November 28, 2009: Lower Cherokee Conservation Park, Madison, Wisconsin

Not much to say today other than it was a beautiful, sunny Saturday with the temps reaching to around 50F. What more can a person ask for at the very end of November? With deer hunting season still going and me wanting to walk off some Thanksgiving dinner, I decided to return to Cherokee Conservation Park on the north side of Madison. I had explored the upper unit almost exactly one year ago, and part of the lower unit. Today I decided to walk the entire lower unit trail system.

There are no geocaches allowed in the Madison conservation parks, so this one is just for the exercise and hopefully some wildlife spotting. I stumbled onto a deer here last year. I was not as fortunate this year.

The marsh and Yahara river.

Down the trail I go. I spotted a perched hawk, but he flew off before I could line up a good angle to photograph. We crossed paths again later, but he was too quick both times for me.

There was a woodpecker that was not so easily scared off.

Some more scenery.

This is by the last bit of Cherokee Lake, before the Yahara river becomes Lake Mendota on the north end. Also about the furthest point of the trail from my parking place.

That sign has been there a while.

 

A very red cardinal that was way off ahead of me in the trail. This was as close as he let me get.

I was not sure just how much trail there was here, but I was measuring almost 2 miles covered by the time I reached the furthest point away from the parking. By taking a side-loop on the return leg I stretched that distance to 4.2 miles by the end. Covered all but one short segment of the trails here today.