Sunny, temps in the upper 60’s

 

Here it is the end of April and I’m just now fitting in a hike.  April flew by and was filled with some unexpected situations that required more of my attention. I could of easily skipped this month’s hike but because I commitment to 12 hikes I made it a point to get out even though I don’t feel like it. When “I don’t feel like it” is usually when I need it the most. Once I get myself out walking in the woods I always feel better but for some reason self-care seems to get put at the bottom of my to-do list.

 

Loosing track of the month and thinking I had plenty of time to get a new hike in I put off my planned April hike and decided to stop at Mirror lake on my way to meet friends in the Dells. Later in the day I realized that I would not in fact have time for a new hike this month and had just wasted my only free time on a park I had already spent time in. The good news is that I hiked a new trial at Mirror Lake so that qualifies.

 

Mirror Lake is a State Park that is about 2 miles from WI Dells. It is a beautiful park but it’s usually a bit crowed for my taste. Being that it was April I thought it might not be as busy so I stopped in.  It has over 19 miles of hiking trail, the most spectacular being the Echo Rock trail. (A trail I’ve explored many times but not today)  I parked at the beach and decided to hike the trial that follows the lakeshore around the backside of the lake. This path is pretty flat and easy to hike and offers nice views of the lake.  The park has two very distinct ecosystems, one side is rocky, full of pines and sandstone outcroppings and the other side is flatter and full of hardwoods.  I took the flatter, hardwood route thinking there would be less people on it and because I had never explored this part of the park before.

 

It was a nice warm, sunny day and there was just a hint of green starting to pop in the woods. I spent a lot of time meandering, taking pictures, sitting by the lake and discovering new plant life emerging from the forest floor. I love this time of year, the new smells, the warmth of the sunshine and seeing the sweet, delicate new growth popping up from the old decay of last year’s vegetation.  Spring is a time of new beginnings, of hope and rebirth and renewed energy. I only spent an hour of my day there and probably only walked a mile but I left feeling relaxed, renewed and excited about the upcoming summer. 

 

Half way through my walk I stopped and sat by the lake. While I was sitting I wrote down some of the sights and sounds that I noticed or felt. This is what I wrote, unedited.

 

The smell of old pine needles baking in the sun

 

The sound of kids playing on the beach, such joy and so in the moment

 

Even the sound of random car doors closing take me back to camping when I was young

 

The sounds of birds and the frogs and the waves rippling on the shore

 

The cool breeze off the lake gently touching my face

 

How the water sparkles with the sun reflecting off of it

 

The sound of ducks quacking as they fly overhead

 

The sound of the wind blowing through the tops of the trees

 

The one other notable thing from this hike is that I hiked alone and didn’t feel uncomfortable.  I have been working on dealing with my fear of solo hiking and this was the first time I’ve done it and felt relaxed the whole time. Maybe it’s because there was other people around or maybe because it was a familiar park or maybe because it's not a very remote area or maybe it's because I’m gaining more confidence! Either way it was a great feeling to be able to just hike and relax and take pictures and not worry. So yea me! :)

 

Oh and one more thing, I saved a baby turtle :)  Back at my car I went around to the passenger side door to put my backpack on the front seat and right under my front tire I spoted the cutest little baby trurle. I'm so glad I saw him before I backed up the car!  I helped him back up into the grass away from the parking lot and was on my way.  Sure hope he made it saftely to wherever he was headed!