Beavers On the Ice Age Trail

I find it almost impossible to venture into the backwoods around here without finding something that leaves me in wonder. Admittedly, I am easily entertained. I love the sound a puffball mushroom makes when it hits the back leg of my brother Crow. I gives a hollow pop and then burst and covers his limb with thousands of black spores. The round mushrooms are appropriately light so they won't "really" hurt yet firm, making an easy to launch missile.

Today's point of wonder was the beaver. We initially dropped into Sieverson Lake to the north of here first noting how low the water had become, probably from the five years of light drought, even though this year it is rumored that we are nearly 10 inches low in rain fall. That in itself was a touch unnerving with all the talk of climate change going around. Not a good pattern. On the lakes edge we found that the industrious beavers had cut some impressive trenches up the shore line toward the old waters edge where the trees were. The trenches were a couple of feet deep. Where they ended there was a well worn path heading toward the timber on the side of the rather steep incline of the kettle moraine lake.

On leaving the lake, we walked back up the trail which was also the path of the beaver. Almost one hundred yards from the waters edge we found the reason the beaver's forest venture. Among all the Maples, beeches, and oaks there were a few cottonwoods. The beavers apparently only like the poplar species. With the lake being so low there was nothing growing on waters edge and they had no choice but commit to the steep climb, which for a fatty, rather cumbersome beaver must have required pitons and ropes not to mention the extended exposure to coyotes. No doubt this was quit an effort.

We also noted that they would always cut the trees on the west side, so apparently the west wind would do the final work on the trees. All and all, it seemed a hard living, one that may have just been made harder by the changing climate. How long can they continue to haul cottonwood branches 100 yards down a steep incline? A thing of wonder.