October 10, 2024. Trail Day 38

Coloma Camperland to DCA Motola SIATA. 16.5 miles

Much better day today, even though I don’t think I got any sleep. Too many aches and pains. I didn’t remember about the muscle relaxers I have until I had already packed up my bear canister for the night, and I didn’t want to go digging through everything to get them. So no real sleep for me. At least my tent held up in spite of the miserable way I pitched it. Also, I was able to get my tent far enough into the trees on the campsite’s mostly open field that I didn’t have dew to deal with in the morning. Just minor condensation. 

Miraculously, most of my hip pain has vanished.

It was cold out! Very happy with my Enlightened Equipment quilt and polyester liner. That, my thick air sleeping pad, my hat and balaclava, fleece sweatpants, and my (Sage’s) fleece jacket were all I needed to stay nice and warm in the low 30s temperatures overnight. Also, I had my tent’s rain fly completely open on both sides for ventilation. I am optimistic about making it into the upper teens before having to break out Mylar or hand warmers. I still haven’t needed my long-sleeve base layers under my normal sleeping outfit, or my puffy, or my wool sock liners. Or my rain pants and rain coat, which can be used within the sleep layering system if needed. And I have yet to close my tent at night. My quilt’s rating says I can survive in it down to -19. Not all that happily, though. So as long as the nighttime temps do not regularly get below 20 or so before Nov 13, I should be quite cozy without any issues. And if they do get below 20 often, then I guess I’ll break out the Mylar. I have two of them. For emergency use only since they don’t breathe. Oh yeah, there are also hand warmers. 

So I am optimistic. What would definitely stop me is measurable snow. I do not have the footwear with me for that. However – if snow is in the forecast and I can pick up winter boots somewhere along the line, then the game is still on.

Started the day in my long sleeve merino, wool hat, and gloves (wore bike shorts though). Kept all that on until an hour after sunrise.

What a difference a day makes! I guess I ate enough yesterday afternoon and this morning to bring the weight of my canister back into this-is-sane range. Made it five miles before thinking about taking a break. 

After that first break, the hip pain started again…and then I remembered that in addition to the muscle relaxers, I have three doses of cold medicine. The cold medicine has ibuprofen in it. I took one dose, and half an hour later my hip pain went away. 

And – it is so nice to be back on official trail segments! There was some road walking today, but not that much, and the official sections I walked (Chaffee Creek, Wedde Creek, and most of Mecan River) were lovely. The scenery north of the Wisconsin River is different from the earlier parts of the trail. Many more trees, greenery, little hills. Fewer flat out open cornfields. So far, anyway. I like it.

Chaffee Creek’s entrances are currently decorated with pumpkins and hay. They look beautiful. The trail itself went under the interstate in a giant drainpipe. Before and after that part, there were woods and fields. 

Mecan River is my favorite of the day. Giant pines, the trail ambling adjacent to the river and through fields. Loved it.

My home for the evening is DCA Motola SIATA. Wonderful site. In the woods, dirt floor, flat sites! Tall pines everywhere. Gorgeous long and wide wooden bench with a long and wide wooden footrest. Love love love it. It’s a dry site unfortunately, but a kind couple two miles back offered me the rest of their water since they were close to their car, and I gratefully accepted. I should now have enough to get through tonight and tomorrow morning. Tomorrow’s first water source is less than three miles away. Easy peasy.

Tomorrow – arg. Just under 25 miles tomorrow. Nine or so of them road walking. Hoping to sleep at a bar called Raisin’ Cane. I called last week and they said I could sleep in their pavilion. Will call on my way there tomorrow to let them know I am coming. 

The temps are supposed to reach the upper 70s tomorrow, then, for the next week, the forecast calls for 50s daytime and low 30s/upper 20s at night. By the time I get to Antigo, I should know if I need to add anything to my gear to keep me warm and dry at night for the rest of my thru-hike.

Oh yeah – I am more than halfway through my hike according to FarOut. The official halfway sign isn’t for another mile or so though. As far as time goes, I am more than halfway through my days hiking this trail. Sept 3 – Nov 13.

October 11, 2024 Ice Age Trail Day 39.

DCA Motola SCIATA to Raisin’ Cane bar in Heffron. 24 miles.

Today reaffirmed my belief in humanity. 

But first – 

Woke up to a dry tent. Felt hot during the night, I think the temps were in the mid-40s. Should have vented my quilt.

Hit the trail around 6 and arrived at the halfway sign in the dark. There is a convenient boulder in front of it, so I put my headlamp on it and managed to get a decent selfie. 

My lower back hurts! I think I need a new pack? Everything was more or less fine until recently though. Maybe my body isn’t recovering enough at night. The consistent lack of a good night’s sleep probably has a lot to do with it.

