Great River Bluffs State Park

      My trip to Great River Bluffs State Park was a special one because I was able to camp there for two nights and overall take on this adventure with a college friend.

     I had previously been at this particular park 2 years ago to camp with some other friends, so it was nice to be a little more familiar with the area and campground layout. And, I was especially looking forward to re-visiting all the scenic overlooks, knowing full well how more gorgeous they would be as the sensing trees produced a variety of harvest colors to gaze upon.

     However, this wasn’t really the case on our first day and night, as it was snowing upon our arrival. Despite this crazy setback, we still set up our tent and went hiking around the park for a while. Our surroundings reminded us of Christmas as the heavy, wet snow fell from the sky, quickly breaking weak branches from their pile-up. Narnia jokes were also mentioned as we wandered through the snowing hiking trails, observing many glorious sights that made us feel as if we were in a movie – hallmark included.

      But when morning of the next day arrived, the frozen, glistening, white branches were truly a sight to see – even if it was in the middle of October. Soon afterward, the harvest sun melted everything, revealing a different beauty of the park – probably its best-known feature: the colorful valley. We weren’t fully embraced with this concept though until we hiked up on King’s Bluff Trail. The trail was favored by both deer, various birds (an eagle even!), and other individual hikers besides us.

     The long hike was worth it too, as one side of the overlook showed the mighty Mississippi River, which was especially aesthetically pleasing as the fall colors contrasted the river’s blueness. The other side consisted of a forest valley, fully displaying God’s beauty that is unique to the season of autumn. Yellows and oranges were amplified as the sun’s rays increased their glorious rays – a sight hard to describe with words or even a picture, but one that definitely needs to be felt or see in person.

 

     After this refreshing hike, we made potatoes and carrots over our campfire while watching the sunset – taking away our warmth and light for the day. After supper, we quickly made way for our tent, which was quickly named “the nest” as it provided us with its own kind of warmth and comfort as soon as all our additional layers were on along with blankets wrapped tightly around us. Muffled conversations were frequent within our home, but we were both thankful for the crisp, cool, night air. However, bathroom runs were an issue, and after drinking lots of warm hot chocolate, a necessity on both nights. Leaving the heat of our sleeping bags only to race to a cold toilet seat wasn’t the greatest amount of fun, but created laughable memories.

     Actually, I think the time I felt God the most while on this trip was at midnight of our last night, during the midst of another bathroom run. I happened to look up a to bright sky, covered with stars and a shining, almost full moon. It took my breath away. And reminded me how long it had been since I wandered at the stars with curious, awe-struck eyes. The sky made me want to star gaze, to stay outside longer, to even howl at the moon like a wolf. For the first time that night, I felt warm, especially on the inside. God’s presence was calling me, reminding me of His love, and my tears were proof the moment happened. I starred up for so long that my neck began to ache, but peaceful sleep was also calling me name – and I ended up sleeping really well that night.

     The next morning was bittersweet as we both knew we had to leave the gorgeous area. After one last breakfast and another deep, loving conversation, we parted ways for a few moments only to meet again at one last overlook for one more picture. It happened to be the first overlook we visited but couldn’t see much of because of the falling snow. And man, was it worth it to wait and see what that view consisted of. An overlook absolutely breathtaking…

Afton State Park

          It’s almost everyone’s favorite time of the year – fall. Or, in my case, it is currently one of my favorite times of the year because goldenrod is blooming! And Afton State Park contains acres of this plant with gorgeous, golden glows. Unfortunately, not all the plants were in full bloom, but it made me excited to see the beginning process. I still have yet to see an acreage of goldenrods blossom – I’d expect it to look like a mammoth sunflower field, except small plants with a fiery yellow present instead.

            It was when I witnessed this common wildflower that I began to think: Does God have a favorite color? And if He does, is it yellow? Because there are numerous amounts of plants and animals (mainly birds) that are yellow. Plus, the season of fall itself contains an abundant mixture of falling fiery leaves, in addition to the brilliant sun, and don’t the stars give off a golden glow too? Granted, there are also multiple other colored plants and animals that are plentiful, but to me, yellow stands out the most. Flaxen wildflowers are usually the most common as well as the first to bud during each season. Basically, I wouldn’t be surprised if God has a thing for this color.

