One of the benefits of working at the VC as an "information specialist" is that I have access to all the hiking and biking literature I could want and, usually, a little time on each of my work days to make lists and plan our adventures. Not only does that make me a better worker, but it streamlines our time off together so that we're not scrambling to figure out what to do at the last minute.
Recently, I highlighted trails in the CAMBA (Chequamegon Area Mountain Bike Association) brochure that are suitable for both of us (i.e. what my skill level can handle.) Then I handed over the brochure to TBG so he could choose from those to select our weekly ride.
First up were a series of trails in what is called the Drummond Cluster.
These trails, like many here in northern Wisconsin, are used by hikers, bikers, and ATVers in the summer, and skiiers, snowshoers, and snowmobilers in the winter. They are nice and wide and kept pretty well mowed.
They make for a different type of biking experience than we're used to, but the trails I chose were, of course, mostly level. The shade was welcome on the hot day, but the biting flies were a bit of an annoyance, however they provided good motivation to keep up a decent pace. Even though my arms and legs were exposed, a mean old fly decided to bite my hand through the mesh of my glove. Twice. When you're navigating over sticks and roots trying not to tip over into a tree or poison ivy, taking your hand off the handlebars to dislodge a biting fly is stupid.
Despite the occasional pest, the ride was a fun one through pretty woods. No falls were taken, no expletives were uttered, and no other people were encountered until we arrived back at the lot. Just over four miles doesn't seem like a lot, but mountain biking miles are to road biking miles what dog years are to human years. Maybe not seven times more, but easily double.
For our hiking day, TBG looked over my Let's Do These Hikes! list and chose the Jerry Jay Jolly Trail.
Like the biking trails we rode, this area is also a popular cross-country ski area in the wintertime. In the summer, though, this one is for foot traffic only. Not long into the hike, TBG spotted a small group of Chanterelle mushrooms, which he promptly stowed carefully in his backpack.
We also found lots of little wild strawberries and pretty wildflowers along the way.
At one point, we scared up a ruffed grouse and her brood, the small ones flying up into the trees one side of the trail, and the hen left making the most pitiful whimpering noises on the other. While we stopped to try to get photos of them, I looked down to see three ticks on my pants. The scenario I've decided is true is that the grouse were feasting on chubby ticks, and when we scared them, the ticks saw their way out and tried to hitch a ride on me. They were easily dislodged, but in hindsight, I wish we'd watched them for a minute or so to see if my freshly treated pants actually made them fall off like they're supposed to. Next time! (because there will be a next time)
It was warm and humid for most of the hike, and though some clouds had moved in and we encountered a few sprinkles near the end, we were still sufficiently hot enough to want to finally stop off at a local dairy farm on the way home for some ice cream sandwiches.
We'd been told very early on that Tetzner's Dairy had some darn fine ice cream sandwiches. Their store area, which sells much more than ice cream, works on the honor system. You choose your items, write what they are on the little envelope, put in your cash, and drop it in the box. I adore that there are still places that operate that way. The smallest bill we had on us was a $20, and for that we got five ice cream sandwiches and two pounds of their ground beef. The one above that looks like strawberry? Nuh-uh cherry. YUM
I haven't seen any new bird species this week, but that doesn't make my weekly birding walk any less enjoyable.
With the oven on the fritz, my Instant Pot has been getting even more love, and this week's new recipe was a low-country boil. The only thing missing was a big plate of corn pone!
Next week's post will probably look a lot like this one, just insert different trails and possibly new new food. There won't be ice cream sandwiches left. And I meant to get a picture of our new neighbor's rig before it got too dark, but you'll have to wait for that in next post. It's actually as good as we could hope for in the space we've all got over here. Plus a dog!
Ugh, ticks are most unpleasant. Even more unpleasant than biting flies. I sure hope your repellent works as advertised! I do not feel that high temperature is a prerequisite for consumption of ice cream sandwiches, especially cherry. And what ever happened to the chanterelles? I am sure they were greatly enjoyed in something delicious.
A fine question Shannon. The chanterelles were quickly consumed the following morning sauteed in olive oil and combined with scrambled eggs. I had no idea their wide range in the US, to include the South.
I’m kind of over things that can bite and either make you very sick or kill you. These sorts of things may very well be the determining factor in where we eventually settle down. You’re right that it doesn’t have to be hot out for ice cream, but when it’s chillier, I have lots of warm treats. Now I want a cherry cake…
TBG already answered the mushroom question, but what we failed to include was that I do NOT eat them. Mushrooms taste like dirt. I do enjoy mushroom-hunting, though. 😀
Sprinkle a little Old Bay seasoning on the Low Country Boil to add a little Je Ne Said Quoi. In fact, sprinkle a little on those shrooms you picked.
Oh, yessir, there was Old Bay involved! 🙂
If there’s no swearing involved, is it even a bike ride?
And hooray for making it to a dairy! And a decidedly non-commercially folksy one to boot. I would have fought you for the cherry ice cream sandwich.
Does it count that I swore a little later that night when some knee pain woke me up? 😐
I’m thinking our next trip to the dairy will involve a pint or more of just cherry ice cream. I would’ve just given you the ice cream sandwich because I’ve seen your ass-kickin’ boots!
