Ah, winter!
Lovely weather for a little fishing, no?
Well, I've been fishing in the snow plenty of times, but never got around to ice fishing until a co-worker, Jason Probst, invited me along on a very cold excursion to Kanopolis Lake recently.
A good time was had by all, especially Jason's 12-year-old son. But it did get just a little cold out there on the ice all day. That makes hanging around watching your line all the harder, so I managed to wander off for a while and do a little exploring. With about a foot of ice on the lake wandering seemed pretty safe, even if there were some giant cracks here and there.
You can read more about our luckless, as it turned out, fishing trip here .
And below are some photos for all you vicarious ice fishers out there.
But I think I've finally had enough of this cold weather. See you in the spring!
If you've never been to Wilson Lake, now is a great time to check it out, even if boating season is about over.
No crowds, no ticks, no skeeters.
These photos were taken last Labor Day weekend. I know, they are pretty old by now (hey, I've been busy), but just picture the lake without all of these boats on it.
If the 1,123 acres of nearby Sand Hills State Park doesn't feel like quite enough wilderness to get lost in, you should definitely check out Pratt Sandhills Wildlife Area. I discovered it for the first time myself over the weekend, and I'm very glad I did.
At 5,715 acres, more than five times as big as Sand Hills, this remote wildlife area is criss-crossed with trails, making it an ideal place for viewing wilflife on foot.
For a true wilderness experience without going too far from home, I've found a close approximation in a remote area of Harvey County East Park.
This hike isn't for the faint of heart or legs, so be warned. But if you have a craving for the untamed outdoors, check it out. Just be prepared for some major bushwhacking. The kind where you end up with a good coating of mud and burrs and some nice cuts and scratches.
These photos were taken on a little used trail in the far northern section of the park. It's actually a horse trail, but it doesn't seem to get much action even from horses. For more on the location, check out my recent column for the Hutchinson News or download a map here .
This hike was taken before the big snowstorm when it looked like spring was in the air. Sadly, that was not the case, but it can't be far away and I've got some big hikes planned whether spring springs or doesn't.
It's a wet start, for sure. No more sneaker hiking for a while. But I'm hoping all this moisture will translate into an early mushroom season. I'd like to find a nice patch of morels this year. Perhaps I can train Fred the Trail Dog to help me find them.
Anyway, enjoy the photos!
In a previous entry on the Smoky Hill Wildlife Area near Kanopolis State Park I mentioned Red Rock Canyon, saying I'd save it for another day. Well that day came a few weeks ago, but I'm by no means through exploring this colorful canyon.
