West End Story

Posted on March 14, 2013 by paulmozina

Winter is definitely the most challenging time of the year to work out at the Springs. It has its advantages as well, enabling access to normally wet areas and the opportunity to burn brush piles; we’ve lit 284 so far this season. Between burning piles, we’ve been focused on opening up the cut-off trail, which had been obliterated by flooding and overgrown with a buckthorn thicket.

Don Dane helped us with the first step to restore the trail by marking the route, which you can see on the map above. Then we cleared the buckthron path moving from east to west eventually re-establishing the trail. All the while we were struck by the beauty and majesty of the huge oak trees and the lovely view of the Scuppernong River, both of which were still obscured by thickets of buckthorn overlaid by fallen trees.

The next step was to expand the views from the trail; first to the south to show off the river, and then to the north to reveal the huge oaks. I worked this past Monday and Wednesday (yesterday) and finished clearing the west end of the cut-off trail between the trail and the river. A couple of huge oaks laid down amongst the buckthorn thicket complicating the clearing, which is done now except for the piling and burning. I also cut some on the north side of the trail to open up the perimeter of an old cranberry bog. We are negotiating with a local prison to get inmates to come out and help us pile brush. I hope it works out. Imagine being incarcerated and getting the opportunity to spend the day at the Scuppernong Springs!

Here is a before video of the work-site taken this past Monday, March 11th.

I had to switch to my rubber knee high boots to wade through the slush, but I got a lot cut on Monday.

Hanging out at the bridge later.

The weather was much nicer on yesterday, bright sun and blue skies, as I made the last cuts on the west end of the trail.

The view after.

Here are a couple pics of the brush that was laid down.

And the oaks along the trail.

In the afternoon I relocated to approximately the mid-point of the cut-off trail to continue clearing the perimeter of an old cranberry bog on the north side of trail, which is surrounded by huge oaks.

There is nothing quite so edifying as clearing buckthorn to reveal giant oak trees. It gives me great joy; my work is play.

Later, I meditated by the river and spent some quality time strolling the trails in contemplation waiting for the sun to set. Here are the Hidden Spring, Scuppernong Spring and Indian Spring.

Sunset at the Indian Campground.

See you at the Springs!

Om is the Bow

Posted on March 7, 2013 by paulmozina

…the soul is the arrow, and Brahma is the target. I listened to Siddharta, by Hermann Hesse, recently and it really warmed my heart. In his quest for enlightenment, Siddharta learns to wait, and fast, and think but it is not until Vasudeva, the ferryman, teaches him to listen to the river, that he finds it. I thought of that today and spent some time in the late afternoon meditating and listening to the Scuppernong River… Ooooooommmmmmmmm.

The sand hill cranes are back at The Springs along with migrating geese and ducks. I felt like I was intruding when I showed up this morning with my gear and flushed them from the comfort of the river.

This buckthorn along the trail has got to go!

Anne, from Waterville, and her friend Terri (or Terry) arrived around mid-day clad in snowshoes to explore the newly opened cut-off trail. Later, Dan and Lou Ann Brown, who hike often at the Hartland Marsh, emerged from the cut-off trail after their first passage. The’ve been coming to the Springs for over 30 years and really like the new look.

After a good days work, the buckthorn is almost all cleared in the area between the cut-off trail and the river on the west end of the trail.

I took some time to relax and listen to the river in the late afternoon.

Sunset at the Indian Springs.

See you at the Springs!

Parry Road Spring

Posted on March 2, 2013 by paulmozina

It was a quiet and peaceful winter’s day at the Scuppernong Springs except for the bluebirds, robins and geese noisily reminding me that spring is around the corner. I stopped at the Parry Rd. Spring on the way out to fill our collection of 5-gallon jugs. We have been drinking this fluoride and chlorine free spring water at home for over 12 years and it sure beats Milwaukee tap water! I had the water tested in September 2011 just to be sure and it passed with flying colors.

Its been snowing a lot lately and it was nice to see the sun again. I took this video at the marl pit bridge before heading to the work-site on the cut-off trail.

We are making great progress clearing the buckthorn between the cut-off trail and the river. I’m focusing on the west end of the trail now so we can be out of this area before the sand hill cranes start nesting by the marl pits.

