Ice Age Trail 2025 – Roger Carpenter

Ice Age Trail: Days 62-63, May 24 to 25: A Double Zero and Questions Answered

West Bend, Wisconsin, May 25, 2025, by Roger Carpenter / Greg in Wild

I have hiked 956 miles and 82.8% of the IAT, but I have not answered any of the questions asked by readers in the comments. By the way, knowing that many people are visiting my site and writing comments is one aspect of the hike that gives meaning to the effort needed to complete a thru-hike!

Lori asked: What do I think about during the hours of solitude on the trail? https://elkpass.com/2025/05/21/janesville-to-delafield/#comment-2257

I am reminded of something a yoga teacher once said during a class: ” See more by thinking less.” This implies the power of meditation, something I have not received formal training in. When I hike, I employ my senses to feel my surroundings as I move along the trail and through the landscape. Birds, animals, wind blowing through the trees and prairie grasses, water gently cascading through a streambed, the view in every direction. I stop from time to time to gaze in the distance. The views on the Ice Age Trail are as diverse as the geography of Wisconsin: forests, farms, barns, dairy cattle, ducks, geese, and the waterways they inhabit. Sometimes, a turkey surprises me in a prairie and flies off in an urgent burst of wings and feathers. Whitetail deer run away before I see them. They are much too fast to get a photograph. I never get bored with, even after 63 days!

I do get to thinking often. The long roadwalks are delivery systems for daydreaming and thinking. Cindy is currently hiking a Camino route between Portugal and Santiago de Compestela in Spain. How is she doing? What changes should I make on my writing project? I worry about climate change and the systematic denial espoused by the current occupant of the White House. I wonder how the proposed Federal budget by the Republican leaders in the House of Representatives will affect my personal finances and, more importantly, the lives of those who might lose health care, pay more for essential food and goods, or lose their jobs. How are my favorite baseball teams doing? What can I speak about at my brother Jim’s memorial in June? When will I finish the hike? How many miles should I hike today? Where will I camp next? What should I eat for dinner? Oh, I do love the conversations I have with random encounters on the trail. It’s about 70% meditation, 70% thinking of stuff.

Next question (actually, more of a comment that deserves a response):

From Bonnie Prangue, who wonders how I could keep motivated in the bleakness of the cold Northwoods. https://elkpass.com/2025/04/22/cold-northwoods/#comment-2220

There is a wide gap between a thru-hike and a much shorter hike. Knowing the Ice Age Trail would take two and a half months, I had to choose among the variety of conditions that exist during that length of time: the cold months of March and April; or the hot, humid, buggy summer month; or autumn, when I would be subject to progressively fewer hours of daylight, Trail closures for hunting and progressively cold weather.

I chose an early spring start and have never regretted my decision. I did get frustrated with the relentless reappearance of cold, rainy weather. But I was prepared with good gear. The day before I arrived in Antigo on April 20 was the worst, followed by the day I shivered my way into Montello, where the nice people in the coffee shop Table 15 warmed my soul while I dried off and drank a hot mocha! Without leaves and foliage in the forests, I could see better through the trees. And there were no ticks to worry about, although ticks have emerged in May.

By starting in northwest Wisconsin on March 24, I considered this the “IAT thru-hike with an edge.” Sometimes, long-distance hikers embrace “Type 2 Fun,” which happens when things get uncomfortable but is fun to reminisce about later. I had more than a few Type 2 Fun moments, and I felt more alive than I would on perfect summer days. The secret sauce in my backpack was a pair of waterproof socks called Seal Skinz. Even while hiking in a couple of inches of snow, my feet never needed foot warmers. My hands are another matter. Even in late May, I wear a pair of Mont Bell heavy mittens!

Moreover, in the daily chills and bleak canopies of spindly tree branches in the Northwoods, I had long, desirable hours of solitude, unexpected encounters with animals, and the opportunity to appreciate the nice, sunny days when they occurred.

West Bend: I am taking a double zero day here. I was too fatigued to get back on trail with just a single zero day. I also needed to drink some great beer. The 1840 Brewery taproom in West Bend is the perfect place, and I do not mind the 1.6 mile walk from my hotel, which is closer to the IAT than to the fine amenities of West Bend. The end of the hike is approaching, and the mental game of finishing well must be nurtured. The bottom two photos are my old shoes, with 500 miles of wear, and the new shoes. The color of the new shoes is sick, but it was all REI had in my size.

April 21: The morning after rain fell most of the night.

May 22 campsite in a grove of pine trees

Ice Age Trail Days 60-61, May 22 to 23: Delafield to West Bend

Delafield, WI, May 24, by Roger Carpenter / Greg in Wild

In two days since leaving Delafield, I hiked 45 miles to IAT milepost 956. With only 198 miles to the eastern terminus, I have a strong case of Potawatomi Fever. My goal was to finish the hike on June 7, but it is likely I will finish on June 5 or 6. My InReach map shows my current location and tracks and 30-minute intervals.

May 22: From Delafield, the IAT enters the picture-perfect suburban town of Hartland. A residential neighborhood features large, perfect lawns, huge homes, and wide, curvy streets. After crossing a busy arterial street, it was business parks with nice green grass framing the expansive parking lots for the workers, who were arriving as I hiked on sidewalks. Soon, I arrived in Hartland, where I stopped for a snack at a nice coffee shop and walked on a paved trail along the Bark River. “These are easy miles,” I told a local resident, who was walking to clear her head after a stressful remote meeting for her IT job. The paved trail turned into a paved rail-to-trail. Creeks and rivers in areas with concentrations of residential, commercial, and agricultural properties can be contaminated, and I avoid collecting water from such sources. This time, I walked into an automotive tire shop to ask if I could fill my water bottles in their restroom. They kindly permitted me to do so. Soon, I entered a moraine area with forests and prairie grasses. I found a nice grove of pine trees that made a well-sheltered campsite. I cooked a pasta and tomato sauce dinner with the water from the tire shop.

