particularly beautiful month to be outdoors.

Here are some of the things you might notice on the trails in June. Enjoy!

Woods

Now that the leaves are fully out and shading the trails, the season of delicate ephemerals is mostly behind us. Sturdier, shade-loving plants come to the fore. Nettles, cleavers, woodbine and other green growth is explosive.

Ferns - are in their glory this month as they reach towards their full growth. Watch for interrupted, ostrich, lady, sensitive, wood and maidenhair ferns in the woods. Note the small ferns like rockcap and bulblet bladderferns that nestle in rock faces. These hardy beauties need little soil to be successful.

Leaves three, let it be -poison ivy

Fungi - mushrooms like inky caps, oysters, conks and shelf mushrooms like Dryad's saddle are much in evidence on the trails. Watch for chanterelles and old man of the woods make an appearance as well. Be sure you know which mushrooms are edible before foraging.

Poison ivy is out in plant, bush and vine form not just in woods but in wetlands and prairies too. Be cautious near trail edges and don't touch any plant with three leaves if you're not sure of it's identity.

Prairies

Death camus

This is the beginning of their shining season. I hike often in  prairies for the sheer diversity of blooms throughout the warm season. Sun loving plants and their insect pollinators (and their predators) are out in force. There are swaths of big bold color on the prairies (think butterfly weed, puccoons, spiderworts and more) but watch for the blooms of rare plans like bastard toad-flax, beardtongue, Canada frostweed, four-o-clock and Deptford pink.

Leonard's skullcap

Leonard's skullcap and mountain death camus - these tiny blooms on short stalks are some of my favorite June finds. Every part of the camus is deadly to ingest for wildlife and humans. The skullcap's bloom is no bigger than a small child's fingernail but one of the most beautiful blooms on the prairie.

Milkweeds - while we are used to seeing the common milkweed and its attendant butterflies nectoring on them, there is a wealth of other milkweeds to discover. Among the ones you can spot in the Driftless area: butterfly weed, narrow leaf, clasping leaf, purple, short green, green comet and whorled milkweed. Keep your eyes out!

The Solomon's seals - it's finally bloom time for these elegant forbs. Often people struggle between identifying smooth (true, as some people say) vs false Solomon's seal. If you are one of them, this mnemonic can help: false on the lip; true under hip. In other words, the false Solomon's seal sets it bloom from the tip while smooth Solomon's seal has blossoms under it's leaves. 

The top photo shows a false Solomon's seal with it's flower "on the "lip" or at the tip of the leaf structure.

The photo below it shows a smooth Solomon's seal with it's pendant buds ready to open "under hip", sheltered by its leaves above. 

I admit I wish poor false Solomon's seal had its own lovely name without the word "false" but that's life!

Wetlands

Plants that love wet feet are in abundance including marsh ferns, grasses, and flowers. But the real star here is the wildlife.

Widow skimmer dragonfly

Dragonflies/Damselflies - mosquito hatches in wet, damp areas also bring out a rich variety of flying predators. Wisconsin has over 118 species of dragonflies alone. It's fascinating to watch the skimmer, clubtail, forktail, darner, cruiser and spiketail dragonflies, along with the more delicate broad-winged and spread-winged damselflies, go about their business. And I can't help thanking them!

Turtles - it’s time for turtles to dig their nests and deposit their eggs. This is a dangerous time for the females. Keep a sharp eye out on roads near wetlands and bodies of water. If you can do it safely, you can help a turtle by following this guide to the left.

Birds - the nesting and fledging season for a variety of songbirds is in full swing. Early morning or late evening walks are a symphony of sound in the trees and brush of wetlands as the many warblers and songbirds call. While the leaves obscure the view, with a pair of binoculars you can still spot some of the flitting birds on the hunt for food for their young.

Finally, Fireflies  

While you may not be hiking at night, one of the most iconic and anticipated insect appearances of June is the firefly. As darkness falls, these beetles that can produce bioluminescence through a chemical reaction within their abdomen, begin their mating ritual. Their winking nightly flights always feel to me like the proof that summer is well upon us.

No matter where you go, be curious. Take some extra time to look and see what you can see along the trail. You’ll be delighted!

Purple milkweed

Images, unless noted - Marge Loch-Wouters

Scaly inky cap mushrooms

Nature Sneak Peak - May 2026

Trout lilies

Well, April showers did not disappoint so the end of that month gave us first glimpses of our May - early arrival of dandelions, explosive lawn growth, flowering fruit trees and shrubs - all hallmarks of  the month of May and Mother's Day.

