So I guess my son and I are on a mission. A mission to walk as much of this trail as we can within a decent driving distance from us. If you will remember, on our first hike, we parked at 250 W and walked East to 100 and then back to the starting part. That was roughly 4 miles according to maps, but please keep in mind that if it actually was just under 4 miles, I bumped it up to 4 miles because I need that to feel better about the amount of exercise that I get! 😂 I get A LOT of exercise, but probably don't look like it. My 5 foot, menopausal frame has a mind of its own!
It was a bit of a muggy day, but with nice breezes that foretold of a storm coming later in the evening. I didn't want to wear my ankle brace, so I wore my ankle-height work boots....which I will never wear for a walk again. Working around the land? = super comfy! Hiking 4 miles? = nope.
I parked in a tiny lot that holds about two vehicles on 100 W and we continued to head East. More signage and really awesome billboards were on this segment! I am a sucker for stopping along the way and learning some history, as is my son. There were two more than this, but Blogger isn't loading it correctly. I'll try from my phone at a later time. 👇
This part of the walk was probably my favorite so far, but probably because it was just new to me? I saw flora and fauna on this segment that I did not see on the prior one. Like this Vetch. This is my first exposure to this plant, so I am not sure if it is native, but according to some cursory research, some of them can be. 👇
I started seeing garbage pretty much right away, and I remembered to take a bag with me this time! But since it was pretty close to where we started, I figured I would pick it up on the way back.....and then I couldn't find some of it again. Note to self to mark it on maps next time. 😒 Shot gun shell, and there were lots of baby/hand wipes along this area too (which I did see at the end of the walk and picked up to throw away). I just want to say that finding these things is not a negative representation of the entities that volunteer to keep this trail up. It is a representation of the people who throw it down on the ground in this natural place full of wildlife that can be negatively impacted by it. Most people we run across on the trail are bicyclists, and I couldn't imagine being able to see the garbage while biking, but if every walker/volunteer took a small grocery store bag with them each time they are out here, or any other natural place, and took the time to pick up what they saw, collectively we could make a big impact. 💚 👇
We passed by two cement markers on this portion, and a tree that had grown around a railroad metal sign/marker. 👇
We got some double-p plants going on here! Packera and Phlox, both native. I dream of the day when I find Phlox on my land (or at home while we still live here), instead of Dame's Rocket. Dame's Rocket has 4 petals, Phlox has 5. I find that DR blooms first, and then the Phlox immediately after, however, there was one season where I saw that they slightly overlapped in bloom times. 👇
I can see really small things that others might miss. Just some movement out of the corner of my eye, and oh! Hello there, spider! After joining a group on FB that shows lots and lots of pictures and shares knowledge of spiders and bugs, I've come to really appreciate them. I don't want to hold it, thank you, but at least I am not running around trying to stomp on it now. I read somewhere that humans sometimes try and put a human factor to all animals, and I guess that helps be less afraid of it? I would post the video here too, but nobody needs to hear me gushing over this spider and baby talking to it. Not mention my son dropping the F-bomb, because he is absolutely terrified on spiders. You can see that she has an egg sac.😁 👇🕷
After having just pulled some garlic mustard pretty close to it, I found this guy was just chilling. Blended in so well with its surroundings! Snapping turtle. It was not too far away from a water source as we were to soon see just after letting this guy be to enjoy his Sunday morning. *Please note that while it looks like I got right up on it, I used the zoom on my phone to its maximum capacity and did not touch or otherwise harass it *👇
There were SO many butterflies out and about! Spicebush Swallowtails, Eastern Tiger Swallowtails, Fritillary's, etc.
I also saw a lot of these swamp roses, all right at ground level. We have some at our land that I have marked so they don't get mowed down. Native. 👇
It's that time of year for mulberries! Love them or hate them, native or non-native, they are everywhere. I have tried cutting the white mulberries down on the tree line next to my yard and they have come back as if nothing ever happened. I think though that we can take lessons from the plants, to keep recovering and coming back better than ever whenever something tries to take us out. 👇
Some things that we saw but could not get pictures of were deer, and a turkey, but their evidence was all around if you open your eyes to see the natural world. 💚👇
The farther East we went, we noticed a lot of flooding in a forest that was to the North of the trail. Privately owned, with signage and purple paint on the trees (which we still need to do in our forest this year), I had flashbacks of my time in Louisiana when I was little. The resiliency of some trees to stand in water like that for an unknown amount of time amazes me, though some sentinels let go and tipped over. 👇
I found a patch of Motherwort. Non-native, but medicinal. I have them at my current home, and have not pulled them yet. 👇
Salsify/goatsbeard, is something I referenced in a recent post. I pull these on my land, and pulled the few that I saw here at the trail that had not gone to seed yet. Non-native. 👇
This was very interesting! I have wild garlic growing on the land and is a source of debate as to if you should get rid of it or not. We usually keep it mowed down in open spaces, but I do try and pull it in other spots. Number one, I can't eat garlic or onions, so this is not a food source for us. I did try it when we first bought the land and I noticed them and I wasn't impressed. The wild garlic is non-native, but this is not a picture of wild garlic, this is Sand Leek (also known by other names), and is also non-native. 👇
I am not a hunter. At all. Seeing an animal hurt or unalived literally hurts my soul. But that doesn't mean I can't be impressed by a hunting stand! Nice job to whomever put this together! The picture doesn't do it justice. 👇
Some of the garbage I was able to grab along the way of the walk was two plastic water bottles, an engine oil container, a candy wrapper, and a few hand/butt wipes. All went into the same bag as the invasives, which were garlic mustard, and salsify. 👇
And I wasn't going to be able to carry this garbage out! Not only was it on private property, it was way too big and heavy to carry out! I had to wonder if it was someone thumbing their nose at the land owner, considering it was right under the purple patch? An old box t.v. and some sort of broken up porcelain fixture.👇
Junipers are some of my favorite trees! This one is starting to get its berries 💙 👇
A close-up of Phlox as we get back to the car. I have found that about a mile in, I need to use the bathroom, but have to hold it for the four mile walk 💦😂 and I am limping and am ready to get off of my leg about two miles in. Seeing my car in the distance was the only thing that kept me going when I was ready to lay down beside the snapping turtle. (Kidding. Well, not kidding about wanting to lay down, but kidding about doing that next to the turtle.) I rarely use the a/c in my car, but I kicked that luxury on as soon as my car started! 💨😰
I hope you'll consider checking into the Prairie Trail Club! You can sign up to volunteer, make a donation, and just learn some really neat history! www.prairietrailsclub.org
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