Two New Wisconsin Trails in One Week

This week I got to check out two new trails. The White River State Trail is mostly used by snow mobiles and bicycles, but my neighbor Margie and I checked it out on foot earlier this week after first stopping at Gooseberries in Burlington. They have great produce and bakery items and you can always count on them for something new and different to try. This time I picked up some locally made honey roasted peanut butter along with a fresh chicken pot pie.

There wasn't alot of wildflower activity along this trail, but I could tell it would make a great bike ride so I'll have to get back here with my bike soon. Rocket was blooming though, and it was a gorgeous day for a walk.

This 12-mile trail follows a former rail corridor as it travels between Elkhorn and Burlington, passing by numerous bridges, scenic vistas, quaint towns, farmlands, and wetlands. We walked about 1.5 miles in and then turned around. The section by the Burlington trailhead that we were on is bordered by a few farms and a beautiful wetland area. We could hear some Canada geese, but mostly it was songbirds in the trees that kept us company.

 

The second trail I hit this week was at Beulah Bog in East Troy, which has been designated a state natural area. From the WI DNR website:  

Beulah Bog lies in a series of four kettle holes and features an undisturbed bog with many unusual plants more typical of northern bogs. Classical stages of ecological succession are exhibited in the bog including: a shallow bog lake dominated by watershield with white and yellow water-lilies and extensive floating mud flats; an advancing, quaking sedge and sphagnum mat between 25 and 50 feet wide; northern wet forest of tamarack and bog shrubs and; a wet open moat surrounding the main bog, dominated by wild calla and cat-tails. Undisturbed bogs in this area are rare and the site supports a number of regionally rare plants with more northern affinities including dense cotton grass, large and small cranberry, and small bladderwort. The site harbors at least six species of insectivorous plants and the state-threatened plant, kitten tails (Bessya bullii), is also found here. The bog lake provides habitat for several dragonfly species and other invertebrates.

When my son, Cory, suggested a Mother's Day hike as his gift to me, I was one happy Mama!

Wobbly trail

The trail starts off as a dirt path and then there is a sudden turn downward to the boardwalk. Cory brought his camera along also, so the both of us spent a lot of time crouched down looking for things to shoot. He was particularly good at spotting frogs, and for some reason I was on fire with the insects for a change!  The boardwalk was wide at first, but then quickly narrowed down to a rickety path that had extra boards thrown on top because some of the trail had become submerged.

wild calla lily in bloom with small frog underneath

  We forged ahead carefully, but a little water wasn't going to keep us out. My internet research had revealed that there were pitcher plants in the area, so I wasn't leaving without seeing them!

 

We had to jump around a bit on the sphagnum area, but wet shoes and socks were a small price to pay, in my opinion. The boardwalk ended at the bog "lake" and after discerning that there really wasn't much more to see we turned around and headed back.

 I'll have to come back to this bog when fall comes around. There are supposed to be cranberry and blueberry plants here and bogs turn such pretty colors in the fall.  Hope you enjoy the insects as much as I did! Happy Mothers Day to all the moms out there!

green tiger beetle

grasshopper