Now that the growing season is upon us, here are a few things to look for in your May hiking and excursions into nature.

Wetlands

Virginia bluebells
Duck Egg County Forest, Viroqua WI

Virginia Bluebells - these lovely blue-and-pink flowered plants love wet feet and are best found in wetlands. Carley (MN) State Park has scads of them as do the lower trails of Duck Egg County Forest near Viroqua WI. 

Trout Lilies - are ready to open and curl back their white or yellow bells. They like damp feet and can be found in profusion near water, floodplains and moist woods

Frogs - The singing continues with wood frogs and leopard frogs joining the peepers and chorus frogs. American toads add their trill for a short time during the month. 

Long-legged Shore Birds - Herons, egrets and sandhill cranes are all back and feasting on fish and amphibians

Thigh-high Jack-in-the-pulpit
South Park, Houston
Image - Mike Bonner

Woods
Jack-in-the-Pulpits - are springing up (and in some natural areas, waaaay up) in May. They are fascinating flowers, choosing their gender from year to year. According to the Minnesota Wildflowers website: "Males tend to be smaller than females and have a small hole at the bottom of the spathe (the "hood) which allows pollinators to escape (with their pollen) more easily. Female plants lack the hole and pollinators are more likely to become trapped, better ensuring successful pollination. Sneaky devils."

Trilliums - the short blooming season and carpets of the large-flowered trillium make it a showstopper in the woods. Sharp-eyed hikers can spot the more rare nodding trillium by looking below the leaves to find its white flower with distinctive pinkish purple tips (anthers). Ants are it's pollinators.

Shooting star

Shooting Stars - our Driftless area is rich in these bright purple-pink, limestone-loving ephemerals. Hotspots to find them - blufftops in Wyalusing (WI) State Park, La Crescent's Stoney Point and Perrot (WI) State Park.

Ferns - turning to our showiest greens, ferns are bursting out and gaining height as they unfurl. Look for maidenhair, interrupted, lady, wood, ostrich, cliff, bladder and rock ferns as you walk. My two favorite fern hikes are at Winona's Bluffside Park Wildwood Trail and Rushford's Maglesson's Bluff.  It is fern heaven at a number of places along these trails.

Bishop's cap
Note the 5 tiny fronds
on the tip of each flower

Bishop's Cap  - aka Two-leaf Miterwort, is a tiny but distinct ephemeral. Each flower on its stalk is shaped like a miter (bishop's cap) with fearthery fronds at the tip. Two distinct opposite leaves halfway up the stalk clinch the identification. One of my personal favorites.

Leaves - and shade are back, baby. May is the time of more fully leafed-out trees that shade our walks and provide energy for each tree's growth year. They are always welcome in the Driftless even if we do have to bid farewll to our sun-loving first ephemerals.

Prairies
Prairie Smoke - for my money, one of the most beautiful first flowers of the prairies. A breezy day always finds me on prairies like Holland Sand Prairie enjoying their delicate fuzzy pink flower fronds blowing in the wind. They are also known as "old man's whiskers."

A sea of May lupines & puccoons
Trempealeau Wildlife Refuge

Wild Lupine - during certain years, these deeply purple-blue flower stalks create oceans of color on sand prairies. On good bloom years, the best reliable display is found at Trempealeau Wildlife Refuge on their Prairie Edge Loop (driving, hiking, biking) trail. Wowser.

Male field pussytoe

Field Pussytoes - these humble, short, white plants hug the ground. You need a sharp eye to find them. The male and female flowers are distinct. The females appear furrier with five distinct “toes” like their namesakes. The males are less fuzzy with their brownish stamens protruding above their scalier flowers. Keep a sharp eye out to see them above their grayish basal leaves.

Hoary puccoon

Hoary Puccoon - this impossibly bright orange-yellow flower is also impossible to miss on the prairie. Closely related is the Carolina or hairy puccoon - both continue blooming right into the summer.

Birdfoot Violet - this rare species of violet sports a deep purple bloom with neon bright stamen. What sets it apart from the more  common blue violet are its leaves at the base of the plant. They are lobed and remind one of a bird’s foot. Always a delightful find!

Birds
Warbler Migration - continues with many species resting briefly before continuing on to nesting grounds further north. Yellow-rumped, prothonotary, and palm warblers are a few that will remain here to nest and raise their young. Be sure to keep your binoculars handy and your ears sharp. The Merlin app can help you with this!

