An Opinion on November

 November is probably considered the most dismal month by many. Maybe February is a close second, but saying positive things about November is risking bodily injury. Of course I can’t help myself. I’m one of those who finds November to be a great time of year. According to the National Weather Service, November is the cloudiest month with only an average of 6 clear days. That amounts to half the clear days found in September, as well as October. On top of that, the beautiful fall colors are gone, and it starts getting seriously cold toward the end. If all of this gets you really down, you might want to think about some of the fun things you can do in November that you rarely get a chance to do other times of the year.

Imagine you’re walking through the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest at the end of September and a grouse flushes. All you see are frantic wings for a second or two; or what about the fox winding its way through the brush? Then there’s the porcupine that might be gnawing on a branch just off the trail. Taking a walk on that same trail in November you’d have a much better chance of seeing these animals, and a lot more. With all the leaf cover on the ground it’s possible to see longer distances. And if you use a topographic map, even better. You can see the land forms you’re walking on right on the map. To me, this makes November a great month for hiking or backpacking.

Three of my favorite Wisconsin places to go in November are right here at the Nature Center and a couple of virgin old growth forests. I’ve seen more wildlife at the Nature Center in late fall than any place I can think of. Mink are fairly common, as well as raccoons, coyotes, foxes, and weasels. The two virgin old growth forests are places everyone interested in the outdoors should visit in their lifetime. The size of the trees is awe inspiring when there are no leaves. You can really get an idea of the immensity of these giants. The first one is called Cathedral Pines in Lakewood. Most of the trees there are conifers, but when you drive up you can see from a distance that they tower over the surrounding forest. The second place is Jung Hemlock-Beech Forest outside of Shawano. This is the only place in Wisconsin where you can find virgin old growth beech trees. The stark smooth gray bark of the beech is contrasted by the giant hemlocks.

The last thing about November is something that everyone has to keep a secret. So promise you won’t tell anyone. Most people at this time of year really start to hunker down, spending most of their time indoors. That means you can go to places where throngs of people would normally be trampling each other, but in November, you can have the place to yourself. Try Gibraltar Rock just outside of Lodi. It’s a very tall bluff rock with an amazing view that attracts lots of people in the warmer months. If you go to the same place in mid November, you can have the place to yourself, maybe even all day.

Mark Verhagen

Land Manager