Day 26: Valley View, Madison, Verona, Montrose, Brooklyn Wildlife

Today runner friends John Selbo and Ann Heaslett were my crew members. We had a great day! Most of the day was spent on the trails, which is always a good thing. I had John or Ann with me on almost every segment.

Valley View started in between two enormous homes; it was quite easy to miss the trail if you weren't looking closely. It ran up into some prairie, then wound down among more homes. Parts were overgrown, and being early morning and dewy, I got pretty wet from the waist down.

The Madison segment took us around University Ridge Golf Course; signage was a tad confusing at some points. Luckily John was with me, as it's easier to find blazes with two people looking.

I'd been on portions of the Verona segment before, and that was well-maintained and scenic. I even got to use a bathroom, a rarity while on the trail.

The Montrose segment began on the Badger State Trail, and I have to say it was awfully nice to be able to run on a rail-trail for a while -- a flat, even surface. We made up a bunch of time on that one. We emerged at a spot I'd been looking forward to for a long time: Dot's Basement Bar in Basco. At the 2013 Ice Age Trail Annual Conference, lots of thru-hikers and section hikers talked fondly of stopping in for a cold beer at Dot's. Alas, when we arrived it was about 1:30, and Dot's doesn't open until 3:30 daily. I fished a lukewarm Leinie's out of the cooler and had two big gulps in front of Dot's just so I could say I had a beer there.

The Brooklyn Wildlife segment had some overgrown spots, but was mostly a beautiful combination of woods and prairie. John kept reminding me to stop and enjoy the views, which were pretty spectacular all day. We really do live in a gorgeous state.

Tonight I'm staying at Albany House in Albany. What a lovely B&B in a historic home. I'm in the Birdseye room, which has a great clawfoot rub for soaking tired feet, plus a comfy bed.

Oh, can't forget to mention that one segment had a sign saying the Eastern Terminus was 376 miles away. I hiked/ran miles past that, so I'm guessing I have only about 360 miles to go. WOO HOO.

One more thing. While on a connecting road segment, we passed old IAT signs for the Exeter segment. I don't have that one on my maps, and have never heard of it. I'm guessing it was a segment that ran on private land in the past, and the current landowner doesn't want hikers on his/her property.

Day 25: Connecting Routes, Indian Lake, Table Bluff, City of Cross Plains

Today was Alison's last day crewing me. She came with my mom, who was doing a ride-along -- scoping out how to be a crew person before she and my dad help me next week. (It was ironic, since Alison is a Madison police officer and offers more traditional ride-alongs.) Alison brought me all sorts of treats/trail magic, some which she offered me, others which she slipped into my bags -- everything from cold pizza (I love that while I'm on the trail) to candy to cappuccinos. You name it. Thanks, little sis!

So I started the day with a long connecting route to Indian Lake. There was one weird stretch of road where there must have been hundreds of birds in the trees lining both sides of the road. All I could hear were the birds' calls, what sounded like lots of birds pooping, and then these loud "thunks," like big chestnuts or something were dropping from the trees. It was weird. I've also had lots of ear popping between Lodi and Cross Plains -- it's so hilly.

Indian Lake is a favorite spot of mine to run and hike, so it was fun to be there as part of this adventure. The trails were perfectly groomed, as always. Table Bluff was a new trail for me, and I have to say it wasn't a favorite. It was kind of scruffy and not very pretty, although when you finished and looked back up at it, it looked pretty impressive.

The City of Cross Plains' trail started off with a nasty steep uphill on a gravel road. Then you wound through prairie -- dying now, but it must be beautiful in its peak -- then through forest, back to prairie, back to forest and so on. You end up at the Ice Age Trail Alliance headquarters, so I stopped in to say hi to the friendly staffers and take some photos (and use the bathroom and get some cold water).

The final stretch was another road route, part of which was used by the Ironman competition. There were lots of signs and notes painted on the pavement, some of which were funny and applicable to me (see photos).

Staying tonight with some friends in Verona, the Sensemans. Great food, great conversation, great lodging. Oh, and can't forget to mention that my great chiropractor, Dr. Andrew Schupp, who's also a trail runner, made a house call to give me a treatment and keep me in tip-top shape. If you live in this area and are looking for a great chiropractor who also does body work (ART, Graston, etc.), call Dr. Schupp.

