Wander at Will: Don't miss chance to take advantage of fool's spring

Editor’s note: This story is part of our Wander at Will series, which is designed to inspire you to enjoy the many recreation opportunities in your Will County preserves in whatever ways you are able to. Whether you’re a well-traveled explorer or just starting your outdoor adventures, digital marketing coordinator Meghan McMahon hopes her first-person adventures will help you find new ideas, tips and hidden gems to help you connect with the outdoors all year.

Have you seen those social media memes about how there are 12 different seasons in Illinois? There's winter, then fools's spring, then second winter, spring of deception, third winter, mud season, actual spring and so on and so forth.

Well, the last Friday in February was fool's spring — one of those days where you want to feel the sun on your face and the wind in your hair. With clear blue skies and temps soaring into the 60s, it was a day made to lull us into thinking winter is over, but we've been here many times before. We know better.

I like to think fool's spring isn't just about fooling us into thinking spring has arrived. It's also about not being fool enough to not take advantage of it. With that in mind, I spent part of my day on our most recent fool's spring at Goodenow Grove Nature Preserve, where I walked Scout Trail and Oak Ridge Trail.

Scout Trail is among my favorites because the limestone path starts by cutting through a woodland full of old trees, trees that look like they have stories to tell. These trees, with their twisted, textured trunks and branches, look like they've withstood the test of time because they have. And they are all the more impressive in winter and early spring because their empty canopies allow you to appreciate the beauty in their bareness. 

Oak Ridge Trail is a short, 0.38-mile looped dirt trail that shoots off of Scout Trail, and it's another good spot to check out at this time of year. Without leaves on the trees, the trail offers nice views of Plum Creek as it winds its way through the woodland. 

As I walked, I was eagerly looking for any signs of spring aside from the weather, although the landscape didn't look it quite yet. And trust me, I was looking for any sign of green I could find peeking up from the forest floor. What I saw instead were flashes of green from mosses and lichens breaking up the otherwise drab landscape. And I saw a chipmunk — my first of the season. I think I surprised it as much as it surprised me as it scurried across the path!

Bird activity was more promising. I saw a few turkey vultures circling overhead. They are among the earliest arriving migrating birds. And I heard the unmistakable sound of sandhill cranes overhead, although I never was able to get a glimpse of them. I heard titmice and chickadees and nuthatches, nothing unusual for this time of year, but they were more vocal than usual for winter. And woodpeckers could be heard both calling and tapping too.

At one point, I stopped to sit on a bench for a few minutes, something I almost never do on hikes, just because I wanted to be still for a few moments to feel the sun on my face. Those few moments spent sitting also allowed me to tune in to what I was hearing. In addition to the bird chatter, I could hear planes overhead and even kids laughing and playing in the distance. 

As to be expected in fool's spring, the trails were muddy in spots, but not enough to make hiking difficult. I actually enjoyed it because squishy ground is better than frozen ground when you are desperate for winter to end. 

Oak Ridge Trail is a little hilly compared to the flat Scout Trail, so keep that in mind if you choose it for a side quest. During mud season, another of Illinois' 12 seasons that we have to look forward to, the terrain may be more difficult to hike because the hills can be slippery. 

There will be more days ahead like that glorious Friday in late February, so be ready because you'd be a fool not to take advantage. I have a list of places I hope to explore on days like these, and I hope to run into some of you out there doing the same.