This section of trail is not particularly long at 13.9 miles (22.4 km). It is not particularly technical. This makes it particularly embarrassing to admit it took me four whole tries to conquer that beast!
So, what happened? The constraints I put on myself include hiking the Ice Age Trail mainly in the winter. Usually this isn't a problem. I am often too busy with family outdoor fun in the shoulder seasons and summertime. Considering I have a more than full time job and a family, I no longer overnight hike unless my family is with me, and my family is really not interested in backpacking the IAT in the wintertime. Also, because I have a family and a demanding job, there are a limited number of hours I can be out there before I need to head back home and take care of other responsibilities. So an unlucky combination of winter weather events and the constraints on my time available for any one day-hike conspired to make this segment of the Ice Age Trail take a series of 4 attempts to finally get it finished.
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| Starting to snow near Mauthe Lake. |
On a cold January 2018 morning, I started the Parnell Segment of the Ice Age Trail at the Mauthe Lake Recreation Area. The forecast called for light snow, about an inch, just right for beautiful hiking. When I arrived, the parking area, already deep with snow, greeted me and I felt relieved the forecast did not call for more than one additional inch. Anymore than that might possibly get me stuck in the lot.
As I hiked gorgeous fluffy snowflakes fell, thrilling me with Christmas card like views. After a short time the snow fell harder and faster than I had seen it fall in a long time. The already high snow topped my knees and the going became slow, I'd estimate a half mile per hour. I had not made it far, a couple of miles maybe, but was somewhat near the crossing of County Highway SS. Worried about getting snowed into the parking lot, I turned back to the car vowing to return again soon. With some effort and retries, I managed to get out of the parking lot. When I got home my daughter had a fever, the starts of the family flu. I would not be out hiking again until February.
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| Frosted flora. |
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| Smile! |
The family flu had me grounded until February. With myself and my family feeling better and the early morning temperature at -10˚F, I gathered up my layers and set out for a hike. I parked at the County Highway SS lot a bit north of last time's end point and started to hike south to sew up a remaining quarter mile bit of trail before heading northward. I expected to be alone on the trail for a time as it was bitterly cold and the sun had not yet risen. I got only about 25 yards down the trail and I ran into two backpackers with icicles hanging from their beards. They said they were doing an overnight race and more hikers would follow. They were right! I stopped to let various racers by. Some wanted to stop and talk, some just wanted me to get out of the way and let them pass.
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| Here comes the sun! |
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| Love the early morning light on the snow. |
Just when I thought the race delays were over, along came three more racers. Two men who seemed to be either helping or dragging a women up the trail. I stopped to ask if she was okay and offer help. They declined. Shortly thereafter, I got to my previous stopping point, and I turned back. After passing my car in the lot, I continued north. I headed north past Crooked Lake and crossed Division Road. At the road crossing a man in a truck was screaming at me and honking. I couldn't quite hear what he was saying, but I thought he sounded threatening so I carried on and continued to hear him yelling behind me. I tried to hide and eventually I ditched him. It was very cold and having stopped moving to hide chilled me. I decided to keep going and see if I would warm up. When I got to the crossing for County Highway F, wouldn't you know it. The man was there running down the trail behind me, but this time I heard him say the word "help". All he wanted was a little help?
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| One of many road crossings. |
I stopped and waited. When I asked him what he needed help with he told me it was I that needed help. I told him I did not need help. I was getting cold standing around talking to him and started walking again. He just wouldn't give up. Eventually, we figured out he was looking for the woman racing that I had passed with the two men who appeared to be having trouble. I was a case of mistaken identity. I showed him on my hiking map where I had last seen her. By now I felt pretty cold and frustrated I had nearly run my allotted hiking time out. I backtracked back to my car vowing to return another day.
On another warm February morning, the snow and ice had melted away. I headed back to the Parnell Segment of the Ice Age Trail to finish the segment, or so I thought. I parked at Butler Lake and headed south for a short time to cover the bit up to the beautiful Parnell Esker I had previously hiked. As I climbed the wet, icy stairs at Butler Lake, I immediately realized I had made a foolish mistake.
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| Follow the yellow blazes to stay on the IAT |
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| A cold day on the IAT |
While the snow and ice had disappeared at home, the trail was still a mess. High traffic trail areas get very hard packed, and the ice can last much longer in that state. The trail was covered with hard packed ice with melting water over the top of it. I had come unprepared without my micro-spikes and the ice-walking was slow going. Very slow going. Once again I would not complete the segment in time to return home for promised obligations. I vowed to never leave home again in the winter without micro-spikes safely tucked away in my backpack, even if I think I won't need them. Anyhow, back to our hike.
