Wild Cat...

We've haven't had very much exposure to wild cats in our lives except for perhaps in the zoo. AND I think my daughter was a Bobcat in junior high (middle school) and come to think of it, the high school where she teaches now are the Wild Cats. Anyhow, we've heard that there's been a sighting of a mountain lion in the area but that's not the 'wild cat' I am referring to as Wednesday we headed east on our foliage car trip to Wild Cat Mountain State Park. Since the Coulee region has had a couple dreary, cloudy days with rain, we could tell from our End of the Rainbow Valley, the countryside had loved it. 

Highway 33

County Road P

With overcast skies and no rain predicted we needed to get out and see the area color as it might be gone within the week and we weren't disappointed en route on 33 nor on County Road P on the return.

There are not many areas where cornfields run into forests but we are blessed with these sights. 

We must have uttered the word beautiful/ some derivative at least 50 times. Stunning, simply stunning. See, what I mean?


To be honest we were a bit late for some of the color in the 65 acre park. It's been a couple years since our last fall visit but I remember the striking yellow park drive. This time we needed to stop to capture this typical  goldenness.

That's not to dissuade you from  heading over because the surrounding countryside and vistas are indeed colorful. Even if our hike on the Hemlock Trail loop had me stopping more, ok, ad nauseum for moss and mushroom pics. (Maybe I should have been a mycologist but don't worry I'll stick to leaves today. )

Mt Pisgah due to its north facing cooler location indeed is unique  with its virgin white pines normally found in northern Wisconsin.  (Remember we are located in southwestern Wisconsin.)  Both the pines and hemlocks are ginormous as this location has never been logged nor grazed upon. The damp trail was a bit treacherous covered with leaves and pine needles covering gnarled roots and the like, but the winding trail's vistas once it reached the ridge     did not disappoint... I'll just let you judge for yourself.

Eye candy. We are so blessed to live in such a beautiful area of the country...