I started out early this morning. No rain! Plus it was pleasantly in the 50's and still is at 8:30 this morning. Reminding me of a camping morning out west, where you long for a campfire to sit by and drink coffee, and think about hash with a fried egg on top. Doesn't sound good unless you're camped in the Rockies. I've done it, and it's a good way to get ready for a hike in the mountains.
But today I'm at home. I live on a wetlands/prairie preserve called Afton Forest Preserve in DeKalb County.
Well, I never know exactly which way I might go, once I start out, but I knew I did not want to go north. For one thing, my husband told me that the woman who "trains" her Rottweilers was in the north parking lot area. Plus, if the wind is anywhere out of the north, you don't want to be near the pig farm that butts up with that end of the park. Believe me on this.
So, south it was. I began out behind our barn, and trekked east down through very wet grass. Okay, my feet would be getting wet on this venture. Oh well, I tell myself. It's better than driving the bus.
Birdsong accompany me, and I see that various flower heads are coming out, like the abundant red cone flowers, Black-eyed Susans, butterfly weed, and many others are in flower. The mulberries and raspberries are in season as well. I eat both, prefer the raspberries, myself. I don't like spitting out the short green stem of the mulberries. But mulberries are sweeter, when absolutely ripe.
I decided to hike through the wooded trail, which opens out to where you can cross the (middle) bridge. I note that the pond lillies and arrow root are lush. The water is high because of the rain, but a good two feet from flood or crest. So, we're good.
I continue over the foot bridge that angles toward the mature stand of white pines, I continue through the short trail that goes through them, follow this trail along the fence line and head south. I take this trail that hikes up the "big hill", as I call it. This takes you high enough to look down on the south end of the main wetland/prairie. The hike up is rewarded by a nice bench at the top, to rest. You can see for miles up here, look down on Crego Road, and watch the corn grow and the wind farm's blades lined up in a row spin into the wind. It was northwest today, and a good 5-10 miles an hour was my guess. The sky was not a perfect blue, it's marred with cirrus--mare's tails--telling me it will get warmer today, and probably gradually all week long. So, today was the perfect day for me to get off my duff and enjoy a good stretch of the legs.
Mulberries grow along the fenceline here, too, so if you want a little sweet, get them while they're ripening!
It's amazing how far one can go in just ten or fifteen minutes! I haul people around on a bus all day long, and I'm just appalled how these people get on the bus, sit there for 10 min. and they want off somewhere they would have been already across campus. Never seen such lazy butts in my life. A person can walk aprox. 2 miles in an hour. But, of course, it depends upon your stride and how quickly you go. I go a steady walk, and I think I do two steps per second. I've seen people walk one step per ten seconds around campus (roll my eyes).
Back to the hill. I'd often walk up this hill in the early days and there was no bench to sit on, and today I'm very glad there is. I can swing my legs while I sit, relax, drink some water and watch a few cars go down the road. Crego Road is crossed by McGurr Road. Used to be that's where the park ended, but now we have "South Afton" which extends into the land across the street. This is where a majority of dog walkers go. Many like to run them loose there, and that is one of the off-leash arieas.
I decide I want to go down to the bridge near McGrr Rd. to check the waterflow there. Because of the amount of water, I knew I would find it all rushing over the boulders they've put there, and it has a wonderful sound, reminding me of Colorado or other places where water rushes over rocks.
I see a couple of people pull into the South Afton parking lot and let their dogs out. I've decided I want to take the trail that edges along the road back to the house. But I want to wait for one more person with a dog. He gets pooch on a leash (so glad to see that), and he starts out jogging. Well good for him!
I continue on my way, hoping that the trail isn't hampered by mud, or worse--water. It isn't. Along the way I find a shed snake skin. I pick up a portion of it and determin it's from a garder snake--non-poisonous. Someone once said they'd seen poisonous snakes here. Well, I'll tell you this, I've been here for 18 years and have never seen any such snakes here. There have been people spooked by lots of things, including the sound of the hogs to the north. One woman emailed our superintendant claiming she thought she heard the "chuffing" sound that a cougar would make (she'd visited a zoo), and worried about that. I had been in the north area, near the pig farm. Those pigs make some crazy sounds. And I know for a fact I've never spotted a large cat's tracks at all, during that time. I spotted the hooves of a horse (riding horses in the park is not allowed), and, of course, deer, but that was all as far as large animal tracks out here. That isn't to say we don't get a "visitor" of something as large coyotes, and bobcats, once in a while.
