Hiking the Ice Age Trail

Good morning, folks! This is the Wiscampsin Weekly - the weekly email that gets you in the know on the Wisconsin Outdoors in less than 5 minutes.

This week's (trail)rundown:

• How glaciers gave Wisconsin a natural wonder 🥾

• Campsite availability alerts ⛺

• 2022 Ride Across Wisconsin - new year, new route 🚴

Wisconsin's historic Ice Age Trail

What's 1,200 miles long and travelled by millions of 'Scons every year?

It's the Cream Puff line at the Wisconsin State Fair, and- ope, wrong article Forrest.

It’s the Ice Age Trail, and you have may have seen it in the news recently as Emily Ford became the first woman in history to thru-hike it (hike from start to finish) during the winter.

What is the Ice Age Trail? A 1,200 mile-long trail winding through forests, prairies, lakes and rivers that starts at St. Croix and ends in Door County, WI.

~Cool~ facts about the IAT

• Formed by a glacier some 10,000 years ago

• Travelled by 2.3 million people each year (compared to the 400,000 Cream Puffs sold yearly...)

• Just 1 of 11 National Scenic Trails and is entirely within Wisconsin

A work of art glaciation

If you think Lambeau Field in January is cold, you should have seen Wisconsin about 10,000 years ago (Nod to the shirtless guy on the Jumbotron).

Covered in a glacier stretching from New York to Montana and two miles thick, we were experiencing one of the 15 or so Ice Ages that have buried our planet in ice and snow.

The glacier was like the Badgers Offensive line, mowing down everything in its path. Kames, kettles, fens, hummockies - these are just some of the unique features created by the slow-moving glacier, which can still be seen today.

The trail outlines the last retreating glacier, with the most iconic marker being a 120 mile-long ridge in Eastern Wisconsin's Kettle Moraine area. If you're looking to impress a date at the next Fish Fry, check out the full glossary of features here.

Unearthing the Ice Age Trail

Though these features have literally been here for thousands of years, it wasn’t until about a century ago that folks started taking notice.

Raymond Zillmer, a volunteer trail builder for the newly created Kettle Moraine National Forest, thought that the “beauty marks” left by that glacier long ago deserved national recognition. Step aside, beer.

He believed a trail following the glacier-sculpted land could be used "by millions more people than use the more remote national parks."

For the next 30 or so years, he petitioned governors, met with the director of the National Parks System, and even formed the Ice Age Trail Alliance.

Though he sadly died before prior to the trail's matriculation, his legacy inspired enough folks that the Ice Age Trail was named a National Scenic Trail in early 70's and adopted by the National Parks Service.

How you can get out 'der

Each year, millions enjoy hiking, snowshoeing, and biking along this trail that meanders through 30 Wisconsin counties.

Most of it is how you might imagine: off-road hiking full of views and maybe a few skeeters. But surprisingly, some segments lead you right through the main streets of a few Wisconsin towns, which is intentional to connect people and communities across the state. And maybe to re-up on the trail mix.

The "best time to visit" is really up to you, though it's recommended you wait till the mud season is over (March through May), as heavy traffic during wet conditions can degrade the trail.

There's a ton of flora and fauna to explore, so plan out a day hike with some friends. Or, dust off your camping gear and and spend a night out on the trail. Here's a helpful checklist and map.

And if you want to give back to this historic gem, consider joining a trail building crew or donating to the Ice Age Trail Alliance.

Hipcamp find of the week ⛺️

Whiskey? Good. Woods? Even better. But the Whiskey Woods in Minocqua?!? Hot dog bratwurst! If Paul Bunyan is calling your name here is your fix, folks. Reserve a spot 'fore they're gone.

Nuts and Seeds 🌰 

🏕️ New this year: Wisconsin State Parks have a Campsite Availability Alerts feature, so you can finally snag that campsite you've been tracking. Learn how to use the feature here.

🖼 Calling all Picasso's: The Wisconsin DNR is now accepting artwork entries from high school students for the 2023 Wisconsin State Park and Forest vehicle admission sticker design contest.

🚴 New Year, New Route: The 2022 Ride Across Wisconsin takes place August 20-21st and take you from La Crosse to Milwaukee through some iconic trails like the Sparta-Elroy. Co-founders Kevin and Forrest fed many mosquitos along this route on their tandem bike last fall...

Well, how'd we do this week?

• 🧀🧀🧀🧀🧀 Better than scratching that hard-to-reach mosquito bite

• 🧀🧀🧀 It'll get the job done, like a luke-warm beer

• 🧀 Missed the mark guys