APRIL 6, 2019
WEATHER: 52 degrees, cloudy and windy
SUNRISE: 0626 SUNSET: 1925
Kewaskum, WI
TRAVEL: START: Sunburst Ski Area
END: CTH D & Friendly Dr
A family member picked
me up at drove me back to where I had parked my car.
Wore long pants,
short sleeve and long sleeve t-shirts, hat, Redwing boots, backpack and walking stick. Put on a 3rd long sleeve t-shirt
along the Connector Route because of the wind.
WILDLIFE very little - some birds and frogs near flooded areas..
ICE AGE NATIONAL SCENIC TRAIL
Kewaskum Segment 1.7
miles S 1310 F 1345
Connector Route 2.3 miles S 1345 F
1433
Southern Kewaskum Segment 1.1
miles+ S 1433 F 1505
Total
Hiking Time 1.9 hrs Total
Today
5.0 miles
Total 642.2 miles
 |
| Kewaskum Segment view |
The Kewaskum
Segment ha a parking lot at Sunburst
Ski Area south to Ridge
Road. I had walked the segment from the
parking area to the southern terminus of the Milwaukee River Segment (Eisenbah State Trail) (0.6
miles) on November 23, 2018. The word “kewaskum” means “crooked
river” in Algonquin, the language of the Potowatomi
who once inhabited
the land. The Potowatami
claim to the land ended with a treaty in 1833, and
the Nation was resettled to Oklahoma..
The Kewaskum
Segment crosses the Sunburst
Ski Area, a prominent kame, and enters the Ice Age
Trail Alliance’s 125 acre Otten
Preserve.
 |
| Southern Kewaskum western terminus |
 |
| Connector Route |
On reaching Ridge
Road the trail follows a Connector Route to the Southern Kewaskum Segment of the trail. The walk from
Sunburst to the junction of Town Hall & Wildwood Roads was
distracting. A shooting range somewhere
east of Town Hall Rd but west of STH 45. - sounded like a continuous firefight -
a firefight with unlimited ammunition and apparently numerous targets of
opportunity.
 |
| Southern Kewaskum this flooding made it difficult to continue I didn't have my rubber boots and it was private property to the right and left - Can't go around it; Can't go through it -can't go around it - the end was less than a mile away I backtracked |
 |
| Southern Kewaskum a closer view of the flodding |
APRIL 9, 2019
WEATHER: 50’s when I started – mostly
sunny but very windy – 61 by 3 pm
SUNRISE: 0620 SUNSET:
1929 Hartland, WI
TRAVEL: START: Parking Lot north end of Loew
Lake Segment
END: CTH E & Glassgo Dr north end of Holy
Hill Segment
A family member
picked me up at drove me back to where I had parked my car.
Wore long pants,
short sleeve and 2 long sleeve t-shirts, hat, backpack and walking stick. The
wind out of the west/north west made things seem cold – winds up to 30 mph
WILDLIFE: turkeys, frogs, birds
ICE AGE NATIONAL SCENIC TRAIL
Connector Route 1.2 miles S 0900 F
1000
Holy Hill Segment 6.9
miles+ S 1000 F 1505
Total
Hiking Time x.xx hrs Total
Today
8.1 miles
Total 650.3 miles
The short Connector
Route from Loew
Lake Segment parking lot off of
Emerald Dr to the start of the Holy Hill Segment is wooded, quiet and
unimpressive.
The Holy
Hill Segment from the southern
terminus on Donegal Road to STH 167 passes
through a mostly forested landscape across glacial terrain that
surrounds Holy Hill.
The Basilica, Shrine and monastery sit atop a 1,350 ft glacial kame. Geologists estimate that at the
time of the Wisconsin
Glaciation the ice stood 1000
feet above Holy Hill.
At STH 167 the
trail continues north winding through grasslands of a previous agricultural
area. North of Shannon Rd the segment
passes through a pine plantation and continues along the edge of some fields. North of Waterford Dr the trail passes
several deep kettles in a mature mixed forest, then through a field until
reaching Glassgo Dr and the terminus on CTH E. However, unable to reach the northern terminus because the trail was CLOSED about 8/10 miles north from Pleasnt View Rd. I walked east to CTH CC and then north to CTH E - it was open coutnry and a stron wind from the WNW.
APRIL 11, 2019
ICE AGE TRAIL ALLIANCE CONFERENCE
WEATHER: 31 degrees, sleet, wind chills
of close to 0
SUNRISE: 0622 SUNSET: 1938
Wisconins Dells, WI
TRAVEL: left home around 0515 arrived Ho-Chunk
Resort and Casino around 0740
Ho-Chunk Resort and Casino – a nice facility for a conference, food is good,
the casino smells smoky and the 4 floors of the hotel arranged in a rectangle only
have elevators ate the ends. Long walks
– so what. WIFI works.
Attending the Ice
Age Trail Alliance annual meeting
being held at the Ho-Chunk Resort and Casino.
Registration included a bus pickup and drop-off for attendees.
AS OF TODAY THERE
WERE 199 PEOPLE WHO HAVE
COMPLETED THE IAT.
LAST YEAR AT THIS
CONFERENCE, THERE WERE 169.
Wore long pants,
short sleeve t-shirt, long sleeve t-shirt, a 3 long sleeve t-shirts and 2
windbreaker; carried a 3rd long sleeve t-shirt, Redwings, Tingley
overshoes –.
WILDLIFE: birds, turkey vultures.
ICE AGE NATIONAL SCENIC TRAIL
Gibraltar Rock Segment 4.8 miles
S 1030 F 1240
Total
Hiking Time 2.2 hrs Total Today 4.8 miles
Total 655.1 miles
 |
| Gibraltar Rock from the road |
Rising 1,,234 feet
above sea level, Gibraltar Rock is a flat-topped butte, an outlier of the Magnesian Escarpment, with a thin dolomite cap over
St. Peter sandstone. Its 200 foot sheer
cliffs offer views of the Wisconsin River Valley and Lake Wisconsin.
 |
| Gibraltar Rock - view from the top |
The road walk along
the CTH V to Slack Rd was brutal because the wind made it extremely
uncomfortable.
Good view of the Baraboo
Hills, Devils
Head Ski Area and Devil’s
Lake before walking down
to the Wisconsin River.
1500 Wisconsin Geology:
Focus on Wisconsin Dells and the Baraboo Hills – Dave Mickelson.
Dave spoke at the conference last year – great source of knowledge and
always interesting. He uses slides and
likes the lights out . . . . so it’s next to impossible to take notes
CONCURRENT SESSIONS:
1900 Thousand Mile Adventures – a runner, thru hiker and a couple who segment hiked the trail told
their stories - 15 minutes each.
APRIL 12, 2019
ICE AGE TRAIL ALLIANCE CONFERENCE
WEATHER: 36, cloudy, wind 6 mph
SUNRISE: 0620 SUNSET: 1939
Wisconsin Dell, WI
TRAVEL: bus ride to
Springfield Segment of the IAT and Wollemshiem Winery
Ho-Chunk Resort and Casino – a nice facility for a conference, food is good,
the casino smells smoky and the 4 floors of the hotel arranged in a rectangle
only have elevators ate the ends. Long
walks – so what. WIFI works.
0800-1230 Hike and Winery Tour. Hike 1.7 mile loop of the Springfield
Segment with a 35 minute
bus ride.
 |
| Wollemsheim Winery |
1400 – 1600 Annual Membership Meeting and Board of
Directors Elections
1630 – 1715 Test Your Trail Knowledge:
Guess the Trail Segment – this was kind of
fun – Dave Kaliebe put up the outlines of trail segments – one from every
Chapter – each was on a different layer from mapping – those displayed with no
layers were tought – I got about 14 of 20.
