Originally written June 6, 2016
Not all of the Ice Age Trail is through deep woods and prairies. On Sunday, I hiked 9.6 miles through two “trail towns”, Delafield and Hartland. Sunday’s hike was my first urban – maybe suburban is more accurate – hike since my trek through Janesville, my very first hike, last February. When Jane and I left Shorewood Sunday morning, it was a very pleasant but cloudy 64 degrees. I actually considered wearing shorts, but I decided against that and in favor of my trail pants. If I could wear them when it was 86 and sunny, they would certainly do now. Besides, Jane reminded me that I could always zip off the lower legs if I got too warm. We first drove to our end point along the Bark River at Centennial Park in Hartland. Jane marked and labeled the lot on her GPS. Then, we drove south to our starting point south of the Interstate on Cushing Park Road. By the time I got started at roughly 11:00, the clouds had broken up, and it was a beautiful, sunny day as I kissed Jane goodbye and got started. After a short walk into Delafield, I turned east on Main Street. The route jogged to the right a bit onto Wells Street, and I then walked east through the heart of the town. My hike came close to ending right there as I walked past crowds of people eating Sunday brunch at sidewalk tables lining the way. Something about the smell of a burger cooking on a grill…slurp! Fortunately, I got through Delafield quickly. East of town, the trail merged with the Lake County Recreational Trail. This mixed use trail is jointly operated by the Waukesha County Park System and WEnergies. The trail runs through a subdivision and provides a nice view of Nagawicka Lake. While trails such as this may not be as rugged and pretty as other sections I’ve hiked, they certainly are better than hiking up a county highway on the left side of the road with an eye out for traffic. The key here is access to a section of country where other safe options might not exist. This is not a former rail bed, so there are some challenging hills. Lots of people were using the trail – casual walkers, power walkers, bicyclists, runners, and a man on a motorized wheel chair. Very quickly, I reached this segment’s end at Highway 83 near the Interstate Park and Ride. After I crossed 83 (Thank goodness for the traffic lights; this is one crowded intersection), the plan was for me to continue on the trail north along 83 for about a half mile, and then veer east and north to where a continuing route starts. For reasons I still don’t understand, I continued east on the Lake Country Trail. Pretty country, skirting the south end of the Naga-Waukee County Golf Course, but about a mile plus out of my way. I didn’t realize my mistake until I was within a half mile of Pewaukee Lake. Doh! My only option was to do the one thing I hate while hiking – trudge up a crowded county highway (E in this case) until I could find a street that would get me back on the trail. However, I lucked out when I reached Golf Hills Drive. I recognized it as part of the continuing route I was supposed to have taken in the first place. Would it go all the way through so I could do the continuing route which led to the next leg of the trail? As soon as I hit the next street on the continuing route, I know that the answer was yes! I continued my walk through this very upscale area of McMansions until I reached the point along Foxwood Drive where the actual Ice Age Trail restarted.
With the delay caused by my little side trip, I reported in to Jane so she knew what was happening. One of the important things I learned through these hikes is the importance of good communications with her. This involves giving her a “flight plan” of my planned hike, along with an estimate of how long it should take me to do it. In that way, even if I lose phone contact with her, she has a sense of how long the total hike should take. Before I begin, we check the cell phone service. If it is good, I will text her as I pass key landmarks, so she can track my process. As a backup system, we each have walkie-talkie phones, but the effective range is limited to a mile or so. The key is communications. I don’t want to worry while I’m out there, and I certainly don’t want Jane to worry.
Once I hit the entrance to the trail at Foxwood Drive, I turned north at the very discreet sign and headed north on the footpath. The transformation was amazing. Within 20 feet I was on a narrow, hilly trail through deep woods. It bore no resemblance to the suburban subdivision through which I just walked. This one mile section was easily the most rewarding section of the hike.
After I crossed North Shore Road, the wooded trail ended. It was replaced by a paved trail through extremely varied terrain – parks with picnic areas and baseball fields, industrial parks, Hartland Marsh (which was very pretty), and residential areas leading me to the center of Hartland, which is not much to speak of. I have three dominant memories from this section. First, I stepped on a rock and came really close to really rolling my ankle. Thankfully, I didn’t, but I bruised my instep in the process. Second, while walking along the Bark River in Nixon Park, I passed four boys playing in waist-deep black mud ( I pity their mothers, but this IS what boys do.). Last, the signage on the trail in downtown Hartland took me through a short alley. I never thought the Ice Age Trail would lead me down an alley! Outside of the Hartland Marsh, none of this was very scenic. But, it was public space getting heavy use by its citizens, and I think that is a good thing.
Starting in Nixon Park, the trail followed the Bark River for about two miles to its end at Centennial Park. It was shaded by trees most of the way, for which I was very grateful. By this time I was pretty warm and sore. Jane was waiting for me with some chicken tenders and yogurt. Very soon, I was home and icing my sore feet.
I passed a major geographic barrier on this hike. For the rest of this year, my hiking will be north of Interstate 94. And, I’ve nearly passed another barrier. Officially, I’ve now walked 99.3 miles of trail. Janesville seems a long, long way away. One more hike of 8.3 miles and I will be out of Waukesha County.
My Days on the Ice Age Trail 