I made my way back home, my feet absolutely sopped, my shoes, socks and pants needed to dry out and I put them all outside to dry in the breeze and sun.
IF YOU COME OUT...
Be sure to wear a hat. Any kind is advisable, the deer flies are horrible once the sun gets up and warms things up. I like a nice sraw cowboy hat. I give it a little spray of bug repelant and I'm good to go.
July is a bad month to picnic because of the black (picnic) bugs. If you have never been outside during the hot month of July, it only takes one experience and you'll know. June is good, August is hot, but the black bugs are gone by then.
Orient yourself and be sure to obey the park rules. No waiding/swimming. The currents in the creek are really deadly. Dennis, my husband, had to shoo some young ladies (who had driven their car down to the bridge--a big no-no), and told them waiding in the water was not allowed. Some people CAN NOT READ!!
I hope to have a few more beautiful mornings to do a good hike out here at the park this summer. Looks like the weather the rest of the week should be good to come out and enjoy the park.
Monday, July 1, 2013
Sunday, June 9, 2013
June 2013 Afton Forest Preserve - Enjoyable Hikes
I enjoy my prairie walks. Sometimes my husband, Dennis, comes with me on days he is not working out in the park.
The hawks sail high above in the blue sky, while the redwings chase after him or her. But the larger, more powerful wings avail the larger bird of prey the ability to go higher, circle for air currents and just out-fly the smaller birds who give up eventually because they're tired of flapping their wings. And then the hawk is so high up he is but a speck.
Afton Forest Preserve is more than just flowers and trees and water for me. I've always been a nature lover. I've always tried to seek places of solitude, my brain, my soul, my whole being absorbs the sounds of nature, birdsong, and all other sounds, like the bull frogs when they are charming their intendeds, geese doing group fly-by, honking at one another. Of course the flies and other biting things tend to ruin the mood, unless you've sprayed yourself down.
These early June days have been cooler and more tollerable than normal, and have given me a chance to get out in the afternoons to go for my hikes. The trails are many, and cut across four bridges in total of this park. Two in the main area, a third in what we call South Afton, and the fourth is in the section across McGurr Road (also South Afton). If a person wanted to do a 3 hour hike, you certainly could find plenty of trail to do so. There is fishing, (but make sure to bring your fishing licenses).
But I like the main area where there's mature oak, maple and pines. The white pines especially offer their scent and a uniquely different experience when there's a nice breeze. If you go to the far east side, up on the hill there is an area where you can stand and it sounds like rushing water through those trees. The crows might become upset with your presence, but for the most part, it's calm and peaceful up there. I've heard tell someone has spotted turkeys here, but I have not. I've never heard any. Also, a quick note. Curiously, we've lost our phesant too. Someone has been killing them for sport, is my guess. And, while we're on the subject, the deer population has been culled off. We (Dennis and I) were not thrilled to learn that hunters were allowed to come in and kill off deer which they said had "wasting desease". That whole scenario was possibly over-hyped by some, and questionable as to whether this really needed to be done.
Okay, I'm done with my rant.
I have spotted one female deer with her youngster in the park, back last week. I saw her twice, and the fawn once. She quickly got the little guy out of "harms" way. There's no telling where you might spot deer, but definitely the dog leash rule, which is being observed more than not, is helping a great deal. We've gotten rid of one problematic person who brought 6 dogs and did not observe the rules. He's now banned from the park, as far as we know.
I've noticed that they've stopped mowing quite so many trails and stopped making them so wide. This was one request we made, and somehow someone actually listened--even though we made no direct plea about it. It was merely a suggestion. We don't need to drive Mack Trucks through the park, so why make them large enough to do so?
This morning I spoted that someone has come in with horses. These are not allowed. There's a reason for this. We don't want ruts in the trails (and really the horse hocky is large). People who don't understand this want to argue their case, but it is forbidden at Afton--actually I don't know if it is allowed in any DeKalb Co. Park. It's in the rule book.
The lupines are in blossom, right now, south of the large white barn which you can access via the south entrance, or from the trails that join up through the main bottom area of the large parking lot. By following the river, but not going over the bridge, you can access the second prairie planting through the trail that meanders through the trees and comes out and heads west. Then take the next large path south again, and you'll see their purple-blue stalks of flowers. They are in full bloom right now.
