Choosing to Hike the Ice Age Trail

Welcome to our blog. We are Greg and Lori, recently retired and ready to explore our state’s scenic trail. We’d love for you to join us as we journey through fragrant pinelands and open prairies, rural farmlands and dense forests, quiet towns and secluded villages across our great state.


Facts about Wisconsin's Ice Age Trail (also known as the IAT)

  • It is nearly 1200 miles in length.
  • It stretches from Interstate Park along the St. Croix River in western Wisconsin to Potawatomi State Park on Sturgeon Bay in eastern Wisconsin.
  • It is one of America’s 11 National Scenic Trails.
  • It is completely located in Wisconsin.
  • It follows the edges of the last continental glacier in North America.






Facts about us

  • We moved to Wisconsin in 2007 after living in Pennsylvania and New Jersey for most of our lives.
  • We have five amazing children (two by marriage), one adorable granddaughter, and one five year old, very spoiled bernedoodle.
  • At the moment, they all live in the midwest and will hopefully join us on some of our hikes.
  • Hiking the IAT is one of the top items on our retirement bucket list.
  • Although we have hiked sections of the trail previously, we plan to hike it all this time around.
  • Our current plan is to hike sections associated with the different chapters but this is subject to change based on weather, travels, and what we feel like doing.
  • We love the outdoors - hiking, biking, kayaking, and fishing are some of our favorite things to do.
  • One of us is 63 and one of us is 64 (not telling who), and we've been married almost 41 years.





“In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks."

John Muir

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Lodi Valley Chapter Segments - The Gibraltar Segment

Image
Where to begin - that was the first decision we had to make as our dream to hike the IAT became a reality. I thought it would be cool to begin at the beginning - at the western border of Wisconsin and continue straight through to the eastern border of the state. Greg, being the more practical one, convinced me that hiking sections made a whole lot more sense. Completing one segment at a time would give us way more flexibility. We could choose locations based on the weather.  (Hot and humid days, mosquito filled woods, and snow and ice covered trails didn't need to be a problem.)  We could change plans at the last minute if our children needed a babysitter. (Grandparents will understand this.)  We could postpone a hike if we weren't feeling well. And well, on some days, we might just decide to do something different. (Isn't that what retirement is all about?) And so, on April 15, 2025, two weeks after Greg's last day at work, we began our journey. Greg chose the Lodi Val...
Read more

Back on the Trail

Image
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...
Read more