On a sunny but smoky late summer day I drove up through the Lac du Bois Grasslands to the Nature Conservation Area in the upper grasslands and douglas fir forests south of McQueen Lake.    I hiked an old grasslands track, then took a grown-in single track around Clay Lake, then looped back through the forested slopes and grasslands.

Clay Lake had low water levels from summer evaporation and no inlet stream.   It will recharge from snowmelt in spring.   Two sandhill cranes were on the shoreline, but took to flight when I appeared.

I checked out the old Joe Reid homestead (1912) as I followed an old grown-over track up the slopes into the forest,

contI creasted the hill and emerged into the upper grasslands near a mostly dry marsh.    From there I followed a grasslands double track back to the route I started on, passing through aspen groves and grassland hills.

This is a route I hike every year, but I vary it each time.    With the smoky air, I kept the route shorter, a 3.8 km morning hike.    I will likely be back to snowshoe the area in February.