            Besides the blooming goldenrods, this park allowed me to gaze on God’s beauty of creation through the various scenic outlooks my family and I hiked to. Afton Park is located along the St. Croix River – the border between Minnesota and Wisconsin. Thus, we had the opportunity to see Wisconsin at each outlook besides the river and the tops of both coniferous and deciduous trees. 

Additionally, it was neat to see tall coniferous trees up close again. Their height requesting me to crane my neck up to see their waving needles and branches from above. My family like the coniferous trees for other reasons though – the shelter they provided from the muggy heat of the day, which made the trails about ten degrees cooler than the prairie trails we walked on.

            We also witnessed some wildlife that I don’t think I’ve seen yet since I first began my hiking adventures. At the start, we chased away four huge turkey vultures that had just completed eating a dead fish. Soon afterwards, what I thought was a bald eagle, flew right over our heads! Then later into the hike, we saw a snake. My brother actually walked right beside it, not aware of its presence. I only saw it because I happened to look down. What was so interesting about it was its eyes, or rather the top portion of its head was gone! Eaten or bitten off most likely. I, at first, believed it to be dead because its tongue wasn’t being used to smell. But, after poking it with a stick (the obvious action to take) we realized it was alive, although it remained still as a statue, as we carefully walked around it. I think it was a bull snake, but I’ll upload a picture of it and let you all decide for yourselves.

            Finally, I’ll end on our first experience of this adventure, one of the park’s biggest attractions no doubt. A beach. And it contained the same aesthetic appeal as a beach near an ocean, plus something a little bit better – seclusion. Not many were using this inviting, peaceful shoreline. The sand was cream colored dotted with various sized rocks and soft, the river welcoming us to its water’s warmth, its waves slowly clapping the beach, only roaring when a boat moved past.

The beach honestly reflected the thoughts and feelings I couldn’t express in words – and the emotions remained all throughout the hike. Even now, after reflecting on the day almost a week later, it’s still difficult to describe. My thoughts were: God is here – He is present here. But with words, I can only explain that God’s presence brings a tingling sensation of peace and contempt within my heart.

And I highly encourage you all to find that place – that feeling of Jesus being right beside you. Maybe you’ll feel it at this park, or in the middle of a random street. But, I can tell you this: you won’t EVER regret striving towards God’s presence.

Rice Lake State Park

           I officially made it to the deciduous section of state parks within Minnesota. And it was the first time I had to apply bug spray on a hike due to all the rainfall we’ve had this spring. The area was muddy and the air muggy: a prime location for the local mosquitoes. However, the slight breeze protected my parents and I for the majority of the hike.

 

            Rice Lake, which used to be an Oak Savanna, is still dominated by mostly Burr Oaks, in addition to Walnut and other various trees species. The park is also known as a pit-stop for migrating waterfowl; however, my parents and I missed that aspect due to us hiking the area in July. So, we instead focused our eyes to the other local favorite feature Rice Lake had to offer: blooming wildflowers.

            The State Park contains two back location dedicated to prairie. Here, I strolled through, located, and identified most of the current blooms. Right away, I noticed tall Compass Plants; it’s yellow seed head bloom towering over my head: it’s a plant whose opposite leaves naturally orient themselves in a specific direction (a direction in which I don’t actually remember). It was kind of weird and memorizing to gaze up at a flower taller than yourself. It’s a good reminder of how unique and magnificent each wildflower is, especially because of the One who created the species in the first place. Another gorgeous plant I pointed out was Swamp Milkweed. This is really the first year where I’ve seen a lot of it around, in prairies as well as ditches, which is exciting. We got to help the Monarchs in any way we can, right? 

     

Additionally, Common Milkweed was also present, displaying its broad leaves and rosy pom-pom-like seed head bloom; attracting pollinators as much as it can. A few other wildflowers that I saw and are the first to bloom each season included Black-Eyes Susan, Ox-Eye (AKA False Sunflower), and Daisy Fleabane. 

Common Milkweed

Daisy Fleabane

Black-Eyed Susan

Ox-Eye

All are mostly your basic flowers, but each provides its own strengths to the ecosystem; whether it being nectar for insects, food for other surrounding herbivores, or reducing soil erosion. (I also picture these plants as ones a child would randomly pick for their mother.)

