Day 33: Grassy Lake to McKenzie Creek

Today's first segment was Timberland Hills, a ski area. There was some standing water here, but nothing too bad. I saw the famous mermaid carving, but I missed the skull nailed to the tree (maybe it's only visible hiking west-east). Saw a lot of deer here, and they were running away faster than any deer I've ever seen. Most stare at you a bit, then scamper away. These acted like I was shooting at them.

Sand Creek was sandy. There also seemed to be a lot of either logging or some kind of construction going on. A lot of signage indicated I was now in Polk County.

Indian Creek was just gorgeous. It was the perfect kind of trail, meandering through the woods, passing a burbling creek, nothing too strenuous.

I ended the day doing about half of McKenzie Creek, which was just as pretty as Indian Creek. I could see the creek much more clearly than during my 2013 hike, when I passed it at the end of August and there was a lot more foliage around. There are some steep hills in this one. I think I was climbing an esker or two.

Tonight Dean Dversdall of the Indianhead chapter gave me a lift back to my car. Dean will shepherd me to the end, which is right around the corner!

Day 32: Hemlock Creek to Grassy Lake

Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2015

Today was the first beautiful hiking day, meaning sunny and cool (highs in the 50s). I started the day with the cute-but-short Blueberry segment, which I'd missed in 2013 (there wasn't good signage going west-east back then). It's just a sliver of trees in between Highway 8 and a gravel road, but it's fun to walk.

Next up was the Tuscobia rail-trail. I thought it was much prettier than in 2013, when I thought it was pretty ordinary. Then I realized all of these scenic "lakes" on the sides of the trail were likely just standing water; this part of the state apparently got a ton of rain all summer, plus 7 inches last week. (Down in the Madison area, we had less rain than normal.)

Of course I had to stop in at the Haugen General Store and sign the guest register. Lots of hikers and cyclists stop through. I bought an ice cream sandwich, egg salad sandwich, some duct tape (to tape plastic bags to my shoes to keep out the water) and ibuprofen; the owner said a lot of us are looking for ibuprofen! I signed the register right below Rachel's name, the other thru-hiker I met a few days earlier.

The next segment was Bear Lake. I had a terrible experience in Bear Lake in 2013, when I was terribly lost and all of the blazes suddenly disappeared. Then, last summer, a woman got lost and spent the night in the woods before calling 911 in the morning. Bear Lake has been totally reblazed, and there's no way you can get lost now. Yay! It's very pretty, too, passing several lakes. About eight folks were out hiking there when I went by.

The last segment for the day was Grassy Lake. A local trail person warned me the first half had standing water. No problem; there was lots of that in the Blue Hills. Well, there was a lot of standing water. In one area, it was calf-high and akin to wading a creek. Then I came across either a new beaver dam or a broken one. It necessitated walking through waist-deep water to cross (luckily just a few steps). But wouldn't you know it -- it was late in the day and cool, so I was quite cold. Why couldn't this have happened on any of the gazillion hot days I've hiked this trek?! 

Luckily, I realized I had rain pants in my pack. So I stripped off my wet shorts and changed. Now, I'm in the wilderness and hadn't seen or heard anyone in hours. Just as I pulled my pants on, a truck drove by on a logging road! I dodged a bullet. I wouldn't want anyone to think that I was the nude hiker!

The day ended with Trail Angel Tim McGraith driving me back to my car. Thanks, Tim!

Day 31: Weyerhauser to Hemlock Creek

I'd heard the Blue Hills were a bit overgrown and soggy, yet beautiful. One man also said there was a phenomenal beaver dam crossing.

It had rained overnight, then again in the morning. So the trails were quite wet and flooded in many places. I've noticed in this northern tier that there seems to be much more beaver activity than in 2013. Many lakes and creeks have been dammed, and water levels are much, much higher than I recall from 2013.

Anyway, both the Southern and Northern Blue Hills were stunning, despite some overgrown areas that scratched me up a bit. It was a bit scary, yet thrilling, to walk over some of the beaver dams. I also saw (and heard) two beavers; I've never seen beavers in the wild before. I also saw a bald eagle and, best of all, a black bear sliding down a tree at the end of the day (I think I startled it).

