Day 103 on the Ice Age Trail

For a couple of weeks before my most recent hiking trip, I was focused on completing a 40 mile plus connecting route that started in Taylor County and ended in Chippewa County. I had knocked off a portion of it last winter before the pandemic hit. About 28 miles remained, and I had figured out a way to divide that distance into two more bite-sized chunks. So focused was I on these road walks that I neglected to look at the segment at the other end of the connecting route.

There it was, the 1.9 mile Chippewa River Segment, just north of the town of Cornell. If I arrived in the afternoon, I could easily hike these miles as part of an out-and-back. With that, this segment became a late addition to my hike.

So, on Monday, October 12th, I made an early start on my drive to Chippewa County. Even with a deluge in the Madison area, I made good time to the trail head. The bad weather was far behind me, and I had sunny skies and temps in the low 60s. I quickly donned my back pack and got started on a north-to-south hike.

The northern half of the segment traced a tree-lined bluff overlooking the Cornell Flowage of the Chippewa River. As you can see from the picture above, it was a stunning vista. The deep blue water shimmered in the brilliant sunlight. Across the river stretched the forests of Brunet Island State Park. While it was past prime time for autumn colors, there were plenty of golden leaves left on the trees.

After roughly 3/4 of a mile, the trail ran on County CC for a short distance before turning into the Krank Nature Preserve. It wound through gently rolling hills and skirted the west shore of picturesque Perch Lake before ending on County Z. I quickly did an about face and headed north to my car. I’m not sure how I missed it on the first pass, but someone with a sense of humor had erected a scarecrow to stand guard over the trail. Happy Halloween!

If I was to design a trail to introduce a newcomer to the Ice Age Trail, I don’t think I could do any better than the designers of this segment. I you are ever in northwestern Wisconsin, I recommend that you make the trip to Cornell to experience the Chippewa River Segment, a short but sweet jewel of a trail.