Winner got 17 of 20.
1800 – 1930 Dinner Buffet
1930 - 2000 Keynote Speaker: The Resilianace of the Ho-Chunk
People. William “Naawacekgize”
Quackenbush, Ho-Chunk Deer Clan Member, Tribal Historic Preservation Officer
and Cultural Resources Division Manager. – entertaining and somewhat
informative – basic idea – the Ho-Chunk are an ancient people with a ‘language
and verbal tradition/history.
APRIL 13, 2019
ICE AGE TRAIL ALLIANCE CONFERENCE
WEATHER: 32 and mostly sunny at 7am,
cloudy the rest of the day
SUNRISE: 0618 SUNSET:
1940 Wisconsin Dells, WI
TRAVEL: none
Ho-Chunk Resort and Casino
Long Distance Hiking
Seminar
1000 – 1100 Trip Planning: Logistics &
Navigation – same – nothing
new
1115 – 1215 What’s Inside Your Pack? Gear
& Packing – caught the idea
of a ‘rain kilt’ from Ed Spoon – always interesting – every body is similar but
different
1330 – 1445 Thousand-Miler Wannabe Hacks
for Completing the Trail - talkers
1500 – 1615 Hiker’s Forum: Stories from the
Trail – A game of Hiker’s
Jeopardy - similar to last year –
probably the same questions – similar but different answers
1730 – 2100 Awards Banquet and Celebration – Buffet Dinner, National Park
Service Awards, Photo’s of Award Winners, Mammoth Achievement Awards, Photos of
Award Winners I did not feel well and
did not attend – in bed by 6 pm
APRIL 14, 2019
ICE AGE TRAIL ALLIANCE CONFERENCE
WEATHER: 32 and cloudy
SUNRISE: 0616 SUNSET:
1941 Wisconsin Dells, WI
TRAVEL: Baraboo –
along the trail going south to Lodi – Madison - home
Ho-Chunk Resort and Casino
0800 Closing Remarks – IATA Staff put up a
timeline of decades on the wall – from the pre 1940s to 2020 and beyond - members were asked to write a significant
event either personal or regarding the IAT and past it along the timeline
. The 70’s had the most notes the 80’s
the least. Staff read some of the
notes . . . . .
 |
| Palm Sunday Mass St. Jossph Parish - Baraboo, WI |
Here’s some background
- - - -
In the 1950s, Ray Zillmer envisioned the Kettle Moraine
State Forest forming the nucleus for a much larger linear park that would
be used “by millions more people than use the more remote national parks.” He
pictured extending the Kettle Moraine Glacial Hiking Trail along the
terminal moraine of the most recent continental glaciation for several hundred
miles.
In 1958, Zillmer founded the Ice Age Park &
Trail Foundation (now the Ice Age Trail Alliance) to begin efforts to
establish a national park in Wisconsin that would encompass this route. That
same year, he wrote a letter to Daniel Tobin, Regional Director of the National
Park Service.
Zillmer
wrote: “I am intimately familiar with the
moraines…of the existing Kettle Moraine State Forest, having covered almost
literally every foot of the area many times in the last 40 years….I found that
my work in the Kettle Moraine Forest project was of unestimatable value. In
fact, I believe it is impossible to understand the (proposed national park)
without a complete knowledge of what the state has accomplished. It has
established the practicality of a long narrow strip as far as outdoor
recreation is concerned.”
His
efforts paid off. Later that year, Mr. Tobin accompanied Zillmer for several
days of inspection along the proposed route. Zillmer was capturing the interest
of the National Park Service, conservationists and political leaders. Bills
were introduced in Congress to create an Ice Age National Park in Wisconsin.
Yet
just as creation of this new type of national park was gaining momentum,
Zillmer died. The vision of the Ice Age project being a linear park and trail,
similar to today’s Appalachian Trail, almost passed with him.
Later
in 1961, the National Park Service (NPS)
concluded that, while many of the unique glacial features of Wisconsin
warranted national attention, a park hundreds of miles in length would be too
difficult to administer.
Grassroots
supporters, State of Wisconsin officials, and NPS staff went back to the
drawing board. What they came up with was the Ice Age National Scientific
Reserve, an affiliated area of the National Park System composed of nine
separate units around Wisconsin. In 1964,
thanks to the efforts of Congressman Henry Reuss, the Ice Age
Reserve legislation was passed by
Congress and signed by President Johnson.
In the
early 1970s, the Ice Age Trail Council was formed to carry out Zillmer’s
vision for a long-distance hiking trail. Older trails on public lands, such as
the Glacial Hiking Trail in the Northern Kettle Moraine State Forest,
became building blocks for the Ice Age Trail. Volunteers constructed new trail
segments along much of the remaining route. Many of these new segments were
built on private land after volunteers received handshake agreements with the
landowners. (The Ice Age Trail Council
merged with the Ice Age Park & Trail Foundation in 1990, which then changed its name to Ice Age Trail Alliance
in 2009.)
Following
the Trail’s first successful thru-hiker, and under the sponsorship of
Congressman Henry Reuss,
the Ice Age Trail finally joined the National Trails System. On October
3, 1980, President Carter signed the law establishing the Ice Age
National Scenic Trail.
Prior to the Ice Age
National Scenic Trail, there was the Glacier
Trail. I walked this trail on it’s ‘opening day’ in
October of – most likely 1961. The trail started at Mauthe
Lake and ended at the Greenbush
Group Camp. Today that trail consists of the Parnell Segment and part of the Greenbush
Segment. As I remember, It was a little more than a 18+
mile hike. In order to earn a medal and
a hiking patch hikers were also required to identify more than 20 marked/numbered
trees on the trail and write something identifying glacial features. This is how I first learned about kettles,
kames, eskers, drumlins and moraines. I believe the organization sponsoring the
trail was called Milwaukee
Trails Inc.
Later I hiked the Devils
Lake Trail. Staring at the
south end Group Camp ascending the East Bluff down and up the West Bluff –
heading north along the tumbled rocks and again ascending the East Bluff and
returning to the Group Camp. As I
remember somewhere in the neighborhood of 12-14 miles. I can’t say I’m a ‘trail maintainer” but to me that memory is significant. My earliest memory/exposure to the Ice Age
Trail.
APRIL 23, 2019
WEATHER: It was 57 when I left Burlington
at 0515; 43 degrees cloudy, windy when I began walking at 0815, the sun came
out around 10 am and it was 57 by 1 pm.
A high of 62 for the day.
SUNRISE: 0554 SUNSET: 1944
Manitowoc, WI
TRAVEL: left home around 0515 arrived CTH XX and
Moraine Dr around 0750
 |
| Lakeshore Chapter Trail Ange |
Holiday Inn – Manitowoc – typical Holiday Inn, WIFI storng and solid.
Wore long pants,
short sleeve t-shirt, long sleeve t-shirt, a 2nd long sleeve t-shirt
and a blue windbreaker, stocking hat and gloves. Tennis shoes.
Carried the Camel Bak Cloud Walker 18 backback with Tingley overshoes
and an extra windbreaker.
WILDLIFE: geese, birds, and frogs in ponds.
ICE AGE NATIONAL SCENIC TRAIL
Connector Route 5.8 miles
S 0818 F 1005
Walla Hi Segment 1.7 miles
S 1005 F 1115
Connector Route 3.9 miles S
1115 F 1248
Total
Hiking Time 4.5 hrs Total Today 11.4 miles
Total 666.5 miles
 |
| Rhine Center |
 |
| Walla Hi trailhead on Lux Chapel Road |
Connector Route – the eastern end of the Walla Hi Segment to the junction of Moraine Drive
and CTH XX.
