Governor Dodge

This is what Wisconsin looks like

Really now, where would you expect to find me?
Stephens Falls from the Top

Awesomeness

A- after some awesome vine swinging
T- before we started the second hike
View From the Rim (fuzzy, sorry)
Also from the rim

What a trek. So T-, A-, and I all headed over to Governor Dodge State Park (one of the larger ones with more miles of trails) today. We were planning a 6-8 mile jaunt through the woods, and while we got our jaunt, I'm guessing it was closer to 18 miles. Pretty much all of the trails were sidewalk-width, and there were surprisingly few rocks and roots along the way. The trees have lost all their leaves, but that made it pretty easy to see down into and out of the canyon. It also made it an excellent crunchy-leaf hike. :) We took the Lost Canyon Trail first, hiked along the rim of the canyon for a bit, and then came down the far mouth of the canyon. There's a tiny (if peaceful) stream inside, some amazing-looking rock along the sides, and plenty of rocks/logs to clamor around on just off the trail. That 8ish miles took us just over (maybe just under) 2 hours, so we took our lunch at Stephens Falls. It may not be the most majestic falls (granted, we haven't exactly had a ton of rain lately), but it was a fun spot. When it warms up, I fully intend to frolic in the pool at its base and get as far behind the falls as possible. I half-heartedly tried the latter today and got moderately wet. Once thoroughly cold, we packed up the food, and decided to head off on the Outer Horse Trail (which might actually be more rugged than the hiking/skiing trail was). Once out a little on the Outer loop, we decided to go for a OHT to Goldmine Trail to Meadow Valley to Woodland to OHT loop that brushed against the part of the canyon we had seen, hit a lake we had missed earlier, and then criss-crossed in and out of the gorge a few more times coming back. (A- theorizes that we crossed the canyon about 6 times today.) I must admit my legs are pretty worn out, but I also must admit that I feel soooo much better since getting outside. It was an awesome day to do a hike; I had some awesome company; and we got some awesome food and margaritas post-hike.

Bonus Question: We saw a lot of these purple brambles along the trail (with a fine, light purple coating I assume is some kind of natural yeast). What are they?

Chilly Wolf

Over Halloween, I headed up to the Wolf River (sections 2 and 3) for some awesome paddling. The forecast was for cold and blustery weather, and though we left Madison with some balmy weather, it did get cold pretty quickly. I left my camera behind, so you'll just have to take my word for everything. I caught a ride up with another Madison kayaker, and we got to Bear Paw (pretty cool boater hangout) somewhat late Friday night. The wind was kicking, so I camped out in a friend's truck rather than trying to set my tent up, and at 2 in the morning when the wind started pushing the car around like mad, I was quite happy to be well-sheltered. Though it took a while, I eventually passed out. Woke up the next morning to driving snow (and lots of it) and headed over to the local restaurant in White Lake (just outside of the National Forest). It was bicyclist heaven - ginormous pancakes, excellent eggs, good coffee, and lots and lots of really cheap food. The snow was on-again off-again post breakfast, which meant that after standing around for upwards of an hour at the put in, I was cold and wet. There were tons of canoeists looking quite cozy in their drysuits. At least they were taking their precious time getting ready as though it was a lovely summer day. The water level was double that which I tried back in September, and while it did make a lot of places significantly easier (fewer rocks to avoid/less picking your way through boulder gardens), it still didn't provide much of a current on the flats. And man, there were some flats. Think 6 rapids and 14-18 miles of water. Yup. It was pretty painful.
First day was Section 3 (full version). The rapids were more fun with water, but toward the end, I was getting pretty hypothermic, wasn't thinking well, and flipped by being stupid. Luckily the swim was on the very last rapid, so I got dry and warm quickly. Second day was Section 2 (also full version), and I have to say, I am not a fan. Short 2 and 3 are definitely the way to go. (I'm also tempted to see the Dells of Section 4 now.) Also, complements of Connie, I have the Northern Wisconsin Natural History Lesson of the Day. Rivers in N Wisc are supposed to look black if they're healthy (and the Wolf does look eerily black). The coloration comes from all the tannins that leach into the water from the fallen leaves. It's a kinda cool phenomenon.
Next boating adventure may not be until spring :( However, I have been promised cross country skiing by a classmate. Woot.