I felt dehydrated. There aren’t good sources of water in the 25-mile stretch I was on. Thought I could get some at a pond three miles into the day, but nope. Too much mud, could not get to the water. 

Segments today were Greenwood and Deerfield, followed by the nine-mile road walk to Rasin’ Cane, a bar that allows hikers to sleep in their pavilion.

The segments were fine. I remember woods and, in Deerfield, a surprising number of hills I was so tired, in pain, and preoccupied with finding a water source that I didn’t pay much attention to the trail itself. The whole day felt like an endurance test.

Passed three muddy ponds. Managed to get brown and sediment-filled water from one of them. Filtered it of course, but it still tasted like dirt. 

Finished the official segments and braced myself for the long road walk. Did I mention the temperature was in the upper 70s? 

The road walk was fairly shaded, thank goodness. Still, I was dehydrated without enough water. I kept telling myself, “the trail provides.” It usually does. 

And then – two separate men went out of their way to be kind to me. One guy was at his mailbox and we struck up a conversation. Ten minutes after we said goodbye, he pulled up in his truck and handed me two half-liters of water. We talked for a while in the middle of the road. He told me how he quit smoking ten years ago and how he likes to ride his bike everywhere. Then he was on his way. I never got his name.

The second guy, named Dave, was also at his mailbox when I walked by. We too struck up a conversation, and he welcomed me onto his porch, took my water bottles, cleaned them, filled them, and gave me cookies and an apple. We sat and chatted for a while. He has a black and white cat named Lynyrd Skynyrd. He’s lived in the house for over twenty years. He makes walking sticks in his spare time (they are beautiful)!  We talked amidst a swarm of ladybugs- apparently they arrive when the potatoes are harvested..? I have seen a bunch of random potatoes on the side of the road the past few days. The ladybug swarms stick around for a couple of weeks, and then they are gone, according to Dave.

I eventually left, though I could have stayed on that porch for the rest of the day.

I took a bunch of breaks during the final five miles. Got to the bar at 4, which is two hours later than my normal pace. My body feels really really tired. I had those zeroes in Baraboo, but I feel like I need another one already.

Later – the bar had great pizza, and they are letting me sleep in their pavilion. Great locals, very friendly. One very drunk firefighter told me to give him a call if I needed anything (he never gave his number). 

October 12, 2024 Day 40 Ice Age Trail.

Raisin’ Cane bar to Trailside Cabin. 19.3 miles (including logging detour). Total IAT miles: 622.3

Cowboy camping at 41 degrees and still being too hot in my EE 20 quilt gives me hope for the below freezing nighttime temperatures that are coming my way this week (and, surely, the weeks to come).

The hardest part about those cold mornings is changing back into the hiking clothes. I put them in my bag with me for a little while to warm up, but still. Having to change at all is difficult. 

After packing up and putting everything in the pavilion back where I had found it (I had made wind blocks and a privacy wall out of chairs and stools), I began the day’s hike. The morning 5.4-mile road walk went quickly and was done most before sunrise. I heard a pack of coyotes howling in the distance. 

Strap is still digging into my brachial plexus, but I wrapped my banana around the strap area, and that helped. Lower right back pain comes and goes.

Began the Emmons Creek segment and – how lovely! Colorful fallen leaves carpeted the dirt path. Just gorgeous.

And – water! Fast and clear running water under a bridge with a bench right on the bank. I relished in the chance to drink my fill and stock up. 

Met a man walking through the water with a fishing pole. We chatted for a while. He wants to do the Camino, and I told him of my experience with it. We both enjoy the film, “The Way.”

Entered the Hartman Creek segment. More woods and meadows, along with some hills – but now there are autumn colors. Saw a sign about the Blue Karner Butterly, which made me smile. My oldest daughter did a project on that endangered species when she was in high school.

A few glacial erratics here and there, then it was into Hartman Creek State Park where the trail currently detours around a logging area. Lots of ups and downs in the woods followed by the road walk detour. Final segment for the day was Waupaca River, which is a nice narrow trail alongside more water! No dehydration for me today! After leaving the river, the trail goes up steeply for a couple tenths of a mile and tops out on a ridge of sorts. And on that ridge is – Trailside Cabin.

This is a tiny enclosed cabin suitable for one person or a family of three. Three can sleep here, but there is little common space. If anyone comes along and needs to share, they can have the entire top part as I am now quite happily situated on the one sleeping bench on the main floor.

Also – there is a privy! No tp, but I have some.

I was going to detour into a town for food tomorrow, but I think I have enough to make it to Rosholt (two more hiking days).