Day 23, Sept 25

Robert Cook Memorial Arboretum parking area to Evansville motel. About 13 miles.

The thing with mileage and the Ice Age Trail is that Day 23, Sept 25, 2024. Robert Cook Memorial Arboretum parking area to Evansville motel. About 13 miles. you can make your own connecting routes between official segments. As long as you are walking those routes, it doesn’t matter which way you go. The IAT suggests connecting routes for you, and those miles are included in the Ice Age Trail’s total mileage count. But if you choose your own routes that are shorter, then you’ll end up doing fewer overall miles. So when I say I am at mile X on the IAT, my actual mileage count is fewer since I take shorter connecting routes when possible. But then again, there are official segments that are out-and-backs or loops off the main route that FarOut mistakenly does not include in the total IAT mileage…so maybe when you factor that in it’s a wash..?

That’s a long way of saying that most of today was road walking, but instead of doing 15+ miles I did a couple of CR shortcuts and did 13 instead.

Began the day with Don and Carol Tyriver picking me up at the Janesville motel at 7am. Had more good conversation with them about hiking and their Wisconsin travels. They dropped me off where I finished yesterday, and from there I began the road walk toward the Gibbs Lake segment. I really wish I had remembered to ask for a selfie with Don and Carol. They’re great people.

The first three miles on busy Route A were fun fun fun with high speed traffic coming at me while the sun was low in the sky and glaring off drivers’ windshields. Narrow shoulder, too. I managed not to get hit.

The rest of the road walking to Gibbs Lake was on quieter roads, thank goodness.

Gibbs Lake is a fairly short segment, and horses share the path. I saw four today; their riders let me pass since I was walking quickly. 

Took a short food and water break by the lake, then it was another length roadwalk into Evansville. All country roads until I took busy Route 14, then it was another round of crossing my fingers and hoping I didn’t get hit. I survived and am now safely ensconced in a motel room.

Yeah, another motel. There are stretches along the IAT that don’t have any camping options. This is one of them. Can’t say I mind another night indoors with electricity and running water, though.

I am learning that my preferred way of thruhiking is, when possible, four nights out and one night in, with a zero every couple of weeks. Certainly not always going to happen.

Met a couple who are hiking the IAT in sections. They called out to me from their car as I was drinking milk outside a gas station near my Evansville motel. They had just done Gibbs Lake as well, but they were not walking the connecting routes today. The woman’s name is Jane, but I forgot the man’s name! I am sorry, if you are reading this. It was nice to meet you both.

Day 24, Sept 26

Evansville motel to Albany lodging. Around 15 trail miles (plus walking to the lodging).

Woke up and ate too much cheese. I bought a block yesterday and then decided I didn’t want to carry it, so I ate half of it yesterday and half today. I spent my first eight miles feeling too full of cheese.

Sidewalks into Evansville, which was nice. Yesterday had too many close encounters with high-speed traffic.

The trail went through Evansville, including its Main Street, then went through a couple of parks. A long connecting route (roadwalk) followed the Evansville segment, but it was on mostly quiet roads and brought me past Magnolia Bluff County Park and its water pump, which I appreciated on this sunny near-80 degree day. Those cooler temps have disappeared and we’re back to 80 again. Ick. Well, at least that’s better than near-90.

More road walking along mostly quiet roads – I did a connecting route shortcut and shaved off a little over a mile – and I eventually arrived in Albany, my home for the evening. Got a day and a half’s resupply at the Dollar Store, found a post office and mailed my absentee ballot request form, and went to my rented lodging.

Four days in a row indoors! When I planned this hike, I couldn’t find any legal camping between here and Janesville, hence the multiple-in-a-row indoor lodging (I did learn today that hikers can camp at Magnolia Bluff County Park if they ask the sheriff first). I’ll be camping from tomorrow until I reach Lodi (if not Baraboo), so I’ll enjoy the roof and walls while I can.

No more cheese for a while.