APRIL 24, 2019
WEATHER: 31 at 6 am, (frost on the car windows) 43 when starting the
trail at 8:10 a,, 57 at noon in Valders – a wind from the south all morning
SUNRISE: 0552 SUNSET: 1945
Manitowoc, WI
TRAVEL: Holiday Inn to
Memorial Park, Valders WI
|
| Lakeshore Chapter Trail Ange |
Holiday Inn – Manitowoc – typical Holiday Inn, WIFI storng and solid.
Wore long pants,
short sleeve t-shirt, long sleeve t-shirt, and a blue windbreaker, hat. Tennis shoes. Carried the Camel Bak Cloud Walker 18
backpack with an extra t-shirt.
WILDLIFE: geese, birds, plenty of
songbirds, frogs in the wetlands..
ICE AGE NATIONAL SCENIC TRAIL
Connector Route 12.0 miles
S 0810 F 1240
Total Hiking
Time 4.5 hrs Total Today 12.0 miles
Total 678.5 miles
 |
| State Marker in Memorial Park - Valders |
Connector Route: Very little traffic on these roads. The wind was at my back for most of the walk. A walk through School Hill . . . this is dairy farm country – interestingly, I saw plenty of American flags high on flagpoles and the odor of cow manure permeated the air much of the time – even on the south end of Valders.
APRIL 25, 2019
WEATHER: 47 at 6 am mostly sunny, 50 at
7:50 am, 58 at noon mostly cloudy
SUNRISE: 0551 SUNSET: 1946
Manitowoc, WI
TRAVEL: Holiday Inn to
Fleet Farm in Manitowoc
|
| Lakeshore Chapter Trail Angel |
Holiday Inn – Manitowoc – typical Holiday Inn, WIFI strong and solid.
Wore long pants,
short sleeve t-shirt, long sleeve t-shirt, and a blue windbreaker, hat. Tennis shoes. Carried the Camel Bak Cloud Walker 18
backpack with an extra t-shirt and windbreaker.
The blue windbreaker was off in 20 minutes, the long sleeve t-shirt was
off by 8:45 am. Walked the rest of the
route in short sleeve t-shirt.
WILDLIFE: very little – not even farm dogs
- some birds.
 |
| A mostly level walk from Valders to Manitowoc - all farm land - no shade or trees |
 |
| This is South Rapids Drive one lane - dunp trucks - heavy equipment not safe to drive on or walk |
ICE AGE NATIONAL SCENIC TRAIL
Connector Route 11.4 miles
S 0750 F 1140
Total Hiking Time 3.8 hrs Total Today 11.4 miles
Total 689.9 miles
Connector Route: South
Rapids Drive is completely
under construction (looks like a new sewer line) up to the bridge over the Manitowoc
River. The whole street
and the bridge from Custer to Broadway Streets is a construction
zone and closed to
traffic. I parked at the Fleet Farm and
started at Memorial Park in Valders.
This was an uneventful walk – not very interesting – still dairy country
APRIL 26, 2019
WEATHER: 49 at 5 am mostly clear – wind
from the NNW
SUNRISE: 0549 SUNSET: 1947
Manitowoc, WI
TRAVEL: Holiday Inn to
Aurora Medical Center and the terminus of the Dunes Segment.
A member of the Lakeshore
Chapter assisted with
the pick-up and drop-off..
 |
| Manitowoc Segment sign in Schutte Park |
Wore long pants,
short sleeve t-shirt, long sleeve t-shirt, and a blue windbreaker, hat. Tennis shoes. Carried the Camel Bak Cloud Walker 18
backpack with an extra t-shirt.
WILDLIFE: in the city – nothing – too windy even for the birds to sing in Schutte
Park . .
ICE AGE NATIONAL SCENIC TRAIL
CITY OF MANITOWOC Segment 7.3 miles
S 0810 F 1140
Total
Hiking Time 3.5. hrs Total Today 7.3
miles
Total 697.2 miles
 |
| Manitowoc - Lake Michigan |
 |
| Manitowoc Schutte Park |
MAY 16, 2019
WEATHER: 62 and clear at 7 am; rain and
thunderstorms from Whitewater toWaunakee, warmed up to 82 – 78 and partly
cloudy when I arrived at Interstate Park, St Croix Falls
SUNRISE: 05xx SU NSET:
20xx St. croix Falls, WI
TRAVEL: Burlington to Interstate State Park, St.
Croix Falls, WI
 |
| Interstate State Park - Wisconsin North Campgorund -Site 27 - St Croix River in the background Minnesota on the other side of the river |
Interstate State Park – I made this reservation in November last year –
nice park – nice site along the St. Croix River with a creek running behind me –
however the North Campground had a waterline break – no flush toilets or showers
– the South CG has water but no showers or electricity..
MAY 17, 2019
WEATHER: 48 at 0445 – 57 in the trailer – wind 4 mph; 48 when I started walking – 64 when I finished – high of 68
SUNRISE: 0528 SU NSET: 2036 St. Croix Falls, WI
Interstate State Park – Lot 27 North Campground
TRAVEL: START: 15th St aka CTHE eastern terminus of Indian Creek Segment
FINISH: 300th Ave aka CTH W parking area McKenzie
Creek Segment
After the hike,
I scouted the parking areas planned for the continued walk to Interstate; stopped at the St.
Croix National Scenic River Visitor Center in St. Croix Falls.
 |
| Trail Angel |
Wore long pants,
short sleeve t-shirt, long sleeve t-shirt, Tingley rubber overshoes, Carried
the CamelBak Cloud Walker 18 backpack with long sleeve t-shirt and windbreaker
WILDLIFE: plenty of birdsong in the woods
most of the day, the croaking of frogs in wetlands, - only 1 deer and that was
on the drive back to Interstate
ICE AGE NATIONAL SCENIC TRAIL
INDIAN CREEK Segment 5.4 miles S 0725 F 1005
MCKENZIE CREEK Segment 4.7 miles S 1005 F 1312
Total
Hiking Time 5.8 hrs Total Today 10.1 miles
Total 707.3 miles
 |
| Indian Creek Trailhead 15th ST (CTH E} |
 |
| Indian Creek Trilliums flourished along the trail |
The Indian Creek Segment passes through thickly forested
and hummocky areas of the State Ice Age Area, Polk County Forest and private land. The majority of the segment is on public land
and the forest is mostly managed for larger stands of hardwoods by select
cutting.
From the terminus
on 15th St (CTH E) the segment crosses an open meadow for about a mile then the trails winds
west and south until it reaches a midpoint on 30th Avenue. This was slow going due to sections of the
trail being muddy and underwater. The
hummocks are challenging with steep climbs and descents created when sand and
gravel, carried by under-the-ice rivers and streams were left behind after the
ice sheets melted.
 |
| Indian Creek more than enough of the trail was in mud or water |
 |
| Indian Creek much of the trail was leaf corvered - not a worn tred |
 |
| Indian Creek the trail - it was wet and muddy |
 |
| McKenzie Creek Segment trailhead - CTH O |
The McKenzie
Creek Segment is 9.4 miles in total length. Today I decided to walk only 4.7 miles of the
segment to the 300th Avenue (CTH W) parking area. From 15th St the trail crosses private lands
to the 60th St parking area. . Going south from the parking area the trail
crosses McKenzie Creek several times along old logging roads to 300th Ave (CTH W). The
walk along the McKenzie Creek is difficult – some steep climbs up and then down into kettles -my pace
was less than 2 mph. About halfway, I
met a group of 5 women hiking east – they were from near Madison and
Illinois. The leader was proud to
announce herself with the trailname “Mammoth Mama.” It
might have been “Mama Mammoth.” At any rate it was M&Ms.
 |
| McKenzie Creek Segment McKenzie Creek - pictures will not do justioce to the steepness of the kettles the trail follows |
 |
| McKenzie Creek Segment - wildflowers |
MAY 18, 2019 Saturday
SUNRISE: 0537 SU NSET:
2037 St. Croix Falls, WI
Interstate State Park - very
popular on weekends – difficult to find a campsite with electricity, near the
showers – when they work.
 |
| Wooly Mammoth |
Ice Age Interpretive Center – Interstate State Park – I viewed a DVD entitled “
“. Produced in 2012, it’s a 24
minute story of a family hiking portions of the Ice Age Trail. Starting at Potwatami and ending at
Interstate it covers definition of kames, eskers, drumlins, glacial plains,
drift, moraines, tunnel channels, and glacial plains. A good film – easy for all ages to understand
– I bought a copy.