Crossing the AMTRAK route through Hartland. Before long, I will be on the train going to St. Paul. I have similar photos of nearly every railroad crossing!

Ice Age Trail Days 54-58, May 16 to 20: Janesville to Delafield

Janesville is mile 831 for eastbound thru-hikers like me. I like to say “EABO” instead. The next trail town I aimed for is Delafield, which is 81 miles beyond Janesville. I am now watchful of the numbers because Delafield is just 242 miles from the Eastern Terminus of the IAT. As I write this in Delafield, I have hiked 79% of the trail. This is very exciting because I love the IAT experience and anticipate the pride that emerges when completing a long hike. You can follow my daily progress on the Garmin InReach map:

The five-day hike to Delafield included the parks of Janesville, the small town of Milton, Storrs Lake, and the southern unit of Kettle Moraine after a long roadwalk. The daily miles walked were 14, 18, 19, 23, and 6.

It was very warm and humid as I hiked out of Janesville, followed by thunderstorms while I was in Milton. I sought refuge in a small café that served bubble tea and a pavilion within Milton’s war memorial park. Thankfully, the weather cooled after that storm.

The day I entered Kettle Moraine, May 18, my sport watch recorded 2,300 feet of accumulated ascent. The terrain seemed pleasant and gentle despite the recent days of what seemed like all roadwalking. My log sheet informed me that it was the third highest amount of daily ascent. The wildflowers and forested hills of the moraines encouraged me to stop and photograph the colors of Kettle Moraine.

IAT Day 53, May 15: Return to Janesville

Janesville

Janesville, WI, May 15, 2025, by Greg in Wild / Roger Carpenter

On a long, multi-month hike, I am able to ponder the highs and lows of my life, how much I appreciate what I have accomplished, and what I can do in the future. Often, I think of my childhood and the events and places of my youth that had lasting impacts on me. On the Ice Age Trail, I had the opportunity to hike through a city that had a profound impact when I was between five and seven years old. That would be from 1959 to 1961 (if you are keeping score…I am really old!) in Janesville, Wisconsin. The official route of the IAT goes through the heart of Janesville and very close to where my family lived and where I attended school. Hiking to places that I still remember clearly was not just enjoyable but very powerful. Brian, my brother who lives in northern Illinois, made the 90-minute drive to join me in touring the city.

The Ice Age Trail crosses the street here in front of what once the Five-and-Dime store and along the Rock River.

Ice Age Trail Days 48-52, May 10 to 14: The Roads to Janesville

Verona to Janesville

Janesville, WI, May 15, 2025 by Greg in Wild / Roger Carpenter

Since leaving Verona on May 10, it was hard to stay present in the trail right in front of me. The reasons for looking ahead to Janesville five days ahead included the vast majority of the 78 miles were on roads or rail-to-trails. The hot temperatures on some days made me wish for more patches of shade to rest within. To compensate for the less than ideal conditions, I indulged in grocery stores for fresh foods, any place with an espresso machine, NA beer, or ice cold soft drinks. Those existed in towns named New Glarus, Montello, Albany, and Evansville. Those towns were also the best sources for water. Some parks have wonderfully pure well water that I pumped into my water bottles the old-fashioned way (muscle power). I focused my attention and photos on little things: wildflowers, interesting features of the towns, the nice campsite in a county park named Magnolia Bluff. Despite setting my tent near the parking lot, it was a quiet and restful night. I needed the rest because I had a 28-mile roadwalk the next day.

Ice Age Trail Days 43-47, May 5 to May 9

Devils Lake to Verona

Verona, Wisconsin, by Greg in Wild / Roger Carpenter, May 10, 2025

See my current location on the trail and the places I hiked recorded by Garmin InReach.

On May 9, I reached milepost 750 in perfect weather for hiking. The vibe of the hike gradually changed as foliage got greener and taller, wildflowers became more numerous, the sky clearer, and days more sunny and warmer. The dues I paid hiking in the chilly Northwoods are paying off in the south. Madison is nearby and east of Verona. The vibe surrounding the IAT is influenced by great coffee places, more hikers on trail, runners, cyclists, and even golf courses. Hey, this hike is going very well! And, there are 404 miles ahead with opportunities to enjoy more of Wisconsin, the moraines, and the unexpected things the trail provides.

Ice Age Trail Days 39-43, May 1 to 5, 94 miles: Is it spring now?

May 5, 2025, Devils Lake State Park, Wisconsin, by Roger Carpenter / Greg in Wild

My real-time location: Garmin InReach

The view outside from my hotel window on May 1 was not encouraging. The parking lot had large puddles of rain that fell most of the night. My weather app predicted high temperature in the upper 40s. “Really?” I thought. The hike would be easy because it was one more day on the ‘great IAT roadwalk to southern Wisconsin”. Great! It should be warmer in the south, right? Less rain? Maybe, just not that day. I needed to hike 26.7 miles, but a brief stop in the small town of Montello could provide midday relief.

Ice Age Trail, by Greg in Wild — No shelter from the rain.

Neither the rain nor wind were strong, but both were persistent. After 12 miles, as I felt the cold dampness deep under my base layers and rain jacket, I noted a pit toilet building in a parking area next to a lake . Without hesitation, I went inside to get dry and perhaps warm up.

Ice Age Trail Days 31-38, April 23 to 30, 162 miles

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.

Ice Age Trail Days 25-29, April 17 to 21: The Cold Northwoods

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.

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.

Ice Age Trail Days 21-23, April 13 to 15: It is COLD!

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.