WWLB052. WISCONSIN
Location: Raven Trail, American Legion State Forest
Keeper: Peter Zenti
Status: Installed
Guide:

tAke Some stePs bEginning Near lAke hemlock’S ripPled shorE aNd, By carefUlly Considered looKing, wiTh tHese wOrds foR guidaNce, A Secret Poem containEd iN A Secret Place bEcomes knowN. And So Poetics becomE locatioN.

aBandon yoUr Car, parKing aT tHe lOt foR raveN trAil, Stepping Past thE greeN And Shiny pitcher-Pump, Easterly, iNto tAll hemlockS, Pine (whitE), aspeN, By measUred paCes, walKing Two Hundred (Our Rough approximatioN).

At thiS Pathway intErsection contiNue By jUnction (seCond) walKing norTh, wHere twO gReat piNes Are Sentinels Protecting thE Nature trAil, paSt Placards dEscribing aNd illustrAting treeS – sPring’s sweEt tastiNg mAple Syrup, Piloted-woodpeckers, gEntle ferNs, oBscure mUshrooms, Clubmosses, darK matTer – tHe signpOst you’Re seekiNg detAils bogS, Ponds, watEry plaNts.

At thiS Pond continuE aloNg A Slight sloPe – hEmlock Names A Small Pretty lakE, iNviting Bathers (yoUr perfeCt sKinny-dipping spoT). Here Our tRail t-boNe’s And Splits aPart – lEft turN, heAding weStward, Peeling Eyes uNtil Another Sign aPpears (bEside aNother seAt) Saying ‘Peaceful placE’ And alSo Proposing rEsting aNd oBserving yoUr loCale – taKe The patH alOng shoRe, beginNing At Bench coUnt paCes, recKoning Twenty-five, wHich shOuld Reach oNe scArlet Survey piPe & rEd piNe.

heAd lakewardS, Pacing northErly Nine smAll Steps, uP-close, whEre aN unusuAl foreSt Phenomenon’s rEvealed – oNe tAll Senescent Pine (whitE) aNd A Smaller Pine (rEd) behiNd, shAred rootS wraPping thEmselves arouNd. At thiS Point thE jourNey’s Accomplished So Please rEst aNd rewArd yourSelf, oPening thE woodeN letterBox Up, disCovering inK, sTamp-pad, tHe pOem foR collectiNg.

Ambling paSt Pines you’rE returNing, rAven trail’S car-Park, Ending, beginNing.

(AF/PZ)

A Measured Walk
Total: 1.5 miles; from water pump to first bench, Hemlock Lake (intersection of Hiking and Nature Trails), 4000'; from there to the second bench on Hemlock Lake, 900’ (370 paces): from there to the red survey pipe on the lake, 60' (25 paces); from the right side of the red pine toward the lake, ending at the large white pine with the smaller red pine growing out of it, 19' (9 paces).

[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [naturalised]