I didn’t see a soul while I was working and I really enjoyed the peace and solitude. Here is what it looked like after I finished cutting.

After loading my gear in the truck, I took a very relaxed stroll on the Nature Trail. Here are a couple shots from the bridge over the Scuppernong River at #5 on the map.

One of my favorite views is from the old hotel site.

The robins and bluebirds find lots to eat in the spongy moss at the springs we recently cleared at the site of the old hatching house.

This is the Hidden Spring’s channel.

I never miss a chance to watch the sun go down.

See you at the Springs!

McKeawn Spring

Posted on February 24, 2013 by paulmozina

McKeawn Springs flashes by pretty quickly as we speed along to where ever we’re going on Hwy 67. It is located halfway between Piper Rd and Road X just a bit south of the Scuppernong Springs. Until recently, I didn’t know this spring had a name, but after I documented our encounter with the intersection of the channel that flows from McKeawn Spring and the Scuppernong River, Mike Kuhr, from the South East Wisconsin Trout Unlimited group, provided the missing moniker.

As I was cutting buckthorn on the cut-off trail this morning, I thought today is the day I slow down, get out of my car, and take a closer look at the McKeawn Spring. But first, there was a little work to do…

I had the pleasure of meeting Anne, from Waterville, and Steve, from Milwaukee, while taking breaks to refuel with cookies and gas. I really do like to “See you at the Springs!” Pati arrived just as I was finishing the 6th tank of gas and I told her about my idea to follow the outflow of McKeawn Spring to where it joins the Scuppernong River. She was all over that.

Pati dragged my sled back to the truck and we loaded the gear and drove over to McKeawn Spring.

This is a perfect time of the year to explore wetlands and we walked right down the channel avoiding all of the brush. I took this video about half way to the Scuppernong River junction.

When we got to the river we were greeted by a Sand Hill Crane, our first sighting of the season.

We followed the Scuppernong River back to the marl pit bridge.

As if this wasn’t all too exciting, we heard the whir of a distant chainsaw when we got to marl pits and guessed that someone might be harvesting firewood down on the south end of the loop trail. We hastened to the sound of axe on wood and found our new friend Carl Baumann hard at work on a huge red oak that had recently fallen.

We had to leave Carl to his labors to catch the sunset and moonrise.

See you at the Springs!

A Child of Nature

Posted on February 17, 2013 by paulmozina

Steve Brasch grew up at the Scuppernong Springs. His mother used to drop him off there with his friends in the morning with a promise to pick them up for supper. All day they ran wild; building forts, floating on rafts in the ponds, catching creatures, running, hiding, looking, simply being in the woods. He never lost his love of nature and, armed with a degree, he pursued a career in forestry. Those were the Reagan years and budgets were tight; Steve had to make some tough decisions and leave the forest behind.

Over the years Steve found opportunities to volunteer with many organizations working on land restoration and his passion for the outdoors never flagged. He moved into the Scuppernong neighborhood and, noticing the changes taking place at the Springs, decided to get involved. Lindsay and I really appreciated Steve’s help and camaraderie yesterday as we worked the piles on the cut-off trail. Welcome Steve!

Here are a few pictures of the brush piles we intended to burn. This wood was cut and piled within the last month, which is pretty fresh as brush piles go, but they contained enough dead wood that we thought we could start them.

The plan was to get the existing piles lit and then continue piling the brush we cut last week.

Despite the cold, we got warmed up fast and the layers started coming off. Lindsay brought his leaf blower and that proved to be the difference between success and failure; there’s nothing like a jet of fresh air to kick-start a green brush pile.

We made a few new brush piles too.

We hope to finish clearing the buckthorn and brush between the cut-off trail and the river before spring. The cut-off trail passes through the loveliest woodlands in the whole Scuppernong Springs Nature Preserve and it is a joyful thrill to open this area up.

See you at the Springs!

Carl Takes His Cuts

Posted on February 9, 2013 by paulmozina

I knew I was going to like Carl. He found this website while researching something on the internet and, being one who has his thoughts, emotions and actions in harmony, in a unity of consciousness, he contacted me immediately asking to help. Carl is a hard working, down to earth, righteous dude and we thoroughly enjoyed his company.