I was able to hike on a new segment of the Northern Blue Hills, but when I went to hike Hemlock Creek I had problems. Apparently the 2014 map I have isn't quite accurate, plus there's an old Ice Age Trail sign on Highway F (and faded, but visible, blazes near that sign) that steered me in the wrong direction. I ended up hiking some access path to Hemlock Creek, then followed blazes back into the Northern Blue Hills! I didn't recognize the trail at all, or the fact I was hiking backwards, even though I'd just hiked it! I started getting suspicious when the time on my watch said I should be finished with Hemlock Creek, but the trail kept going on. And then I hit one of the major beaver dams again. Thank goodness I popped out on an access path to Stout Road, where my Trail Angels could easily meet me and take me back to my car.

Day 30: Harwood Lakes to Weyerhauser

Sunday, Sept. 27, 2015

Another gorgeous day on the trail. I had planned to finish my thru-hike today, but I'm several days behind schedule. So I have no one to crew me starting Monday. My hubby, Ed, drove my car up today so I'll have wheels the next few days, then rode back home with Doug. Then my son, Tim, crewed me for the day. 

Both Harwood Lakes and Chippewa Moraine are some of my favorite trails. They're typically not overgrown, aren't too steep and are just pretty. I really enjoyed hiking those.

The connecting route to Weyerhauser wasn't too bad to walk, as it passes many lakes and vacation properties, which are fun to gawk at. But Tim once pulled my car over on the shoulder of a country road to wait for me, and that particular part of the road had a steep drop-off that he didn't notice. Long story short, the car nearly tipped on its side. He flagged down a local to take him to a bar, where he tried unsuccessfully to contact AAA to tow the car out (AAA never answered his call). Some guys at the bar heard his story and drove out with their truck and pulled my car to safety. Gotta love Northern Wisconsin folks!

Day 29: Lake Eleven to Firth Lake

Sat., Sept. 26, 2015

Today dawned sunny and warm. I started on a +20-mile connecting route to Cornell. It wasn't too bad. At one point an Amish buggy passed, with the young driver singing a lovely song. Since it was hot again, and I haven't had ice cream in a while, Doug got me a cone in Cornell. It was good, but not as good at that place in Slinger! 

Doug explored the town, and said there were some nice coffee shops and artistic places, plus lots of cyclists. Wonder if there's a popular bike trail in the area? I enjoyed crossing the bridge and seeing the -- gosh, what was it? A historic lumber stacker or something like that? 

Hiked the Chippewa River segment while taking in views of Brunet Island State Park. I must visit that park sometime. It looks quite pretty.

The start of Firth Lake was a big difficult, as you go through a pasture where it's sort of hard to see the trail markers. Plus there was cow poop everywhere. And I mean everywhere. But the rest was nice.

Day 28: Mondeaux Esker to Lake Eleven

Friday, Sept. 25, 2015

I love the western end of Mondeaux Esker. Had a great hike there this morning, then headed into Jerry Lake.

The first part of Jerry Lake got off to a poor start. I was following the blazes, and then they stopped in this area where everything and nothing looked like it could be the trail. After bumbling around for a while in different directions and coming up with nothing, I hiked back out and skirted that initial section. After that, everything was perfectly marked. 

Ran into a group of young men camping. I asked if they were a bunch of friends out for a fun weekend. There was a long pause, and then one guy said, "Not really." Hours later my crew person, Doug, found out the story from another person on the trail. Apparently there's some alternative school for kids who have gone through some kind of trauma. As part of the school, they spend days, weeks and even months camping 24/7 as part of the therapeutic process. Interesting!

Lake Eleven was another gorgeous stretch of trail. So perfectly marked, and just a delightful not-too-hard, not-too-easy trail. I hustled at the end of the day to hike the final 3.8 miles, and hit the highway just as the moon was rising.

Day 27: Wood Lake to Mondeaux Esker

It had rained overnight and so the trails in Wood Lake were pretty wet. That necessitated a shoe/sock change before Rib Lake. I know the IATA is working on a new trail in Rib Lake, but apparently you're not supposed to hike a small portion of the existing trail, which is still signed.

East Lake was tougher than I remembered, and there was a lot of logging activity on the east end that I also don't recall. Not sure if it's new, or if my memory is just poor. During this segment I ran into my first thru-hiker, a young woman named Rachel. She's heading east, so I hope to be able to help her out when she gets to the Madison area. Her legs were scratched to pieces, and she said it was from the Blue Hills, which are quite overgrown. Oh no, I'll be heading into those soon!

