River View

The Rock River is visible through the branches of an old oak tree, along the Ice Age National Scenic Trail, Devil's Staircase Segment, Janesville, Wisconsin (USA)

Along the Bluff

One of many views of the Rock River, along the Ice Age National Scenic Trail, Devil's Staircase Segment in Janesville, Wisconsin (USA)

Terrain

Ice Age National Scenic Trail, Devil's Staircase Segment, Janesville, Wisconsin (USA)

Beautiful Forest

Sunlight filters through the trees along the Ice Age Trail. Ice Age National Scenic Trail, Devil's Staircase Segment, Janesville, Wisconsin (USA)

Strata

The strata of the sandstone bluff is visible in this view along the Devil's Staircase trail. Ice Age National Scenic Trail, Devil's Staircase Segment, Janesville, Wisconsin (USA).

Springtime Forest

Sunlight filters through the fresh green leaves of the springtime forest. Ice Age National Scenic Trail, Devil's Staircase, Janesville, Wisconsin (USA)

Wake up!

There's some life on the forest floor, but it's almost a month into spring, and the woods are still sleeping.

Trees and Sky

Trees wait patiently under a blue sky with clouds that are big and fluffy, almost summery, but not quite.

The Trail

The trail runs right along the edge of a rather severe slope. Slip over the edge and you'll end up in the Rock River.

The Fallen

Fallen leaves catch the sun as they lay on a bed of moss.

Leaves in the Sun

Autumn leaves are illuminated by the sun near the bottom of a moss covered rock.

Forest Gate

An opening in a low natural wall on the Ice Age National Scenic Trail, Devil's Staircase Segment, near Janesville, Wisconsin (USA)

Erosion

An eroded sandstone bluff stands over a gully and the autumn forest.

Illuminata

A hillside along the Ice Age National Scenic Trail looks out on the Rock River and the gold of the sun in the autumn trees.

Fire Works

Walking along the Ice Age National Scenic Trail in Southern Wisconsin (USA). The sun was in and out of the clouds. When it hit this particular tree, the colors just exploded.

Tree Dancer

Now, be honest. Doesn't this tree look a little like a pretty ballet dancer? Walking along the Ice Age National Scenic Trail in Southern Wisconsin (USA).

Autumn Woods

Walking along the Ice Age National Scenic Trail in Southern Wisconsin (USA).

Autumn Woods

Walking along the Ice Age National Scenic Trail in Southern Wisconsin (USA).

Autumn Woods

Walking along the Ice Age National Scenic Trail in Southern Wisconsin (USA).

Autumn in Janesville

There are still a few holdouts, but summer is over along the Rock River in southern Wisconsin (USA).

Autumn Palette

Each leaf seems to want its own unique color as this maple tree begins to prepare for winter.

Shocking Red

This is Staghorn Sumac. You can tell it's not poison sumac because it has jagged or serrated edges on the leaves, and a slightly fuzzy stem. Poison sumac has smooth edged leaves and a waxy smooth stem.

Return to Earth

Leaves return nutrients to the forest soil.

Bright Yellow

Bright yellow autumn leaves are dazzling!

Earth Tones

Green gives way to rich earth tones as this oak decorates itself for autumn.

Out of the Trees

The Ice Age National Scenic Trail, in Janesville, Wisconsin (USA) leads from the cool of the forest, to a clearing, and into the hot summer sunshine.

River Bend

This view looks back on the Ice Age National Scenic Trail in Janesville, Wisconsin (USA), just before the trail passes under the railway bridge and exits into the City of Janesville. The light area in the upper center of the image is the rail roadbed.

Sheltered

The forest has covered the trail completely in this section of the Ice Age National Scenic Trail in Janesville, Wisconsin (USA).

City of Janesville

This is the central city of Janesville, Wisconsin (USA), viewed from across the Rock River, where the Ice Age National Scenic Trail exits from the cool green forest, into the sunshine of a hot summer day.

Forest End

The Ice Age National Scenic Trail goes through this tunnel, which is part of a railway trestle. This side is the cool green forest. That one is the city of Janesville, Wisconsin (USA).

Emerald Curtain

Sunlit leaves screen one of the many railway bridges across the Rock River in Janesville, Wisconsin (USA). This a view from the Ice Age National Scenic Trail.

Carniverous

It's just the overturned roots of an old tree, along the Ice Age National Scenic Trail in Janesville, Wisconsin (USA). My overactive imagination, of course, saw an alien space creature. Based on the spider webs, it apparently doesn't move much.

Ruins

This is perhaps one of the less scenic spots on the Ice Age National Scenic Trail, but it did have certain character that I found intriguing. This is the site of the former City Brewery, later the Bower City Beverage Company and Croak Brewery in Janesville, Wisconsin. The building was demolished (and not very well, it seems) in the 1940s, after the company went bankrupt. It had produced 10,000 barrels of beer in 1938, and boasted a bottling line capable of producing several thousand bottles of beer per day.

Prairie Flowers

I visited a section of the Ice Age National Scenic Trail that I never seen before, right in Janesville, Wisconsin (USA) where I live. I liked the prairie flowers in this one.

Stately

Two elegant tree trunks rise majestically along the Rock River in Janesville, Wisconsin (USA).

Stillness

Look down from the bluff to the edge of the forest on the quiet bank of the Rock River near Janesville, Wisconsin (USA). I really expected the river to be wild. Everywhere to the north seems to be flooded from the recent record rainfalls, but here, all is calm. Devil's Staircase segment of the Ice Age National Scenic Trail.

River's Edge

Look out from the water's edge on the quiet bank of the Rock River near Janesville, Wisconsin (USA). I really expected the river to be wild. Everywhere to the north seems to be flooded from the recent record rainfalls, but here, all is calm. Devil's Staircase segment of the Ice Age National Scenic Trail.

Path in the Woods

The forest is green and cool and beautiful, but be careful. It's a long way down. Devil's Staircase Segment of the Ice Age National Scenic Trail. On the bluff over the Rock River in Southern Wisconsin (USA) near Janesville.

Leaving the Lake

Having a last view of Lake LaGrange through the prairie grass on the Ice Age National Scenic Trail, Blackhawk Segment, near the village of LaGrange in Walworth County, Wisconsin (USA). The purple flowers are milk thistle (Silybum marianum)

Cloudscape

Some impressive clouds roll in along the Blackhawk segment of the Ice Age National Scenic Trail in southern Wisconsin (USA).