MAY 19, 2019 Sunday
WEATHER: RAIN – 44 degress at 0500 – 51 in the trailer-
wind from the N @ 8 mph; RAIN – RAIN - RAIN - Forecast call for rain until 2 am Monday and
then a temp drop to 32 until the sunrise. Snowflakes at 1345
SUNRISE: 0536 SUNSET:
2038 St. Croix Falls, WI
Interstate State Park – rain all day
PRESENT 19 MAY 2019 RAIN for 2 DAYS - 37 Degrees - Snowflakes - Temp Fallling
 |
| Church of St. Joseph Taylor Falls, MN |
0730 Mass at Church of St.
Joseph, Taylor Falls,
MN. Taylor Falls is just across the St. Croix
River. The 5tth Sunday of Easter – a
young priest – I expected someone much older – a young altar boy and a young
man playing piano and singing. The 40
people in church appeared to all be over 50. The lesson to be learned today was ‘new’ –
Paul opening the church to Gentiles and a gospel where Christ basically says
again “love one another as I have loved you. “ ‘They will know we are
Christians by our love.’ For whatever it
was worth the setting and style of the priest made you want to listen.
Thought I might do
an 'out and back' for a portion of the St. Croix Falls Segment and the last ½ mile of the
Connecting Route from the Gandy
Dancer Segment – but the rain
didn’t stop even long enough for that –it’s 39 degrees and raining.
There is a theater
on Hwy 8 – toyed with idea of spending 3 hours watching the Avengers – instead , rearranged the schedule for a return
here on Sunday June 9.
MAY 20, 2019 Monday
WEATHER: COLD - 32 at 5 am clear –
sunny – 58 by 1 pm – high of 62
SUNRISE: 0535 SU NSET:
2039 St. Croix Falls, WI
Interstate State Park -
TRAVEL: START: 100th St aka CTH I Straight
Lake Segment
FINISH: Luck, WI parking area Gandy
Dancer Segment
 |
| Trail Angel |
A member of the Indianhead
Chapter assisted with
the pick-up and drop-off..
Wore long pants,
gloves, short sleeve t-shirt, long sleeve t-shirt, a second long sleeve t-shirt, windbreakers and
wore the Tingley rubber overshoes
Carried the Camel-Bak Cloud
Walker 18 backpack with a stocking hat, extra gloves..
WILDLIFE: birds and geese – saw a turkey driving out of Interstate - no mammals
ICE AGE NATIONAL SCENIC TRAIL
STRAIGHT LAKE Segment 3.6 miles S 0720 F 0912
TRADE RIVER Segment 4.3
miles S 0912 F 1126
GANDY DANCER Segment 4.8
miles S 1126 F 1318
Total Hiking Time 6.0 hrs Total Today 12.7 miles
Total
720.0 miles
The Straight
Lake Segment follows the south
side of the Straight River tunnel channel from its eastern trailhead for
about 1 ½ miles. Water flowed in the tunnel
channel while this area
was completely ice covered. The trail
then drops into the tunnel channel and follows the crest of a small esker.
Straight Lake is a kettle. The flow of the water in the channel
was toward the
southeast, the same direction that the water in the esker
tunnel flowed.
 |
| Straight Lake is to the left this is the Straight River flowing out - it is supposed to be a simple "rock hopping' traverse - 3 inches of rain over the last 3 days turned it ialmost into a ford - I considered putting my rubber overshoes back on - but the waterproofing "mink oil" kept the water out of my Redwing boot - and I didn;t slip, the water was calf to knee deep |
s
 |
| Straight Lake basalt bed rock |
 |
| Straight Lake some areas muddy & underwater |
 |
| Straight Lake trail |
 |
| Trade River trailhead |
 |
| Trade River - lots of walkways I slipped and fell on this one - landed on hands and knees lucky not to go over the edge |
The Trade River Segment is behind the St. Croix Moraine. Between the eastern trailhead and 140th St., the trail crosses gently rolling till. Continuing west the trail crosses low rolling topography. The local bedrock is basalt and close to the surface.
 |
| Trade River - many basalt - bed rock - outcroppings |
 |
| Trade River cross-country ski trails |
 |
| Trade River very muddy along the east side of the Trade River |
 |
| Trade River still snow at 1130 in some placee |
 |
| Gandy Dancer trail |
 |
| Gandy Dancer trailhead |
From the eastern terminus of the Gandy Dancer Segment the IAT heads south and southwest. An easy going hike because of the naturally occurring low relief and the trail follows an old Soo Line Railroad grade shared with the Gandy Dancer State Trail. From the trailhead to Luck the elevation changes less than 50 feet. Luck was home to the Duncan Yo-Yo Company – i.e. where the wooden yo-yos were made.
MAY 21, 2019 Tuesday
WEATHER: 43 at 0445-cloudy – 58 at 1130
cloudy;
SUNRISE: 0534 SUNSET: 2041 St. Croix Falls, WI
Interstate Park
TRAVEL: START: 160th
Ave south of Centuria Gandy Dancer terminus
FINSIH: Luck parking Gandy
Dancer Segment Gandy Dancer
A member of the Indianhead
Chapter assisted with
the pick-up and drop-off..
Wore long pants,
short sleeve t-shirt, long sleeve t-shirt, and Carried
the Camel Bak Cloud Walker 18 backpack with an extra windbreaker. It did get windy around 1030. Minneapolis is expecting gusts up to 45 mph.
ICE AGE NATIONAL SCENIC TRAIL
GANDY DANCER Segment 10.7 miles S 0725 F1124
Total
Hiking Time 4.0 hrs Total Today 10.7miles
Total
730.7 miles
 |
| Gandy Dancer - 160th St |
 |
| Gandy Dancer Milltown |
From Luck south, the Gandy Dancer Segment there is a climb onto pitted outwash plain and shallow kettles that dot the landscape. South to Centuria the walk is on pitted outwash.
I met two people
hiking south on the trailer and one biker.
The fist hiker was engrossed in his phone – I’m not sure he acknowledged
my ‘Hello.’ The second hiker was from
Hartland. He was walking the IAT –
walking to his bike and biking back.
