Hiking the IAT through Rock County

Smell honeysuckle's sweet orange scent along urban bicycle trails. Take in the colorful, ornate architecture in small town Wisconsin. Spot turkeys along quiet country roads. Hear warning honks as mama geese hustle goslings away from passersby along the shore of the Rock River. The Ice Age Trail through Rock County awaits. With each season the trail renews itself, with sections I've hiked in the past made new by the change in seasons.

Connecting Route Between Albany and Janesville Part 2: Gibbs Lake County Park to Leonard Leota Park in Evansville

With unseasonably warm November temperatures in the forecast, I continued the road walk between the Arbor Ridge and Albany Segments of the Ice Age Trail (IAT). When I began this road walk, I decided to try the new route west of Janesville in place of the old Highway A route. The Highway A route, known to IAT hikers as "The Dreaded A", runs east to west for about 21 miles and supports a relatively high volume of traffic. The new route detours through Evansville in place of the "Dreaded A", making Evansville the newest trail town along the IAT.

Arbor Ridge and Devil's Staircase Segments of the Ice Age Trail

Hikers often say the worst part of hiking the Ice Age National Scenic Trail (IAT) is the road walk between the Albany Segment and Janesville. Using the unexpected layer of ice that accumulated on the back roads overnight as an excuse, I delayed getting started on this dreaded road march, and did a bit of trail hiking instead. After parking at the trail-head near the Janesville Schools Outdoor Laboratory, I hiked the Arbor Ridge  and Devil's Staircase Segments of the IAT. The day started out cold with trees and trails laced with snow that melted as the day wore on.