Tuesday, April 13, 2021

Day 52: 

Timberland Hills Segment (Part 1), Barron County

Connecting Route, Blueberry (Tuscobia) Segment, Washburn County

Day 52: Tuesday April 13th, 2021

Total Miles covered for the day: 3.9

Location 1: Tiny snippet of the Timberland Hills Segment between the Parking Area on CTH H to the west, and the end of Skinner Road to the east.
0.5 miles of trail covered

This was actually day 4 of our hiking vacation, but only the third day of actual hiking. Monday was so bad we just went home and watched it rain. All. Day. Two and a half hours of driving. Each way. 

Just for the record, the weather today was lousy. When we woke up, the temperature was 29 degrees, there was frost on the car, and it was supposed to both rain and snow later in the morning. The region we wanted to hike had received over 4 inches of rain in the last week, and things were looking... bleak. Solution? Stay out of the mud and walk the connecting routes. 

Since we were parked next to roughly a half-mile of roadway, where the Timberland Hills segment runs along Skinner Road, riding the county line between Burnett and Barron counties before dipping ever so slightly into Barron, we decided to hike just this tiny little piece before going off in search of other connecting route bits to hike. 

I don't know what time we started. I don't know the temperature. I remember that it was cold and we could see our breath, but there was no ice on the puddles that riddled the gravel road. We hiked east to west, finishing by crossing CTH H and walking to the blue-blaze trail that ducks behind the absolutely outstanding parking area on CTH H. If you're anywhere in the area and need a place to stop and relax - this is it. 

Mission accomplished - moving on.

Location 2: Connecting Route between the East end of the Timberland Hills Segment on Leach Lake Road to the west, and the West end of the Grassy Lake Segment on Pershing Road to the east. 
2.5 miles of trail covered

The next thing we did was drive east. Since we had done everything to the west already that wasn't a trail, we headed to the 2.5 mile connecting route between Timberland Hills and Grassy Lake. This also had the very nice effect of walking us off the edge of map 7, in the event we were able to complete Timberland Hills before the week was over. 

"Do you want to walk with the icy, howling snizzle wind in your face, or on the back of your neck?"

We chose to have the wind at our back. 

We dropped a vehicle on Pershing Road, then drove back to Leach Lake Road. No starting time. No ending time. It was cold.

OK, there was more than that. The parking was decent on both ends. We passed by some very curious horses on our way through. Most of the walk was gravel roads, except a bit in the middle where it went past the graveyard on Brickyard Road, and the Pottery Shop on the other side of the road. We didn't stop at the pottery shop on the way by, but we did stop before we left the area and bought a mug. We had on literally every layer of clothing we brought with us, and we needed them all, including Theresa wearing the waterproof double-layer snowmobile mittens I keep in the car for winter emergencies. It turns out I didn't have the right kind of hat along, so I pulled my neck gaiter up and over my ears. 

In the end, we made it with very little trauma. Neither one of us wanted to be in the woods on a day like that. Thank goodness for the connecting routes. 

Location 3: The old Blueberry Segment, now denoted as the easternmost 0.9 miles of the Tuscobia Segment, between Balsam Lake Rd to the west and Loch Lomond Rd to the east.
0.9 miles of trail covered

Finally, we stopped near Birchwood, WI to walk the 0.9 mile Blueberry Segment, only to discover that the Blueberry Segment no longer exists. It has now been absorbed by the Tuscobia segment. It's a pleasant walk down Featherstone Drive, then along a path next to the road. As I understand it, this was named after a spur on the blueberry line railway, and it runs on the opposite side of the road from the Tuscobia State Trail. 

The Tuscobia Trail runs on for many miles, finally ending at Park Falls in the middle of Price County, but the IAT leaves it after only 11 miles, where a connecting route continues south for another 2.4 miles. We chose not to hike that piece, but instead drove on to our intended parking/camping place for the evening. 

Running Total: 379.1 miles of trail covered; 36.8 miles ‘extra’ hiking/biking. End of Day 52.

Sunday, April 11, 2021

Day 51: McKenzie Creek Segment (Part 3), Indian Creek Segment (Part 1), Polk County

Day 51: Sunday April 11th, 2021

Total Miles covered for the day: 4.7

Location 1: Eastern End of the McKenzie Creek Segment between the Eastern Trailhead at County Road O to the East and 60th Street to the west.
1.6 miles of trail covered

This was day two of our planned nine-day hiking vacation. Yesterday we hiked part of the McKenzie Creek Segment to the south, and we had only 1.6 miles of it left, from the east trailhead to the end of 60th street, where we spent the night sleeping in the van. 



