Originally printed August 17, 2020.
I was extremely grateful for another chance to hike the Ice Age Trail in Taylor County last week. My plan was to hike the northern 8.6 miles of the Jerry Lake Segment on Thursday, August 13th, followed by the southern 6.6 miles of the segment on Friday, the 14th.
As has been my habit, I arrived in Taylor County the day before to scout the bike portion of my bike-and-hike. Actually, I had driven these miles earlier this month, but I drove them again to be doubly sure I could easily find the trail head. I was glad I made the trip. The signage was very discreet, so much so that I drove right past the trail head twice without realizing it. I had such a hard time that I parked my car well north of where I thought the trail head was and walked the road with the help of my Earthmate app to tell me where I was in relation to the junction where the trail crossed the road. I marked it with some branches and hoped I would find it more easily tomorrow. I then drove into Abbotsford, checked into the motel , grabbed some supper, and settled in for the night. Rain was possible the next morning, and I prepared for a later start for my hike.
At around 5:00, I was awakened by some flickering light and low rumbling, kind of like a bowling ball rolling down an alley. This was a harbinger of things to come. Very soon I was treated to a lightning and thunder extravaganza as the area was pounded with storms. Some of the lightning strikes had to be very close, because there was nearly no gap between the lightning and the WHAM! of the thunderclap. The power flickered off and on, so I had to reset the timers on the room’s alarm clock and microwave. Fellow hikers were likely huddled in tents in the area, and I didn’t envy their situation. Riding out such a storm in a tent is no fun. I hoped they were safe, and I thanked my stars for having a solid roof over my head. Eventually, the storm abated and I got moving. My bike-and-hike would be more of an afternoon thing.
After arriving at the endpoint for the hike, a parking lot on County E, I started the ride to the trail head on Sailor Creek Road. Along the way, I came upon the scene shown below.
This wasn’t here the day before. It was pretty obvious that the morning storm knocked down this tree. What made me smile was the problem-solving of some intrepid citizen of the North Woods. He or she happened upon this obstacle, more than likely in a pickup truck with a chain saw on board. They cut the tree so that there was enough of a gap for their vehicle to pass. Later in the day, I traveled this same road from the other direction. Along the way I encountered a farmer on a tractor pulling something that was much wider, and I wondered how he got past this. The logs were moved so he could get past, but they still were partially blocking the road. That evening, I called the sheriff with the location of the block. It was gone before 1:00 the next day.
My hike began at 11:30 with a trek through the Lost Lake Esker State Natural Area. This meant some climbing for me right of the bat, and I soon worked up a lather, even though it was in the low to middle 60s at the start of the hike. According to my IATA Guide, the trail traverses the esker for nearly a mile, and it climbs 80 feet above the forest floor. It was the most striking thing I saw on the hike, and I’ve placed a picture of it at the top of this note.
The trail wound its way entirely through a wooded canopy. At, first I was surprised at how dry the trail was, given the morning’s rains. I changed my tune in about an hour when the trail descended to the edge of two marshy areas. Pretty soupy for two to three miles. Even then, these “problem-solving opportunities” weren’t as bad as I expected. I have long accepted that a little mud is part of the package when hiking in the North Woods.
On today’s hike, I encountered more people on the trail since the Devil’s Lake hike. Along the way, I learned of a way that the trail is an outreach for those who might not otherwise have access to it. I came upon a group of 12-18 people settling down for lunch. A truck with a small trailer was parked nearby. One group member told me it was a wilderness therapy group. I’m not sure I got the name correct, but I think it may have been the New Vision Wilderness Therapy, an organization that addresses all kinds of behavioral therapy needs for young people and their parents. While I knew of organizations such as this in the abstract, this was the first time I had encountered such a group on the trail. What a great idea! It makes so much sense to get away from one’s daily grind to do some introspection in the wild. Here is a link to their web page in case anyone is interested in learning more: https://newvisionwilderness.com/.
Maybe it was a function of being tired and hungry – I only packed an apple and a Jane-Made Granola Bar for the trip – but I found following the trail near the end of the hike a little confusing. The trail intersected with a road I biked earlier in the morning, and I wasn’t quite sure if the trail was supposed to run along the road itself or run on a path parallel to the road. In the end, it didn’t matter that much – the distances had to be nearly identical for roughly a half mile. Ultimately, the trail plunged north for one last mile in deep woods before concluding at Highway E. I quickly stowed my gear and headed back to get my bike.
Wouldn’t you know I had challenges finding it again?!?
My Days on the Ice Age Trail 