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Boy Scout Death March by kingsnake  Overview: The Ice Age National Scenic Trail is a 1,200 mile trail that travels from the St. Croix River an hour northeast of Minneapolis, east towards Antigo, south to New Glarus -- home of an awesome microbrew -- east to Whitewater, then north to Sturgeon Bay, in scenic Door County, Wisconsin. The route roughly follows the "terminal moraine" (the maximum glacial advance) from the last Ice Age, which ended about 10,000 B.C. The Glenbeulah to Greenbush Campground segment is located just south of Road America, in the northernmost part of Kettle Moraine State Forest. The Ice Age Trail, itself, is administered by the National Park Service, and is maintained by various public and private agencies. Mountain bikes and horses should use the nearby snowmobile trail, as they are illegal on the Ice Age Trail itself. Camping: The Greenbush Campground, at the southern end of the hike, requires reservations, (888) 947-2757. Linked info in directions/permits section. There are bathrooms. There are no shelters on this hike, but if there is an emergency, this is Wisconsin, so you are never more than a mile from the nearest paved road. 0.0 mi.: There are no facilities at the Glenbeulah TH, but there is a small quick mart in the town itself. Parking is free. This hike is constant up & downs, some steep, but never more than 80 ft. gain. Vegetation is mostly deciduous -- elm, oak, birch -- with some small stands of evergreens. Undergrowth varies from moderate to very dense, for short distances, some of which the trail passes through. The vegetation is not stabby, but we wary of poisonous varieties. Avoid brushing vegetation unless you enjoy getting ticks in places no critter should ever be. 1.0 mi.: Cross County PP. 1.7 mi.: Cross Ridge Rd. 2.8 mi.: Cross WI-23 ... which is a heavy traffic four-lane highway. Unfortunately, there is no tunnel. After crossing the highway, turn west on the mown grass path which parallels the highway. Just before you turn south, back into the woods, there is a bar, with an Old Style sign out front. Your course of action should be obvious. 3.4 mi.: Turn south into the woods. Just before County A., in a small clearing, there is a memorial bench. 5.1 mi.: Cross County A. 6.4 mi.: Cross Kettle Moraine Scenic Dr. The trail is mown into the grass, turning north into the Greenbush Campground. Check out the Official Route and Triplog. Leave No Trace and +Add a Triplog after your hike to support this local community.
One-Way Notice This hike is listed as One-Way. When hiking several trails on a single "hike", log it with a generic name that describes the hike. Then link the trails traveled, check out the example. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
WARNING! Hiking and outdoor related sports can be dangerous. Be responsible and prepare for the trip. Study the area you are entering and plan accordingly. Dress for the current and unexpected weather changes. Take plenty of water. Never go alone. Make an itinerary with your plan(s), route(s), destination(s) and expected return time. Give your itinerary to trusted family and/or friends.
Most recent Triplog Review
Glenbeulah to Greenbush - Ice Age Trail
My Aunt Mary passed away last September, and her wish was to have her ashes scattered at Cedar Lake, where our family has had a cabin for something like 100 years. (I had my first beer there, a Pabst, when I was six; Wisconsin was a different place back then.) It turned into a bit of a family reunion, with me meeting distant cousins I had never met before, including one who is a hiker in Sedona. (Small world.) Though she passed away four years ago, we scattered my cousin Dana's ashes at the same time. (I had also never met Dana, but when I watched her memorial video the day before, I got choked up: She had the most amazing smile I've ever seen!)
As with every other trip I take, I make it a point to do some hiking. (Particularly a hike I can turn into a video.
) I'm a natural planner, so prior to the trip, I plotted out several trips worth of hikes on the nearby Ice Age Trail. 
As I planned the hike(s) it began to dawn on me that I had hiked this area before. 42 years before, to be exact. When I was (briefly) a Boy Scout, we had a hike that I remember heading south from a very small town. We were supposed to hike a trail, but as it was November, and thus the High Holy Days (deer season), the scout master thought it better to take the roads most of the way. Roads will tear you up. I don't remember how far we hiked, but it lasted from first light until dark, and by the end I was dragging way behind with my feet absolutely killing me. (A problem I had even in the Army, years later.)
Thus the caption for the Glenbeulah to Greenbush segment of the hike: "Boy Scout Death March".
It may sometimes take a while, but I don't like leaving unfinished business, so today I finished it.
Though there is not a lot of elevation in Wisconsin, I quickly found out the trail planners were not big on following contours: They go up and over every hill.
(Granted, small ones, but it adds up, as my AEG shows.)
It was overcast, and despite being low 60s, quite chilly. All the greenery was soothing, but I'd *love* to do the hike in September: The colors would be spectacular!
The overcast played hell with lighting for my camera, particularly affecting the focus.
The trail crossed a number of small country lanes, and two highways. Other than WI-23, I only saw one car. WI-23, though, was very busy, and there was no tunnel or crosswalk. But I am Phoenix-hardened, and so made it across okay.
I was really stoked to find an old-fashioned well hand-pump, but then bummed that it seemed not to work.
Parnell Tower reminded me of rapelling towers in the Army. Nice views, but again affected by the overcast. Otherwise I would have been able to see Holy Hill, where I spent a sub-0 night in late 1973 vainly searching the sky for Comet Kohoutek. I could, however, clearly see the state prison.
Hike Video: https://youtu.be/UG ... xhWg
As with every other trip I take, I make it a point to do some hiking. (Particularly a hike I can turn into a video.
) I'm a natural planner, so prior to the trip, I plotted out several trips worth of hikes on the nearby Ice Age Trail.
As I planned the hike(s) it began to dawn on me that I had hiked this area before. 42 years before, to be exact. When I was (briefly) a Boy Scout, we had a hike that I remember heading south from a very small town. We were supposed to hike a trail, but as it was November, and thus the High Holy Days (deer season), the scout master thought it better to take the roads most of the way. Roads will tear you up. I don't remember how far we hiked, but it lasted from first light until dark, and by the end I was dragging way behind with my feet absolutely killing me. (A problem I had even in the Army, years later.)
Thus the caption for the Glenbeulah to Greenbush segment of the hike: "Boy Scout Death March".
It may sometimes take a while, but I don't like leaving unfinished business, so today I finished it.
Though there is not a lot of elevation in Wisconsin, I quickly found out the trail planners were not big on following contours: They go up and over every hill.
(Granted, small ones, but it adds up, as my AEG shows.)
It was overcast, and despite being low 60s, quite chilly. All the greenery was soothing, but I'd *love* to do the hike in September: The colors would be spectacular!
The overcast played hell with lighting for my camera, particularly affecting the focus.
The trail crossed a number of small country lanes, and two highways. Other than WI-23, I only saw one car. WI-23, though, was very busy, and there was no tunnel or crosswalk. But I am Phoenix-hardened,
and so made it across okay.
I was really stoked to find an old-fashioned well hand-pump, but then bummed that it seemed not to work.
Parnell Tower reminded me of rapelling towers in the Army. Nice views, but again affected by the overcast. Otherwise I would have been able to see Holy Hill, where I spent a sub-0 night in late 1973 vainly searching the sky for Comet Kohoutek. I could, however, clearly see the state prison.
Hike Video: https://youtu.be/UG ... xhWg
2015-06-05 kingsnake
