Hiking the Skunk and Foster Lakes Segment of the Ice Age Trail

 

On a clear February morning, I parked at the Skunk and Foster Lakes State Natural Area along N. Foley Drive in Scandinavia, Wisconsin. I exhaled long, white streams into the frigid air, and zipped my down jacket all the way up to my chin. I pulled my hood up over my hat. It was time to begin my section hike of the Skunk and Foster Lakes Segment of the Ice Age National Scenic Trail (IAT). 

Hiking the Waupaca River Segment of the Ice Age Trail

 

On the cold, snowless first morning of 2024, I hiked the Waupaca River Segment of the Ice Age National Scenic Trail (IAT). I started at the State Highway 54 trailhead parking circle, hiking north and then west through a narrow corridor of trees around a farmer's field. When I arrived at Townline Road, I began walking north. I walked up a hill near Nelson's Tree Farm only to find police blocking the road. Due to the police presence, I began to head back towards the Highway 54 trailhead parking area.

Hiking the Ice Age Trail through Fond du Lac and Sheboygan Counties

If you love to hike up and down rolling hills and along the tops of wooded esker ridges, you will thoroughly enjoy the Fond du Lac and Sheboygan County portions of the Ice Age National Scenic Trail (IAT). This stretch consists of a delightful 30 trail miles through the Northern Kettle Moraine in Fond du Lac and Sheboygan Counties and only 10 road miles. The Kettle Moraine is known for its eskers and kames with kettles and small lakes. 

Hiking the Connecting Route between the Deerfield Segment and the Emmons Creek Segment of the Ice Age Trail

I set out on a crisp fall morning to walk the the connecting route between the Deerfield and Emmons Creek Segments of the Ice Age National Scenic Trail (IAT). With October colors popping and geese calling overhead, I left my bike at the terminus of the Deerfield Segment of the Ice Age Trail on County Road O and parked at Roberts Park in the Village of Wild Rose. Cold wind rustled the leaves as I began walking through Wild Rose. I enjoyed an outpouring of Halloween decorations and seeing wildroses still in bloom. 

Hiking the Forestville Segment of the Ice Age Trail

 

On a rainy October morning my husband and I hiked the Forestville Segment of the Ice Age National Scenic Trail (IAT). The Forestville Segment follows the Ahnapee River along the multiuse Ahnapee State trail from the corner of State Highway 42 and County Highway H in Maplewood to Birch Road (County Highway S) in Algoma. This crushed limestone trail runs through Kewaunnee and Door Counties. Built on a transformed rails to trails railroad track bed, the segment is named for the Village of Forestville, with the Forestvivlle Dam County Park near its halfway point. 

Stuart River to Lower Basswood Falls - BWCA 2023

With the goal of seeing Lower Basswood Falls and permits unavailable for our three target entry points, we defaulted to a still available permit for the Stuart River entry point. This entry point starts with a 433 rod portage, plus five more mapped portages, as well as several additional unmapped beaver dams to climb over before arriving at the first campsites from Entry Point 19. Maybe this causes some unpopularity for this entry point, and perhaps it is this unpopularity that allowed us the permit.

The Connecting Route from the Kewaunee Segment to the Forestville Segment of the Ice Age Trail

To connect the Kewaunee River Segment of the Ice Age National Scenic Trail (IAT) to the Forestville Segment, I did not follow the recommended roadwalk in the Ice Age Trail Guidbook. The official IAT segments are connected by roadwalks, but the choice of which connecting route to take is optional. This means any on-foot method of connecing two segments is acceptable.