Next, I found Golden Alexander hidden among the vibrant and abundant Wild Parsnip. [FYI: if you don’t know what Wild Parsnip is or how to identify it, LEARN! It’s oils, if it encounters the sun’s rays, will cause severe blisters and burns to the skin. Plus, it’s an invasive species.] It looks are similar to Golden Alexander in regard to color and shape, but Parsnip had a different leaf orientation and grows much taller. But, in any case where you aren’t certain, just leave the plant alone to do its thing. Finally, the other plant I could easily identify were Cattails, surrounding the marshier areas as well as the lake itself. This was my first time seeing them up close too, which a cool moment for me.

            Overall, this hiking trip was quick due to its smaller size. It only took my parents and I around an hour and a half to walk around the whole park. And, despite not seeing any waterfowl on the lake, the hike was still peaceful: Crows, Robins, and other small birds I couldn’t identify, sang white noise for us.

            Additionally, I heard a Blue Jay singing, which is when I saw, or in this case felt, God’s presence the most. I’ve asked God to show me sign via birds before, the Blue Jay being the most common; thus, seeing and hearing them now has a special place within my heart. Plus, they are a good reminder that God is watching over me.

            I cherished my time at Rice Lake State Park and hopefully, in the future, I’ll come back to observe the migrating waterfowl that the park provides a temporary habitat for.

Myre-Big Island State Park

            This trip was a more spontaneous one. My mom and I really didn’t decide what state park to drive to until the minute we were in the car. My ultimate goal is to hike in a Minnesota State Park at least once a month, but because of my summer internship this year in Des Moines, I would not have the opportunity to hike in June; thus, this spur of the moment adventure.

            There were many aspects of this trip that I hadn’t experienced with my previous hikes – mostly involving wildlife; although, the surrounding lakes and blooming trees I would definitely include on the list too. Overall, the park is located on the border of prairies and deciduous trees – a mix of two of my favorite things I might add. But, since I’m on the topic of deciduous trees, I’m going to take this moment to geek out slightly since I learned about these trees in Ecology a couple semesters ago.

            Deciduous trees are the ones able to drop their leaves annually in the fall. They have this ability because their growing seasons are long enough to support this action, and allows them to live throughout the winter months too. So, if our seasons went from summer for a couple months to straight winter the rest of the year, then those trees would have to adapt and keep their leaves in order to grow and retain or gather nutrients throughout the cold winter months too. Then, we would probably term those trees coniferous. I hope that makes sense for you all!

            Additionally, my mom and I saw a lot of beauty within the trees we walked by on this hike. First, we walked through a trail that contained millions of cottonwood seeds, a light dusting of gray and white, making the trail look like a puffy layer of snow had just fallen. Other cool, blooming trees we witnessed were ones that contained white and pink flowers. (Sorry, I don’t know the actual specie names.) The floral scent they gave off reminded me of body soap and it invited us to stay a while longer in their midst. What I enjoyed the most from these trees was looking up at the branches and flowers and see the sun’s rays glide and spread through them. The lights would also change the color shades of pink and white, creating a unique moment.

Another beautiful moment we appreciated were the lakes surrounding the state park. The occasional strong breeze would also drift the muggy scent of lake water towards us, which to me wasn’t a horrible smell. We could also see various species of ducks, pelicans as well as boats recreating about on the lakes. It happened to be on these parts of the trails though, that the bugs were the worst. We fortunately, didn’t get bit, but they were extremely annoying.

            Overall, wildlife dominated the highlights of this trip. Within the first twenty minutes of walking we witnessed a small herd of deer, frozen, waiting for us to make the first move. After a few minutes, we did, continuing on our way. Next, we came across a swamp, which was peaceful and gorgeous to gaze at. I tried to look for signs of fish living in it, but instead a frog startled me. Before we could snap a picture of the creature, it hopped deeper into the murky waters.

            When we hiked to the “Big Island”, we spotted more waterfowl, all of which flew away before we could really look at them, except for one bird. A young green heron, I believe. We observed it jumping up and down off a fallen tree log, almost like it was clearing the space for a mating dance. Unfortunately, the heron remained too far away to capture a good picture of it. Then, while heading back to the bulk of the park, I noticed a small creature about a quarter mile away ahead of us – a turtle, crawling at a decent speed too. I wanted to look at it up close, so actually my mom and I ran to reach it before it disappeared in the ditch on the other side of the road. The heat, humidity, and our tired bodies did not make this task east, but we were still successful. The turtle hid within its shell at first, but slowly gazed out and at us. We also noticed two snakes within the tall grass from the prairies, but with us both being afraid of these creatures, we quickly expanded the distance between the snakes and us. Finally, the last animals we witnessed were some wild turkeys foraging for food. I did my best turkey impersonation in hopes that we could hear them call back, but instead, my noise scared them away, farther into a brush patch of land. In addition to those animals, a few bird songs that I could identify included a catbird, red-winged blackbird (no surprise there), a white-throated sparrow, and some crows.

