Midwestern Escapes

Located in south central Wisconsin, near a landlocked lake, a large crumbling hill begs to be climbed.  After you see my pics and conjure some courage, you may ask, “Where exactly is this?”   That’s simple: Devil’s Lake State Park.  The trail I’m writing about is known as the Balanced Rock Trail.

When we learned of the Balanced Rock Trail, the info was a bit deceiving.  The guide lists the trail as difficult, which it is, but it’s also listed as a short 0.4 mile hike.  And that may be true, but, keep in mind, the trail is mostly a rocky staircase, one that twists  and turns, along the side of a giant chunk of quartzite – they might as well call it a small mountain.

As you may imagine, we discovered steep grades

a few hair-raising moments

cool passages,

And even cooler passages.

When we neared the top, cautiously stepping over those smooth, slippery quartzite rocks,

We took a few breaks, and admired view

after view

after view.

As we climbed towards the top and gained on the East Bluff Trail, the views just got better

and better

and….well, you get the point.

We meandered the the East Bluff Trail a bit, where Heidi channeled her inner Simba

and posed for a decent portrait.

We discovered spring flowers

and also came across a few rock climbers.

And during our descent down the hill, using the CCC Trail, we came across a few more daring souls.

When we finally returned to our car, a good four and a half hours later, Heidi was exhausted, and I felt satisfied.  The ascent and descent down this hill’s rocky face, a boulder laden slope, is a bit dangerous. Yet a small challenge usually has lasting rewards.

Safe Travels!