Ugh, every mile eastward has involved more bugs and the ticks are freaking me out. I am definitely interested in your verdict on permethrin. We tend to just use OFF, but I hate it. What I’d hate even more, though, would be that tick disease that makes you allergic to red meat. That’s just terrible. Speaking of delicious food, I used to love ice cream sandwiches like that when I was a kid. I haven’t had one in years. Might have to find one now that you’ve got it in my head. Can’t wait to hear about your new dog!!! 🙂
We have always used permethrin on our clothing/gear with great results — this last outing with the 3 ticks at once was the very rare exception, and since we knocked them off almost as soon as they hitched a ride, we can’t say for sure if they were going to get the killing effect the permethrin provides. We use DEET on exposed skin in addition, and with those two deterrents and our daily tick checks, we’ve so far never found an embedded tick. (you still have 24-32 hours to remove an embedded tick before it can transfer illness, which is why checks are the most important thing to do!)
Like you, I don’t think I’ve had an ice cream sandwich like that since childhood. I think if (when!) we revisit Tetzner’s, I will get a pint or more of the cherry ice cream. It was gooooood.
Our new dog’s name is Meeka. She doesn’t know she’s our yet, but that’s just a minor detail 😀
I agree, mountain biking trails are easily the equivalent of double the miles on a nice flat road! But it’s way more fun to bike through the woods, unless there are biting flies. I cannot believe that there were no expletives during that expedition!
It makes me mad walking on the beach during our weekly dinner picnics and having an annoying biting fly bugging me. But! I discovered that the natural Ranger Ready bug sprays with picardin really work to keep them away. I haven’t been bitten once (even while working in the yard) since I’ve been using them. It keeps ticks and mosquitoes and chiggers away, too. I keep meaning to treat our hiking clothes with permethrin but haven’t gotten around to it. That would be double protection for when we’re deep in the woods! Like at our house, LOL.
Yummy, chanterelles! We found a big cluster of them in the backyard last week. 🙂
Too true, the scenery mountain biking provides is often far better than the paved trails. Why is nothing perfect?! Why?! I am quickly remembering the biting flies of my growing-up years, and how they were able to keep up to our heads as we rode our bikes. We’ll try the Picaridin once we’re out of DEET, especially since it’s touted to be odorless. We have kept our clothes treated with permethrin right along, and just use DEET on exposed areas when we’re ready to start hiking/biking. The permethrin works very well, and while we’ve had tick contact, we’ve had none survive to embed. The best news is that, so far, they’ve all been Wood (Dog) Ticks, and they say those rarely transmit disease in Wisconsin. Yay?
ewwww TICKS! I’m positively phoebic about ticks. Every time I see a photo of someone peacefully hiking in beautiful, green woods or fields, I recoil!
Low Country Boil is one of our favorites! I made so many of them one summer at the lake that the electric burner drip pans turned permanently black from the “occasional” and unavoidable boil overs!
While we’re willing to brave some places or trails knowing the tick potential, we did just give a big Nope! to a trail yesterday that appeared to be nothing but shoulder-high weeds right now. I hate to bypass some exercise, but what good would it be if we got a nasty tick disease out of it?
You’ll have to get (or use it if you got it) an Instant Pot. It made the low-country boil an absolute breeze with no mess at all!
Good to see you biking and hiking. Mountain biking/street biking is like hiking a trail vs walking the streets. The off road trails are definitely a lot more work. While your area has a lot to see and do, it does have bugs and ticks. I just can’t do them anymore. I’ve always had a phobia about ticks. Just reading about them makes shiver. I hope your neighbors are pleasant people, and they have a really cool, quiet dog!!
While I don’t necessarily have a phobia about ticks, I definitely agree that I do NOT want to deal with them on a permanent basis! The amount of time it takes to treat clothing and do tick checks, sometimes more than once a day, is just too much.
Our neighbor(s) are great so far, and the doggie really IS very cool and quiet! We’re plotting the best way to nab her when we leave 😀
Ticks! I did not get any of them but chiggers attacked me in Indiana and it was bad, horribly bad!
Country boil, yes, ice cream sandwich oh yes!
A new addition, hmmm, really? but can’t wait to see her or him 🙂
I know about chiggers, but have never been gotten by them. They sound miserable!
We’ll have to have some low-country boil and ice cream in October 🙂
I wish that doggie was really ours, but it sure is fun having such a nice doggie next door for pets and play!
We haven’t had problems with ticks since we left MN. We have been attacked by chiggers, so bad, we both have scars from bites that we scratched too much. I don’t really have a phobia of ticks but, Jerry really has a bad reaction. Thankfully, Jack is now taking a monthly pill for them and he has been vaccinated for Lyme disease. I read an article about why there is no human vaccine for Lyme disease. Sigh. I want to scream just thinking about it.
Our permethrin treatments must be working because you’re the second ones to have been attacked by chiggers while so far we’ve not been. Now I’m askeered! I looked up the Lyme vax stuff, and it IS disappointing that we don’t currently have a human one. I saw that Pfizer is hard at work on one that might be ready by 2024. That’s something, I guess! In the meantime, have fun with the tick checks! 🙂