MAY 22, 2019 Wednesday
WEATHER: mostly rainy
SUNRISE: 0533 SU NSET:
2041 St. Croix Falls, WI
TRAVEL: Interstate State Park. St. Croix Falls to
Rock River Estates to Burlington. WI , left a daily early due to arrival of
1-121 FA on May 23, 2018
JUNE 1, 2019
WEATHER: 70’s humid, mostly cloudy –
threat of storms in the afternoon
SUNRISE: 0523 SUNSET: 2020 Monticello, WI
TRAVEL: START
Monticello Segment trailhead in Monticello
END parking area on Hughs Rd ( terminus of
Brooklyn Wildlife Segment
Wore short
pants, short sleeve t-shirt, Redwings, long sleeve t-shirt in Camel-Bak CloudWalker
18 back pack – plenty of bikers in groups and runners on the trail
WILDLIFE: rabbits, turtle nesting in the
middle of the trail, song birds and the creaking of frogs when near marshy
areas
ICE AGE NATIONAL SCENIC TRAIL
MONTICELLO Segment 6.5+ miles S
0710 F 1110
Connector Route 3.8 miles S
1110 F 1240
Total
Hiking Time 5.5 hrs Total Today 10.3 miles
Total 741.0 miles
 |
| Monticello - trailhead |
 |
| Outcrops on the Sugar River State Trail - this is not the IAT |
The Monticello Segment began at the historic Monticello Train Depot – it appears that the Badger State Trail & Sugar River State Trail (both bike trails) cross just north of Monticello – I missed that crossover and continued on the Sugar River State Trail all the way to New Glarus. This put me off track and I had to backtrack to Exeter Crossing Road to get back on the Badger State Trail. This walk was probably more scenic since the bedrock was exposed and the trail goes through a country club’s golf course.
 |
| Turtle nesting on the trail |
 |
| Monticello - Stewart Tunnel south entrance |
Completed in 1887, the 1,260 ft long train tunnel is names for James Stewart of Pennsylvania, the contract for the railroad construction. Blasted through limestone, the tunnel’s opening is 14ce by 22 feet. A flashlight is needed to negotiate the tunnel. There was pooled water covering the north exit of the tunnel about an inch deep – the tunnel roof was spalling – a biker noted that a large piece of ceiling on floor of the tunnel ‘wasn’t there yesterday.’
 |
| Monticello - inside the Stewart Tunnel |
 |
| Monticello - inside the Stewart Tunnel |
The Connector Route
headed east on CTH W through Dayton and then north on CTH D to Hughes Rd – east
to the parking area at the terminus of the Brooklyn Wildlife Segment.
JUNE 4, 2019
WEATHER: 52 around 7 am – red morning sky
as the sun rose – mostly cloudy; a storm line came through about the time I was
Cross Plains – luckily sat out the storm for close to 2 hours in the Crossroads
Coffee House
SUNRISE: 0529 SUNSET: 2059 Verona, WI
TRAVEL: START
Southern trailhead Tablebluff Segment
- Scheele Rd
END parking area Moraine Ridge Dr and Mound View
Rd ( terminus of the (Valley View Segment)
Wore long pants, long sleeeve sleeve t shirt, short
sleeve t-shirt, Redwings, Camel-Bak CloudWalker 18 back pack – the long slleve
t-shrit came off after 20 minutes of walking
WILDLIFE: a fox on initial Connector Route;
a deer on the bedrock hills of the Cross Plains Segment; 2 deer on the second Connector Route. Plenty of songbirds.
ICE AGE NATIONAL SCENIC TRAIL
Connector Route 1.6
miles S 0724 F 0800
CROSS PLAINS SEGMENT 2.8 miles S 0800 F 0910
RAIN DELAY –
Crossroads Coffee House 0910 1055
Connector Route 8.0
miles S 1055 F 1400
VALLEY VIEW Segment 1.0
miles S1400 F 1435
Total
Hiking Time 6.5 hrs Total Today 13.4 miles
Total 756.0 miles
 |
| Cross Plains - sign in Cross Plains |
The Cross
Plains Segment shows off the
village of Cross Plains, which is situated along Black Earth Creek in a valley between tall
bluffs. It sits at the boundary of the
most recent glaciation to the east and to the north and the driftless area to
the west and the south. Cross
Plains is named for the
intersection of two early roads: the Military Road from Fort
Crawford (Prairie du Chien)
to Fort Howard (Green Bay) and the lowland road from Arena to Madison.
The segment ends at the Ice Age Trail Alliance’s HQ in Cross Plains.
There is work to expand this area.
I stopped in IATA HQ - I reconginzed most of the staff - some acknowleged recognistion of me - staff was neihter warm - nor cool - just indifferent. It started to rain - radar indicated a long rain - I went to the coffee shop.
I stopped in IATA HQ - I reconginzed most of the staff - some acknowleged recognistion of me - staff was neihter warm - nor cool - just indifferent. It started to rain - radar indicated a long rain - I went to the coffee shop.
 |
| Ice Age Trail Alliance HQ - fancy digs |
 |
| Connector Route |
 |
| Crossroads Coffee Shop a place to wait out 2 hours of rain |
 |
| Valley View - hilly - steep - with a goof number of interpretive signs |
In the east the
trail begins on a low part of the Johnstown Moraine.
The hills to the west are drift less. Traveling west the trail rises to
the crest of the Johnstown Moraine which here stands as a high narrow ridge standing above the countryside.
The moraine is
actually sitting on bedrock with till making up 30-40 feet . The IAT drops off the moraine into the Driftless
Area just west of Mound
View Road. The trail
then crosses a deep ravine that glacial meltwater most likely cut when the ice
was at its maximum.
JUNE 5, 2019
WEATHER: 60's - 70's
SUNRISE: 0516
Bulrington, WI SUNSET:
2044 Rib Lake, WI
TRAVEL: Rock River Leisure Estates to Rib Lake
Campground
Rib Lake Campground – my second visit here – 1st come 1st
served
JUNE 6, 2019
WEATHER: 58 at 0700 – 80 by 2 pm. Mostly
sunny.- warm and humid
SUNRISE: 0513 SUNSET: 2045 Rib Lake, WI
TRAVEL: START
S Tower Rd terminus of Timberland Wilderness
END park CTH E parking Newwood
terminus
A member of the Northwoods
Chapter assisted with
the pick-up and drop-off..
Wore long pants,
short sleeve t-shirt, Redwings, Tingley overshoes, long sleeve t-shirt in
CamelBak CloudWalker 18 backpack. Drank
all the water in the 3.5 liter CamelBak by 1320. Didn’t need the Tingeley’s.
WILDLIFE: a turkey and turkey vultures
along the road, on the trail only a frog and birdsong. A virtual mosquito heaven.
ICE AGE NATIONAL SCENIC TRAIL
Connector Route 1.9 miles S 0755 F 0835
CAMP 27 Segment 2.9 miles S
0835 F 1000
NEWWOOD Segment 6.9 miles S
1000 F1420
Total
Hiking Time 6.4 hrs Total Today 11.7 miles
Total 766.1miles
Connector Route along Tower Road
 |
| Camp 27 trailhead |
The Camp 27 Segment traverses the New Wood State Wildlife Area. It is one of the most remote areas in the state – there is a large beaver dam crossing and a ford. The beaver dam is more than 100 feet long – the trail follows a narrow earthen embankment both ends are marked with yellow metal markers.
 |
| Camp 27 Beaver Dam |
 |
| Camp 27 |
 |
| Camp 27 Copper River |
 |
| Newwood - trailhead |
About 1 ¼ miles
past the Copper River crossing the trail intersects a grass covered logging road that leads
100 years to the historic Camp 27 logging camp. Camp 27 was established in 1940-41 by
the Rib Lake Lumber Company of Delaware.
Logs were transported by rail to the Company’s sawmill in Rib
Lake. The camp was
self-sufficent. By 1945 the area had
been cut over and cleared. Little trace
of Camp 27 remains on the
site.
