This week's guest post is by the Kickapoo Valley Reserve's Jackie Yocum, whose work involves maintaining over 50 miles of trails on the property. Her words are an invitation to consider the power of trails in our lives. Read on for more information about trail use as we head into a busy weekend that kicks off a summer of adventures in getting outside!
View from Black Hawk Rock.
The Kickapoo Valley Reserve has approximately 50 miles of
trails for visitors to explore on its 8,600 acres. I am one of the staff
tasked to maintaining the trails keeping them in good repair and sustainable. I
love my job, I love the woods, I love being outside, and I am proud to be a
caretaker of the KVR.
Jackie on the Ditch Witch. Photo by Julie Hoel.
From an early age, before I even realized my passion for
trails, they were part of everyday life. I grew up on a dairy farm on a
Kickapoo River tributary downriver of the KVR. One of my daily chores
was “bringing the cows home” from their day pasture for milking. I would
jump on my pony bareback, and head across the gravel road and up the valley to
find the girls--"long faced beauties" as my Grandma would call them. The
cows had to know I was coming after them, as it happened every day, and yet they
were always in the furthest reaches of the pasture, heads down, mouthfuls of
grass rolling around their tongues. Their heads would jerk up at first
sight when I whistled for them, as if they were surprised to see me there.
These “trails” that led to the vast hilltop meadow weren’t well-laid or carefully designed trails, they were cow paths, functional for the cows and
installed by the cows. These trails cut deeply into a hillside that delivered them to the lush meadow grass on the ridgetop. They also crossed the stream, so each cow could
drink her fill, and they disappeared altogether in the grassy areas where the cows spread
out to graze.
Every day, my pony “Babe” and I would venture out together. My trail etiquette back then wasn’t the best as we liked to keep a
pretty good pace on our way up the valley. I was young and fearless and riding fast was the way Babe and I liked it. After all, we both knew
we would be walking home slowly because Old Bess, the slowest cow, couldn’t
be left behind. I have fond memories of this chore and it was my first
experience with trails.
I have always found myself drawn to a path in the
woods. There is something about the discovery of what is around the next
bend that pulls on my inquisitive heart strings. It is no wonder that I
would find myself playing in the dirt in the woods for a career. A single
trail can take each person that uses it on a different journey. Some see
it through the ears of a horse, which is still one of my favorite ways to enjoy a
trail. There is something freeing about two beings of different species,
working together and trusting each other as they move along a trail. Some
see it over the handlebars of their bike. Heart pounding, leaving heavy
breath in their wake as they churn to the top of a hill. And yet others
prefer their own two feet. Hiking a trail opens a whole new world,
especially if you pause and look. You can even paddle a trail! Yup! That's right! There are water trails, and the Kickapoo River is one of the best.
A trail can bring about so much: accomplishment
in completing an 8 mile trek or paddling 10 river miles, solace when thoughts
consume us, armistice when faced with challenges, fellowship when exploring
with friends. We can be inquisitive and look under that rotting log. We
can give audience to the piliated woodpecker's treetop chatter. We can
revel in the gift of stumbling upon a newborn fawn or in spotting the first morel
of the season. Gifts are plentiful on the trail.They are there for the
experiencing. Nature heals us, lifts us, lightens us.
And trails take us
there.
I encourage you to find your trail. The one that transports
you to a place in your past, a place of discovery that you may have first experienced as a
child. You deserve it.
***
We asked Jackie to share some of her knowledge about trails. Here's our Q & A.
What are your biggest
challenges in getting trails ready for the season?
Fall is the busiest time for trail maintenance. My goal is to have all maintenance done by mid to late October. This ensures the best possible outcome as the trails transition through the freeze and thaw to come. Depending on the spring, flooding is often causes time-consuming challenges to have trails ready for spring opening. Weather is the biggest hurdle: trees are blow down, trails are wet and not accessible for checking except by foot and that is time consuming. So weather/conditions are the biggest challenge.
Trail Etiquette, Trail Etiquette, Trail Etiquette! This includes: greeting other trail users, yielding to other users, using designated trails only, adhering to trail closures during wet weather. Follow all the rules to protect your right to ride. Purchase an annual permit. Money collected at the KVR via permits stays on the property and benefits the trails.
Where can people learn
more about trails?
Here are some great resources:
If our family is out and
about this weekend, and we notice something on the trail, what should we
do?
If there is conflict on the trails, notify the KVR or Vernon
County Sheriff for an emergency or a dangerous situation. In an emergency, always call 911.
Trees down or trail tread issues? Please call the KVR
Visitor Center to report.Try to pinpoint the location and size.
Off trail use or use of closed trails: Please Contact
the KVR Visitor Center.
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