When we got up, the temperature was somewhere in the high-30s. Not bad. The only thing I missed was hot coffee, but thankfully we had cold coffee from home. 
 
Leaving behind our vehicle at 60th Street, we drove to the trailhead on County Rd O and started our hike at 9:30 am, with the temperature all the way up to 46 degrees. 

The easternmost part of the trail is not as magnificent as the rest of the McKenzie segment, but it's still a spectacularly well-maintained piece of trail. It was easy to see that the trail-makers and trail-tenders have done a fabulous job of maintenance. The footing was easy, the trail well-marked, and I particularly appreciated the parts of the trail that went through recently logged regions (within the last 10 years), where huge effort had obviously been put into keeping back the encroaching aspens and berry bushes. I know just how much work it is to keep those things at bay, and even when we were walking through a tunnel of new growth, the trail was free and clear, with a good 3-4 feet clear on both sides.  

1.6 miles melted away before we knew it. 

We reached our waiting car at 10:45 am, and had to say goodbye to the McKenzie Creek segment for the last time. It's definitely one of our favorites. It was still 46 degrees, but the wind had picked up a bit. It was cloudy and there was a chill in the air that foretold of rain to come. The first hints of mist started falling as we got into the car to drive to the next launching point.

Location 2: Western half of the Indian Creek Segment between 30th Street to the east and 50th Street to the west.
3.1 miles of trail covered

We took an easy drive to our next destination, heading straight for the parking area on 30th Street, splitting the Indian Creek Segment basically in half, planning to hike the 3.1 miles back to the car on County Road O. Getting to the launching point did involve a lot of gravel road, and true to form, there were still some muddy areas and soft spots to avoid, making the driving poor. If only we had known that the driving was the least of our concerns. 

We hated this hike.




We started out at 11:40 am, where the temperature had dipped slightly to 44 degrees and a barely noticeable mist continued to fall. 

To be honest, the first part of the hike wasn't all that bad. It was steep and hilly, but the footing was OK and we had no trouble following the blazes. Then, about four tenths of a mile in, the rain started to pick up a little. Theresa stopped dead in her tracks. 

"We're not that far in," she said. "Should we just call it a day and go back?"

I'm not sure when I will ever learn to trust her instincts. 

After hiking the glorious and well-groomed McKenzie Creek Segment, I reasoned, 'How bad could it get?' I also wonder when I will ever learn to NEVER ask this question about the Ice Age Trail. It can get bad. It can get very bad. It can go from the best day hiking to the worst day hiking in the stretch of 1 mile. But I'm getting ahead of myself. 

"I think we should go on," I said. 

Yup. It was me. All me. I take the blame. 

We hiked on. At about 6 tenths of a mile, we were walking past the edge of a long, wire fence strung through the forest. I think about how much work it is to carry even a light pack and a hiking stick a half-mile into the woods, and I look at that long string of steel fence posts driven into the ground every 15 feet or so, and I ask myself, "Why?" Can you imagine how much work that would be? We hiked on. Steep hills. Very open forested area with little understory. It needed some selective cutting. 

For the benefit of anyone hiking the Indian Creek Segment after 4 inches of rain in a week, the center part is bring-your-own-scuba-gear wet. From N 45 39.830, W 92 13.849 in the east to N 45 40.425, W 92 14.430 in the west, the trail cuts across a flat, miserable bog, with more water than trail, and more mud than trees. Nearly a mile of misery with no way out but through. At times the water was six inches deep, right next to a sodden tree sticking up from the water with a proud yellow blaze on it. If clump-hopping was an Olympic sport, we were in it to win it. 

Do we go around this way or that way? Does it matter? There was water cress growing in patches in every direction as far as the eye could see. Where there was no water, there was mud. If we counted all the times we crossed the trail, bushwhacking from one side to the other, back-tracking to try and find the best way through this Tolkien-esque quagmire, we would probably have to count an extra half-mile of hiking. We just wanted it to be over. 

Did I mention that Theresa was wearing a brand-new pair of hiking shoes? 

