On Saturday, July 17th, I hiked the 3.6 mile Straight Lake Segment and the 4.3 Trade River Segment. The hike was a study in contrasts.
At 8:30, I met Trail Angel Barb at the end point for the day’s hike, the west terminus of the Trade River Segment. On our way to the trail head, we left a half gallon of water at the trail’s midpoint. Then we quickly drove to the east end of the Straight Lake Segment. It was already getting very toasty.
My hike got off to a somewhat humorous start. The beginning of the Straight Lake Segment was also the edge of a cow pasture. The cows are fenced in; you have to unlock a gate to enter the trail. I saw 8-10 cows massed at the gate the day before, and I hoped that they would be in their milking pens on the morning of my hike instead of the pasture. Nope. No sooner had I closed the gate when two of them approached me – no doubt the welcoming committee. I noticed more were on the way. Not liking the way this was developing, I scampered up the next hill. Thankfully, they weren’t interested in following me.
The Straight Lake Segment runs through the IATA’s Frog Pond Reserve, the Tunnel Channel Woods State Natural Area, and Straight Lake State Park. Most of the trail wound its way under a canopy skirting the edge of the Straight River and Straight Lake itself. Whether I was hiking along the river or the lake, the views were sublime – peacefully, spectacularly sublime. On this day, the river and lake waters were as smooth as glass.
The trail was clearly marked and very well groomed. Although rated a “4” for hilliness, I found it a relatively easy walk. If this was a four, McKenzie Creek had to be a 4+, in my opinion. Roots and rocks were fairly easy to navigate, and I was able to stride confidently. I only encountered three people on the trail. This surprised me, considering it was a beautiful Saturday morning and I was in a State Park. First, I met a fellow hiker, Jeremy, about two miles into the hike, and had a quick but pleasant talk with him. Near the end of the hike, I met a man and a woman about my age who were out to do a little exploring, as the woman put it.
The Straight Lake Segment ended on 280th Avenue, and a very short walk separated me from the Trade River Segment. Although the Old Guys Hiking had given me fair warning, I could not get over the terrain change I encountered. I was still under a forest canopy, but the ground on which I walked was strewn with rocks and boulders. Although there was a hint of this rocky terrain at the tail end of the Straight Lake Segment, the contrast became apparent almost immediately upon starting this new segment. From what I have read, this is mostly basalt bedrock.
As a hiker, this area made two major impressions. First, this would be a terrible place to take a spill, so I picked my way very carefully through this rock-strewn area. Second, I was extremely grateful for the hard work done by the local IATA chapter to make this more navigable by erecting numerous boardwalks over the many ephemeral stream beds in this area.
As I approached the final portion of the segment, the terrain changed again. Quite suddenly, the canopy opened into a meadow that ended at 140th Street. No more rocks. I was in the open now, and the midday sun was really frying me. I turned north and walked north on 140th Street for 0.4 of a mile before making a quick left turn into a stand of pines. The last 1.3 miles of trail took me into an area that is part of the Trade River Cross Country Ski Area in the winter months: gently rolling country that varied between being open to under a forest canopy. I was grateful to emerge from the woods to find my car waiting for me. I had been on the trails for three days in high heat, and I was beat!
My Days on the Ice Age Trail 