Day 24: Devil’s Lake, Merrimac, Gibraltar, Groves-Pertzborn, City of Lodi, Eastern Lodi Marsh, Lodi Marsh

This was quite a day, characterized mainly by hills. It was fun to start in Devil’s Lake, since I’ve run and hiked almost all of the trails before, and Devil’s Lake is such a great state park (Wisconsin’s most popular, by the way). But Devil’s Lake is incredibly hilly, and my quads weren’t too happy, especially going up the West Bluff Trail and the Balanced Rock Trail.

I was able to hike a tiny bit of the Merrimac segment, but the bulk of it was closed due to temporary logging. Gibraltar was another hilly segment (up a huge hill, down a huge hill), while Groves-Pertzborn gave a bit of a respite. The City of Lodi was interesting. You walk up a gargantuan hill in the city that’s several blocks long, then hang a right and slip onto a trail that runs behind the middle and high schools. It ends in the high school parking lot. Then you walk through the city of Lodi; I enjoyed gawking at all of the homes.

The last two trails for the day were Eastern Lodi Marsh and Lodi Marsh. Marshes are generally low-lying, so I figured these would be flat, relatively easy trails. WRONG. Eastern Lodi Marsh was insanely hilly. The trail wound through forest and farmland; never saw a marsh anywhere. Lodi Marsh was a “lollipop” loop (go up the stick, around the lollipop, and back down the stick). The trail was marked great until about halfway through, when the blazes suddenly disappeared. Then I hit an intersection that was unmarked as well. After trying to figure it out on my own with no success, I backtracked. Weird.

Lots of bug clouds today – ick. You kind of hold your breath walking through them so you don’t swallow thousands of tiny insects. For those who know birds, what kind of bird is it that sounds like a monkey? I’ve heard these before a few weeks ago, and today there were lots of them on the trails. I never see the birds, but their sound makes me feel like I’m in the jungle. Final stray thought: what’s up with squirrels? Why are they everywhere in cities, but nowhere in the forests? I don’t think I’ve seen one squirrel yet. Every once in a while there’s a segment where I’ll see/hear lots of chipmunks, but never  squirrels. Interesting.

Oh, I've been meaning to say that I've been trying a new product as I run. It's called Oral I.V. and is a hydration aid -- basically electrolytes in purified water. The product comes in little vials and has no taste. It was first used by the U.S. military (like the SEALS) and law enforcement before being made available to the public, which seemed like a pretty good endorsement to me. Anyway, on these really hot and humid days, I've been taking a vial or two during the day along with my regular water and energy foods. While I can't say definitively that taking the Oral I.V. has prevented me from getting dehydrated, I can say that I haven't had any issues with dehydration -- and I'm a person who dehydrates easily when exercising. I'm definitely going to try it again in the future (when I'm off the IAT), and if you're prone to dehydrating, you might want to give it a try.

Last night I stayed at the posh Inn at Wawanissee Point, right near Devil’s Lake. If you want to reward yourself after a long day of hiking, this is definitely the spot. The inn is newer and gorgeous, and has phenomenal panoramic views of the countryside out back. Rooms come with loads of amenities, and there’s a nice happy hour spread, not to mention delicious breakfast.

Day 23: Connecting Route, Sauk Point

After a lovely night in a Spring Brook condo in the Dells, I had to make another visit to Urgent Care this morning. Yep, another skin infection, this time on my other foot. I'm getting quite the collection of hospital bracelets, which Urgent Care centers make you wear. So more antibiotics, but I still walked today.  

My baby sister. Alison, and sister-in-law, Michele, were my crew, along with their trusty dog, Dunkin. Almost the entire day was a road route from Portage to the Devil's Lake area, and Alison and Michele (plus Dunkin) rotated walking with me. Gosh, did that make the miles go by faster! At he end of the day we reached the Sauk Point segment, a lovely stretch that takes you on top of a bluff and then down again.

It's amazing how the trails -- how nature -- impacts you. I had a great time walking with Alison and Michele, but the minute I got on the trails it was so peaceful. Your body just relaxes, your heart rate slows and it's just such a different experience. It's hard to explain. Get out on a trail today and see what I mean. 

Day 22: Connecting Route, John Muir, Marquette Trail, Portage Canal

Ah, these blisters are so annoying! Today a very minor blister on my heel, which hasn’t bothered me at all before, decided it didn’t want to be encased in a running shoe. What to do? Luckily I had my Keen sandals with me. I wore them all day, even when running, and they performed admirably. My blister thanked them.

The day was mostly cloudy and cool, although the sun broke through near the end of the day. The John Muir segment was short, but very pretty, running around Lake Ennis. Lots of pretty prairie and remnants of a rare oak savanna.

