Ice Age Trail Thru-Hike: Days 5-6

On Thursday I got dropped off at the trail where I was picked up the night before by the chapter coordinator. That was the first night that I had actually gotten a decent sleep and even though my feet still hurt, I felt ready to tackle the day. So off I went.

Finished McKenzie Creek

And five and a half hours later I made it the ten miles to where I had planned to stay the night before. It was then that I realized if I was ever going to finish the trail I'd have to do it some other way. I mad marched my way through the next half mile and when it started to rain on me yet again, I threw down my pack, hauled out my poncho and attached it so it would cover my pack but not me since it was humid from the rain the night before.

I was excited to see a bridge/ramp.

Did I mention those five and a half hours were through swamp? The trail was pretty well flooded for about half of that, and then flooded later as well.

That path of water is literally the trail. 

It was shortly after reaching the beginning of the next segment that I realized I was not going to finish this Thru-Hike. As much as I wanted to complete it, I was done. I called my mom, we made a plan for her to come get me and I made my way to the end of the segment, where I called the next chapter coordinator and his son picked me up. The son made me two grilled cheese sandwiches, I ate both, and his wife made up an ice pack for my feet. That night I slept in a bed.

It was about here that my confidence left. 

The next morning the chapter coordinator drove me to Barronette where I picked up my first resupply box and then to Spooner. I got myself ice cream at McDonald's and added the resupply to my backpack. I let my mom know what was going on then started walking home. She met me about two hours later along highway 70 where I had made it about 7 miles closer to home.

We got home, I limped inside with my backpack, and took a shower. For dinner that night we had some of my tortellini that I had packaged for backpacking food. I'm going to be eating my backpacking food for a while. That night I didn't sleep well. I had several dreams, one of which relates to damaged self-confidence. Go figure.

I have some thinking, maybe some self-reflection or analyzing to do. I still need to figure out exactly what it is I want to be doing with my life. That was kind of the point of the hike, but with less than a week actually on the trail I didn't have much time to figure anything out. Except that maybe I will have to section hike the rest of the trail. I did finish the first chapter, Indianhead, so I can send in for the completion patch and work my way through the rest of the segments. I figured that when you don't like change and then change everything in your immediate future all at once, you are pretty much doomed to failure. I spent much of my time hiking and laying in my tent wondering just what the hell I was doing. I still don't have an answer and I expect my feet to be bruised for the next few days.

Ice Age Trail Thru-Hike: Days 3-4

On day three, I think it is ok to say I think I made a mistake. I was not prepared to be alone, no human contact outside of the occasional (sometimes rather frequent) Facebook messages from my mom. I started the day hiking in 2, sometimes 3, inches of wet snow. I was not happy about it.

I did have a little trail magic before I left Cafe Wren and then I was alone. In the snow all morning. I don't even know for sure when the snow was basically all gone because I was lost in a perpetual downward spiral of self loathing. You think I'm being overly dramatic? You try hiking for 9 plus hours a day for three days of bad weather in a row away from everything that makes you comfortable and on next to no sleep with no one there to give you a hug. I spent much of the day wondering why I had thought it was a good idea and then scolding myself for being a fool, an idiot and several other more colorful things. I do remember seeing an otter, and more signs of bear. And to save you the whole long story I eventually made it to my campsite at least an hour later than I thought it should have taken, set up my still wet tent and cried on the phone to my mom.

I didn't really sleep that night either. Day four dawned bright and a balmy 28 degrees on my thermometer. Remember how my tent was wet the night before? Well now it was wet and frozen and I couldn't feel my toes because all three pairs of my socks were also wet the night before so I couldn't wear any to bed. I had hot chocolate and ramen soup for breakfast just to get feeling back into my limbs.

Some combination of meeting a guy from the Ice Age Trail Alliance, talking to my mom, sending messages to a friend and maybe the hot chocolate and ramen soup for breakfast made some kind of difference, but I still didn't get moving until 8:00 and that was still slow going. I only did half my miles because my feet rebelled and I had to call for assistance. So I stayed with the chapter coordinator, had a shower, talked a lot, did a painting, rested my feet and got to sleep in a bed. And lucky for me, I missed sleeping in the rain.

I also saw four baby bear cubs from across a marshy area.

