Mornin' to all the ladies registering for a Becoming an Outdoors-Woman workshop this fall! This is the Wiscampsin Weekly - the email that gets you in the know on the Wisconsin outdoors in 5 minutes or less. New reader? Subscribe here.

What we’re sweating over this week:

• The nation’s longest scenic trail 🥾 

• Raising non-resident fees 💰

• ‘Sconnie lasts 19 days on ‘Alone’ TV show

Hiking the North Country Scenic Trail

Yes, Karen—another scenic trail article.

And yes, we know we just talked about the Ice Age Trail last month.

And yes, we know your boots still haven’t dried out from your last hike (left ‘em in the car, rookie move)!

But this one is BIG. Literally, it’s the longest in the country!

The North Country Scenic Trail

• Stretches a whopping 4,800 miles long across eight states

• Though the shortest section is WI, we provided the name!

• At 20 miles/day, it would take 7 months and 20 days to hike end to end

Life is better in the North

If you’ve never heard of the North Country Scenic Trail, we don’t blame you. But what it lacks in PR appearances (ahem, Continental Divide or Appalachian Trail), it makes up in sheer beauty.

Depending on which way you hike it, it starts in Vermont and ends in North Dakota, traversing through New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota.

In between, hikers experience some of the most breathtaking views in remote reaches of the North, like the famed Adirondacks, the Great Lakes, and the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, as well as…

• 160 federal state and local public lands (and 10 National Forests)

• four areas of the National Park Service

• over 100 state parks, forests and game areas

In sum: you better pack plenty of snacks.

Why “Wi” are so important

Though Wisconsin contains the shortest section of the trail at 220 miles, we provided the cheddar-lovin’ name.

It came from our very own Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest. Contained within is the original 60-mile Northern Country Trail, which lent it’s name to the larger national trail at its conception in 1982.

In Wisconsin, it passes through Douglas, Bayfield, Ashland and Iron counties, as well as two state parks (Copper Falls and Pattison).

Joan Young, the 1st woman to hike the entire trial, highlighted the Brule-St. Croix Portage, which connects the Mississippi and the St. Lawrence Watersheds (and had for early settlers and indigenous peoples).

How to get out ‘der

Though only 3,300 miles of the trail is technically completed, you can still muddy your boots on a section of this legendary hike.

Or, you could just hike the entire dang thing in one go.

In fact, around 15 people have thru-hiked the North Country Scenic Trail (compared to the 100+ on the Ice Age Trail).

The aforementioned Joan Young was the first woman to do it—and then did it again in her 70s! And our Oma just loves knitting…

Or how about Ryan Bunting, who set the FKT (of 186 days, 9 hours, 38 minutes) and became the youngest person to hike all 11 scenic trails?

Regardless of what inspires you, check out this interactive map, top day hikes in Wisconsin, and the two NCT Trail Towns of Mellen & Solon Springs.

Oh, you’d rather pick up a shovel and help? Check out the North Country Trail Association for volunteering opportunities!

Now get out ‘der!

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Wiscampsin Weekly Poll

Well folks, 32% of you guessed correctly the 2nd wettest year on record in WI, 1993. It was 2019 (16% of you got it right) that takes the cake as the wettest year on record in WI.

Nuts and Seeds 🌰 

⛺️ I Will Survive: A Bayfield County farmer thought that dodging ticks and skeeters in the northwoods wasn’t enough, so she went on the HISTORY channel show “Alone” to test her survival skills. And criminy, Ann Rosenquist lasted 19 days and described it as a “spiritual experience” (with not an ounce of Miller Lite).

🔥 It's Getting Hot in Here: Summer nights are getting hotter in Wisconsin. Nonprofit Climate Central found that the average summertime low temp has climbed by 5.4 degrees in Madison and 4.3 degrees in Milwaukee since 1970, a large uptick from the national average of a 2.6 degree increase. Scientists worry the extra heat may cause increased risks of heat stress on humans, animals, and plants. Throw an extra bag of ice in the fishin’ cooler, would ya?

🎣 FIBs to Fund our Fishin’: Last week, the Wisconsin DNR announced an increase in fees for nonresident hunting and fishing licenses across the state. This marks the end of a freewheelin’, pike reelin’, buck stealin’ era as this is the first time nonresident licenses fees have increased in over 15 years. The fee changes only apply to nonresidents and range from a $5 to a $40 uptick for licenses for the ’23-’24 season.

Meme of the Week 😂

A review from the trail… Folks, I think a FIB has infiltrated us!