The
Newwood Segment heads east from an
unnamed logging road through a few boggy
areas and marshland. Continuing eastward it traverses an
esker. As the segment nears Conservation
Avenue it changes from a
narrow footpath to a wide grassy “troad” along open meadows.
 |
| Newwood |
 |
| Newwood New River |
 |
| Newwood New River |
Continuing east the trail goes through rough terrain. The area along the entire Wisconsin River valley was logged for large pines from the 1850’s through the 1890’s. Rivers were used to transport the logs to sawmills, In 1906 the logging of hardwoods and hemlocks started once the pines were gone. A network of railroad spurs was placed in areas being logged. The spurs tied into the Milwaukee Road that went from the Newwood area into Merrill to the company’s lumber mill.
 |
| Newwood - a number of rocks on the trail were painted with the yellow blaze |
North of Conservation
Avenue the segment enters
a wide band of Lincoln County Forest. At
a point on the Newwood River there are 3 giant white pines.
They probably escaped logging due to their small size at the time. The area has several Leopold
benches along the
segment and crosses Camp
Twenty-Six Creek before following
the flat, grassy rail bed of a historic
railway that brings the segment to its terminus on CTH E..
JUNE 7, 2019
WEATHER: 48 at 7 am warmed to 77, sunny,
wind from the south
SUNRISE: 0513 SUNSET: 2045 Rib Lake, WI
TRAVEL: START
CTH E Newwood terminus
END park at Hydro North STH 107
Rib Lake Campground: this is Friday and 6 other
campers with trailers or tents came in for the weekend. -
Wore long pants,
short sleeve t-shirt, Redwings, CamelBak CloudWalker 18 backpack.. Did not
carry the Tingley overshoes – could have used them on the 1st mile
or so of the Turtle Rock Segment.
WILDLIFE: turkey along CTH E – probably the
same one I saw yesterday; a deer on the Turtle Rock Segment – songbirds Lots of mosquitoes . . .
ICE AGE NATIONAL SCENIC TRAIL
Connector Route 2.1 miles S 0720 F
0800
TURTLE ROCK Segment 5.0 miles S 0800 F
1100
AVERILL-KELLY WILDERNESS Segment 4.9 miles S
1100 F 0000
Connector Route Segment 0.6 miles S 0000 F
1320
Total
Hiking Time 6.0 hrs Total Today 12.6 miles
Total 778.7 miles
 |
| The Connector Route -along the east bank of the Wisconsin River |
 |
| The Red Arrow indicates the trailhead of the Turtel Rock Segment along CTH E after crossing the Wisconsin River from the east. The Turtle Rock Segment ends at Burma Rd. The 4.9 mile Averill- Kelly Wilderness Segment was closed - requiring a long walk around north on Burma Road to CTH E |
Connector Route .along CTH E to STH 107 to parking at the Grandfather Falls Dam
Connector Route goes south along CTH E.
 |
| Turtle Rock Segment - along the Wisconsin River |
The Turtle
Rock Segment is a challenging
trek along and near the banks of the Wisconsin River. Definitely SLOW GO
along the river. This segment was named for a
ceremonial rock used by Native Americans.
The segment is lightly used – blazes are well maintained.. From its western terminus on Burma
Road, the segment heads
down a steep hill into the valley of the Wisconsin River where the forest becomes dense
and the terrain is rocky. The trail intersects a rock-hop across a small unnamed creek
heading into the Wisconsin River and skirts a wetland area before
reaching its eastern terminus on CTH E.
 |
| Turtle Rock Segment |
 |
| Turtle Rock Segment Turtle Rock in the Wisconsin River |
 |
| Turtle Rock Segment very rocky along the Wisconsin River |
 |
| Averill-Kelly Wilderness Reroute |
The
Averaill-Kelly Wilderness Segment is entirely on private lands, and
features 3 water crossings in a forested remote setting. There is a ford at the New
Wood River – wide but ankle
deep – after a heavy rain it has been known to get hip deep, There is a rock-hop across Averill
Creek and a walk through
a clear cut timber harvest. Following
portions of an old railroad grade the trail makes its way to a wet and swampy sometimes
ankle deep Kelly Creek crossing
 |
| Averill-Kelly Wilderness reroute was north on Burma Rd - east on CTH E then south of CTH E The reroute was long and very hot - tiring |
JUNE 8, 2019
WEATHER: 49 at 7 am warmed up to the mid
70’s
SUNRISE: 0513 SUNSET: 2046
Rib Lake, WI
TRAVEL: START Hydro North parking on STH 107
END park at Tug Lake County Park
CTH
Rib Lake Campground - - pavilion here must be for rent – today there is 50 person picnic
Wore long pants,
short sleeve t-shirt (yellow t rubbed my lower pack) Redwings, CAmelBak
Cloudwoalker 18 backpack
WILDLIFE: only birds - mosquitoes
ICE AGE NATIONAL SCENIC TRAIL
Connector Route (5.7 0of 10.4) 5.7 miles S
0715 F 0920
GRANDFATHER FALLS Segment 4.0 miles S 0920 F 1120
Total
Hiking Time 4.5 hrs Total Today 9 7 miles
Total
788.4 miles
 |
| Connector Route |
 |
| Connector Route Tug Lake |
 |
| Connector Route |
The Connector Route along Tug Lake Ave turns south at STH 107.
 |
| Along the trail, Wisconsin Public Service had several interpretive signs explaining the 'falls' past |
 |
| Grandfather Falls flood gate |
 |
| Grandfather Falls an easier walk on the east side of the Wisconsin River |
The Grandfather Falls Segment is short but scenic. I visited this area on a recon during a previous visit to the area. I walked from the segment through New Wood County Park and crosses STH 107 to begin a 1.7 mile (one way) out and back portion on the Merrill School Forest Property. The property became a memorial to Nels P. Evjue, a pioneer Merrill woodsman, when he donated the property to Merrill High School in 1944. The trail comes back to STH 107
.
The trail heads
south to the original red brick hydroelectric plant. The segment then enters woods and follows the
Wisconsin River past the waterfall (largest on the Wisconsin River with a drop of 89 feet) along
rapids through a Pre-Cambrian outcrop.
I believe this
would be a good walk in the fall.
 |
| Grandfather Falls - dam |
The segment continues south and turns east and crosses the dams floodgate and past the dam’s penstocks. Wisconsin Public Service has a number of interpretive signs along the trail – leading me to believe this land is owned by the utility.
Six o’clock pm Mass at Good Shepherd Catholic Church in Rib Lake. Pentecost Sunday. Attended by 80-100 people. Same priest as last Fall . . . . a long sermon but somehow you wanted to listen. Choir of 5 men, 1 woman – no pianist today. Prayer for Vocations said after the petitions. The priest sang the preface.
JUNE 9, 2019
WEATHER: mid 50’s mostly cloudy – mid 60’s
by 9 am – 70’s by 11 am – rain & 59 when I reached Interstate State Park
around 2:30
SUNRISE: 0512 Rib
Lake, WI SUNSET:
2057 St. Croix Falls, WI
TRAVEL: START First Lake Rd western access to
Harrison Hills Segment
END ATV parking lot on CTH B
Rib Lake
Campground to Interstate Park
Interstate Park – Site 4 is very uneven – drops off in the rear – not
level.
Wore long pants,
short sleeve t-shirt, carried the Camelbak Cloudwalker 18 backpack with a long
sleeve t-shrit.