Ice Age Trail Thru-Hike, Days 1-2

I started my hike on a hot humid April day. I almost immediately realized my pack was too heavy and going to be the death of me. So when I met my parents in town a couple hours later I gave them my solar charger, my fleece blanket (which I kind of want, but not, because of the weight), my lint roller that I was going to use for ticks, and the lightweight day pack that was going to keep me organized. (I'm also missing that, I keep having trouble finding my small things I was keeping in there.)

The walk was beautiful, and I'm sure it will be more so when everything turns green for summer. Mostly I was greeted by small spring flowers, wild and in front yards. I managed to do a painting, part on my hike and part once I reached my site.

My first night. Ah that wondrous night when the water laps gently against the shore, when you get to sit at the picnic table and enjoy the view while you eat dinner. When the thunder, rain, wind, and lightening chase you under your poncho draped across the picnic table to finish cooking your dinner under the table then into your tent where you realize there is no way you can enjoy your slightly undercooked and underflavored tortellini while you pray fervently to whatever god or spirit will listen to you to please don't let you die on your first night of your big adventure. Yes, I sat in my tent with Shreds clutched in my trembling hands wondering what the hell I was doing. Then it got quiet, I had my dinner and went out to the edge of the river and finished my painting. 

I was also sending messages to my mom and responding to comments on an Ice Age Trail hiker group where I had left a comment about the storm.

I didn't sleep at all since it stormed a second time and maybe a third. By that time all I could manage was to huddle in my sleeping bag, again clutching Shreds, wondering why I thought a thru hike was a good idea. 

Day two started out ok. I had to wipe moisture from every part of my tent, wipe away mud, and start airing out my sleeping pad, which somehow got wet through the bottom of the tent. I eventually got packed up and headed out, breakfast in hand, at 7:30.

I took some pictures on my camera, but there wasn't much to see. Half of the walk today was uphill on a road. Seriously, that road went uphill about 9/10 of the time. I spent a lot of time cursing hills.

And then the wind picked up and I thankfully found myself at a rest stop for the Gandy Dancer segment where I filed my water, charged my phone, and had lunch. With my shoes off. Shortly after leaving the nice, comfy rest stop, it got cold. Cold enough that I could see my breath. And then it started to ice rain. Sharp frozen shards of half frozen rain started to fall, then fell until I was almost at my end point.

I didn't get to stop and have anything to eat or take off my pack so by the time I saw the sign for Cafe Wren, at about 4:20, I was ready to fall over. I didn't think if I set down my pack I would be able to pick it back up. And I was again questioning my sanity.

I had a nice dinner that I didn't have to cook and the women working were very nice, we talked a bit while they cleaned up and closed for the night. Then one offered me hot water with honey and lemon to keep me warm while I set up camp, tasted like the nectar of the gods. And then I got a little more trail magic and a big hug.

I got my tent set up just before the ice rain started again. And that continued the rest of the evening. Gives new meaning to ICE Age Trail. So glad my sleeping bag is rated to 20 degrees.

Final Prep For My Ice Age Trail Thru-Hike

I felt I needed to do the obligatory "gear" picture and "meal plan" picture. So here's my final gear plan. I realize now that I don't have my actual hiking boots in here, or my maps and I didn't put in my bathroom items as I am still using some of those. I know already that there are a few items people are going to look at and immediately want to tell me I'm wrong. Well, guess what? Maybe that item is wrong for you, but it might be what will make MY hike possible.

Most of my gear.

The two most obvious of those items are my fleece blanket and my puppy "Shreds." I can totally and completely understand why some people might think these are just extra weight. Here's my reasoning behind them and you can agree or disagree with my decision, but just remember it is my choice and if I decide I no longer want to carry something, I can mail it home at the next little town I go through that has a post office. So when I went on my first hiking trip to the Porcupine Mountains, I wanted something on the bottom of my tent, something soft, and I didn't take anything with. Then when I went to Colorado, I again did not take anything and I tend to spread out when I sleep and never stay completely on my sleeping pad and all night (each night) as soon as I touched the cold floor of my tent, I woke up. So this time I am taking a fleece blanket, it is fairly lightweight although a bit bulky, so it will get strapped wherever it fits. Plus I can wrap my feet and legs in it to keep them warm since wearing socks to bed only makes my feet colder.

"Shreds" my travel puppy and my fleece blanket.

