Cutris Returns to the Woods…

You can take Cutris out of the woods, but you can’t take the woods out of Cutris…

I have been stripping wallpaper, cleaning and painting for about a month and a half. During that time, I hadn’t been hiking in the woods like I normally do. Finally, yesterday, I decided that I needed to take a break from my condo work, and get back into the natural world.

I bought that pair of boots I had been thinking about buying, on my way home from work. It was going to be another beautiful, sunny, 70 degree (Fahrenheit) day. This time I wouldn’t miss it. I also meant to test those boots to see if they were really waterproof.

When I left the trail and headed into the woods, I soon found my way blocked by flood waters. I could see that the water had been much higher before, as I was climbing over the branches, trees and debris left behind as the water receded. I managed to pick my way through and started my journey around Fisher Lake. I had to redirect my path several times due to water, and I knew that toward the end of my hike, the levee might be flooded, which could mean a long hike back the way I had come.

I was getting a good workout navigating the debris and mud, when the thorns of a wild rose caught my leg and I felt it tear the skin under my denim pants. I was wearing a denim jacket as well, but it was almost too warm on this April day.

I love winter hiking for so many reasons. Those reasons were coming back to me now as I shooed a couple of early mosquitoes away from my ear, and when I pulled three wood ticks off of me. I smiled at the pain from the rose thorns. It had been awhile since I had been out here, and the scrapes and cuts I usually had were replaced by flecks of paint. Despite the minor difficulties, it was good to be back in the woods.

The geese and ducks were back. There were egrets and Great Blue Herons flying overhead. When I reached the Bald Eagle nest, I could see the white top of the bird’s head above the nest. That was a very good sign. As I reached the open area along the Minnesota River, I had a Red-tailed Hawk fly circles around me, as if to welcome me back. The river was just below flood stage, which hinted at why the low spots were still flooded by the merging of the river and the lakes.

When I reached the levee, it was underwater –as I suspected it might be. So far, my feet were dry in my new boots, even though my pants were wet at the bottom. It was about two hours back the way I came (at a good pace), or less than half an hour if I crossed. The water was at least a foot deep in places. That was well over the top of my new (waterproof) hiking boots. I made the decision, and ran through quickly. I was pretty wet, but at least I would be back to my car soon, and I was tired from climbing debris.

Later, as I sat in my car writing up my (ranger) report for the US Fish & Wildlife Service, I pulled another wood tick off of my neck and smiled as I tossed it out the window. I looked down at my new boots. They didn’t exactly look new anymore, and that made me smile too. It was good to get back in the woods.