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| The only place squashberry grows in Wisconsin is the Blue Hills. |
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| Blue Hills Felsenmeer Trail topo map. Click map for larger version. |
The unique environment harbors plants usually found in the Arctic Circle or far northern boreal forests. A great way to see them is on the 2-mile Blue Hills Felsenmeer Trail.
To reach it, from Cameron, Wis., take U.S. Hwy. 8 east to Weyerhaeuser. In the village, go left/north on Second Street then left/west onto West Railway Avenue/Old 14 Road. Go right/north on County Road W. In about 3.5 miles, after County W curls east then west, turn left/west onto a gravel road. The road ends at a parking lot in a county forest.
As the trail heads northwest, you’re at about 1700 feet elevation, which may not be much compared to the Rockies or the Appalachians, but for Wisconsin there are few higher spots. Here, these are the local equivalent of mountains.
Ancient rock formation
The Blue Hills formed more than 1.7 billion years ago when sediment settled across a flat plain submerged in shallow water. With each new layer of sediment, the sands below cemented into a hard, glittery rocks known as Barron and red quartzite. The quartzite now runs 600 feet deep and is highly resistant to erosion.
After about 0.9 miles of walking through a sugar maple-basswood forest, the trail peters out atop a canyon. Look down, and you’ll notice sloping piles of fallen rocks, called felsenmeer, German for “sea of rocks.”
You can work your way down a draw into the felsenmeer, but be very careful. Though smooth sided, the rock edges are very sharp. Hiking boots and a trekking pole are recommended.
The piles can get quite deep, up to six feet at spots. Cool air rising from these rocks helps maintain a tundra-like ecosystem. The result is that plants common to the boreal forests and tundra far north of Wisconsin grow here. Among them are a few wildflowers.
Tundra, boreal wildflowers
Labrador tea is most noticeable. Blooming from spring through summer, the white flower is a mere third of an inch to half an inch wide. The blooms usually form a tight, round cluster. Each individual flower has five petals. The plant’s fragrant resin makes a good tea. The plant usually is found in northern bogs and also is known as Hudson Bay’s tea.
Squashberry blooms from early May through late July. The flower ranges from two-fifths of an inch to a full inch wide. In September, its red berry fruit stands out against the blue-gray talus. The plant is found across much of the northern United States but is more common in Canada and Alaska all the way to the tundra. The Blue Hills is the only place in Wisconsin it is found.
The hawthorn-leaved gooseberry also thrives here. It’s small, white bell-shaped flowers can appear singly, in pairs or in triplets. Spines grow where the flower stem and branch meet. If a branch arches, it can take root where it touches the ground. More spectacular than the plant’s flower are its autumn leaves, which resemble those on a small maple tree. The shrub grows only in four Wisconsin counties, all on slopes of shattered rock.
Bishop’s caps, also known as two-leaved miterwort, blooms from spring to summer. Its tiny white to cream flower measures only one-sixth of an inch wide and is arranged in a spike-like pattern on its stem. The petals are strangely fern-like. They grow in the forest’s shady, rocky areas, so look for them near the edge of talus slopes inside the woodline.
Reindeer lichen
While not a flower, one fascinating Arctic denizen found in the felsenmeer is reindeer lichen. Extremely cold-hardy, it usually dominates the ground in alpine tundra and boreal pine forests, where it is a major food for caribou. Colored in a hue of gray, white or brown-gray, it grows quite slowly – a mere 0.12 to 0.43 inches a year. Don’t step on it – if trampled, decades may pass before it returns.
The wildflowers, plants and talus are protected as part of the Blue Hills Felsenmeer State Natural Area. Other talus slopes in the Blue Hills also are set aside, including the Rock Creek Felsenmeer State Natural Area to the west.
After taking in the felsenmeer, retrace your steps back to the parking lot.
The Blue Hills mostly sits in a mixed deciduous forest, but you also can find red and white pines, balsam, and hemlock. Because of this, late September and early October mark a good time to hike the trails for the fall foliage. Be aware that hunting occurs during some parts of autumn.