Eventually, though, the mud gave way to a small rise, and we hiked our way up onto the less-muddy terrain. Miraculously, we had found a way through that mess with only one completely wet foot, having gone just a little too deep into the mud and taking water in over the top. I hadn't even noticed, but by now the weather had turned from persistent drizzle to a steady rain. Everything was wet. Including us.

The trail then cuts very close to the end of 325th avenue, and in fact we could have parked there and cut this piece into two parts, but had chosen not to. I wished now that we had, because at this point the hike would have been over, but as it was we had another 0.7 miles left to go. 

We laughed out loud when we went another 100 feet or so and saw our first bridge crossing a tiny little creek. One we could have easily crossed with no trouble at all. We hiked on. A quarter of a mile later we thought we might get another bridge, but it turned out to be a rock-hop across the stream. 


A little further on, we passed an uncelebrated but noteworthy point on the trail; the northernmost point. Located at approximately N 45 40.656, W 92 15.278, this point is as far north as you will go anywhere on the whole IAT. There's an arrow nailed to a tree there to indicate that the trail cuts to the south. I took out a pen and attempted to write 'Northernmost point on the IAT' on the sign, but only managed to get most of the first two words onto the wet plastic before the pen showed more sense than I did and gave it up for the day. We didn't linger. 

We were a quarter of a mile from the car, and we couldn't get there fast enough. We hiked up one last low hill, and slid down the other side in sight of the road, and our car, ahead of us. Out of the gloom of the trees we could see that it was seriously raining now. It was 3:00 pm, and the temperature had climbed back up to 48 degrees. We touched the sign, reconnecting with the far away river that we felt like we had just finished wading through, and fell into the car. 

Tomorrow's forecast is rain all day - we're going home. 

Running Total: 375.2 miles of trail covered; 36.8 miles ‘extra’ hiking/biking. End of Day 51.

Saturday, April 10, 2021

Day 50: McKenzie Creek Segment (Part 2), Polk County

Day 50: Saturday April 10th, 2021

Total Miles covered for the day: 6.4

Location: Center stretch of the McKenzie Creek Segment between McKenzie Lake to the south, and 60th Street to the north.
6.1 miles of trail covered, plus bonus 0.1 miles connecting route and 0.2 miles of trail
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
McKenzie, McKenzie, I love you
McKenzie, you're pretty as a stream
With soft, flowing curves that are so full of life
McKenzie, I'll see you in my dreams

Someday when I'm walking in heaven
The woods will be lovely and green
And out there among all the low, gentle hills
McKenzie will be waiting for me

McKenzie, McKenzie, I love you
My heart longs for no one but thee
I'll always remember the sound of your voice
McKenzie, I'll see you in my dreams
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Our 50th day of hiking or biking on the trail. Where should we go? How about back to one of our favorite segments that we didn't finish so long ago? McKenzie Creek. Perfect.





This year we decided to get serious again about our hiking. We had already covered 30.9 miles this year - no small commitment given that I work full-time and it's only April 10th. We also bought our FOURTH set of Atlas pages, which arrived just in time for us to take off on a real hiking vacation. Nine days of hiking out west, to start closing the gap. 

Until today, we had hiked only the first three complete maps, out in Polk county, then had a gap from maps 4-17, representing 137.4 miles of challenge. But - if we can close that gap, then we will have hiked or bicycled every mile from St. Croix Falls to Langlade County. We decided to take nine days and see how far we could get. 

The biggest problem we faced was the weather. During the week leading up to our vacation it rained. Everywhere. All over the state. Not just a little - a LOT. Up to four inches in some areas we wanted to hike. we looked at moving our vacation to other regions of the state. No good. Rain was forecast for Saturday, Sunday, Monday, and possible snow on Tuesday. There was no good answer, but at least it looked like if we went west, we might catch a break on Saturday and most of Sunday. So we dove into the car on Friday night, planning to go to the near end of the gap, finishing the Chippewa River segment on map 16 and start working our way west while the woods dried up a little. 

On Friday night, we drove to the parking area on Cty Hwy CC, only to find it 1) already occupied, and 2) an absolute mud-hole. The Firth Lake segment, as far as we can tell, no longer goes all the way to Cty Hwy CC. And, it no longer uses the 2-mile connecting route, but rather joins the Chippewa River segment midway, and everything north of the parking area is now a blue-blaze connecting route. Maps were wrong. Online resources were wrong. We called the IAT main office and they didn't know anything about it. The only place we found information was on the website maintained by the Ice Age Trail Alliance in Chippewa County, on an article called "New Trail Route At Firth Lake - Chippewa River Segment Junction" (which has since been deleted). 