            Overall, my mom and I finished this hike hot, sweaty, and tired. But, enjoyed each other’s presence and every moment of what the state park had to offer. Except, of course, the bugs.

Kilen Woods State Park

           My trip to Kilen Woods State Park was a solo one, which I enjoyed because it allowed me more opportunities to be still and connect with God. I decided to walk later in the day too (6-8pm) hoping to gaze upon the sunset at the conclusion of my hike, but the weather remained hot and humid by the time I began – my sweat making my tank top damp. Additionally, I was thankful I trekked here during May: any other summer month and I would’ve had to bathe in bug spray to prevent from turning into one large mosquito bite. The terrain happened to be an ideal environment for biting insects: budding brush and a muddy ground, the result of a drenched spring. But, it created a magnificent landscape to gawk at. 

 

            My walk initiated with a wild animal encounter: 3 young deer. Now, I know that spotting a deer isn’t an accomplishment (if I can even call it that) but it occurred suddenly, and the deer startled me by all prancing away, white tails up. The event was mesmerizing though, since I stood within 100 meters of wild, peaceful animals – God’s creation. It’s actually been a year(?) since I’ve come that close to a herd of deer and it happened multiple times throughout my hike (I almost felt like it was the same trio of deer).

            The occurrence reminded me of this past semester when I got to hold a wild animal – a bird, about the size of my hand. It occurred in my Avian Ecology lab (I really learned so much in that class); we were banding birds. It was my first time holding one; so delicate I felt as if I could squish it. I could also feel its pounding heart – terrified I’m sure – against my fingers. I even pet its head as if that would’ve helped it calm down. During this time, I felt overwhelmed; overwhelmed because I embraced a piece of God’s wild creation – a minute fraction of God within my hands. Overall, I felt God’s presence and it lasted but a few seconds. The moment made me sit down and almost cry. It’s an experience I’ll always treasure too.

            Speaking of birds and getting back to Kilen Woods, I heard various kinds of birds, which I could identify (thanks again to Avian Ecology) by their songs including Red-Winged Blackbirds, Mourning Doves, Northern Flicker, Northern Cardinal, Singing Sparrow, and a White-Breasted Nuthatch. Ain’t that neat?!

            Additionally, since the weather for my hike was one of the first days the sun has shown itself after a long, cloudy, wet spring, plants and trees alike were beginning to bloom – giving the park some of its density back. Pollinators were busy as well. I encountered many bumblebees, which of course, I ran away from; probably a funny site to see. (If you haven’t guessed it yet, I’m afraid of stinging insects).

            Another cool aspect about this hike was its location next to the Des Moines River. It amazed me to feel the temperature decrease dramatically as I ventured down the steep trails to reach the river’s shoreline. The water moved steadily, harmonizing with the surrounding frogs, creating a peaceful melody to walk too. A couple creeks streamed into it too – a little foreshadowing of the main event.

            I can easily say though that my two favorite parts of the whole hike were the overlooks and the sun. The scenic overlooks provided an awesome reward to the steep climbs (I quickly realized that I’m not in hiking shape quite yet) to reach a hill’s peak. Here, I received a better view of the river and distant farmlands as well as acres of prairies with neighboring town’s water towers. The only upsetting incident was that the watch tower within the park had been torn(?) down. I thought it would be a great place to watch the sunset and see the river or prairie from a different perspective, but when I reached the tower’s hill, all that was left were the tower’s base stumps.

            Now, for the sun. I know you might be thinking, “she can see the sun every day, how could that be her favorite part?” Well, it happened to be the way the sun’s light reflected on the river and the trees. While standing among the trees, the sun’s rays made the leaves turn gold and the branches glisten with star dust. The light rays breaking through them soon reached the river, creating golden ripples as the water hurried to its next destination. Additionally, this ensued to be the moment I felt God the most throughout my hike. Finally, as I headed back to my car I watched the sun begin its decent to its friend, the horizon, generating its own beautiful moment: a grand ending to a peaceful, rewarding, hiking adventure.