WILDLIFE: only birdsong on the trail with
the occasional hum of highway traffic. Mosquitos
ICE AGE NATIONAL SCENIC TRAIL
HARRISON HILLS Segment (4.2 of 14.5 miles) S 0655 F 0905
Total Hiking Time 2.2 hrs Total Today 4.2 miles Total 792.6 miles
 |
| Map of Harrison Hills - Alta Junction - Underdown Segments Today I hiked from the red arrow to CTH B parking |
 |
| Harrison Hills lots of mosquitoes |
 |
| Harrison Hills this part was very muddy 'suck your boots off' kind of mud |
 |
| Harrison Hills not much light in the forest |
Started at the eastern trailhead (First Lake Rd) – this northeastern segment of the trail passes several lakes and is in the middle of an ATV area. There are two campsites on Chain Lake. This seemed like a quick walk – although it was exerting - a lot of up and down – yet occasional walks along old logging roads.. These are the Harrison Hills. I finished today’s hike at the ATV parking area on CTH B
JUNE 10, 2019 Tuesday
WEATHER: 49 at 4:30 am sunny– 70 at 2 pm mostly
sunny – short sun shower at 2:30 pm
SUNRISE: 0522 SU NSET:
2058 St. Croix Falls, WI
Interstate State Park -
TRAVEL: START:
300th Ave aka CTH W McKenzie Creek Segment
FINISH: 100th St aka CTH I parking area Straight
Lake Segment
Wore long pants,
short sleeve t-shirt, carried the Camel Bak Cloud Walker 18 backpack wore Tingley
rubber overshoes until completing McKenzie Creek Segment.
WILDLIFE: 1 bear, 3 deer, 5 turkeys, 1 grass snake, 1 squirrel - birdsong until about 0930 – mosquitoes in
low places but not as bad as Lincoln County
ICE AGE NATIONAL SCENIC TRAIL
MCKENZIE CREEK Segment 4.7 miles S 0718 F 0935
Connector Route 0.7 miles S 0935 F
1000
PINE LAKE Segment 2.9
miles S 1000 F 1132
STRAIGHT RIVER Segment 3.4 miles S 1132 F 1340
Connector Route 0.8 miles S 1340 F
1405
Total
Hiking Time 6.8. hrs Total Today 12.5 miles
Total
805.1 miles
 |
| McKenzie Creek Apologies for the shaky picture I was in a hurry to get past this tree'd bear - wasn't sure if there was another around |
 |
| McKenzie Creek Segment McKenzie Lake |
None of these segments were easy walks but the low temps and low volume of mosquitoes made it bearable. However, never again.
From the 300th
St (CTH W) parking area the McKenzie Creek Segment continues
south past McKenzie
Lake and terminates on
270th Ave (CTH O). The trail
follows the ice flow through the steep and hilly topography of the 5,497 acre McKenzie
Creek State Wildlife
Area . It is identified as High
Relief Hummocky Topography.
 |
| Pine Lake Segment |
 |
| Pine Lake Segment this was a tough hurdle not easy to negotiate barb wire fence each side |
 |
| Straight River Segment |
 |
| Straight River Segment barb wire fence left the trail was under 1 ft of water the walk around through the field was at least 1n extra 1/2 mile |
The Straight River Segment begins on shallow outwash with shallow kettles. According to Dave Mickelson of the UW, about ½ mile west the trail descends into one of the best-preserved tunnel channels anywhere along the IAT. Water flowed in the tunnel channel while this area was completed ice covered and when the edge of the glacier was at the St. Croix Moraine. .
 |
| Straight River Segment - like a 'braided stream' this is the remains fo the glacial tunnel channel |
The short Connector Route ended the days hike at a parking area head of the Straight Lake Segment.
I ended the day
with a Miller Lite at the Northwoods in Luck,
WI. The bartender remembered me – Monday is Men’s
Day - $2 beers.
JUNE 11, 2019
WEATHER: 49 at 6 1m cloudy – high of 65 -occasional
showers by 1030, light rain low 60’s and
in most of the afternoon
SUNRISE: 0522 SUNSET: 2058 St Croix Falls, WI
Interstate Park – rates a 5 on trails and scenery – facilities at the
campground need repair and suffer maintenance rating a very strong 2 – DNR can do better than this.
TRAVEL: START HWY
87 – just north of Lions Park
PARK: IAT Western Terminus – Interstate Park
Wore long pants,
short sleeve t-shirt, wore the Tingley rubber overshoes. They trail was mostly well-worn single tred
and they were taken off in 30 minutes. Carried the Camel Bak Cloud Walker 18 backpack.
WILDLIFE: birdsong almost all along the
trail with the occasional distant sometimes close whine of trucks on the
highway. Only 1 squirrel. Few, if any mosquitoes on the trail.
ICE AGE NATIONAL SCENIC TRAIL
ST. CROIX FALLS Segment (7.2 of 9.0 miles) 7.2 miles S 0730 F 1125
Total
Hiking Time 3.9 hrs Total Today 7.2 miles
Total 812.3 miles
 |
| St. Croix Falls Segment some low spots on the trail - muddy |
 |
| St. Croix Falls Segment bedrock |
I’ll finish the
segment and Connector Route tomorrow before I leave for Antigo.
When I get to Antigo, I’ll take a day off – rest and recover.
 |
| St. Croix Falls Segment bedrock |
 |
| St. Croix Falls Segment St. Croix River 90 degre bend end of the trail |
Exposed basalt
bedrock is along the trail in the Florence Baker Riegel Memorial
Park. The trail goes onto an esker in back of the hospital. This esker formed beneath the Superior Lobe
when the ice flowed toward the southeast.
The western
terminus of the IAT is at the Potholes Trail.
The potholes along the trail are common where river flows on rock, The
potholes here are larger than the others found in the state of Wisconsin.
 |
| St. Croix Falls Segment - view in Interstate Park looking to Minnesota - bedrock |
 |
| St. Croix Falls Segment Ice Age Trail terminus in Interstate Park |
Interstate Park features thick layers of basalt bedrock. The rock was extruded from the Midcontinent Rift onto the ground surface from volcanoes about 1,100 million year age. The park is located more than 20 miles northwest for the outer edge of the St. Croix advance, so thick ice covered it during the last advance.
After the Superior
Lobe retreated north of
the St. Croix Falls area, another lobe of ice, the Des Moines Lobe advanced southward into
Minnesota – a small sub-lobe advanced
toward the northwest just entering what is now Wisconsin.
At some time during
the retreat of the glacier, meltwater began to cut the St. Croix River Dalles.
JUNE 12, 2019
WEATHER: 54 and rain at 6 am – cloudy –
50’s-60’s during the walk – eventually became mostly sunny SUNRISE: 0521 St Croix
Falls, WI SUNSET: 2044 Antigo, WI
TRAVEL: Interstate Park to City of Antigo
Campground
START end of the Gandy Dancer Segment (160th
Ave)
PARK: Lions Park on STH 87
City of Antigo RV Park – I’ve stayed here twice before – great facility –
clean showers – free WIFI
Wore long pants,
short sleeve t-shirt, Carried the Camel Bak
Cloud Walker 18 backpack.
WILDLIFE: 4 deer on the Connector Route
crossing River Raod.
ICE AGE NATIONAL SCENIC TRAIL
Connector Route 4.5
miles S 0712 F 0854
ST. CROIX FALLS Segment 1.8 miles S 0854 F 0954
Total
Hiking Time 2.7. hrs Total Today 6.3 miles
Total
818.6 miles
 |
| A rare sight - a sign for a Connecotr Route |
 |
| Connector Route - St Croix Falls Speedway |
 |
| St. Croix Falls - this was 'suck your boots off' mud |
After a short climb it descends to cross Big
Rock Creek. When I got there
it didn’t appear to be a “rock hopping” ford.
