Originally printed May 29, 2019.
Friday, May 24th, looked to be a tough day. 12.6 miles were on tap. Rain was in the forecast – 60% odds of showers during the day, with thunderstorms, some severe, forecast for the afternoon and evening. When I went to bed Thursday evening, I was hopeful that I could hike a sizable amount of miles before getting drenched.
So, I was very surprised when I awoke to my alarm, and not to the sound of rain hitting my car’s roof. After downing some breakfast – a couple of hard boiled eggs and a granola bar that Jane made for me, I broke camp and prepared for my hike. An unfortunate side effect of possible rain was that I added some additional gear to my pack – an extra pair of shoes and socks, plus some rain pants. That added extra weight to my already heavy pack, but at least I would have some options in case of heavy rain.
After a very short ride, I arrived at what I thought was the pickup point for today, a small lot in the tiny town of Polar, at the juncture if WI 64 and Polar Road. Joe wasn’t there, which seemed out of character to me. I drove to another location a little south. No Joe. Just then he called. I was looking for a spot N. Polar Road, while the lot was just off WI 64, an east – west road just east of the intersection of N. Polar Road and WI 64. There was no way I would have figured that out just by looking at my map. Thank goodness for good phone communications! In minutes, I was in Joe’s van and headed for the starting point.
Joe and I had more time to talk on this ride. He seemed to have a thorough understanding of the county’s geology. The flat land through which we were riding were the Antigo Flats, prime agricultural land used for growing potatoes. Off to one direction was the terminal moraine of the Green Bay Lobe of the great glaciation. In another direction was a terminal moraine of the Langlade Lobe. To enhance my Ice Age experience, I have ordered “Geology of the Ice Age National Scenic Trail” by David Mickelson. I am not interested in being a geologist, but I believe that I will have a greater appreciation of the country through which I am hiking with this book as a basic guide. Quickly, we arrived at my starting point. I quickly donned my back pack, promised I would check in with Joe after I completed my hike. and set off. It was about 8:30, and it was in the mid 50s and cloudy. No rain yet.
The first three hours of hiking were through the Antigo Flats. I made terrific time through this very flat country.
I don’t think I’ve mentioned this recently, but, if phone and text capability are available, I keep regular contact with Jane when hiking to let her know when I pass certain landmarks and intersections. On Fridays, I know Jane is in her French class from 10:00 to noon. So, in a spirit of bonhomie, I attempt to communicate my position en Francais. For example, “Bonjour madames ! J’ai turnes a gauche a Parkway Road a neuf heures quarante cinq.” Yeah, I know I’m probably making mistakes, but at least Jane, her teacher and her classmates know I’m trying!
Given that the odds of rain were 60%, I was really grateful for the time I was allowed to stay dry. That ended at about 11:00 when I felt the first rain drops of the day. While it sprinkled more heavily a few minutes later, it really amounted to no more than a nuisance. I really lucked out on the weather on this hike and the other two I did over the three days I was in Langlade County.
As I continued east, I left the Antigo Flats and climbed into more hilly country. Particularly along Crestwood Road, the country on either side of the road became more hilly, and very tall trees formed a kind of canopy over the road. Outside of songbirds’ music, it seemed eerily quiet – perhaps even enchanted. I recalled that my favorite classical composer, Gustave Mahler, liked to go for summer walks in the woods, and that he often wrote bird calls into his works. Maybe this is what he had in mind for his 3rd symphony??
But, the sight that made me pause and smile was shortly after I came to the end of Crestwood Road and turned north onto Polar Road. The road appeared to be built into the side of a ridge. On my left was the eastern edge of the woods I had just passed on Crestwood Road. Spread out below on my right was a a series of hills that seemed to undulate downward to a thick tree line. The shape of it captivated me. A picture of it appears at the top of this note. I hope it gives you an idea of its shape.
There were still 2.5 miles of fairly hilly road between me and the trail’s end, and I was tired. I had to discipline myself to walk with the proper form. Lots of beauty remained to be seen. A creek ran along the left side of the road, filled with brilliant marsh marigolds. A mile north on the right was Rabe Lake, a beautiful, small lake. Soon I came to the intersection with WI 64. A turn to the right, a short walk of roughly a quarter mile, and I was back in the lot above Mueller Lake, After dumping my gear in the car, I drove a short distance down a service road to the lake, walked to a nearby pier, took off my shoes and socks , and plunged my feet into the cold water.
Ah!!!
My Days on the Ice Age Trail 