We drove to the Parking area on the north end of the Chippewa River Segment, and it's still there, with good signage, but if the article is right the northern half of this segment was converted to a blue-blaze access trail. 

You may look back at the top of the post and wonder if I got my blog posts mixed up, but stick with me here. 

We weren't really sure if our plan was a good one, so we decided to drive down 250th Ave and take a look at the Parking area up by Firth Lake. This actually was a very good decision, because by the time we got the 2 miles down that gravel mud track, we knew there was no way we were going to get ourselves stuck in that mess, and we completely abandoned the idea of hiking in the area. Too much rain, turning otherwise reliable roads into a bad night waiting to happen. So we got out of there (happily without incident) and kept going west. 

We found a place that was suitable for van-camping, and stayed overnight on Friday. The overnight temperatures were supposed to stay above freezing, so we were plenty warm in the van. Then on Saturday morning we got up and drove to Polk County. Forget it. McKenzie or bust.

We drove our target vehicle all the way to McKenzie Lake, to the parking area we last looked at on 9/3/2013. It was here that we left off on our westward trek 8 years ago, and here we would pick it back up again. We drove our launch vehicle up to the parking area on Cth Hwy W and started south at 10:11 am, temperature 40 degrees. Day 1 on our nine-day adventure.

We were immediately worried. Right by the parking area it was obvious that vehicles had gotten into the mud and had difficulty getting back out again. The footing was poor. There was standing water. Fifty feet down the trail we could tell that it wasn't quite as bad, but for the first two or three tenths of a mile there were some bad spots to avoid. Then the trail dove quickly down a fairly steep embankment to a creek crossing, only to climb steeply back out the other side, and we were genuinely concerned that this would be nothing like our experience on the southern end of the segment 8 years ago. 




And then - organ notes and angels' choir singing - it all became wonderful. We never stopped to think about trail conditions the rest of the way south. This piece of the segment, the middle third, was a lovely 2.9 mile stroll along McKenzie Creek, with hardly a care in the world to bother you. There were no bugs, no big hills, no rocks, the trail was beautifully marked and easy on the feet, the view of the river was very pretty - truly a 10-out-of-10 experience. 

We met several hikers along the way. First, we passed a woman who exclaimed 'Oh! There are other hikers on the trail today!' She told us she had been hiking quite a while and seen no one as she walked north. We, on the other hand, were walking south and within three minutes passed a group of three hikers (men) whose pace would have them catching the woman long before Cty Hwy W. Then we saw a couple who were hiking along with purpose, obviously section hiking like we were. We didn't linger to talk to any of them.




There was actually one fairly significant climb, ending at N 45 37.098, W 92 18.001. After that it was all downhill. We crossed a small creek on a very nice bridge, and it was smooth, easy sailing until we reached the parking area. 

All hail the trail makers. They should make the whole trail like this.



Worth noting - when we reached the parking lot, we walked across the road, and for the first time since September 3, 2013, "touched the river", having made a physical connection to the part of the trail that we had already covered, leading all the way back to St. Croix Falls. It was only three maps, but it was 2,776 days, almost eight years, and there was a brief feeling of excitement that we were back where we started. The time was 1:15 pm, and it was 43 degrees. We were ready for more.

From here we drove our vehicle to the Parking Lot on the end of 60th Street, just south of Clam Falls. As always, the gravel roads had areas that were muddy and careful driving was needed, but most of the parking area on this spot was drivable. We were one of three vehicles there. The hikers were out and about. 

While we ate our lunch, we encountered the three men whom we met further south who had been hiking so quickly, just finishing the piece we were about to hike. A brief exchange and they were off to the east while we were going south again. We started down the trail at 3:30 pm, the temperature having climbed all the way up to 46 degrees. Another 3.2 miles of trail awaited us, and we were looking forward to it.





This parking area, by the way, is actually on the Clam River, not McKenzie Creek, and the first thing you have to do is cross a large wooden bridge spanning the rather fast-moving Clam River. Then you walk briefly along the water's edge, or in our case, through the water, because the trail was literally swallowed by the rain-fattened creek. We actually found a way around the water, but it was a near thing. Mud, mud, mud. 'Here we go...' we thought. 

