I posted a video of the two days if you would like to virtually hike it. No music, just my footsteps and commentary. YouTube: @TrishEllisTravels
Last October, I left the Ice Age Trail in Rosholt after having done 654 miles (westbound) due to a stress fracture in my lower spine. I came back to Rosholt on April 9 to pick up where I left off.
I am not yet backpacking, but after this month I should be carry a fully weighted pack again (25-30 pounds). So for this leg of my Ice Age Trail journey, I am slack packing and using a bicycle to shuttle myself to a parking area in the morning and then hiking the trail back to my rental vehicle. This way I do not have to carry a fully weighted pack, but I will still be building strength and endurance with 8-15 mile hikes each day AND eight-15 miles of biking each day.
My first two days were just hiking, since Linda Sadler Collison and her husband Mike offered to house me for two nights and shuttle me to and from points along the trail. The trail between Rosholt and Hatley is 22 miles of mostly country road walking with one tiny official segment (White Cedar). I did 14 miles the first day and 8 miles the next, trying to ease into things so I wouldn’t do too much too soon this month.
Country roads, fields, barns, horses, cows, overcast skies. Good times. Only negative experience was a couple of off-leash dogs with an owner who did not control her canines.
It is good to be back in Wisconsin. I like the people here. I look forward to continuing along the trail, though I will usually stick to 10-15 miles a day and therefore do not anticipate finishing on this trip. I should get within 200-250 miles, though. On my next visit to Wisconsin (maybe a year from now?) I’ll finish this trail, do Wisconsin’s North Country miles, and probably go ahead and finish up the rest of the state in terms of my other state-by-state hiking goals.
