Upon my return to the Albany Segment of the Ice Age National Scenic Trail, unexpected snow and colder temperatures greeted me. I expected quiet, but the sounds of numerous birds, particularly through the Albany Wildlife Segment greeted me. Owls, turkey, geese, sandhill cranes, red-winged blackbirds, and numerous songbirds continuously filled the air with song. A mink crawled up from a swampy area behind a home near bridge 13, took one look at me, and scrambled off the trail.
Cold winds howl. The urge to hunker down at home and keep warm strikes. What do you do? Enjoy a nice warm pot of of chili, spaghetti, beef stew, or beef stroganoff and dehydrate the left-overs for your next wilderness adventure. Lightweight, well-preserved, home cooked foods for your back-country adventures prove far more satisfying, contain more protein, and taste far less salty than the prepacked options.
Spring is most certainly on its way on the Albany Segment of the Ice Age
National Scenic Trail. After a number of silent winter hikes, the cacophony made by geese,
sandhill cranes, and various songbirds, made for an unexpected but welcomed surprise. I parked at the Old Train Depot on Pratt Road in Monticello, WI and headed east. The Albany Segment of the IAT follows the Sugar River Trail from Monticello to Albany, WI. It is an easy hike, along an easy to follow, well-maintained, flat multi-use trail.
