It was exciting to get back into the Wilkie Unit on Friday. It had been awhile and it had changed in many ways and yet it was still the same. I immediately found the remnants of an owl off the edge of the trail. Then I saw a lot of Bald Eagles and even more swans over Blue Lake. The river had geese and Mergansers and I found the large tracks of the hind foot of a beaver in the dried mud. When I was on the trail beneath the highway bridge, it should have been easy but the trail was washed out and I had to leap across. I'm getting kind of old for that but I made it. On the way out I met a hunter searching for the blood trail of the deer he hit almost four hours earlier. My 2-hour hike in the windy, 22 degrees (F) was exhilarating to say the least. I wish I had more opportunities to enjoy the places I used to frequent almost daily.
| Owl flight feathers have soft edges for silence. |
| 2 Bald Eagles |
| Eagles above swans |
| Swans |
| Flood Remnants |
| Minnesota River |
| Cottonwoods get hollow |
| My favorite terrain |
| I remember you. |
| Too cold for the beach. |
| Beaver |
| Texture |
Comments
But, in all honesty - I spend more time at Rapids Lake and Louisville Swamp units - as I live much closer to them. In fact, my wife an I just hiked down there a couple of weeks ago! LINK to photo
By the way... Really enjoying your Blog!