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View Full Version : Ice Age Trail in deep freeze?



mkmangold
10-03-2009, 01:11
No one has started a new thread on the Ice Age Forum since I did last February. Is this forum dead? Comatose? Is it worth my time to keep checking on this site?

Lyle
10-03-2009, 09:54
Just keep posting. If it's like the NCT forum, you will get little response unless you ask a very specific question. But there are folks who will at least read the posts, so if you have any info, go ahead and post.

This is an Appalachian Trail centered site, and many folks on here have no interest in other trails - but some do. I'm constantly amazed at how many "avid" hikers are so completely uninformed about all the opportunities and trails there are. Any place you can help spread the word is good.

puddingboy
10-04-2009, 14:16
i check in every once in a while, its good to have any new information on the ice age trail.

emerald
10-04-2009, 15:14
Is there specific information you seek?

double d
10-04-2009, 15:35
I hike the Ice Age Trail at least twice each year, I did a nice 20 miler this past May, so keep on posting Cheesehead (sorry, I'm still upset over the Bears game)!

emerald
10-04-2009, 15:49
How about some images of the glacial features it was created to conserve or some links about them? Sometimes those who desire content must create it themselves when none exists and in learning what they wish to know provide for others.

It's amazing what a few Google searches can turn up!

mkmangold
10-04-2009, 22:13
I hike the Ice Age Trail at least twice each year, I did a nice 20 miler this past May, so keep on posting Cheesehead (sorry, I'm still upset over the Bears game)!

I'm originally from Illinois so I'm a "Processed Cheesehead." I took 2 of my boys to Wrigley Field today and near where I sat was a TV with the Bears/Lions game. Got to see the Bears wump motor city butt while the Cubbies ended the season with a whimper.

I don't have a particular question about the Ice Age Trail. Just wondering if it is worth my while to keep looking here.

V.I.P.
10-21-2009, 20:13
Please don't give up on keeping IAT alive on this site! I second what Lyle and emerald stated: many look but don't speak unless they have something definitive to say. (There are still people that don't just talk to see themselves type) I stumbled across this in the dreary dead of winter (the not-so-good to snowshoe part) and it kept me going until the thaw. As an active volunteer, I like to peak in to answer questions and I promise to get better at posting events.

mkmangold
10-21-2009, 23:54
Please don't give up on keeping IAT alive on this site! I second what Lyle and emerald stated: many look but don't speak unless they have something definitive to say. (There are still people that don't just talk to see themselves type) I stumbled across this in the dreary dead of winter (the not-so-good to snowshoe part) and it kept me going until the thaw. As an active volunteer, I like to peak in to answer questions and I promise to get better at posting events.

Ahhh... nice to see the IAT spicin' up! You're out near Madison? Do you ever get up to the Northern Unit of the Kettle Moraine?

V.I.P.
10-23-2009, 18:04
I'm a Thousand Miler Wanna Be so I travel the state trying to hike all the segments and roads. I don't mind repeating stellar sections to experience other seasons--in that way, I will never "finish" the Trail. I also go wherever (and whenever my vacation time allows) the Mobile Skills Crew sets up camp. La Budde Creek State Fishery Area near Elkhart Lake is now completed so I have to see the finished product. Haven't seen the site since it was simply ribbon flagged. Madison is my local area and where I pitch in with landscape restoration.

IceAge
11-13-2009, 11:52
Don't let my baby die!

ZEKE #2
11-13-2009, 13:19
Planning on hiking a few sections in 2010 with my grandchildren. I also am a 1,000 miler wannabe. I'll be sure to post at that time.

IceAge
11-13-2009, 16:37
Please don't give up on keeping IAT alive on this site! I second what Lyle and emerald stated: many look but don't speak unless they have something definitive to say. (There are still people that don't just talk to see themselves type) I stumbled across this in the dreary dead of winter (the not-so-good to snowshoe part) and it kept me going until the thaw. As an active volunteer, I like to peak in to answer questions and I promise to get better at posting events.


I should get better at posting events, too, since it was my sticky. Thanks for the assists!

IceAge
11-13-2009, 16:37
ZEKE, you are in West Bend?

puddingboy
11-13-2009, 17:32
ice age how did your thru hike of the superior hiking trail go, i want to learn more about this trail.

Dirty Harry
11-13-2009, 22:51
Just Ran a 50 miler on the Ice Age Trail. I love Kettle Moraine State Park. The fall has been wonderful up there!