From the south entrance you head north, and can view the wetlands, where geese, ducks, and other water fowl tend to congregate. If you are lucky you might spot the quiet, but majestic blue heron, or you might spot the white egrets who come through and do a little fishing along the shores. Once I think I counted 5-6 in one day.
Whatever the reason you like to come out to this or any other park, do enjoy it, and don't abuse the rules. Respect those who want to enjoy a quiet time in the park, hiking, fishing, picnicing, photographing, or birding (birdwatching) and enjoy what it has to offer.
The hawks sail high above in the blue sky, while the redwings chase after him or her. But the larger, more powerful wings avail the larger bird of prey the ability to go higher, circle for air currents and just out-fly the smaller birds who give up eventually because they're tired of flapping their wings. And then the hawk is so high up he is but a speck.
Afton Forest Preserve is more than just flowers and trees and water for me. I've always been a nature lover. I've always tried to seek places of solitude, my brain, my soul, my whole being absorbs the sounds of nature, birdsong, and all other sounds, like the bull frogs when they are charming their intendeds, geese doing group fly-by, honking at one another. Of course the flies and other biting things tend to ruin the mood, unless you've sprayed yourself down.
These early June days have been cooler and more tollerable than normal, and have given me a chance to get out in the afternoons to go for my hikes. The trails are many, and cut across four bridges in total of this park. Two in the main area, a third in what we call South Afton, and the fourth is in the section across McGurr Road (also South Afton). If a person wanted to do a 3 hour hike, you certainly could find plenty of trail to do so. There is fishing, (but make sure to bring your fishing licenses).
But I like the main area where there's mature oak, maple and pines. The white pines especially offer their scent and a uniquely different experience when there's a nice breeze. If you go to the far east side, up on the hill there is an area where you can stand and it sounds like rushing water through those trees. The crows might become upset with your presence, but for the most part, it's calm and peaceful up there. I've heard tell someone has spotted turkeys here, but I have not. I've never heard any. Also, a quick note. Curiously, we've lost our phesant too. Someone has been killing them for sport, is my guess. And, while we're on the subject, the deer population has been culled off. We (Dennis and I) were not thrilled to learn that hunters were allowed to come in and kill off deer which they said had "wasting desease". That whole scenario was possibly over-hyped by some, and questionable as to whether this really needed to be done.
Okay, I'm done with my rant.
I have spotted one female deer with her youngster in the park, back last week. I saw her twice, and the fawn once. She quickly got the little guy out of "harms" way. There's no telling where you might spot deer, but definitely the dog leash rule, which is being observed more than not, is helping a great deal. We've gotten rid of one problematic person who brought 6 dogs and did not observe the rules. He's now banned from the park, as far as we know.
I've noticed that they've stopped mowing quite so many trails and stopped making them so wide. This was one request we made, and somehow someone actually listened--even though we made no direct plea about it. It was merely a suggestion. We don't need to drive Mack Trucks through the park, so why make them large enough to do so?
This morning I spoted that someone has come in with horses. These are not allowed. There's a reason for this. We don't want ruts in the trails (and really the horse hocky is large). People who don't understand this want to argue their case, but it is forbidden at Afton--actually I don't know if it is allowed in any DeKalb Co. Park. It's in the rule book.
The lupines are in blossom, right now, south of the large white barn which you can access via the south entrance, or from the trails that join up through the main bottom area of the large parking lot. By following the river, but not going over the bridge, you can access the second prairie planting through the trail that meanders through the trees and comes out and heads west. Then take the next large path south again, and you'll see their purple-blue stalks of flowers. They are in full bloom right now.
From the south entrance you head north, and can view the wetlands, where geese, ducks, and other water fowl tend to congregate. If you are lucky you might spot the quiet, but majestic blue heron, or you might spot the white egrets who come through and do a little fishing along the shores. Once I think I counted 5-6 in one day.
Whatever the reason you like to come out to this or any other park, do enjoy it, and don't abuse the rules. Respect those who want to enjoy a quiet time in the park, hiking, fishing, picnicing, photographing, or birding (birdwatching) and enjoy what it has to offer.
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| Lorelei Bell is author of two fantasy series: Sabrina Strong (vampire) series & Chronicles of Zofia Trickenbod, sorceress, plus short stories. All available on Amazon, and the Sabrina Strong series also available @ Barnes and Nobel She and her husband are park managers of Afton Prairie Preserve |
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