What's in a name?

Plenty.

Every segment of the Ice Age Trail that's been created has a name. Part of the reason I'm so anxious to get started is to explore the segments with the most intriguing names. Like the Kettlebowl, Lumbercamp, Timberland Wilderness, Stony Ridge and Southern Blue Hills. All of those sound pretty rugged.

There are lots of segments named after lakes: Firth Lake. Jerry Lake. Harwood Lakes. Lake Eleven. Trivia: Wisconsin has +14,000 lakes, which bests our western neighbor, Minnesota, the Land of 10,000 Lakes. And actually, Minnesota has just under 12,000, so I'm not sure why they shorted themselves in their moniker. But I digress.

There are also numerous segments named after rivers or creeks: Trade River, Straight River, Waupaca River, Mecan River; and La Budde Creek, Sand Creek and McKenzie Creek, to name a few.

Mondeaux Esker, Camp 27, Underdown and Table Bluff sound a bit mysterious. Holy Hill vies with Devil's Staircase. And Grandfather Falls, Ringle and Scuppernong? Well, they just sound fun.

On Day 1, coming up Saturday, I'll spend many miles on the Gandy Dancer segment, a name that makes me smile. I actually found some Gandy Dancer stout, made by Wisconsin's own Potosi Brewery, in the store the other day. You can bet I'll be sipping an ice-cold Gandy Dancer come Saturday night.