Missed this before. Awesome post.
Agreed...
My adventures locally have turned into much more than I ever thought they would. The Vernon Marsh in particular. In this particular area of the Fox River in Southeast WI, the river fans out over a 4665 square foot area, creating a very unique, marsh-like ecosystem unlike anything I've experienced elsewhere. I've gone kayaking in this area nearly every weekend this entire calendar year.
Last winter around Christmas I bought a drysuit, and it enabled me to kayak during any weather or temperature. I went out and just loved the cold weather kayaking, and the Fox River/Vernon Marsh area was my favorite to go, and very close to my house. I went out during the winter when the river was low and there was snow and ice everywhere. Throughout the weeks, I watched the whole place change with the seasons. At first I saw only beavers, fish, a few deer, and a couple of other creatures, but the further I got into spring, the more the area started to thaw out, and the more activity I saw in the local wildlife. It was when the geese came back that the place really came alive. Once the spring rains started, the river swelled, and it opened up a new channel that is not accessible unless the water is high enough. Through that channel is one of the most inaccessible locations I know, and it is just teeming with wildlife. The fish pretty much jump into your boat, the geese gather by the hundreds, and I have never seen another person when I've been in there.
Once summer comes along, the cold blooded turtles start to become more active. The bugs seem to multiply. The river gets higher, and it begins to turn into a flooded forest where I can kayak through trees and into areas that were covered with snow only a few weeks prior. There was some storm damage from a few tornado's that hit this area, and it changed the marsh. After I saw some of the downed trees, I tested out setting up my hammock directly from my kayak while over water. Below is a thread where I posted some pictures of my trip...
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=763866
Now, fall is upon us again, the sun is setting earlier, the river is dropping along with the temperature, and when most people in WI are thinking about how they are going to keep themselves occupied indoors during another long, cold winter, I am excited to get back out on the river as long as it's open (which was all winter last year), and watch the seasons change once again.
I spend as much time outdoors locally as I can, and going to the same spots at different times of year has taught my many things. I can't wait to see how these places change for me next year...
I would certainly love to explore more of the US. Alaska. Canada. South America. Africa. Australia. Everywhere. But the fact of the matter remains that I have spent a majority of my life in WI, I love it here, I have family here, and I am part of this place. The more I get to know my little corner of the world, the more amazing it becomes...
JGON