And then as we climbed back up the other side of the hill  - organ notes and angels' choir singing - it all became wonderful. 

We hiked a few low hills, until we saw and then passed Dinger Lake. Theresa mentioned that if it was red, it would be called a Red Dinger. I said, 'What?' She said 'Red Dinger. Like Dead Ringer. Get it?' I got it. We agreed that the mind goes very strange places when you're alone with your thoughts while you walk.

We got to a low spot near the creek at N 45 39.771, W 92 17.201 and then hiked up a very steep hill, finally reaching a spot near N 45 39.553, W 92 17.507 that literally stopped us in our tracks. The overlook on the McKenzie creek below was worth a moment of silent reverie. We were staring southwest down a steep hillside, with the sun glaring directly on the creek in front of us and dappling through the branches. When the pain and the mud and the rocks are all forgotten, I will remember this view of the trail. 

We really enjoyed the easy beautiful walk along the blufftop with frequent memorable views of the river. Several places had benches, and we stopped often to enjoy the view. Theresa said that when she gets to Heaven, she knows that McKenzie Creek will be flowing there through the hills. I can't find a better way to tell you how beautiful it was.




We eventually made our way back down to water's edge at N 45 38.682, W 92 17.890, leaving McKenzie Creek  for the last time and making our way across land to the waiting car on County Highway W. We walked over to touch the sign, once again feeling the joy of 'touching the river' and extending our line eastward. The time was 5:30 pm, and it was 46 degrees.



Now that we have maps that more accurately reflect distances, we are taking credit for the trail mileage not claimed back in 2013, and the extra 0.1 miles of connecting route to the south.

Running Total: 370.5 miles of trail covered; 36.8 miles ‘extra’ hiking/biking. End of Day 50.

Sunday, April 4, 2021

Day 49: Parrish Hills Segment (Part 2), Langlade County

Day 49: Sunday April 4th, 2021

Total Miles covered for the day: 3.1

Location: Middle third of the Parrish Hills Segment between a remote intersection with a logging road north of Five Cent Rd to the west, and the intersection with Nelson Firelane to the east.
3.1 miles of trail covered

It’s a lovely day in Parrish, warm breezes in the air
There’s wildflowers, honey bees and beauty everywhere
If today was made of food it would be peanut butter fudge
Today is now the day against which all days must be judged
There’s children riding bicycles and not a cloud in sight
If I can trust the weatherman, it’ll be a lovely night
I’ve been around a long, long time; I’ve never seen the like
It’s a lovely day in Parrish for a hike

It’s a lovely day in Parrish, the lawns are lush and green
This day was made for butterflies and triple-dip ice cream
The windows are all open and there’s birdsong in the trees
The buds all burst like popcorn; you can watch them sprouting leaves
There are perfect little flowers bursting forth from perfect sod
The preacher’s in his pulpit preachin’ ‘bout the Hand of God
You’d think we’ve seen the rapture by the way that people talk
It’s a lovely day in Parrish for a walk

It’s a lovely day in Parrish, a day to fall in love
It’s not Iowa nor heaven, but for me it’s close enough
I see old folks out on porches, and people holding hands
This day is worth a million bucks, plus an extra hundred grand
I can hear the whispered welcome coming from the Ice Age Trail
For peace and restoration, yellow blazes never fail
There’s nowhere else I’d rather be than on some grassy knoll
It’s a lovely day in Parrish for a stroll
_______________________________________________________________

Today was a great day. 






I'll admit, it wasn't quite as perfect as the idyllic scene painted above, but it was a darn nice day. Plus, we had our daughter with us, and her intrepid dog, Joplin, so that made it seem perfect. 

When we picked up our daughter to go hiking she asked why we only had one car with us. "We left the other one in the woods", we told her, and we had. If you read our blog from yesterday, you know that we dropped one vehicle in the woods at N 45 24.765, W 89 22.395. We decided we would just leave that car there overnight and start our day at the spot on Five Cent Road where the trail heads south towards Nelson Firelane, at about N 45 24.512, W 89 21.151 and walk the 0.2 miles of road westward until the trail leaves the road heading north into the woods. The time was 11:43 am, and it was 55 degrees, with partly cloudy skies and light breezes. It was indeed a lovely day in Parrish for a hike.


