| |
| Carlos Avery Wildlife Area, MN | |
|
| | Carlos Avery Wildlife Area, MN | | | |
|
|
Carlos Avery Wildlife Area, MN
| | |
|
| Hiking | 4.50 Miles |
|
| | Hiking | 4.50 Miles | 2 Hrs 45 Mns | | 1.64 mph |
| | | |
| |
| Linked |
|
none
[ show ]
| no linked trail guides |
| Partners |
|
none
[ show ]
| no partners | | Got a couple of warmish days before some bad weather is to set in, so I'm taking the opportunity to hike a rather unique part of the Carlos Avery Wildlife Area. This area is different in that the land was donated to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) for natural environmental research.
The low rolling land consists of two deserted farmsteads (now demolished), once cleared fields & pasture, lots of old growth woods, a small lake and swampland. Several hundred acres are contained within the Boot Lake Scientific and Natural Area where only hiking is permitted. Land use signage forbids motorized vehicles, horses, dogs, hunting, fishing, camping even boating on the lake.
Due to the extreme restrictions placed on the use of the land, I seldom come across another person while I walk through the woods and fields and trails are almost non-existent. It's a place where you can hike the land without worry of disturbing a hunter so I'm comfortable wherever my walks take me, especially during hunting season.
Signs of wildlife are everywhere with Whitetail Deer and Turkeys being the most prevalent among squirrels, pheasant, coyote, and a wide variety of smaller birds making up the remainder of the population. Several large fenced in areas exist in the fields, with each fenceline running more than 100 yards on a side. The fenced areas contain a single gate and the fence itself being more than 7 feet tall. My best guess is that the enclosed areas are intended to keep deer out so the land can be studied over long periods of time.
I hiked this land frequently several years ago so I was surprised at the changes that has occurred. The trees that had been encroaching on the now dormant fields have grown several feet and there are more of them. The old interconnecting farm trails are becoming harder to find through the undergrowth.
Most of autumn's most brilliant colors are now lying on the floor of the forest already in the earliest stages of decomposing. I guess I should have hit this area a couple of weeks ago while the color was still on the trees. |
|
Autumn Foliage Observation Moderate
|
|
| _____________________
| On every trip into the Superstitions, I find another Gold Mine. Today the mine was filled with Memories. I can not wait for the next trip. |
| | |
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Route Editor
Route Scout