The Pine Line was pretty scruffy. I was pleased to see how well-marked Mondeaux Esker was, and how easy it was to spot the trail, even in the mucky parts. But there's one pretty treacherous spot on the eastern stretch next to the water. It's about in the middle, when you have to go through really tall grass with terrible footing underneath that you can't really see. If you decide to tackle this soon, make sure to proceed very slowly and very cautiously or you could sprain an ankle or worse.

My crewing partner, Doug, bought a hamburger and cheese curds for me from Steve at the concession stand. When I passed through in 2013, it was a Sunday morning and the stand was closed. I've heard how great Steve's food is (mainly the pizza), so I was glad to try some. I can vouch both the burger and curds were delicious!

Day 26: Averill-Kelly to Wood Lake

Wednesday, Sept. 23

My good friend, Doug – he's telling me to write "selfless hero" -- had planned to drive up for the next five days and join me. So I rode back up with him, starting at 5:30 a.m. We arrived at Averill-Kelly by 9 a.m. and I was back on the "real" trail again.

Averill-Kelly was a bit scruffy and wet. I forgot how many rocks and roots there were, too; I couldn't move very quickly.

Newwood had a lot of beautiful spots, but was also pretty rocky and rooty, and my feet were getting a bit battered.

Doug ran into two hikers around Camp 27. One of the two has been thru-hiking since 2012; the other is his friend, helping. The hiker told Doug, "I'm not always fully dressed, but I'm harmless." The next time he saw the two, around Timberland Wilderness, the hiker was buck naked, except for his feet! ("He had on just his shoes and a smile," Doug reports.)

This is interesting. Back when I did Storrs Creek, I ran into a man that roughly fits the description Doug gave of this guy, and he was wearing a speedo swimsuit with a button-down shirt that was totally unbuttoned, revealing a bare chest. Wonder if that's the same guy?

In Timberland Wilderness we ran into volunteer Gene Simons (?), who was checking out some reported downed trees in advance of a group hike this weekend. He took our photo for a chapter newsletter, I think.

Ended the day in Wood Lake. It was just gorgeous! But I began one section at 6 p.m., and that was a mistake as I was ending when it was getting pretty dark. I did have a headlamp, but I won't be doing that again, that's for sure! As we were driving to our motel along Bear Avenue, Doug gave a little yell; he'd seen a bear. 

Day 25: Western Bifurcation

Tuesday, Sept. 22

Drove back up to the bifurcation again, and hiked all day. Another pleasant day, although nothing too scenic or interesting. Once again amazing Tess drove all the way up there to shuttle me (and she'd been cutting weeds on the IAT south of Madison all day!). This time her treats included gourmet chocolates. Tess, you're the best!

Day 24: Western Bifurcation

Monday, Sept. 21, 2015

When I originally hit the Western Bifurcation, I hiked the Baraboo segment to end one day. The next day, I hiked the last 12.5 miles of the bifurcation and continued on on the trails because I was having problems with a hot spot on the bottom of one foot (and possibly cellulitis) and wanted to be on trails. Now, back home, I drove back up to Baraboo and started in on the road segment.

I enjoyed going through the Dells area, including Mirror and Rocky Arbor State Parks. I was disappointed, though, that when I was hiking around the Lemonweir/Wisconsin River area you couldn't see any water – just trees or cornfields. Still, it was a pleasant day.

Trail Angel Tess Mulroony was not only kind enough to shuttle me back to my car, but she brought along ice and ice cream (she's been reading my blog!).

Day 23: Tug Lake to Averill-Kelly

Sunday, Sept. 20, 2015

Today was a historic day for me re: long-distance hiking. I like to just hike every day and not return home until I'm finished. But I decided to go home today because my husband and I purchased season tickets to a musical series playing at Madison's Overture Center. Tonight was "Newsies," the musical I most wanted to see. So I hiked an abbreviated day.

Started out in Grandfather Falls, trying to walk the creek to the end of the school forest path. Take the long way around! The creek was covered with downed trees and it wasn't the easy walk I'd anticipated.

