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Two More Days in Cross Plains

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Returning to the Ice Age Trail Alliance Headquarters on a sunny Wednesday morning, Greg and I set out to complete the next part of the Cross Plains segment. Leaving the beautifully landscaped building, we crossed a bridge over Black River Creek, walked along a paved trail and through some neighborhoods before entering the woods at the John I. Hillebrand Glacial Valley Conservancy. It was a peaceful, hilly, and very pretty trail that led us to Highway P.  Crossing over the highway, we entered a large cornfield that brought us to Mammoth's Back Preserve, an area "covering over 100 acres of remnant bluff prairie, an essential habitat for native plants and wildlife communities" according to the Ice Age Trail website. The trail dropped us off at Stagecoach Road, a connecting route that led us past turquoise colored Lake Katherine that reminded us of the water we saw when we vacationed in Aruba. Eventually, we turned right onto North Birch Trail, passing more farms and some pri...
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Door Creek Church Hikes Devil's Lake State Park

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For the month of July, Door Creek Church is doing a sermon series titled, "Creation Calls." On our church website it reads, "In this four-week series, we'll explore how Scripture invites us to see nature not just as beautiful but as a vibrant witness to the glory of God. Join us as we learn to encounter the Creator through His creation and embrace simple, soul-renewing practices that help us connect with Him." In his message last Sunday, Pastor Jamie Thompson said that God reveals Himself to us in two ways. We learn about God in His word and through His creation.  The first sentence in the Bible reads, "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth."(Genesis 1:1) All of creation points to God and shows us His power, His holiness, and His incredible love for each of us. As a fun way for us to experience God's Creation together,  Pastor Jamie and the Door Creek staff arranged a hike at Devil's Lake. We met at the Rock Elm Shelter on Sat...
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Back on the Trail

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It has now been over a month since our last hike on the Ice Age Trail. Both May and June were busy months for the Jones family. We spent a fun week visiting Michigan's Upper Peninsula with friends from college, celebrated Greg's mom's 90th and our daughter in law's 31st birthdays with extended family in Pennsylvania, sold our little cabin in western Wisconsin, and enjoyed numerous get togethers with our children, their spouses, and our granddaughter. Our calendar has more white space now, and so, as of two days ago, we are back on the trail. Greg and I drove to Cross Plains early Monday morning to pick up where we left off back on June 1. Before I write about Monday's hike, I'd like to briefly touch on a few of the hikes we completed prior to our break. The Springfield Hill Segment  On May 19, Greg, Barb, and I hiked the Springfield Hill loop and then continued on to the connecting route from Ballweg Road to Highway 19. It was a beautiful sunny day for a hike. W...
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The Lodi Valley Chapter Segments - The Eastern Lodi Marsh and Lodi Marsh Loop

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Greg and I put on our raincoats before leaving the Robertson parking lot for our hike along the eastern Lodi Marsh on a drizzly late April afternoon. We began our climb as raindrops fell lightly around us. Turning around, we saw gorgeous views with rolling hills and scattered ponds in the distance. The trail became quite muddy as we walked deeper into the woods. The wind picked up, and we were grateful for our hooded raincoats. We passed our first dispersed campsite, and I thought of our warm bed waiting for us at home after we completed our hike. When we reached the highest point of the trail, we had amazing views of the surrounding countryside. Although it seemed as though we were in the middle of nowhere, we had been told that 60% of Wisconsinites live within 20 miles of some part of the Ice Age Trail.  The Lodi Marsh Loop Today was cloudy and cold with intermittent breaks of sunshine. Once again, Greg and I parked in the Robertson parking lot. This time we headed south/west. Th...
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