I love these views of the Scuppernong River Habitat Area, which contains the largest prairie east of the Mississippi.

Every season is beautiful at the Scuppernong Springs. I’ve been looking forward to the snow because it covers the scars we have left with all of our cutting and burning. They will be healed by the spring, but until then, its nice that they are covered with a blanket of snow.

Here is the view of the worksite on the cut-off trail from the bridge over the Scuppernong River where the water flow gauge was recently installed.

I took the next three videos on my way to get some drinking water for the day at the Hotel Springs. The river takes on a special character when framed with snow.

Here is the worksite. There are some really nice, big oaks along the cut-off trail. I was joined by Rich Csavoy and Carl Baumann. I struggled a bit to get a fire going but it was well worth it.

Like moths, we couldn’t resist the flames and quit a bit early to talk story and warm ourselves by the fire.

Before I knew it, the afternoon was turning into evening, and I hurried back to the bridge to get an after video of the worksite from that perspective.

John and Sue Hrobar joined us by the fire and their faces lit up with excitement as they described the dozen robins and bluebirds they saw near the Hotel Spring. It was another wonderful day at the springs spent with old and new friends; sweet as can be.

See you at the Springs!

A wet and snowy day at The Springs

Posted on January 30, 2013 by paulmozina

The dead of winter forecast called for snow followed by a deep freeze. I don’t mind cutting with a little snow and if it turned into a blizzard, well, then I’d just have to quit and enjoy it. So I made my way out to the Springs without a care in the world; happy and at peace.

The work site was, again, the cut-off trail. This land of oak giants by the riverside is thick with buckthorn, and it was gratifying indeed to give them a good whacking.

The snow started falling immediately after I took that video and it didn’t take long until I was pretty thoroughly soaked. The work is strenuous and kept me warm despite the wet. I cut my limit of 6 tankfuls and called it a day.

After changing into some dry clothes, I did a little sight seeing. Below is where the trail first breaks out into the main prairie.

Now that we have hiked the river from the Scuppernong Spring all the way to Hwy N, I finally know what I’m looking at and can see where the Scuppernong River threads its way through the hills to the west. Below we see the Marl Pit and the Indian campground.

River shots.

Below is along the north side of the river, along the cut-off trail, just upstream from the bridge where the ground water monitoring station was installed. This is where we will be cutting next.

Continuing down the cut-off trail.

Here is that huge oak that looks like it was lifted right out of the ground.

New views of the river are opening up along the cut-off trail.

Below is an old cranberry bog where the cut-off trail joins the main loop.

The old barn site.

Looking across the river from the hotel site at the work in progress on the cut-off trail.

The water is up a bit!

Thanks for taking the time to enjoy the Springs with me, and I hope to see you there soon!

The Oak Cathedral

Posted on January 26, 2013 by paulmozina

The White, Black, Red and Burr Oaks on the Cut-Off trail create a sacred space. These majestic works of art exhibit the most graceful, dynamic, flowing, architectural lines possible. Removing the clutter and tangle of Buckthorn from beneath their sweeping canopys is akin to wiping away the dirt from the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. I’m honored and thankful for the opportunity to do it!

It couldn’t have been more peaceful and beautiful at the Springs today as I continued clearing Buckthorn along the cut-off trail in the area marked in white below.

I made a little fire, and needed it to defrost my sprayer, but with the bright sunshine and light winds, I was plenty warm.

There were some huge and TALL Buckthorns in this area and they all seemed to be sprouting dozens of interlocking trunks and branches. It tries your patience after a while and I had to quit after 6 tankfuls with the chainsaw.

Its tough to capture the scale of these beauties in the Oak Cathedral.

The Scuppernong River is near and will be visible from the trail.

In THE PONDS OF THE SCUPPERNONG, Robert Duerwachter described efforts to create a goldfish farm in this area of the river. I think I found the spot. There are some old pipes laying there, which we’ll haul out, and a spring is flowing into the river.

The sun set early behind a solid bank of clouds and I took these pictures on the high ground at the South end of the trail that we recently cut and burned.