The “angel” had earlier told me that it was easy to ford a little
upstream and there was an arrow and a worn path that seemed to confirm the
advice. However, the path was steep,
very steep and then it disappeared. It would have been treacherous to go back
down. The creek below did not seem
fordable. I continued forward and
eventually came out at a house and then back to the road. I walked out of the ravine and back to Lions
Park was a tough walk
on the trail.
 |
| St. Croix Falls - this is Big Rock Creek - after the rain too wide and too deep to walk across I was told it was easier to cross upstream - so the arrow I followed and a nice trail - very steep uphill Never found a crossing and the trail eventually disappeared |
JUNE 13, 2019
WEATHER: 43 at 0430 and clear – 50’s
& mid 60’s – mostly sunny
SUNRISE: 0508 SUNSET:2045 Antigo, WI
City of Antigo RV Park
TRAVEL: laundry, IAT recons
I took the day off – R&R – Recovery – updated the blog –
planning – laundry
After the recon
down to Hartley Creek State Park I had a meatloaf dinner at BB
Jacks in Antigo –
still a good place to eat.
JUNE 14, 2019 FLAG DAY
WEATHER: 46 at 4:30 am, rain in the
forecast – rained 0630 to 1145
SUNRISE: 0508 SUNSET:2045 Antigo, WI
City of Antigo RV Park - it rained all day - City of Antigo offices closed in the afternoon - yet 2 employees were cutting the grass in the RV park - in the rain - it had to be miserable
END DNR parking on CTH J, Alta
Junction Segment
A member of the Northwoods
Chapter was going to assist
with the pick-up and drop-off.. She only
lived 2 miles away from the pick-up point – she understood my cancellation.
WILDLIFE: 5 deer on the roads to the
parking area on CTH J (Alta Juction Segment). One was a close call as he ran
across the front and then ahead of my truck – I was lucky enough to slow down –
usually an omen not to walk today.
ICE AGE NATIONAL SCENIC TRAIL
Decided not to walk – it was raining, in the mid 40’s and radar
indicated that the rain would continue until at least 11 am. I’d be wet almost immediately – the walk
would be miserable. Rain + Cold = Misery
(followed by getting sick).
JUNE 15, 2018
WEATHER: rained overnight – 57 at 5 am
SUNRISE: 0509 SUNSET: 2046 Antigo, WI
TRAVEL: Antigo to Rock River Leisure Estates
JUNE 19, 2018
WEATHER: cloudy – low-mid 60’s –
rain/mist until at least 0930
SUNRISE: 0518 SUNSET: 2041 Cross Plains, WI
TRAVEL: START – Indian Lake trailhead
END – terminus Table
Bluff Segment on Scheele Rd
Wore long pants,
short sleeve t-shirt, Redwings. Wore
poncho until 0930. Still continued to
mist . . . . Carried “Cloudwalker 18” Camel-Bak back pack
WILDLIFE: birdsong all along the CR and Table
Bluff Segment.
ICE AGE NATIONAL SCENIC TRAIL
Connector Route 4.8
miles S 0735 F 0932
TABLE BLUFF Segment 2.5
miles S 0932 F 1100
Total
Hiking Time 3.4 hours Total Today 7.3 miles
TOTAL 825.9 miles
 |
| The Connectot Route had some hills |
Located in the Driftless
Area, the Table
Bluff Segment crosses restored
prairie and steep rocky slopes. Table Bluff itself is actually just
northwest of the segments trailhead on Table Bluff Rd. There is approximately 200 feet of vertical
climb, offering great views of the Driftless Area.
The trail was slick in many spots.
Meltwater from the Laurentide Ice Sheet poured through a pre-glacial
valley depositing sand and gravel and partially filling the lower valley floors
which now hold wetlands and a tributary stream of Black
Earth Creek.  |
| Table Bluff Segment - view looking west |
 |
| Table Bluff Segment - that dot on the road below is my car and the end of the hike |
JUNE 25, 2018
WEATHER: sunny – clear 60’s high in the
70’s breeze off the lake – cloudy and
rain in the afternoon SUNRISE:
0507 SUNSET: 2038 Two Rivers
TRAVEL: START – trailhead Lakeshore Dr
END – Park Rd - cul de sac
Wore long pants,
short sleeve t-shrit, Redwings, wore Tingley rubber overshoes until 11 am. Carried “Cloudwalker 18” Camel-Bak backpack
WILDLIFE: 2 deer, frogs and toads along the trail, lots of croakers in the wetland, one unidentified snake slipped off the trail - no birdsong until 0930
ICE AGE NATIONAL SCENIC TRAIL
POINT BEACH Segment 10.0
miles S 0724 F 1212
Total
Hiking Time 4.8 hours Total Toda 10.0
miles
TOTAL 835.9 miles
 |
| Point Beach Segment |
The Point
Beach Segment continues through Point
Beach State Forest Between 12,000 and 11,000 years ago, the
level of Lake Michigan was as much as 300 feet below its present level, and the shoreline was
far to the east. The lake rose until it
reached it present level about 7,000 years ago and continued to rise until
about 6,000 years ago when it reached the Nipissing level. At that time, the shoreline was right at the Lakeshore
Rd trail access at
the east end of the segment.
 |
| Point Beach Segment the boardwalk was an impressive collaborative project |
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| Point Beach Segment deer along the trail |
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| Point Beach Segment this boardwalk was long |
Because of converging currents, sand spits grew out into the lake. Waves continued to extend these fingers of sand. At the same time, sand blew off the beach and piled up into dunes on the spit. A lagoon filled behind the dunes and slowly filled with peat.
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| Point Beach Segment - there were some great views - close to Lake Michigan the air was cool |
As the lake level
began to fall from the Nipissing high to its
present level, a series of beach ridges formed parallel to the shore. The walk along the beach was pleasant but it
is never easy walking through or on sand.
 |
| Point Beach Segment boardwalks ran down to the water |
 |
| Point Beach Segment this was trail blazing between dunes |
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| Point Beach Segment Lake Michigan is high the trail is actually in the water notice the 'beach' is covered with water |
JUNE 26, 2018
WEATHER: 66 at 0530 & clear, 80 at
1130, occasional breeze out of the west – cloudy afternoon SUNRISE: 0508 SUNSET: 2038
Two Rivers
TRAVEL: START – Tisch Mills trailhead on Nuclear Road
END – parked car on CTH F & Sleepy
Hollow Rd
Wore short
pants, short sleeve t-shirt, New Balance walking shoes. Carried “Cloudwalker 18” Camel-Bak back-pack
WILDLIFE: only road kill, a racoon and a grass snake
ICE AGE NATIONAL SCENIC TRAIL
Connector Route (12.5 of 25.3 miles) 10.5
miles S 0730 F 1118
Total
Hiking Time 3.8 hours Total
Today 10.5 miles
TOTAL 844.4 miles
 |
| Connector Route also wine coutry |
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| Connector Route - still dairy country |
Alternate
Route: Tisch Mills trailhead on Nuclear
Rd to CTH AB to Collegiate to Sleepy
Hollow Rd to CTH F – 10.5 miles ILO 12.5.
JUNE 27, 2018
WEATHER: 68 at 7:30 am sunny; 81 by 1030
SUNRISE: 0508 SUNSET: 2038 Two Rivers
TRAVEL: START – CTH F & Sleepy Hollow Rd
END – parked car at Kewaunee
River Segment trailhead
Wore short
pants, short sleeve t-shirt, New Balance walking shoes. Carried “Cloudwalker 18” Camel-Bak back pack
WILDLIFE: only birdsong
ICE AGE NATIONAL SCENIC TRAIL
Connector Route (7.7 of 25.3 miles) 7.7
miles S 0748 F 1030
Total
Hiking Time 2.8 hours Total
Today
7.7 miles
TOTAL 865.0 miles
 |
| Connector Route - this was a long steep hill along Valley Rd |
 |
| Conenctor Route - and of course still dairy country |
Alternate
Route: CTH F & Sleepy
Hollow Rd – west on CTH F
to CTH AB to Valley Rd to Luxemburg
Rd to Hawthorn
Rd to CTH A to Kewaunee
River trailhead – 7.7 miles ILO
12.5
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