The falls area itself was beautiful. Ran into a guy foraging for mushrooms; he was excited because he'd just found a poisonous one. Yikes!

Got through Turtle Rock, but there wasn't enough time for me to hike Averill-Kelly, so we jumped ahead and I hiked a short connecting route. Then it was home for "Newsies." It was great!

Day 22: Parrish Hills to Tug Lake

Saturday, Sept. 19, 2015

I actually had a tiny bit of Parrish Hills to finish today, so I did that. Ran into a big group of ATVers roaring around the area.

I really enjoyed Harrison Hills. The vast majority of it is so beautiful, and it's all well-marked. I was going to climb the tower until I realized you couldn’t climb it – and I was a bit glad. It's really tall, and I'm not a fan of heights.

Underdown appears to have been opened to logging, something I don't recall from 2013. It's mainly on the eastern end. It also looks like maybe a big storm came through in the last year or so; there were lots of downed trees and branches around the logging area (but not from logging). The rest was pretty as ever.

Finished the day on the connecting route to Grandfather Falls.

Day 21: Highland Lakes East through Parrish Hills

Today dawned sunny and beautiful. Trail angel and consummate IATA volunteer Joe Jopek drove me to the start of Highland Lakes East and dropped some water for me. 

Two years ago, I never got to see much of Highland Lakes East, which was closed due to flooding. Today I got to see it all, including the beautiful Camp Susan. 

Highland Lakes West, which gets quite hilly and rocky near the end, was made fun by a wealth of cairns.

In 2013, I didn't hike much of Parrish Hills at all. I'd been diagnosed with cellulitis on the bottom of one foot the prior day, and per my doctor's recommendation did a road walk instead of fording the creek near the western end. Joe recommended a detour around another section that wasn't well marked. Today I got to do it all, and it was glorious (and superbly marked). It was a wonderful mixture of everything: forest, prairie, logging roads, lakes, streams and, yes, a creek crossing. I actually enjoy those, as the cold water always makes my feet and legs feel better. And today I felt some tendinitis coming on in my left foot/shin.

Joe and his wife, Pat, picked me up at the end of Parrish Hills and deposited me at my motel in Merrill. What will tomorrow bring?!

Day 20: Kettlebowl to Old Railroad

Thursday, Sept. 17, 2015

Well, this day is one for the record books! My older sister, Sue, came up to help me today. I started just outside the Kettlebowl, then quickly entered. Two years ago every thru-hiker I met had gotten lost in the Kettlebowl. The Langlade County Chapter has done an amazing job re-marking its trails. There's no way you can get lost on any of them. Kettlebowl was pretty, although it began raining (pouring, actually) near the end, which wasn't fun.

Next was Lumbercamp. Before my 2013 thru-hike, I'd read all about the Hillbilly Hilton, an old lumber camp root cellar that's now a rustic retreat or shelter from the storm. I really wanted to see it, but never spotted it. I was told it was kind of hard to see, but definitely easier to spot heading east-west. I was bound and determined to find the Hillbilly Hilton this time around. Rats -- I never did. It was still raining pretty heavily then, and I was watching my footing. Even though I tried to keep an eye out for it -- I thought maybe I could take shelter there -- I never did see it.

The drama came after the rain stopped. Sue and I miscommunicated about where we'd meet up next (this was at 2 p.m.). I'd also given her my cell phone to recharge. To make a long story short, we never found each other for the rest of the day. I continued on through Lumbercamp and Old Railroad until the sun went down and I had to get off the trail. I hiked up to a home and a woman helped me reconnect with Sue, who had just called 911 and got the sheriff's department on alert to look for me. We were finally reunited about 8:30 or 9 p.m. I guess this means tomorrow will be a good day!

Day 19: Thornapple Creek to Polar

Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2015

I must have been quite dehydrated yesterday. Today was just as hot, but I had a great day, thanks in large part to my friend Peggy, who came up from Sun Prairie to crew me. 

My hike through the Dells of the Eau Claire and Plover River were wonderful. Those are two of my favorite sections. How can you not enjoy waterfalls, or rocks and trees dripping with beautiful, green moss? 

There was one spot in the Dells that was a bit confusing. A bridge is being reconstructed and a sign says the trail is closed, but you can cross the road/bridge area and continue on the IAT.

