Originally written March 12, 2016
Yesterday may be the closest I get to a perfect day for a hike. Low 60s, bright and sunny, and no wind – hard to beat it.My hike started with a 1.5 walk on a “connecting route” leading north out of Janesville. The Ice Age Trail isn’t entirely contiguous, so sections of the trail are linked by these connections. Some are public roads; some are paths on private land. This one was a tree-lined asphalt road through a residential area. In the scheme of things, this wasn’t bad at all. I used my time on this section to get comfortable with the gear I was lugging, particularly my walking sticks. I certainly saw their value in steep sections of my first hike, but they strike me as a pain on level terrain. I ended up attaching them to my pack in case they were needed.Pretty soon, I merged onto the trail itself, which is a converted rail bed that ran through farm fields. Trees framed the trail, and I could see they’d be very helpful as it gets warmer. No more asphalt; this path was dirt and grass, and it was very easy on the legs. Although I could still hear road noise, I became aware of the sounds of birds – geese, doves, woodpeckers, and songbirds I couldn’t name. I flushed a rabbit, the first mammal I encountered on my hikes, and I wondered what other animals I would encounter. Pretty soon I entered the west edge of Milton, which was called Milton Junction until the late 1960s. It has retained its downtown area, so Milton is a tiny town with two “Main Streets”. For a little town, Milton has a lot of history. It was founded in 1839 by a John Goodrich. Originally, it was called Prairie du Lac. When an application for a post office was made in 1839, the territorial governor rejected the name because it was too similar to Prairie du Sac. According to the town’s web site, “At a meeting held to decide on a name, one settler remarked that when he left his home in the east, he thought of it as ‘Paradise Lost’, but when he saw where Milton now stands, he called it ‘Paradise Regained.’ So the town was named for the author of ‘Paradise Lost’, the poet John Milton.”Mr. Goodrich’s name was on many of the buildings I passed. But, the most famous building associated with him in the old Milton House, a hexagonal building of grout built in 1844. It is the oldest concrete building in the country that is still standing. It was later used as a stop on the Underground Railroad that slaves used to make the way from bondage in the south to freedom in Canada. Jane went on a tour of the building, and it has quite a story to tell. Also, the Black Hawk Wars happened in this area, and a contingent of US troops stayed to the east of town near Storrs Lake. One of the scouts in that encampment was none other than Abe Lincoln.More recently, Milton gained fame as the place where Dave Krieg of the NFL played college football, starting as the 7th team quarterback of the Battling Whatever-They-Were-Called of now defunct Milton College. I knew he played for Seattle, but I didn’t know his career lasted 19 seasons with a variety of other teams.Like I said, a lot of history.Unlike my first hike, Jane and I had good cell phone contact, so I could advise her where I was and prevent her from worrying about me. We agreed to meet at the town’s library, which was roughly at the midpoint of the hike. I refilled my water bottle, applied some moleskin to some developing blisters on my feet, and set off.I crossed the “old” Wisconsin Highway 26 and headed east. Along the way, I passed a huge greenhouse complex, I had never seen one greenhouse that large. It had to be at least a quarter mile long. After passing under the “new” Wisconsin Highway 26, I entered the last section of the trip, and the terrain changed markedly. No more flat country; the trail wound through the Storrs Lake State Wildlife area, kind of territory I normally associate with the Kettle Moraine. Deep woods and hilly terrain broken every now and then by a clearing more closely resembling prairie. Near the three lakes that make up this area, the trail became a little muddy. I would love to come back here with a fishing rod and some waders. The trail guide spoke to these lakes as teeming with fish. Sounds like fun!I had less than a mile left when “Ruger” and the other monster dog made my acquaintance. They seemed to come out of nowhere, and they were on me before I could do much of anything. One was a German Shepherd. The other I believe was a Belgian Malinois. I really had no time to react, and I instinctively threw my hands up over my head to protect my face and hands. Almost just as quickly, I heard the lady who was their master telling them to stop and telling me that I shouldn’t worry because they were muzzled. I later learned that this lady was not breaking any rules by not having the dogs on a leash; the rules state they must be on a leash between April 15th and July 31st. I’m truly glad they were muzzled, but they still scared the you-know-what out of me. I learned a lesson; carry the pepper spray in my hand. Not in my pocket. The next time the animals may not be muzzled.Shortly after I met Jane in the parking lot, and we drove to Whitewater for a fish fry. Once I arrived home, it was time for a hot bath and a medicinal glass of red wine. With each hike, I am learning some new lessons. Next time on the trail will be a week after Easter, and I’m already looking forward to it.
My Days on the Ice Age Trail 