Now the puppy. "Shreds" was given to me by a friend for my 18th birthday. He came to college with me and sat on my desk all four years. He came to North Carolina with me, riding shotgun, in 2010 when I drove solo to Penland School of Crafts for a two week pottery class. He kept me company while I sat for two hours waiting for assistance on the side of I-65 in Indiana while my parents and I tried to make sense of a AAA membership that the paperwork never got run. He came with me on my short, but solo trip to Grand Marais and my broom making class last year. And most recently he accompanied me on my trip to Colorado riding in the cup holder the whole way. He didn't actually come on the hike with me, but he was there in Colorado. "Shreds" is my travel puppy and he's going to be riding shotgun on my pack for this hike for as long as I want him. And since I can't take my slightly senile 19 (92 in cat years) year old cat, Shreds is going with.

Yes that is my bra she is sleeping on. Saturn (and her brother Neptune when he was alive) always seem to know when I am going away and end up in my clothes, suitcase or what ever else when I am trying to pack.

And here's my food for the first five days, plus a little more. You can't see everything because of how it is packed, but I have tuna, pita pockets, cheese (because I am a true Wisconsin girl and can not go with out my cheese, and I will buy more along the trail as I use up what I am taking with), breakfast bars, five dinners with a package of ramen if I need more, assorted drink powders, peanut butter and jelly, and assorted snacks including peanut m&ms, cashews, Reese's Pieces, mini chocolate bars, fruit gummy snacks, dried fruit and raisins, fruit leather, crackers, Gardettos and corn chips to add to my mashed potatoes. The tube of tomato paste will last through much of the hike and is for some of my pasta dinners and a couple of the rice dinners that need a little more flavor. Plus I have seeds for sprouting in hemp bags, I have my first crop already going so I can have some my second day out.

Each resupply box has some variation on this based on how many days I need to get to my next box.

And here's an update on my temperature afghan. This is as far as I will get before starting my hike. When I get back I will look up the high temperatures for the days (months) I missed and then catch up. I was glad when it started to warm up, I ran out of the 30 degree color. And if you can see the two stripes of multicolor yarn? Those are family birthdays. I made a slightly taller stitch with the color for the day then chained around the shaft of the stitch to make it stand out. I have a brighter yarn I am going to use for the summer birthdays.

In a holding pattern for the next two months...

Next time I'll see you on the trail!

Pre-Ice Age Trail Thru-Hike Planning

This week has included grocery shopping, food prep, packing supply boxes, finalizing my hike with estimated campsites, post office pickups, and last minute gear purchases. I leave really soon and I still can't believe I am going to do this.

Breakfast bars and fruit leather.

I've also been planning with my mom for when and where she will be sending my resupply boxes, managing my expenses and bill payments while I am gone, and how to get in touch with her even when I can't send her a message because of poor cell reception.

My boxes are almost packed. Tomorrow I will be sending out my first box so it gets to the post office well in advance of when I will be getting there just to make sure it does beat me there.

This hike has been in the planning stages for about a year now. I read Wild, by Cheryl Strayed, like so many others and I decided to do a thru-hike. Except I decided to stay close to home for my first grand adventure. And I am glad that I did, because planning a hike on the other side of the country when I had no experience with this sort of thing would have been enough to push me back into my comfort zone. I know I have people in Wisconsin who can rescue me if it gets to be too much for me to handle, or if there is a problem with a resupply box. And a couple times this week I started wishing that my mom would finish planning this for me. I was getting frustrated. (Happens often, and right from the beginning.)

Yellow is the trail/path I plan to take, orange is post office treks, pink is estimated camping, though that will depend on how much I can actually manage in a day.

I tried to keep my post office resupplies to no more than 5 days in between, in a couple places though it ended up being 6 or 7 because where I wanted to stop would have been a Sunday or a holiday, so I had to find alternative towns. If anyone is interested, here is the list of post offices I plan to visit, (you send the mail to "Katlyn Koester, c/o General Delivery" followed by the post office address. Hopefully with my boxes going ahead of me they will know when I am coming and put any other mail with my boxes.):

2964 Us Highway 63, Barronett, WI 54813

W14392 Railway Ave, Weyerhaeuser, WI 54895

705 McComb Ave, Rib Lake, WI 54470

N9575 County Road B, Summit Lake, WI 54485

200 Clark St, Hatley, WI 54440

215 W Conant St, Portage, WI 53901

2012 Park St, Cross Plains, WI 53528

102 E North Ave, Monticello, WI 53570

116 N 3rd St, Palmyra, WI 53156

1202 Franklin St, Manitowoc, WI 54220

I've set a fairly optimistic pace for myself, but I won't hold myself to it, and I will be passing plenty of small towns where I can do extra resupply if needed. I decided though, next time I do a thru-hike, I'm taking the makings for peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, nothing more. Too many options is making my head spin!