After Plover River, I had a 24-mile connecting route. I did 22 miles following Peggy in her SUV. Every two miles she'd stop her car, and I'd see its hatch open before me. When I jogged up, she had a spread of gourmet sandwiches, fruit, cheese, nuts and chocolates laid out for me. I'd eat what appealed to me, then go on another two miles. It was amazing!

Ended the day a few miles past Rabe Lake, a very pretty spot.

Day 18: Rosholt to Thornapple Creek

Today was hard. 

Very hard.

It was hot out again -- 80s -- and I faced 20 miles on the road to start. A friend was helping me out, but I didn't ask for sufficient water drops. I didn't realize how hot I'd get, and how little shade there would be along the way. There is pretty much NO shade on County Highway Y going from Bevent to Hatley. 

I started out with a full Camelbak, plus had a small water drop about a mile east of Bevent. I ran out of water (and I was drinking lightly, which wasn't smart) about a mile shy of Hatley. I finally found a house with a shade tree near the road, so I sat down and changed my sweaty socks, ate a snack, etc., figuring that break would give me the energy to get to Hatley. I didn't see any activity at the home, but a woman suddenly appeared and asked if I was O.K. I said yes, but asked if I could refill my Camelbak. And, I said, if I could be so bold as to ask for ice cubes, too. She was happy to give me both.

While I was refilling in her kitchen, she mentioned that recently there has been a bear sighted many times on the bike trail -- the Mountain Bay Trail I'd be taking a few miles west of Hatley. People were warned to stay off the trail. Great.

I hopped right on that trail, thrilled to be in shade. It was still pretty unbearably hot, but nothing like being on a road in the open sun and on blacktop. 

The Ringle section was quite diverse. Some of it is on a ski hill, some was scruffy, some was very tidy. It was great overall. There are new IAT signs being put up, but keep a sharp eye on this segment. The IAT crosses a lot of ATV and snowmobile trails, and if you're tired it's easy to see an arrow -- any arrow -- and follow it.

In the middle of this segment I again ran out of water, but it was at a point where the trail passed a few homes. An elderly man was outside of one, so I asked for water. He happily gave me some, then asked if I'd seen any bears, timber wolves or cougars; he'd seen all of the above on his property. YIKES. I am now officially in the really wild part of Wisconsin! I said no. He then said he'd never travel anywhere in the countryside without his shotgun. Great.

Not 20 minutes after our encounter, I spotted a pair of tracks in the mud. I should have taken a photo, but they were definitely wolf tracks. I will be making my presence known on the trail so I scare off any wildlife!

Day 17: Waupaca River to Rosholt

Started the day in the lovely Waupaca River segment. When I passed through in 2013 the cabin was locked. It was open today, so I peeked inside and signed the register.

Skunk and Foster Lakes were quite pretty, although I got stymied at the same spot as in 2013. When you enter the cornfield, there are one or two key blazes/arrows missing. I passed the spot where I should have entered into the woods. When I realized it, it was easier to bushwhack and get onto the trail (thanks to GPS) than backtrack. Plus I'd been looking into the woods at every trail intersection when I'd skirted the cornfield and hadn't seen any blazes, so they were either covered by vegetation or set back a ways onto the trail.

I mapped out my own connecting route to Iola/New Hope, which took me on some very pretty side roads. It was great because there were few cars and lots of shade, and it was about 80 today.

At Iola, some guy maintaining the ski trails asked why I was hiking the IAT. He said most people he met were recently divorced, had had cancer, were retired, were seeking something, etc., and he wanted to know my reason. I didn't have anything compelling other than that I wanted to do it. :) He mentioned some rich guy from the Cities landed his private helicopter at the ski hill so he could hike the segment. He was segment-hiking, flying his chopper to all of the legs. Ha!

Ended the day on a connecting route a bit north of Rosholt.

Day 16: Bohn Lake to Waupaca River

Sunday, Sept. 13, 2015

Started off the morning taking some photos with Randy Lennartz, an IATA member who likes to publicize the trail in Waushara County. Hope they turn out well!

It was a beautiful day -- not too warm, not too cool -- and Ed was able to hike back towards me on quite a few segments while crewing me. Bohn Lake was gorgeous. So were Emmons and Hartman Creek. Ed and I really enjoyed the latter. The scenery was great, plus the terrain was as well. It was gently undulating; nothing too strenuous. We hit it at the end of the day and saw a lot of deer and turkey. I saw a groundhog waddle across the trail -- I think the first groundhog I've seen in the wild.