The Color Guard - rainbow-bright birds like Baltimore orioles, scarlet tanagers, indigo buntings, rose-breasted grosbeaks and yellowthroats return to begin their nesting season. They bring additional sounds to nature walks.

Orange-crowned warbler, Frontenac (MN) State Park 
Image Steve Dietz

I hope you get out on the trails this month. The weather is bound to warm up, right? 

No matter where you go, be curious. Take some extra time to look and see what you can see along the trail. You’ll be delighted!

Prairie smoke aka Old Man's Whiskers

If you're interested in some great Driftless hiking destinations to find the above May treats, please stop here for my top picks.  See you on the trails! 

Birdfoot violet

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Images, unless noted - Marge Loch-Wouters

Nature Sneak Peek - April 2026

Marsh marigold

It's always a pleasure to get on firmer trails in April as the March snows melt and the ground thaws. April finds me heavily hiking wetlands and forests with just a bit of blufftop and sand prairies. 

What are we going to see in the lovely month of April? 

Here is a sneal peek of just a few things you may discover this month as spring warmth takes firmer hold.

Wetlands

A yellow-bellied sapsucker's
neat work

Birds

Snowy egrets - return in April. 

Ducks - everywhere, all at once. Be sure to bring your binoculars to spot some of the less common migrants like wood duck, merganser, bufflehead, canvasback, northern shovelers, blue-and green-winged teal, lesser scaup.

Songbirds  - rusty blackbird, ruby-crowned and gold-crowned kinglets are prominent in wetlands and...

...Warblers - the earliest returnees and migrators are yellow-rumped warblers.

Yellow-bellied sapsuckers - unlike other woodpeckers that over-winter, the sapsucker returns in April to drill orderly holes in trees (think cribbage board) searching for sap and insects. 

Remember, you can follow the daily migration predictions of songbirds at Cornell’s Lab of Ornithology’s Birdcast (with other partners) through the spring. Pro tip: from now through the end of May migration periods, please turn off outside lights from midnight until dawn to support birds in their nightly migration.

Plants

Marsh marigolds - bright flower clumps in streams are a pop of color this month.

Watercress - this is the last month to reliably harvest watercress but warm temps mean lots more bugs; hence more careful cleaning. But this peppery foraged green found in clear running streams is worth it. There is no gathering allowed in MN state parks.

Amphibians/Reptiles

Frogs are calling - spring peepers and wood frogs join chorus frogs in loud mating calls. Toads and tree frogs aren't far behind with leopard frogs adding their two cents, filling ponds with a raucous cacophany of sound.

Turtles - continue their activity spending significant time on logs as they re-energize from their winter underwater.

Forests and Prairies

Birds - listen and look for the eastern phoebe (one of the first flycatchers to return each spring), bluebirds, meadowlarks and numerous sparrows on the prairies. Warbler alert is on!

Swans - migration will be slowing considerably as they race to their nesting grounds. You may see a few trumpeter pairs who will nest in the Driftless during our warm season.

Wild ginger's ground-level flower

Plants/Fungi

Ephemerals - this month brings our earliest ephemerals - roundlobe and sharplobe hepatica, spring beauty, anemones (rue, false, wood), bloodroot, bellwort, Dutchmen's breeches, trout lily, birdfoot violet.

Wild Ginger - look at the base of this plant for it's flower. Beetles are its pollinator so its flower is hidden at ground level.

Lyreleaf rockcress - this small hardy perennial can be found in sandy as well as rocky areas. 

Ramps - this oniony delight of spring woods will start to cover north facing hills and forest floors. In MN state parks, no foraging is allowed, but on other public lands, you are free to take some. Remember to only take a few to preserve the resource.

Morel mushrooms - if it's warm and damp enough, keep your eye out for early morels.

Catkins - these male flowers will double in size and turn yellowish with their pollen. They depend on wind to help them with pollination before the trees leaf out.

Tricolored bumblebee

Insects

Bumblebees - the queens will be emerging from the winter hibernation finding a home for the new colony she'll make and foraging on early blooms to restore energy for her work ahead.

Butterflies - watch for the return of red admirals later this month. Nettles are their larval host plant so keep an eye out while you are near them!

Around the yard

Flowers - early flowers like daffodils, dandelions, crocus, scylla and a few more early risers. 