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| Miking progress albeit slow. |
Once up the stairs, I stopped to inhale the fresh smell of the earth, so welcoming once the snow begins to melt. With the leaves down, the views of the lake welcomed me. Soon I had backtracked to the Parnell Esker. The views here also proved spectacular as an esker is like a ridge with a valley on both sides, providing excellent views of the surrounding glacial terrain. I headed back to Butler Lake and then kept on towards the north. Greatly slowed down by the wet, slippery ice on the trail, I crossed County Highway V, and pushed on to Scenic Drive. Due to the slow going the day began to grow long. Rather than finishing the segment, I carefully walked back to the car planning to return sometime soon, this time with spikes in tow.
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| Fungus among us. |
Life happened, I got busy with way too many work obligations and business trips, and my daughter got a series of sinus infections with fevers. To top it all off I went jogging in inappropriate shoes on a business trip. I knew the shoes weren't great. I shouldn't have done it. I developed my first severe case of plantar fasciitis in one foot. When my foot healed enough that I didn't have a major limp, the spring camping had begun and life stayed busy. Little did I know then that I would not return to the Parnell Segment of the IAT for nearly a year.
In January of the brand new year, 2019, I looked back at the year gone by and a bit of unfinished business popped into mind. I never had finished the Parnell Segment of the IAT! I still had 4.2 miles left. Not much distance as far as hikes go.
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| Another gorgeous sunrise on the IAT. |
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| Morning light in the trees. |
I headed to the trail with all the appropriate layers and micro-spikes in tow, ready to get it done. My constraint this day was having to finish by 11:00 am in order to get home in time to make lunch for my family. I parked at the State Highway 67 parking lot, and started hiking in the dark by headlamp. Dawn came and brought with it a spectacular sunrise through the trees. I love the rolling hills, eskers and kames on this bit of trail. I passed shelter #4 where there is a beautiful hilltop view, an outhouse, and a bench. I headed south and crossed County Highway U.
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| Frost on an oak leaf. |
On the other side of County Highway U, I began to break fresh powder. I ran into more and more blow-downs as I hiked, and at times it became unclear where the trail had gone. I suppose the next hiker will appreciate the foot-tracks to follow as they make the direction of the trail rather obvious. The blow-downs worsened as I headed south. Heavy tracks from logging equipment cross-crossed the trail and the lost trees provided distant views. At Kettle Moraine Scenic Drive, I did a big "yee-hah!". I had finally hiked every inch of the Parnell Segment of the IAT and now had only to backtrack back to my car.
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| Sun! |
I did a segment which could be reasonably completed in one hike over a series of four and made it take a full year. Well, since I hike out and back I actually the segment twice. The things we set out to do don't always go as planned, but when things don't go our way we can give up or just keep on trying. This is a beautiful, gorgeous bit of trail. I, for one, am glad I hiked every bit of it.
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| Sun warming up the day on trail! |
After I got home I did some research online regarding the downed trees and indeed a tornado came through between County Highway V and the Kettle Moraine Scenic Drive in October of 2018. This caused the blow-downs. The Ice Age Trail Alliance (IATA) website also advised that this portion of the IAT is CLOSED and advises the hiker to road-walk around it. I can tell you there were not closed signs anywhere as I hiked this bit from north to south, but I can also tell you that navigation takes a bit of effort. Also, there are down trees precariously perched above the trail that could come down at anytime. All of that said, if I had read the IATA website in advance of this hike, I would have waited and hiked it after cleanup. I recommend you do the same!
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| Map of GPS trace of the Parnell Segment of the IAT |
If you've got a stretch of trail that's been particularly troublesome for one reason or another, don't give up! That's all for now, let's get outdoors and keep our wild places wild.
Total Distance Covered - The Parnell Segment is 13.9 miles (22.3 km). This makes for 27.8 miles (44.7 km) out and back.
Difficulty - Moderate - due to hilly glacial features (eskers, kames, etc.). Difficult if you do not bring microspikes! A very icy slip and trip hazard. Note: If you are not physically fit or properly outfitted for winter conditions you may find it difficult.
Trail Conditions - The trail between County Highway V and Kettle Moraine Scenic drive has many down trees, some of them leaning over the trail making the trail harder to navigate and more dangerous. The other portions of the trail are well-blazed and highly used. Some patches were very icy and slippery, -10°F (-23°C) to 35°F (1.7°C).
Highlights - Snow and gorgeous hilly glacial terrain (views of eskers, drumlins, kames, kettles).
Total Ice Age Trail Miles to Date - Total official trail distance completed to date - 399 miles (638 km).
Amenities - Many parking opportunities including but not limited to parking at Mauthe Lake Recreation Area, County Road SS, Butler Lake, Parnell Observation Tower, and Highway 67. Camping at Mauthe Lake and in two reservable trailside shelters with outhouses. Views from the Parnell Tower (in season).
Location - Parked at Mauthe Lake Recreation Area, County Road SS, Butler Lake, and Highway 67 IAT parking areas.
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