Day 159: Connecting Route, Kewaunee County

Day 159: Wednesday, April 13th, 2022

Total Miles covered for the day: 9.8

Location: The Connecting Route south of the Kewaunee River Segment between a spot two tenths of a mile south of Luxemburg Road on Valley Road and the intersection of Sleepy Hollow Road and Pine Grove Road

9.8 miles of trail covered

We originally had a Snail Hike Event planned for today, but the weather forecast called for rain, rain and more rain, with possible thunderstorms. This was too much and we didn't want people driving all the way up here to Kewaunee just to sit out the storms, so we canceled the official hike. It was a good decision, since last night there were heavy thunderstorms rolling through that even dropped some hail. When we woke up this morning the forecast was still marginal.  

Getting ready to go I realized I never got a photo of the five of us who were staying at the Condo, so I snapped a quick photo of the four remaining people. 

Jan Hincapie, Sheila Meehan Gailloreto, Theresa Jansen and Brock Jansen
Mising: Delores Olver, who spent two nights with us there as well

Once again, everyone else had other plans, so Theresa and I decided we'd just go straight back up to the place we left off last night and see if we could finish off the rest of the connecting route between Kewaunee River and Tisch Mills. We could dance through the rain without any problems, and if needed we could run away whenever there was lightning.  

We made the relatively short drive up to Valley Road in only one vehicle, and we did crisscross hiking all day. It was a little warmer today, but still cool enough that we needed to dress in layers. 

We actually got a fairly late start today. We've been pushing hard, so this morning we just got a little lazy. It was 11:20 when we jumped out of the car to snap this photo. 

Owing to the constant threat of rain, we were running short legs and moving fast. The first skip was just 1.3 miles, the second and third were only one mile each. 

It was a very gray day. Below is Scarboro Creek. 

Parking alongside the road was good enough for one or two vehicles most of the way. As we walked we kept up a blistering pace (for us), and so little by little we started shedding layers.

My perspective on road hiking is that you have to embrace it for what it is. The truth is, if all you did here in Wisconsin was find a way to hike from thickly forested hilltop to wide-open valley to cedar grove to swampy bottomland, you would be missing half of what's here. It is true that we all see plenty of farms and fields, houses and horses, front yards and fences. It is true that one thing we all like about the IAT is getting away from those things, but as we walk the country roads I often find myself with a new appreciation for those things when viewed at a slower pace. 

People are endlessly creative, and there is beauty to be found in the small details. Like this barn quilt, depicting their beloved horses. 

And who doesn't enjoy seeing an old, country road with a few lazy bumps leading off into the distance? Especially if one sees a loved one in the distance? (Theresa is that tiny speck on the right side of the road well past the second bump.)

Even the agricultural monotony of early spring fields has a peaceful quality to it. 

I know I am not the only one fascinated with antiques. This farm is itself a living antique, where life has gone on around it for decades, largely unchanged but for the age of its caretakers. 

About halfway up Prahl Road was a rural business, with its own car lot. I liked the truck out front. 

This sight was completely unexpected. As I turned the corner from Doell Road onto Church Road I saw this observatory. 

By this time we could see that the forecasted rain was never going to hit, and we left behind the raincoats. There actually was a tiny little sprinkle, but it felt more refreshing than anything else. 

And once again, in the ditches near the farm houses, we were treated to charming early flowers. I thought at first these were crocuses, but learned later they were really snowdrops. 

At the corner by County Road F we spotted this distinctive home, just a few feet off the road. I'm not easily spooked, but on the whole I'm glad we passed this place in the daylight. 

In contrast, we passed by a number of old brick farmhouses from the same era, many of which were kept immaculate, even if the outbuildings were allowed to weather a bit. 

This one below, on Sleepy Hollow Road, is a multi-story masterpiece from an era long past. 

And the barn that went with it was no less impressive. In the shade on the north side of the building, you can see that there is still a small amount of snow to be found on the ground. 

A very short distance to the north from the three-story stone house was this old mill. You can see evidence of much reconstruction as you examine the brickwork, and if you go up to the front porch you can read the informational sign telling a brief history of the building. 

We reached the end of the trail by about 4:00. In doing so we also completed two maps, 99 and 100, which was definitely cause for celebration. This was literally a blistering pace for us, having covered nearly ten miles in just over 4 1/2 hours - a mind-boggling 2.2 miles per hour. That probably explains why I started getting a blister on my little toe, though I was far too aware of everything Theresa had been going through to say anything about it. 

I have been helping her wrap her blistered toes every morning for quite some time now. The little blister I was dealing with, painful and annoying as it was, was NOTHING compared to what Theresa was walking on every day. It's true what they say - men are wimps when it comes to pain. 

So now that we were done with the 24.3 mile connecting route between Tisch Mills and Kewaunee River (yes, the official route is now four miles shorter but we took the old route through Bolt), we decided to head south and take on another mile or three of the connecting route west and south of the City of Manitowoc Segment. But first we figured we could drop off one of the cars at the condo. 

When we got there we found that our roommates had finished their hiking long before and had already prepared dinner again. Tonight was Mexican Lasagna night, and I have to say it was pretty good. Getting our bellies full of food was enough of a deterrent to more hiking, but when the rain started for real that was definitely the last straw. Besides that, it was the last night together in the condo, so we hung around and traded stories until far too late into the evening. Tomorrow was another Snail hike, all the way back up to the Forestville Segment, so we had to get to bed for some shut-eye. 

We said farewell to our roommates and trotted off to bed, satisfied with the 9.8 miles we achieved on a day that was supposed to have been dotted with thunderstorms. 

Running Total: 1074.0 miles of trail covered, 155 miles 'extra' hiking/biking. End of Day 159.

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