Wisconsin's Blue Hills.

A Hiking and Skiing Delight

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A short drive on County "O" from the town of Bruce in Wisconsin's Rusk County will get you to the Blue Hills trails. I had the opportunity to hike some of the Eastern trails in early May, 2001. This was a rainy spring, and all the rivers that I crossed on my way to Superior were high, but not in flood. I was lucky enough to experience the peak of wildflower profusion in the Northwoods. White Trilliums, lavendar Wood Anemones, yellow Trout Lilies with their "camo" leaves, and white Bloodroot were all blooming. Every watercourse, no matter how small, was lined with brilliant yellow Marsh Marigolds.

I had barely left the parking lot when I encountered a good sized porkupine, who had no doubt been feasting on the outhouses at the trailhead. After consulting my map, I decided to take a 4-mile loop that, with an aggressive approach, would take about an hour. I soon found that I had indeed chosen an aggressive hike. The terrain was fairly steep as the path followed a small stream up into the hills. Every few yards a small rill or watercourse would cross the trail, and there the footing was deceptively muddy. I soon found that by keeping to the edges of the trail I could negotiate the wet areas without sinking over my ankles. Luckily, I was wearing my GoreTex light hikers, so I experienced no discomfort.

Petting not recommended

For several miles I kept climbing on paths that paralleled the small stream that is probably dry most of the summer. At last I came to a steep downhill section that must be a real thrill on xc skis. There is a side trail that detours around the steepest descent for the more timid hiker or skier. From the top of the slope I could see other sections of the Blue Hills in the distance.

Trout Lily

There are two sets of trails, each with its own parking lot. The East loops that I hiked were steep and challenging, but the West trails are less so. What I had planned to be an hour walk found me well short of the trailhead after an hours time, even though I had been walking at my usual ground-eating clip. Fortunately, the last 2/3 mile was on a level dirt road, so it didn't take too much longer to get back to my car.

Bloodroot