Ice Age Trail, Manitowoc, WI, Sunday 10/31/10

Footbridge across Manitowoc River

Old Mill along Mill Road

River along Schuette Park

Trail at Schuette Park

Chilly dawn of a new day

Details & Weather: Had a low of 33 degrees, got into the upper 40's, sunny. Windy in the morning when I was by the lake, then calmed down a bit. Started hiking at 5:15, finished at 11:25, 6.1 total but took a break to watch sunrise, moved the car 2x, had something to eat each time so I think only 5.1 actual hiking time. 12 miles total Ken Miles.

This was the Manitowoc Chamber of Commerce hike, through the downtown, then headed out to the west of town. Very cold and windy when I started along the lake (needed my balaclava), watched the sunrise for a bit which was colorful, with only a thin line of clouds out on the horizon.

Also for the record, I realized why I was so tired on the hike on 10/9 is because later that week I had a bad cold that took about 10 days to get over, so I think I must have been feeling the beginnings of that.

Wildlife: Crows; Geese; Tweety birds; birds; ducks; gulls; squirrels; 2 Basset hounds with an overly controlling owner; 3 deer in the woods along Mill Road; a barking English Setter & old Golden Retriever; an old Chocolate Lab walking the trail; a Border Collie type dog.

Noteworthy: Watching the ducks land on the lake, sunrise, the Veteran's Memorial Park, several big flocks of geese, the Manitowoc River, some friendly people along the way.

Ice Age Trail, Point Beach State Park, Sat. 10/9/10

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Fall colors

In Point Beach State Park Sunrise

Details & Weather: What a great day. Perfect weather, sunny, fall colors all around, just a great day on the trail. Cheryl G. picked me up in north Manitowoc at 7:20, just like clockwork. It was very nice to meet her, and the shuttle service the chapter does is a great idea. I was hiking by 7:41, finished at 1:50 pm so 6.1 hours total. The last hour was pretty hard for me, it seemed to take forever to finally get back to the car.

Wildlife: Crows; Seagulls; Geese; Birds; Tweety Birds; heard a woodpecker; Squirrels(red/orangish and black); Mini-Bears (aka Chipmunks); Deer (2); a barking and apparently upset German Shepherd.

Conclusions: This was a great stretch of trail, I would hike it again for sure. (maybe only 5 hours though...). I loved hiking along the shore of Lake Michigan.

IAT Between Mishicot and Point Beach S.P., Sat. 10/2/10

Windy and trying to rain on me

County V = No Shoulder = Unsafe

Close to Point Beach State Park!

Details and Weather: Cold and very windy. Low was in the low 40's, might have broken 50 when the sun came out, but most of the time it was cloudy and a little rain later in the day. When I left for home the car was reading 48. It was too windy, I would have loved to stay out longer but it was kicking me in the rear. Spent the night in Manitowoc, started hiking at 6:42, finished at 12:54 so 6.2 hours. Made it to where the trail trail starts north of Point Beach State Park. The wind was brutal.

Parked at the grocery store in Mishicot, then hiked north to connect to where I left off at the intersection of Rock Ledge Road and Princl. This part of the route was nice.

Then started hiking East. This was by far the worst day of hiking since I began, due to this part of the route. The hike along County V between Mishicot and Point Beach State Park is very dangerous. I've christened it the Insanity Hike because no one in their right mind would hike this stretch of road (yes, I did, so that might tell you something...). There is no shoulder to walk on when cars come along, which is constantly. To be accurate there is a shoulder, it's just that it's a downward sloped 1 foot wide bit of grassy gravel. Most of the time I would just stop and step down towards the ditch to get out of the way of on-coming cars, which was constant, and they are going about 60-65 mph. It was crazy, never again. I don't know how they can have this route be part of the official connecting route at all. Ok enough venting about that.

So I'm finally at Point Beach S.P. and I can't wait to walk a few miles on a real part of the trail.

Wildlife: Crows; Tweety Birds; Black Birds; Sandhill Cranes (a single then a flock of 4) nice; Geese; Squirrels; Cows; Horses; a huge monster dog that looked like a cross between a Chessie and an Irish Wolfhound; a Border Collie mix (2 total); A Mix (with the one Border Collie); a solid Black Chow that really didn't like me at all; a possible Pileated Woodpecker (95% sure); heard a Rooster.

Dangers and Conclusions: See above for my thoughts about the dangers of this route; also windburn (lol); being eaten by a large dog.