The water level is holding steady but it looks like there is some dirt, or possibly, damage at the base of the measuring stick. We’ll have to take a closer look next time.

Heh, see you at the Springs!

Idle No More

Posted on January 19, 2013 by paulmozina

Hi. Thanks again for checking out the Scuppernong Springs Nature Trail Posts!

Before I get into today’s incredible adventure at the Springs, I want to shine a light on the Idle No More movement. I participated in their consciousness awakening event in Milwaukee yesterday and it was very moving. The singing and speakers were excellent. The First People elders spoke a lot about the responsibility we all share to take care of the land in preparation for the 7th generation to come, and to be aware that we are the beneficiaries of the love and care of the 7th generation that preceded us.

Here is audio recorded before the march Idle No More January 18, 2013 Pre March Song and Speeches.

We marched down to Veterans Park, where a Pipe Ceremony was held and there was more singing and speeches. Action on a new mining bill in Wisconsin is heating up!

The other big issue raised is the struggle for sovereignty.

I found Kevin Annett’s documentary Unrepentant: Canada’s Genocide, while researching the Idle No More movement.

And we think we have invasive species problems! Image how the indigenous people felt about the White European Invaders!

In honor of the Native, Indigenous, First People, we sowed a mix of 20+ Wet Mesic Prairie plant seeds around the Indian Spring and areas to the North marked in white on the map below.

Here is part of the area seen from the Scenic Overlook on the old Indian Campground site.

And a bit closer up.

Sowing seed is the creme dela creme of restoration work. I will post a list of all the different plants in the mix and we’ll try to identify as they emerge.

The Scuppernong River water level is holding steady at .026.

Here is an interesting bit of machinery we found near the site of the Marl Plant. This Spring we’ll do a little excavating around this to see what it is attached to.

After the seed was sown Lindsay and I headed over to the cutoff trail to continue cutting Buckthorn where I left off last time. Here are some before shots; the first two are looking to the North on the cutoff trail at an old cranberry bog.

Below we are looking South, towards the river.

Around 2:00pm Rich Csavoy joined us and Don Dane, the DNR trail boss, stopped by to drop off more seeds (for more wooded uplands) and we all took a walk around the place reviewing the progress and future plans. Don is hoping to mow the Indian Campground this coming week. We cut a bit more after our visit with Don and here is the final result. The first picture below is looking at the cranberry bog and the next two are looking South towards the river.

The view of the work site from the main trail on the South side of the river.

It was a glorious sunset; one of the best I’ve ever see at the Springs.

See you at the Springs!

A Yellowstone Moment

Posted on January 16, 2013 by paulmozina

Thank you for tuning into the Scuppernong Springs Nature Trail journal!

I spent the last two days at the Springs; yesterday was sunny, today cloudy. Both days were mild, for mid-January, and it was very quiet and peaceful. I was in heaven!

I started yesterday lighting some piles that were at the point where the main loop trail first emerges into the prairie.

I took these pictures this morning. Its hard to tell, but I cut a bunch of Buckthorn way in the back left below, while waiting for the piles to burn down.

When I came to this spot at the end of the day today and looked out at the prairie, I was reminded of the grassy plains at the top of the Pitchstone Plateau, in the South West corner of Yellowstone National Park. Last Fall, Pati and I scouted out a possible route from Lewis Lake across the Plateau to get to the famous Bubbler Hot Springs, where three forks of the the Bechler River meet. It is two days hike to get to the Bubbler no matter which way you come from but well worth the effort.

Yesterday I tried to light some piles by the Marl pits but my torch quit working half way through. I had better luck this morning and finished up there.

When things had settled down at the pits, I went over to the cut-off trail to clear an area by a huge White Oak tree where the trail is relatively close to the river.

The last time I opened a trail was at the Hartland Marsh. I can’t wait till you all get a chance to walk this new trail. You’re going to love it!

You can see the main loop trail outlined in white across the river.

Here is a view from the main loop trail looking North towards the big White Oak where I was cutting.

I’m going to try to remember to capture a water level reading whenever I go out.

After the gear was stowed away, I took a walk around, which I love to do, and got these pictures. Rich Csavoy explained that the hole in the concrete of this old foundation on the cut-off trail was used to empty the fire place.