The Marquette Trail ran along a hilly bank above the Fox River. The views were gorgeous (see photos), although the footing was a bit tricky (the “bank” was marshy vegetation). The trail crossed 21 bridges/boardwalks, which was fun.

A gravel path ran along much of Portage Canal, although it switched to a bike path in town.

I ran into two section hikers today, and Ed and I saw innumerable cranes along the lengthy connecting route. A local told Ed she thinks they’re gathering for their flight south. They’re such cool birds, sort of prehistoric looking (and sounding). Can’t forget to mention a decent sized buck clattered across the road this morning, right as I was starting.

Last night we stayed at Bowman’s Oak Hill B&B in the Dells. The innkeepers are warm and friendly, our bed was quite comfy and the food was great.

Day 21: Bohn Lake, Greenwood, Mecan River, Wedde Creek, Chaffee Creek,Connecting Route

Doug rejoined me as crew member today, and we had a wonderful day. Bohn Lake, Greenwood and Mecan River in particular were great trails: beautiful and highly runnable. There was one stretch in Mecan River, I believe, where the trail pops you out onto a gorgeous meadow. There were rolled hay bales dotting the field and the path for hikers was lined with waving grasses. Very cool. 

Chaffee Creek was interesting, because it takes you under I-39 twice. At one point you walk through an enormous metal culvert with the creek rushing through; there’s a handy concrete sidewalk on one side. The day ended with the start of another long connecting route. Doug handed off to Ed, who will be with me for much of the weekend.

Last night I stayed at the Mecan River House B&B. An IAT connecting route passes right in front of the inn! Handy. Innkeeper Agnes is very sweet. She let me do my laundry and made sure I had just what I wanted to eat and drink in the morning. Another great selection for a place to stay when you’re hiking. (Oh, and the river runs right behind her inn – it’s beautiful.)

500 miles away from home

People keep asking me how many miles I’ve walked. Truth is, I don’t know. That’s surprising for me, because I’m normally the kind of person who tracks everything. You’d expect me to be tallying my daily mileage down to the tenth of a mile, and know exactly how far I’ve walked and how far I have yet to go. But I haven’t done anything of the sort.

I think I got thrown off in the beginning by my knee tweak and blister infection, plus the rough paths. I didn’t want to think about having 900 or 1,000 miles to go, even if it sounded impressive to think I’d already covered 100 or 200 or 300. It was simply too daunting. I preferred to take things one day at a time, one hour at a time, one step at a time. Still do.

That being said, I’m pretty sure that today I’m roughly halfway through my epic adventure.  And that’s pretty darn exciting.

Day 20: Hartman Creek, Emmons Creek, Connecting Route, Deerfield

Jason Dorgan took over as my crew member today. Jason is an IAT legend, and one of the reasons I'm hiking/running the Ice Age Trail. Jason ran it back in 2007 in an astounding 22 days. If I was Jason, I'd be almost finished now. I can't even begin to imagine how he did that.

I was worried about the weather today. We had a thunder and lightning storm about 5 a.m., and it looked pretty gloomy when Jason and I took off. The sun actually came out when I started, though, although it was incredibly humid.

Hartman and Emmons Creeks were a great way to start the day. The properties are beautiful, and very runnable. I enjoyed some of my best trail running to date here. Jason left me a sweet bit of trail magic at one of my first stops: a mini Snickers bar on a large rock. At the end of the two segments, I had to change clothes. Although I'd only gone about 10 miles, I'd soaked through everything due to the insane humidity and rising temps.

Today's connecting route was about 15 miles. I'm really getting tired of these, but Jason made it easy. Being so experienced, he had everything I might need laid out by his car every two miles. He brought along some chicken noodle soup for me, heating it on his car engine; boy, was that good! (It also gives you lots of sodium.) He made sure I took my Succeed capsules and Ibuprofen, and that I changed my socks and shoes halfway through the day. He got ice and kept my water chilled. He gave me blister advice and met me on the roads and trails several times. He took pix of me and commiserated about the heat, lack of shade, annoying gnats and headwind I was facing almost the entire way.

When we finally reached Deerfield, my feet were so sore from the pavement I was miserable. But after 3.7 miles in that pretty segment with mostly soft, great footing, my feet were happy once again. During my last mile, I could hear thunder rumbling. A few sprinkles fell as I was exiting the segment. I wanted to get in one last connecting route (just 1.7 miles), so I walked it in a light rain. About 60 seconds after I got into Jason's car, the heavens opened and it poured buckets. Great timing!

Tonight I'm at another lovely B&B, the Mecan River House. I think I might even walk by here tomorrow (there's a Mecan River segment), which would be pretty funny.