by Mari Radtke
Mary Ficken, originally of Royal, Iowa and now a ski resort and golf course employee in Colorado visits here Sutherland, Iowa residents parents twice each year. Mary is an avid hiker. She has been for as long as she remembers. Hiking the Appalachia Trail and the Pacific Crest Trail are included in her achievements.
While growing up in Royal and sometimes on her visits home, she still hikes Bertram Reservation south of Royal and east of Peterson in Clay County. “I like it out there. It is one of my favorite places,” Mary said. “I’ve always loved nature. It gives me peace of mind, fresh air,” she said. She went on to say that Bertram is a nice place and great for the community. It has had a lot of improvements. That is quite a compliment from a Colorado resident! On Saturday May 3, Mary enjoyed one of those hikes on the best kind of spring weather day that Iowa offers.
She decided to walk along the creek since the water was low. “I’ve never been down to the creek directly. Finding things after flooding happens. “So she looked for cool things, teeth or cool or historic things.
Rocks lined the water’s edge and some grassy area. Sticking up in one of those grass patches was something unusual. “I didn’t know what it was. I pulled it out by the horns.” It weights about 15 pounds. Her first thought was, “Holy cow! This is old. I didn’t know what it is, but I’m taking it home.” She couldn’t believe her find. It is not what she was expecting. At first she thought it might be a cow. The horns measure 24.5 inches, point to point.
“I hiked back with it,” she said. It was about a mile, she guessed, describing it as an easy hike. The find made her curious. “What else is out there,” she wonders? It was a lot of work getting it out, but it confirmed, “There is always something to be found.”
A typical daily hike for Mary is anywhere from 5 to 12 miles, but staying below 15. The flooding apparently uncovered it. Many things have been found recently. She said there is a lot of finds posted online.
“It may be preserved. Maybe I will find out how old it is. I love the way it looks with the algae on there,” she explained. This is now her half bison skull.