This first leg of the trail presented us with about 1.4 miles of hiking to the car, which was mostly level, easy hiking except for one notable climb up and over a logging road at N 45 24.901, W 89 21.734, where the trail led down into another large, open field that had a firepit in the middle. It's a giant kettle pock mark surrounded by hills, and it's kept open by fire, mowing, or some other artificial means. Cool feature if you know what you're looking at.

My recollection is that it would be another outstanding place to set up a tent, and I'm sure many people have. Funny thing is, I remember the trail cutting to the north here, but Google Maps shows it marching straight across the field. Close enough for Google, I guess. They get it right most of the time. 




The rest of this piece of trail was easy walking, and I have no memory of roots, rocks, mud, or anything else to diminish our joy, so I give it a thumbs up on the B&T hike-o-meter. When we met up with the troad (ignore Google Maps on this one - they don't have a clue where the trail is through here) we walked along that for a while, then stayed on it for the last 0.1 miles up to the waiting van where we ate our lunch. It was 1:30 pm, and 60 degrees. 





We were feeling so good we didn't take much of a break, then we drove down to the spot on Nelson Firelane where the trail crosses at N 45 23.831, W 89 20.527. The Firelane in this area is quite drivable, though there is an alarming drop and climb that would be absolutely impassable if the roads were muddy. However, because of the wide-open clear-cut the sun had baked the roadbed good and dry, and we had no trouble reaching our launching point.




We started on this next 1.5 mile piece at 2:09 pm and headed west. Looking at the IAT Resource Map, this little section appears to delight in taking hikers up and down the hills, for no particular reason. However, having walked it I can say there were few times I felt we needlessly hiked up just to hike down. The route mostly made sense.  

I remember clearly walking past the south end of the small kettle lake, with hemlock trees and very little mud. Without too much effort it would be possible to find a place for a pup tent, and I suppose this too would be a nice place to camp, as long as the deer flies weren't out. From here it's a relatively easy 3-4 tenths of a mile further until you reach a mildly wet crossing, followed by a steep uphill climb to a troad. 



The remaining 0.8 miles of trail ran along this road, winding generally north and providing for easy hiking through the hills. We reached the car in no time, arriving at 3:30 pm. The dog was starting to drag a little by this point, and we were happy to call it quits for the day. The temperature a warm, friendly 62 degrees. It was indeed a Lovely Day in Parrish for a Hike.

I would normally have ended the blog there, except our adventure wasn't quite over. After retrieving our launch vehicle, we now had two cars sitting on Nelson Firelane, out in the middle of the woods. There were three ways out of there. We could head South, continuing on the Firelane, until we reached Evergreen Drive, and eventually County Road T. This was only 2.1 miles of unknown road until we reached something we could be sure was drivable. Our second option was to go back north, then turn right on Five Cent Road, continuing all the way east to West Elcho Rd, a 4.2 mile journey across mostly unknown roads (an estimated 19 minute drive according to Google Maps). The third option was of course to go back the way we came, bumping our way along the 4.3 miles of Five Cent Road we had already covered, a known route, but known to be rugged. 

We decided our best option would be the short trip south, since Nelson Firelane had proven to be quite drivable so far. May I offer to any who reads this blog that there are three different types of 'roads' we're talking about here. One is properly referred to as a 'Road', that is, Five Cent Road. Another is also called a 'road', but anytime you see an unnamed white line on the map that says 'Logging Road' you know in advance you're taking your life in your hands trying to use it with a normal vehicle. Then there's the other option, the 'Firelane'. I have driven firelanes before, and typically they are no better than logging roads, having only the added benefit of being mostly straight, and usually a little better maintained. Usually. In this case, the townsfolk seem to have forgotten about our dear Mr. Nelson's legacy lane, because not too far south of where we started, the roadway became seriously unsuitable for a minivan and a Toyota Prius. Once again, we made it out with nothing broken (we think), but when we come back this way again, we will probably take the 4.3 miles of the devil we know, rather than Nelson Firelane, or the other half of Five Cent Road. 

And we'll NEVER come out here after it rains. Three weeks of dry weather, minimum , or forgettaboutit. There are other places to hike.

Running Total: 363.6 miles of trail covered; 36.8 miles ‘extra’ hiking/biking. End of Day 49.