by rawevil
It’s that time of year again when the days get shorter and the nights get longer. There’s a crispness to the air and its scent can never be captured in a candle or an air freshener. Yes, it’s autumn in Wisconsin. It’s time to pull out those WGA hoodies and warm socks and head to the trails and woods to seek out the elusive caches that are buried underneath Mother Nature’s fall blanket.
Like most of you, we enjoy hiking a lot during this time of year. The mosquitoes are pretty much done and the ticks are on the down low. But, the grasshoppers are out in full force crisscrossing our steps. And, the garter snakes are slithering off the trail and the open fields after warming their bodies in the sun as we approach. The black walnut, oak, and hickory trees are tossing their nuts at us as we make our way to the next 528 feet. (It’s either that or the WGA squirrel. At times, we are not sure.) Along the way, the white pines are sporting their green and gold Packer colors. Now you know Mother Nature must be a Green Bay fan! That’s just a snippet of what we see while enjoying what Wisconsin’s woods has to offer this time of year.
As we trip our way over the cleverly hidden tree roots with a thick layer of colorful maple, oak, aspen, birch, cottonwood, and willow leaves, we are always amazed at the canvas that’s all around us. Stunning! However, those leaves we come upon aren’t just any leaves, they’re the crunchy leaves. You know what we mean. They are the kind of leaves that break the silence of an entire forest with just one step. The sort of leaves that make you drag your feet just so you can hear the sound as you pile them into a small heap on the trail. The type of leaves that make you feel like a kid again and make you want to jump into a huge pile and roll around. The leaves that make noises as they gently fall to the ground but hit hard at the surface. Beautiful, Wisconsin, crunchy fall leaves. The bright yellow ones, the vivid red ones, the crispy green ones, the sunny orange ones, and yes, even the rusty brown ones! Enjoy this while you can because the quietness of light snow falling is surely just around the corner.
