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.