IceAge
11-16-2009, 14:30
ice age how did your thru hike of the superior hiking trail go, i want to learn more about this trail.

I knocked out the northern 1/2 of the trail in late August, and was once again blown away by the SHT. I'll have to dig up my daily journal to give you more detail, but I can not over-emphasize how great an experience it is.

The campsites are amazing, always placed in the perfect location for scenery and access to water. The trail is great, throws just enough challenges at you to keep it interesting.

Go hike the SHT! (after the Ice Age Trail, of course)

mkmangold
11-17-2009, 20:43
Go hike the SHT! (after the Ice Age Trail, of course)
"Ice Age" is still alive! (Reminds me of a Wisconism I heard once: "I see you're back in town").
If we can convince someone to connect the IAT with the NCT, we could hike all the way up to the SHT and beyond. Where do the first two trails come the closest?
Ben says to say "hi!" No, really.

Lyle
11-17-2009, 22:16
"Ice Age" is still alive! (Reminds me of a Wisconism I heard once: "I see you're back in town").
If we can convince someone to connect the IAT with the NCT, we could hike all the way up to the SHT and beyond. Where do the first two trails come the closest?
Ben says to say "hi!" No, really.

You are aware that IAT and NCT share NPS staff right? Same office administers both. We are sister trails. Not sure on what the official position of the two joining would be.

NCT has been having a devil of a time getting Congressional Approval to modify our corridor to allow the SHT, Border Route, and KEK to officially become part of the NCT. This effort is commonly called the Arrowhead Reroute. Encourage your congressmen to support it. :D

Would probably take official action by Congress to approve joining the IAT and NCT too. At least if you wanted it official.

ZEKE #2
11-18-2009, 12:41
ZEKE, you are in West Bend?


Yes I am. I've hiked from Sheboygan to the Southern Kettle Moraine area. I'm thinking about starting at the beginning in Pottawatomi State Park and hiking with my grandson as often as we can.

mkmangold
11-18-2009, 21:33
Yes I am. I've hiked from Sheboygan to the Southern Kettle Moraine area. I'm thinking about starting at the beginning in Pottawatomi State Park and hiking with my grandson as often as we can.
I'm in West Bend, too (we are blessed with some great trails around here). "Ice Age" is just up the road near Lake 7 I think. My favorite stretch of the IAT is between Kewaskum and Glenbeulah with the southern KM a close second.

puddingboy
11-18-2009, 22:36
I knocked out the northern 1/2 of the trail in late August, and was once again blown away by the SHT. I'll have to dig up my daily journal to give you more detail, but I can not over-emphasize how great an experience it is.

The campsites are amazing, always placed in the perfect location for scenery and access to water. The trail is great, throws just enough challenges at you to keep it interesting.

Go hike the SHT! (after the Ice Age Trail, of course)


yea i really want to hike atleast part of this trail and in im considering maybe trying a thru hike of it this summer, ive read a couple of peoples trail journals about it and it seems like a great trail.

puddingboy
11-18-2009, 22:45
"Ice Age" is still alive! (Reminds me of a Wisconism I heard once: "I see you're back in town").
If we can convince someone to connect the IAT with the NCT, we could hike all the way up to the SHT and beyond. Where do the first two trails come the closest?
Ben says to say "hi!" No, really.

Well they come pretty close at the ice age trails end, st croix scenic riverway and they might be able to use that as a corridor to connect them, also the ice age trail come real close to nicolet nat'l forest and they could take that north and maybe connect with the north country some where in the upper penisula.

mkmangold
11-19-2009, 01:41
We're planning for a shelter this weekend (probably Saturday day to Sunday). All are welcome. Trailhead near Eagle,WI.

mkmangold
11-19-2009, 01:42
Well they come pretty close at the ice age trails end, st croix scenic riverway and they might be able to use that as a corridor to connect them, also the ice age trail come real close to nicolet nat'l forest and they could take that north and maybe connect with the north country some where in the upper penisula.

I was thinking the same thing. Interstate State Park is great.

puddingboy
11-19-2009, 17:11
We're planning for a shelter this weekend (probably Saturday day to Sunday). All are welcome. Trailhead near Eagle,WI.

I'd love to come but Im gonna be hiking in the smokies, i just can't wait.

IceAge
11-24-2009, 13:06
"Ice Age" is still alive! (Reminds me of a Wisconism I heard once: "I see you're back in town").
If we can convince someone to connect the IAT with the NCT, we could hike all the way up to the SHT and beyond. Where do the first two trails come the closest?
Ben says to say "hi!" No, really.


