It took three tries, but I finally knocked off the Grassy Lake Segment of the Ice Age Trail on Wednesday, June 24th.
Originally, I wanted to hike this segment in April, but another hiker’s warning about washout conditions prompted me to go with a Plan B. Then I planned on a May hike, only to have it scrapped by rain. Finally, an opening developed in late June, and I jumped on the chance. As it turned out, delaying a few months was probably all for the best. The state was going through a major drought, and that gave the trail a good chance to dry.
So, of course, the area was hit with thunderstorms the night before the hike! After quickly making the trip to the west terminus, Dale, the trail Angel, arrived. As we headed toward the trail head, he shared that he was originally from Dane County. Grassy Lake was his baby; he mentioned that he mowed the trail two weeks earlier. That’s dedication for you – running a lawn mower to clear a path for roughly eight miles of trail. He dropped me off at the trail’s eastern terminus, and I quickly put on my pack and got moving. At 8:30, it was overcast, sticky and in the low 70s.
Aside from wetness, Grassy Lake has developed a reputation for ticks. It was easy to see why; even with the trail “mowed”, there was plenty of high grass throughout the segment, perfect country for ticks to hang while waiting to hitch a ride. I was well prepared. My clothes were liberally sprayed with permethrin, I had tucked my pants into my socks, and I wore gators for an extra layer of protection. I also wore a bright, lime green long-sleeved shirt to make insects easier to spot. Last, I topped things off with an insect net over my head to protect my head, neck and shoulders from ticks, mosquitoes, and biting black flies.
The trail immediately plunged into thick forest canopy. Except for some notable exceptions where the trail skirted the edge of marshland(see the picture above), I remained under that canopy for the bulk of the hike. The trail was quite flat, a “2” rating out of a possible 5 according to my IATA Guide.
For overall ruggedness, the trail was rated a “4”. My guidebook stated “Hikers will encounter several low-lying washouts of various sizes that may have standing water. No footbridges exist on the segment. Some washouts can be easily stepped over while others may produce wet feet.”
That’s wearing your ruggedness as a badge of honor.
About 2.5 – 3 miles into my hike, the ground beneath me got very soupy, and the thick grass through which I was hiking got progressively higher. I sensed a major washout was in my future, and I was soon proven right. The grass opened before me, revealing a 5 to 8 foot stream to cross. By this time the water was about a foot deep, and no Plan B was preventing itself. I was in a fix. My phone and key fob were in my pants pocket, and there was no dry place to put my pack so I could relocate those electronics into some higher pockets. Oh yeah, if I went in over my head, I’d foul my hearing aids as well. I checked the water’s depth with my walking sticks, and they went in about three feet. I took a breath and stepped into the water. . Thankfully, I stopped sinking when the water was about six inches above my knees. The cool water actually felt refreshing, but I wasted no time getting across the washout as quickly as possible.
As I was making my way across the washout, I noticed another hiker heading my way from the opposite direction. We talked briefly, and I wished him well with the rest of his hike. He assured me that there were no washouts awaiting me that were as challenging as the one I had just completed. He was the first of three people I encountered on the trail that day. A mile or so down the road I met a man from La Crosse who had just completed his hike and was getting ready to ride his motorcycle to where his wife waiting. Last, I met a young lady heading east. I wished her well and warned her of the washout. I didn’t take much of her time; in shorts and a shirt, she would have been eaten alive by mosquitos and black flies if she stayed stationary very long! Because I hike on weekdays, I’m usually by myself on the trail. Meeting three other hikers was quite a surprise.
Outside of the washout, trail conditions were good. The relatively flat, soft ground was easy on my legs. In my notes I had written that I felt like I was on a road walk, except for the overgrowth. To adjust for the grass and the ticks waiting there, I swept my walking sticks in front of me and to the side as I walked in a effort to push the grass away from me. It seemed to work; I only had three or four ticks in my clothing after I was done.
I finished at 1:00, earlier than what I expected. After locating my pickup point for the next day’s hike, I drove back to Rice Lake, where a hot shower and a soothing whirlpool awaited.
My Days on the Ice Age Trail 