The Lodi Valley Chapter Segments - The Gibraltar Segment

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 Valley segments of the IAT for a number of reasons. It was close to home. The segments were relatively short. We had previously hiked a few of them so we knew what to expect. Beautiful views of the Wisconsin River Valley and the Baraboo Hills awaited us.

After parking at the Merrimac Ferry Wayside, we began our first hike on the Gibraltar Segment. It was a cold, windy and sunny day with temperatures barely making it into the 40s, meaning I still needed my winter coat, gloves, and hat. We walked a short distance along a railroad track before crossing highway 113. We encountered numerous switchbacks as we entered the woods and began our climb. Gazing through barren tree branches, we had gorgeous views of the white-capped waters of Lake Wisconsin. The air smelled of smoldering smoke from controlled burns which had recently taken place. After reaching the Slack Road parking area, we turned around and retraced our steps back to the Merrimac Ferry, logging about four miles for the afternoon. Not bad for our first day.

Returning a few days later to the Slack Road parking lot, we decided to bring two cars so we could park one at each end of the segment. That way, we could hike further and eliminate the need to double back to the beginning. As we drove along county road 113, Greg was three cars ahead of me. Suddenly, the driver in front of me slammed on his brakes. I did, too. Looking through my windshield, I saw feathers everywhere. When I reached the parking lot, Greg asked if I had seen the dead chicken in the road. Apparently, the chicken appeared out of nowhere and ran right in front of his car. That explained the flying feathers.

Leaving the parking lot, we took the connecting route to the next part of the Gibraltar Segment.  According to its website, the IAT is not yet completed. "Nearly 700 miles of it are yellow-blazed Ice Age Trail segments; about 500 miles of unmarked connecting routes link the blazed segments." The connecting routes can be rural roads or busy highways and make it possible to hike the entire 1200 mile trail.

The connecting route took us along Gibraltar Rock Road to the parking lot for the next section. We had hiked this section a few times already. But our favorite memory is from Father's Day in 2024. All five of our children were visiting. After having lunch at home, our daughter Amanda and son in law Cole shared some very exciting news - they were expecting a baby girl!  We were going to be grandparents!  We decided to celebrate this wonderful news with a family hike at Gibraltar Rock.

This time around, it was just the two of us. But we are sure looking forward to the future when our sweet Violet can join the rest of us as we continue hiking together as a family.

It was another perfect day for a hike. The sky was a brilliant blue, the sunshine was abundant, and the temperature stayed in the 60s. Since it was Sunday and this was a popular spot for a hike, we did see more people on the trail. We noticed a bit more green in the woods as we passed through a forest of pine, oak and hickory. The most challenging part of this hike was near the top where we climbed 50 rock steps constructed by volunteers. Because there are no safety guard rails at the top of Gibraltar Rock, which rises 200' above the surrounding landscape, I was quite nervous as we sat on giant rock formations. But the breathtaking views of the Wisconsin River Valley with the Baraboo Hills in the distance were certainly worth any concerns I had about the steep drop from the edge of the bluffs.

After descending Gibraltar Rock, we entered the CTH-V parking lot where we followed a paved connecting route to the Fern Glen Segment parking lot where our other car was parked. Another 5 miles completed!

"Getting to the top is optional, getting down is mandatory."

Ed Viesturs, "No Shortcuts to the Top"