We'll see if April showers keep moisture levels high and herald in the riot of growth and greening that May will bring.  

If you're interested in some great Driftless hiking destinations to find the above spring treats we'll see in April and May, please stop here for my top picks.  See you on the trails! 

Ooooh, an early morel!

Images, unless noted - Marge Loch-Wouters

You can read my quarterly column on seasonal hiking suggestions in Inspire(d) Driftless Magazine available online or pick up a free copy at businesses and organizations around the Driftless areas of Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa.

Nature Sneak Peek - March 2026

Pasque flower

Now that winter is (mostly) over, I know you are as excited as I am to see spring on the trails. Warmer weather and longer daylight hours are jumpstarting our annual migrations and life is slowly pushing back out. 

I thought I'd put on my naturalist's hat and remind us of what we may encounter on the trails this month. This isn't an exhaustive list; just something to help us get our eyes and ears ready for early spring phenological changes!

Wetlands

Waterfowl

Sandhill Cranes - listen for the raucous calls in wetlands and keep an eye on the sky

Canada Geese - their flying v's will be more obvious as they head north to their nesting grounds

Swans - tundra and trumpeters will begin rushing through this month. They don't stay long since they want to snag prime nesting areas

Pelicans - will be wafting back up to their summer feeding grounds 

Great blue herons - will be heading back so keep an eye out for the first returnees

Ducks  - many species of ducks will be returning, some to nest and some to continue their migration further north

Cable Natural History Museum, Hayward WI

Amphibians/Reptiles

Chorus frogs - the first songs you'll hear are the chorus frogs - think running your finger over a comb

Spring peepers - not far behind, you'll hear the spring peepers which are chirpier To distinguish the calls of these frogs, Cable Museum Natural History Museum has short audio snippets of each frog to help you identify their calls here.

Garter snakes - If the weather runs warm through the month, you may catch a glimpse of these elusive snakes

Painted turtles - will be emerging from their overwintering underwater in mud and sunning to restore body temperature and muscle function 

Forests and Prairies

Songbirds and other birds

American eagle

Woodpeckers - they are starting their territorial drumming in earnest which echoes through the woods

Robins, bluebirds, grackles, starlings and red-winged blackbirds are the first migrants to arrive. Watch for killdeer and meadowlarks and listen to our winter birds (cardinals, nuthatches, chickadees, finches, sparrows) begin their mating and territory songs

American woodcocks - this unusual bird has a spectacular mating dance that begins after sunset in open fields near woods. Prime time is in March and into early April 

Dark-eyed junco - this bird overwinters with us and will soon be leaving for its nesting grounds up north. Enjoy these sprightly birds during their last days in the Driftless

American Finches/Northern Cardinals - the males are starting to molt their winter plumage and grow in their mating colors; watch for bright yellow feathers on finches and more complete fire engine red on cardinals

Eagles - are much in evidence on the river, perched in trees and in their nests as the rivers and sloughs open up

Birdcast graphic

You can follow the daily migration predictions at Cornell’s Lab of Ornithology’s Birdcast (with other partners) through the spring. They even have a dashboard you can use for your county to check the action predicted. Pro tip: during the mid-March through the end of May migration periods turn off outside lights from midnight until dawn to support birds in their nightly migration.

 

Plants/Fungi

Scarlet elfin cup fungi

Skunk Cabbage - a definite early riser in the wetlands

Pasque Flower - the first to put out her blooms on the prairie 

Sprouts - look for the first shoots of wild strawberry, early buttercups and violets

Watercress - available throughout the winter in springfed streams; harvesting in months with an "r" in their name means fewer bugs. The warmer it gets, the buggier (a true biology lesson while cleaning!)

Scarlet elfin cup - this tiny bright red beauty is an early bird...uh, fungi 

Eastern comma butterfly

Insects

Eastern Comma Butterfly - it is common, but these little beauties are a delight to spot 

Mourning Cloak Butterfly - a dark winged butterfly, it is one of the first to emerge

Deer ticks - 'nuff said!

As I made this list I thought, that's alot of change  - and it's just the opener and intro to what's coming in the next few spring months. Keep a sharp eye out - and enjoy!

See you on the trails!

Images, unless noted - Marge Loch-Wouters

Trumpeter swans fly over Reno Quarry March 2022

You can read my quarterly column on seasonal hiking suggestions in Inspire(d) Driftless Magazine available online or pick up a free copy at businesses and organizations around the Driftless areas of Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa.