April 20, 2025, Westfield, Wisconsin, by Roger Carpenter
I left chilly Antigo knowing that I was, at last, leaving the Northwoods and heading south. Would the weather begin to warm with the change in latitude? I also knew that over the next eight days and 162 miles, much of the IAT route would be on roads. It meant no more bushwacking around fallen trees like I did in the Kettle Bowl segment. The sight of newly blossomed wildflowers along the Plover River lifted my spirits. While the Northwoods was teaming with beaver, Geese, and Wood Ducks, the presence of flowers was a good omen.
April 22, 2026, Antigo, Wisconsin, by Roger Carpenter / Greg in Wild
No wonder it still feels cold! For four weeks, I hiked the portion of the IAT that stayed in the northern part of Wisconsin…the Northwoods. Warmer weather is coming, especially as I begin to walk southbound out of Antigo, where I enjoyed another zero day. The map, below, has the waypoints I recorded at every overnight stop.
Waypoints on Gaia
Merrill area Trail Angel, Ruby, drove me back to the IAT, where I headed east along miles of roads before entering the Underdown segment of the Trail. My destination was a wonderful shelter that protected me from the rain showers that fell overnight. It was true luxury! The shelter included a small table where I prepared dinner. How awesome is that! The shelter was reminiscent of the Appalachian Trail.
April 16, 2025, Merrill, Wisconsin, by Roger Carpenter / Greg in Wild
I appreciate the numerous kind comments written on this blog and Facebook about the passing of my brother, Jim. The thoughts expressed have comforted me and helped me move forward on the IAT. Thank you.
For three days and 51 miles, I experienced most of the discomforts an upper Midwest hiking trail in early spring: rain, deep, cold water, boggy trail, mud, snow and freezing temperatures. To make the experiences even more complete, I fell into a creek up to my lower torso! This is what the hiker community calls Type 2 fun! As I navigated the IAT gauntlet of these trail conditions, I kept reminding myself that I was not bothered by heat, humidity, mosquitos, and ticks. I came to the IAT well prepared because I made good decisions about clothing and gear. The photos, below, are in chronological order and provide the best description of the 51 miles of the IAT.
Soon after Pat Kosher, a Trail Angel in Cornell, gave me a ride back to the IAT on April 8, I received a message from Chalice, the wife of my brother Jim. He was going to enter hospice. Jim seemingly had beaten lymphoma that was diagnosed in 2015, but complications from infections made him progressively weaker for three months.
The reality of Jim’s situation shifted my energy on the trail to one of despair, fatigue, and pain. There was no doubt that sadness made my body ache and my hiking uneven. The hummocks were mostly devoid of wildlife except for the occasional squirrel and waterfoul flying away. Silence was no comfort.
Pine cones held up for Jim as a wish for a peaceful passing
On April 9, while thinking constantly of my brother, the tedious, muddy, and boggy trail served to remind me of the courageous battle Jim fought for nearly ten years. So I fought the Ice Age Trail’s boggy Jerry Lake segment all day, desperate for dry, level ground to pitch my tent. When I finally found a suitable campsite in a dark, dense forest carpeted with fallen leaves, I realized Jim’s wife had sent no updates that day. Waiting. I moved slowly while preparing my dinner until I collapsed into my sleeping bag. Zipping the tent fully shut helped me hide from the universe for eight hours. In the darkness of midnight, I checked for messages. Nothing.
The snow was nearly all melted when I departed the comforts of Rice Lake. After the Uber driver dropped me off at the start of Tuscobia Trail, a wide, flat rail-to-trail, I entered another snowy but easy 11-mile hike to the Bluegill capitol of Wisconsin, Birchwood. Along the way a enjoyed a can of Hamms with my lunch in a bar. The friendly nature of the people I meet is make the short town stops a pleasure. Necessary, too, because sometimes bars are the best places to refill my water bottles! It is also reassuring to know that Bigfoot is alive and well in Wisconsin! With a forecast calling for more snow overnight, I stayed in a motel again.
On April 2, I ventured back to the IAT with 1 to 2 inches of new snow. There are many kinds of snow. For the next two days, I walked in a fresh, slightly wet.snow that lit up the hummocky forest dotted with ponds built by beavers that engineered dams several feet high and solid enough to walk on. At least one such dam crossing was the official IAT trail.
