Connecting Route Between Albany and Janesville Part 1: Gibbs Lake County Park to Arbor Ridge Segment of the Ice Age Trail

As cool, cloudy mornings make for good road walking, one look at the forecast, and I decided to start on the road walk between the Arbor Ridge and Albany Segments of the Ice Age Trail (IAT). I opted to try the recently published new route west of Janesville in place of the old Highway A route, also known among some IAT hikers as "the dreaded A".

Boundary Waters 2016 - Little Indian Sioux EP#14 to Campsites on Shell, Hustler, Gebeonequet, Little Beartrack, and Loon Lakes.

The  BWCA (Boundary Waters Canoe Area) is the kind of magical place that casts a spell over visitors, drawing them back. Our family first visited the BWCA three years ago. We now return each year for our fix of loons, lakes, and love of the wilderness. Each year we add a day or two, and leave feeling that we could have used a bit more time.

BOUNDARY WATERS 2016 BACKCOUNTRY MENU PLAN & FOOD PREP LIST

Warm, delicious meals around the campfire after a rainy day of paddling and portaging make the trip. Nothing feels better than sharing a well earned meal with the one’s you love while reliving the day and making memories.  On our trips, traditional family favorites like beef stroganoff and chili nourish the heart and fuel the body, while new treats add fun. Let’s gather around the food barrel, and find out what’s for dinner.

Camping at Lake Kegonsa State Park

Lake Kegonsa State Park on Door Creek Road in Stoughton, Wisconsin provides a nice venue for family camping near Interstates 90 and 94 with close proximity to Madison, Wisconsin. With around 5 miles (8km) of well-maintained hiking trails, campground and beach playgrounds, a beach and pet beach, and a boat launch, there is enough easy going fun to keep our family busy for a weekend.

Sylvania Wilderness Canoe Camping on Clark Lake, July 2016

In the Sylvania Wilderness, blue skies, plentiful wildlife, and the relative lack of 4th of July crowds made the mosquitoes much more tolerable. After a wet Memorial Day in the Sylvania Wilderness, our dry Fourth of July weekend felt great - not a drop of rain, cool nights, and sunny days. Arriving on Saturday afternoon, we unloaded and paddled 2.5 miles (4 km) across Clark Lake to the Birch  campsite. Tucked away in a little bay, not too many paddlers ventured by and we enjoyed relative privacy despite the holiday weekend and a fairly busy scene at the put-in.

Family Camping Trip to Peninsula State Park

Peninsula State Park is located in Door County in Fish Creek, Wisconsin along scenic State Highway 42. Known as a hotspot for paddle sports, boating, bicycling, and outdoor theatrical productions at the Northern Sky Theatre, Peninsula State Park is Wisconsin's most popular stop for car camping. The park gets extremely busy, and we planned to arrive on a Sunday and leave on Thursday before the busy weekend began.

Father's Day Paddle on the Sugar River

On a bright sunny Father's Day we set out for a paddle on the Sugar River. I cast my vote for an early departure as the forecast called for hot, sunny weather. However, getting the family moving proved a challenge as our eight-year-old had enjoyed her first sleepover ever earlier in the weekend, so her tiredness slowed our pace. We finally got on the water somewhere around 11:00 am. According to my GPS we paddled an easy 8.5 miles from Attica to Albany on the Sugar River in Green County, Wisconsin. My husband's guidebook indicated something closer to 7.2 miles.