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. 

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. 

Hiking the Connecting Route between the Tisch Mills Segment and the Kewaunee Segment of the Ice Age Trail

Sometimes in life you find yourself thinking there's got to be a better way to do a thing. Preparing for this hike, I looked at the suggested 25.3 mile route between the Tisch Mills and Kewaunee Segments of the Ice Age National Scenic Trail (IAG). Being that I am a section hiker, not a thru-hiker, no compelling reason exists to do the entire IAT and all of it's connecting routes in a manner that traverses purely east to west, or purely west to east.

Hiking the Tisch Mills Segment of the Ice Age Trail

 

A small brown sign on a hill overlooking County Highway B marks the southern terminus of the Tisch Mills Segment of the Ice Age National Scenic trail. On a windy April morning, I headed up the grassy hill from County Highway B onto the trail. I nearly missed the small trail sign, as it is on a hill up off the road and follows private property along the edge of a farm field. When you do this segment, keep your eyes open!