Assorted Happenings

My mom and I took a hike on Wednesday so I could wear my pack with everything but my food and bathroom items ready. I had taken off the lid pockets, because it is removable and would take away a little weight, but I have to put it back on after taking this hike. Without it, too much weight gets shifted to the outside of my pack so that my food bag would fit and it hurt to carry the weight like that. So the lid will go back on. (I also lost a marble and if you are interested in what that means go to The World's Biggest Marble Hunt on Facebook and join the group and have some fun.)

I have found several blue, black, and white feathers during my walks and hikes.

While we were talking about some of the details of my hike I looked down and saw what I think is a blue jay feather. It is blue, black, and white, and according to the meaning of feather color page I use that means a change is on the horizon. (Read about my mystical mind.) Well it certainly is. In just a couple more weeks (really I could be counting in days now) I will leave for my attempt at a thru-hike of the Ice Age Trail. I'd say that's a pretty big change.

One of the bowls I donated.

In other news I attended an Empty Bowls event at my elementary school, the same event I went to last year. The kids made bowls that they got to keep and several local potters donated bowls to be raffled off. All the money raised and canned food is to be donated to the local food pantry. I won a bowl again this year in the raffle. My donated bowls went missing some time between when I dropped them off on Monday and the event last night. All the teachers were trying to figure out where they went and hopefully they'll find them and be able to raffle them off among the staff and teachers when they do. Raise a little more money for the food pantry.

The second bowl I donated.

And a handled soup bowl.

Yesterday I sorted through my pottery that I boxed up at the end of the season last year to make sure I have enough for my show tomorrow. I loaded my car today. The first show of the year is always the hardest. I'm not sure where everything got stored for the winter, I can't remember exactly what pottery I have or want to take, and this show is actually a craft show so I am also taking my crocheted Kritters, my new sweater monsters, and the beaded sun catchers I made this winter. This also poses new problems as I have to work out how to fit these items into my regular display and much of that tends to happen when I am setting up at the show venue.

One of my new sweater monsters. He is a specific variety
I keep calling "Pocket Monster."

I don't know how many more times I will get to writing before I leave. I will have at least one post next week and then we'll see!

Sap Flow

I went for a walk today. Getting in shape and blah blah blah, but I was enjoying the sun and I love this in between time. Before the snow melts completely, but having warmer temperatures.

So I was enjoying the way the melting snow creates little rivers and streams, the way it sometimes falls over pebbles in miniature rapids and how it even sounds like a babbling brook, and I could hear another noise. A random, but steady, dripping in the leaves on the ground. It sounded like snow melting out of the trees, except we haven't had snow in the trees for a little while now.

I knew what it was, but I had to find a specific tree to confirm. The next time I heard the drip, I glanced around and found a maple tree with wet branches, held my hand out where a drip was collecting and waited patiently for it to fall. If you've never had fresh maple sap right from the tree, you don't know what you are missing.

I'm not a big fan of real, pure maple syrup, but then I'm also not a big fan of the fake maple syrup, but when I can get a taste, even a single drop of maple sap I will wait for that drop to form and catch it when it does.

It would seem the maple trees are very happy with the weather we've been having. Below freezing at night, and getting to 40 or 50 during the day. Perfect weather for the sap to flow. There is one tree on my road that always seems to be the first to start flowing and when the weather is cool enough during the day, sap icicles form on the branches where the sap is dripping. Those are wonderful too. Lightly sweet frozen treats. If you can get one down. My mom and I knocked one out of the tree last week and I managed to catch it. One year, the tree trimmer went through and cut a branch on a sugar maple at the end of our driveway and when the sap started to flow it formed an icicle several inches long. My dad hoisted my (adult) brother up high enough that he could grab it and my whole family got a piece of that one.

So today, or in the next few days while the weather holds, listen for the drips and look for wet branches. You might get a little sweet surprise.