Spending the night with friends in Plover.

Day 15: Western Bifurcation and Chaffee Creek to Bohn Lake

I'm generally a purist. If I'm going to thru-hike a trail, I like to hike it from one end to the other. No interruptions, no switching back and forth. But not this time.

Due to my not-quite-healthy feet, I didn't think it was wise to do 80 miles straight on blacktop (western bifurcation). So today I did the last 12.5 miles of the western bifurcation, up to Chaffee Creek. Then I started in on Chaffee Creek and headed west. I'll pick up the rest of the western bifurcation next week, when I briefly return home to catch a performance of "The Newsies."

The bifurcation miles I did were actually quite lovely. The day was sunny and cool, and the scenery in this part of the state is just beautiful. A lot of fragrant pine forests and pretty, bucolic scenery.

The trails were wonderful, too, of course. They're some of my favorites. Who doesn't like hiking through a giant culvert under I-39?! And how can you not enjoy Mecan River? I like the river portions, naturally, but I also love the expansive rolling field at the end. I was able to hike the new little piece of trail -- I believe part of Mecan River -- that was recently added off of Cumberland Avenue. Nice! I like the furniture in the Greenwood segment, too.

Tonight we're staying with Agnes at the Mecan River House. The place is great, and Agnes is a gem. So friendly and hospitable. (She always lets me wash my hiking duds, too.) I highly recommend it if you're in the area.

Day 14: Groves-Pertzborn to Baraboo

Ed came on board to crew me through the weekend. The day was sunny and cool in the morning -- YES! We had a fantastic hike through the new Gibraltar segment. It's really quite stunning. I ran into a Thousand-Miler Wannabe there -- Annie Banani (sp?). 

We'd decided not to stress about the ferry. If we made it, we made it. If not, no big deal (we couldn't remember how long it took, but thought it was a 20-minute wait). Well, just as we came into sight of the river, the ferry was pulling up. We figured we missed it. For about a second. Then I said, "Let's run!" I took off running for the ferry, while Ed dashed for the car. I made it on fairly easily. The first ramp closed, and Ed wasn't on. The second ramp closed. The third ramp was about to close when Ed drove on. We made it! Turns out the crossings only take about 5 minutes each, but it was still a bit of a thrill to race and get on.

In 2013, I didn't get to experience the Merrimac segment because it was closed for logging. This year I got to hike all of it. At first I hated it -- you start off hiking next to an electric fence. Like, within 6 inches of it. I was terrified I'd be electrocuted if I stumbled and fell into it. There were lots of prickly bushes on the other side, so I had to plow through those so I didn't fall into the fence. After about 10 minutes of this, the trail diverted from the fence and was lovely. Later, Ed told me those fences only have low doses of electricity to keep out animals. I thought if I touched it, I'd be electrocuted to death. 

Devil's Lake was gorgeous, but tough. The worst part, though, was that I couldn't find Ed after descending from the West Bluff. He'd followed signs for the eastern bifurcation, while I was taking the western bifurcation. To make matters worse, we have AT&T, which doesn't work almost anywhere in Baraboo. Long story short, we couldn't find one another for about 2 hours at the end of the day. Ed finally found me at the UW-Baraboo campus. The hike through Baraboo, by the way, is one of the loveliest of any city hikes on the IAT.

Day 13: Springfield Corners to Groves-Pertzborn

Thursday, Sept. 10

I showed up at Unity's front door shortly after 7 a.m. The earliest I could be seen was 10:20. The doctor said I could have cellulitis once again, although this reddish, hot area on the bottom of my foot could just be damaged tissue from so much hiking. She wasn't sure, so she prescribed antibiotics just in case.

Got on the road shortly before noon. It had been rainy in the morning, but the day turned out sunny, warm and beautiful. I love the countryside around Lodi. It's some of the most beautiful in the state. Picked up some free tomatoes a farmer was giving away -- nice!

The Lodi Marsh segments are some of my favorites; they were beautiful, as always. I also like walking through Lodi. Ended the day with a nice walk through Groves-Pertzborn. My feet appreciated an 18-mile day!