I think I posted this once before, but the Tuscobia Trail shoots north from the IANST in Sawyer county toward the NCT and the Chequamegon. By my measure it is about 40 miles from the end of the Tuscobia to the NCT, and 7/8s of it would be in the Cheq. Nat'l Forest

Say "hi"to Ben from us as well!

raru
11-24-2009, 13:19
As a former volunteer member of the Mobile Skills Crew, I have a special fondness for the Ice Age Trail and have hiked sections of it all over the state. A thru is in the plans. I've enjoyed seeing an increased in the Arizona Trail in recent years and hope that kind of thing happens to the IAT as it gradually nears completion.

double d
11-24-2009, 17:30
anyone hiking the Ice Age this weekend (Thanksgiving weekend)? thinking of hiking parts of Kettle Moriane

emerald
11-24-2009, 17:40
As a former volunteer member of the Mobile Skills Crew, I have a special fondness for the Ice Age Trail and have hiked sections of it all over the state. A thru is in the plans. I've enjoyed seeing an increased interest in the Arizona Trail in recent years and hope that kind of thing happens to the IAT as it gradually nears completion.

You're not the only one, but I have my sights on another IAT and one of Pennsylvania's other trails. Should I set my sights on a 3rd target?

turtle fast
03-29-2010, 18:42
It is nice to hear chatter about the Ice Age trail. Periodically checking the forum....just had been to Lapham Peak and the weekend before at Southern Kettle Morraine. It would be nice to spread the word about Whiteblaze to the Ice Age Trail hikers....AND vice versa.

WI_Mike
01-10-2011, 12:31
I'm new to this forum but saw this thread.

I'm a member of both the IATA (Ice Age Trail) and NCTA (North Country Trail). Actually I was told that at one time there was talk of a trail to join the IAT and the NCT in Wisconsin but nothing ever came of it for some reason. Anyway, the IAT does actually go north at one point toward the NCT, in a sense: The IAT is host to one of only 2 federally designated "national side trails" (which seems to be a somewhat meaningless designation, but nonetheless) and in this case there is an offshoot of the trail that goes to WI's highest point, Timm's Hill, which is in Price County. I've wondered if extending this trail north from Timm's Hill would be a logical place to extend the trail north to the NCT, which would thereby connect the two.

But I'd also say that what is probably my favorite part of Wisconsin, the Nicolet National Forest in northeast WI, is unfortunately not host to either part of the trail. Would also be cool to have a theoretical connecting trail go through there instead.

As for me, I live near Milwaukee (Waukesha) and have hiked most of the IAT in the southern Kettle Moraine State Forest. Slowly working on finishing it with a few miles to go. There is also an award program for people who want to walk all the miles within the county, but I kind of lost interest in that once I saw that you also have to walk connecting roads to qualify. Anyway, contrary to what others say I'd say KMSF south is not especially scenic but it does have the advantage of being a relatively nearby backpacking option for those in the Milwaukee or Chicago areas. I think the northern Kettle Moraine is a bit more scenic and wooded and also has a long uninterrupted stretch. But it's about another hour away to get there. I've also hiked a couple segments in Lincoln Co. which are great. These are some of the most wild areas of the trail (wolves, bears, porcupines, etc... - I have had both bears and a porcupine there) and combined with the trail to the west in Taylor Co. may be the best IAT stretch for backpacking. More info here:

http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/Org/land/parks/reservation/backpack.htm

There has also been development the last few years in a yet-undeveloped state park called Straight Lake State Park in Polk Co. not too far from the western terminus. I think this stretch is being finished this year and will then be open. Not sure how long that stretch will be at that point, but my sense is that it's in sort of a tension zone between the northern and southern parts of the state which can be interesting and this will probably be a popupar new segment given that it seems like it goes through what is now a pretty remote area.

I believe a new trail map set and atlas are due out later this year so stay tuned...

Also FYI the IATA is hosting a photo contest right now. Send in your best photos if you have any. Check out their web site for more info: http://www.iceagetrail.org


I think I posted this once before, but the Tuscobia Trail shoots north from the IANST in Sawyer county toward the NCT and the Chequamegon. By my measure it is about 40 miles from the end of the Tuscobia to the NCT, and 7/8s of it would be in the Cheq. Nat'l Forest

Say "hi"to Ben from us as well!