The Seasons They are a Changin'

Come gather 'round, people
Wherever you roam
And admit that the waters
Around you have grown
And accept it that soon
You'll be drenched to the bone
If your time to you is worth savin'
And you better start swimmin'
Or you'll sink like a stone
For the times they are a-changin'"

(Bob Dylan,"The Times They are a Changin')

Spring is busting out all over Wisconsin, and you can see it in the changed behavior of people.  At least, that's true in our rural county, where corona virus cases have not dramatically increased over the last couple of weeks. Columbia County has increased from 27 cases to 32 cases in the last week or so and has held steady at one death for at least a month. Lots of people are out and about, not wearing masks, hoping that everything goes back to normal soon.  On the other hand, the state of Wisconsin has seen increasing deaths:  from 24 on April 1st to 374 on May 7th. 

The Democratic governor extended the shelter in place order until May 26th.  The Republican Legislature is working to get that order overturned.  With a conservative majority, the Wisconsin Supreme Court seemed sympathetic to the Republican arguments.  The Chief Justice commented that the recent outbreak in Green Bay is among meatpacking employees, not "regular folks."    

As for me, I'm not encouraged much by the politicians or judges on either side of the aisle. That isn't to say that politics and policy aren't important.  I was a political science major before law school.  I'm very much aware of how money and power influence laws and policy.  Policy decisions will influence the final death count.  Political choices will partly determine who will be the winners and losers in the future economy. 

I haven't seen any evidence that an effective treatment or vaccine is coming anytime soon.  Without a cohesive national policy, a lot is being left up to the individual states and individuals themselves.   On a personal level,  Julia has decided to go back to work for one day per week in mid-May.  Eye health is important. A number of precautions will be taken to keep patients and doctors safe.  I don't see any way that it's going to be as safe as sheltering in place, but she feels like it's time to get back to work.  She is still scheduled to retire at the end of December.  That day can't come soon enough for me.  I can easily live on a little bit less in retirement.  But I don't think it's about the money for her.  Julia just isn't quite ready to be done with work.

 Hike on the Ice Age Trail

Wisconsin State parks are open again for day use.  That lets some of the pressure off of other trails.  This week, we went back to Slack's Road and hiked to the Merrimac Ferry and back again.  We didn't pass anyone on the trail and saw only two other hikers and no other dogs. 

Wild flowers are making appearances with the warming weather.   The orioles, grosbeaks and hummingbirds are also back.

Wood Violets

Dutchman Breeches

My personal prediction is that things are going to get much worse before they get better, as we start to open up again.  But you know what?  The geese don't care about my predictions. And neither does Callie.  Nature just keeps going on, as though nothing has changed.  Being in nature makes me feel better--at least for awhile.

Humans can't necessarily see what's just beyond the bend, but we are blessed/cursed with the intelligence to plan for it.  Hope is a positive emotion but not a plan.  We live in interesting times. 

Snowshoeing at Slack’s

We finally have enough snow to make snowshoeing an easy choice over hiking.  Julia and I took turns outdoors today so that someone was home for Justin.  She cross-country skied 12k over at the Lodi Golf Course.  I procrastinated until about 90 minutes before sunset and then drove over to Slack’s Trailhead on the Ice Age Trail.

I often read on other blogs about how terrible and boring winter is in cold climates.  To be honest, however, I would miss winter days like today if I were to move to southern Arizona  or a similar place without wintry blasts to remind us of weather extremes.  The air was so cold and clean, no insects, total silence, and pure solitude.  As I plodded along in my snowshoes, all of my worries and concerns washed away.

It was cold out; temperatures tonight will dip below zero again.  But I wasn’t at all cold as I moved up and down hills, through stands of pine and oak, and passed native prairie grasses.  Seasons keep views dynamic, and I had to stop for a few minutes to gaze across the hills looking southward down the frozen Wisconsin River.

 
I’ve hiked thousands of miles of trails across this country and plan to do a lot more hiking outside my home area.  Yet, I also love the one I’m with.

A Fall Update

The last few weeks have been busy with matters mostly unrelated to this blog.  Julia’s mom, who was a frequent commenter to this blog, succumbed after an uncomfortable and lengthy battle with congestive heart disease and related kidney issues.  Her ashes were placed in the ground on Monday.  Berla was a generous, optimistic woman who almost always had a smile on her face and encouraged others to smile by showing her  love and support.

In early August, I purchased the 100 watt solar panel kit from Harbor Freight for the Brew Hut.  It worked okay, but I wasn’t satisfied with the build quality of the panels or the solar controller. It was also quite bulky.  After trying it out for awhile, I returned the kit and purchased the Renogy 100 watt solar suitcase kit. 

So far, so good.  It is much smaller and easier to transport.  The solar controller provides information on amps supplied to the batteries(something that the Harbor Freight controller did not do).  The panels produce   more amps in direct sun than the HF kit.   

I think it will be an excellent tool to top off the batteries for the Brew Hut when boondocking (camping without electrical hookups).

We’ve had a stretch of hot, humid weather that ended yesterday.  I celebrated with a Slack’s Hill hike on the Ice Age Trail to the Merrimac Ferry and back.  One of my favorite spots on the Ice Age Trail is a bench overlooking Lake Wisconsin and the Baraboo Hills.  This is the view:

 
This is the bench:

The header photo to this post shows my feet on the bottom part of the bench as I stretch out.  This bench was built in honor of a professor who loved the trail.

 
This segment of the trail ends at the Merrimac Ferry, the Colsac.

The Ferry crosses the Wisconsin River from the Town of West Point to the Town of Merrimac. From the deck of the Colsac, looking upstream, there is a railroad bridge.

In our family room, we have a painting of this bridge. Bernie Kvam, a sign painter for many years, became an artist in his retirement. Bernie was a coffee shop customer and continues to give me a hard time when we meet.  I try to dish it back, but he usually wins.

The Ice Age Trail: Slack Road to the Merrimac Ferry

 

Winter has returned to Wisconsin, but conditions were pretty good for late February.  There was enough soft melting snow on the trail to keep things from getting too slippery or muddy.  This trail segment is a few miles north of Lodi on Slack Road about 1/2 mile from the intersection of Slack and Hwy V.

The footpath has several ascents and descents following switchbacks that eventually lead to wonderful views of Lake Wisconsin, which is the part of the Wisconsin River between the dam in Portage and the dam in Prairie du Sac.

The current has partially broken up the lake.  The quiet bays are still full of ice today, despite the 70 degree weather last week.

Straight across the lake in the middle of the above photo, you can see Devil’s Head ski runs coming down the Baraboo Hills.

The trail comes off the bluffs back and forth along more switchbacks until reaching Hwy 113 below.  Here, the path runs between the road and the railroad tracks until emerging at the Merrimac Ferry boarding area and parking lot

The Merrimac Ferry is free for cars, bikers, and pedestrians. It’s a popular and scenic way to get to the Devil’s Lake State Park area, which is on the other side from me.  This rendition of the Ferry is called Colsac III, and has not started the 2017 season. If the weather continues the warming trend, the ferry will begin operating soon.

This trail is in and out without any loop.  The round trip is about 3 to 4 miles (guesstimate). On the way back, I stopped at my favorite bench for one last view.