Hit the Trail - Saturday, 1/16/10

Ice Age Trail - Started hiking the Ice Age Trail on Saturday, January 16, 2010. I drove myself up there, so for this first section (and hopefully a limited number of future sections) I had to do a round trip since it was just me with one car. So I drove to Sturgeon Bay which is a very nice drive now that it's divided double Lane highway the entire way. Parked at Cherry Blossom Park and headed out to the tower at Potowatami State Park. Details: left the house in Neenah at 9:48 a.m., started hiking at 11:21 a.m. Left the snowshoes and poles after checking out the map again. The weather was upper 20's and overcast, but the forecast was for partly sunny so this was going to be a nice day.

The walk through Sturgeon Bay was nice. I have some friends that won't go with me through parts of the Ice Age Trail because some of it is "road walking", but I don't mind plus I want to hike the entire trail. The town was nice and I was excited to be starting. After about an hour I was at the park entrance and took a short break. Saw all of the signs for the trail, so we are off. The woods and view to the bay were beautiful. Had to do some law breaking when I needed to walk on the Ski trail, but I stayed off to the side, what are you supposed to do, I'm hiking the Ice Age Trail and the ski trail was on my trail, make way! Somewhere in there I got off trail, and ended up taking a snowmobile trail all the way up to the tower. The view was nice, took in all in with a snack and water break up there. I don't really like heights though, so got back down to terra firma after that and started hiking the actual trail down (going South). This was a nice walk, on most of the trail the only previous hiker had been a deer, mouse, or rabbit, very calm and quiet in there with the snow cover. Eventually left the park at the southern exit, by this time I was tired but still had the hike back through the city. By the time I got to the car I was very tired and my legs were stiff. The Sub Shop I had been dreaming about the entire day, "Fatso's" was closed at 3:00! So I did a quick drive by at McDonald's instead ( quite the contrast).

- Details & Weather: Finished hiking around 5:15 so it was a 6 hour hike. The high ended up being 28 Degrees and partly sunny.
- Wildlife: Crow; squirrel; pileated woodpecker; 10 year old nice Rottweiler.
- Loved seeing: The huge ships docked across the ice covered bay in Sturgeon Bay; downtown Sturgeon Bay in the morning and the woman with the friendly Rottweiler; the ice fishermen in their shanty and drilling holes while on the trail going to the tower; the pileated woodpecker flying away on the trail going to the tower, what a big bird; the tower and the view on a sunny day; the trail with only some animal tracks made in the snow covering the trail; the sunlight making the snow sparkle; the aunt and 3 busy kids walking on Duluth Street; the old man with the golf club by the park in Sturgeon Bay exclaiming “Not much golfing today!”; Cherry Blossom Park building at night with just a bit of orange/yellow light from sunset left on the horizon against the dark blue of the night sky.
- Dangers: Slipping on ice walking through Sturgeon Bay; being kissed to death by a Rottweiler; getting lost (I got turned around once, and then there was one time I wasn't lost but I did confirm my direction of travel with a fellow I met on the trail. Full disclosure you know).
Rambo Moment: Walking north into Sturgeon Bay coming down the hill, and the town police is sitting there on the side of the road pulling a speed trap. Had to walk right by him, kept expecting him to step out of the squad car and say "We don't like your kind around here son, let me give you a ride out of town..." :)