Blue Mounds State Park

A hooded sweatshirt, flannel, ripped jeans, and fresh hiking boots – yeah, it was finally time for an adventure….

     Saturday, April 21st was when my hiking exploit at Blue Mounds State Park in Luverne, Minnesota began. It actually was the perfect hiking weather too: a solid 53 degrees, with a slight 5-10 mph wind speed, an overcast sky. Nothing too hot nor cold. My parents (my hiking buddies for this trip) and I were thankful for the slower wind speed considering the environment of the state park was mostly an open prairie mixed with a rocky outline made up of cliffs, with only a few tree-bundles available providing shelter from a strong wind gust.

     Although, because of the late-spring bloom, the park was still recovering from its recent snow storm, which happened only three days before we arrived. The mushy, gloomy appearance of the park was a definitely an effect of the unwanted white dumping.

     Recently, I coined a term that I felt was appropriate for this in-between mix of winter transforming into spring: muted beauty. Muted because it’s as if the colors of spring have been turned to dull, with only the shades of gray and brown exposing themselves. Bare trees, dirt brown grass, almost nonexistent wildflowers. The only thing, it seems, that brings life to these types of days, are the birds. Their songs, reminding us that spring is indeed still coming, as they too are preparing for its arrival. I even wrote a poem on the topic, using the joyful (and colorful, I might add) birds as a metaphor of Jesus providing us new life (Spring) everyday within our sinful lives (the bare/muted environment).

     However, as I hiked through the park, thinking of how this too reminded me of a muted beauty, I realized that the splendor was not at all muted because God had created it. I just wasn’t being as observant as I thought I was; for true loveliness was actually all around me (actually around all of us) every day – by the grace of God.

   For example, my parents and I were able to walk up to the cliffs that Blue Mounds is known for: the colored rocks a mix of faded red, pink, to a rusty white. But it was within the crevices of these cliffs that I found to be amazing. (Honestly, I felt like a mini rock climber or explorer climbing around them.) Inside the crevices, I could see the evidence of past (or present) homes for a variety of animals, such as birds or ground mammals. But, I actually saw the most beauty from the one thing that is unwanted during this time of year – snow. As it was melting from the fifty-degree weather, the water was streaming down from the top of the cliffs, all the way to my feet, where it even created a little brook. It felt like I was inside a mini cave – a combination of peace and exquisiteness. All I could say was: “Wow. God this is an awesome experience you’re giving me.”

     Additionally, for those of you who don’t know, I’m currently double majoring in Ecological Science and Writing and Rhetoric. And, what’s great those majors is that I’m able to learn about nature – the root of my hiking adventures, and the one environment where I can truly feel God’s presence and be closer to him. (You can probably guess what the Writing major is for.) Currently, I’m taking an Avian Ecology class where I have to learn the taxonomic groupings of various species of birds by physical appearance as well as their songs, in addition to their behavior, such as mating, parental care, or nest building.

     My knowledge about birds was especially challenged as Blue Mounds State Park is home to many different species of birds. I actually “geeked-out” a little when I confidently identified a Western Meadowlark by its song. Actually, my thoughts raced from “I can’t believe I remembered this bird” to “my education is actually paying off!” Moreover, I was super proud of my achievement.

     Another cool bird moment I witnessed was watching (what I think was a grebe?) take off along the river that’s within the park. What’s so interesting about this moment is that grebes have to physically run across/on top of the water in order to gain enough speed to take off and fly, which by the way, is totally better watching in person than on a YouTube video.

     Finally, one moment where I saw God on this hiking trip was while walking on a bike trail. My parents and I came up to a section that was surrounded by trees. Within these trees were many birds, all calling to one another. It was so loud that it was even hard for me to hear myself talk. But, knowing that God created all those birds individually, as well as their songs, formed another wow moment for me.

     Overall, this hiking trip made my heart full by witnessing the different aspects of creation that God made. From the Turkey Vultures flying close overhead (so close that I could easily point out their rounded wing shape to my parents) to the baby plants sprouting among the paths. Moreover, I know that with each hiking trip I do, God will continue to awe me with his magnificent creation.