Last look at Mauthe Lake

Last of the pictures from my frosty sleepover last weekend at Mauthe Lake here for you today.

Mauthe Lake campground entrance

It was a little warmer this weekend so on Friday night I hiked a couple of short pieces of the Ice Age trail that I haven't been on and then set up my tent at Ottawa Lake campground.  My new sleeping bag performed much better, but I'll tell you all about it later.

Mauthe Lake at sunrise

The Ice Age trail cuts right through the entrance area at Mauthe Lake and you can decide whether you want to go toward New Fane on the Milwaukee River segment or head north on the Parnell segment.  I chose heading towards New Fane because it looked a little more open and therefore possibly warmer, but the three deer at the trailhead took off in the opposite direction.

When I first started out it was below freezing, but the lack of wind and the warm sun helped a lot.  Wearing Smartwool from head to toe didn't hurt either.

The trail traverses "hummocky forested topography" according to the IAT Guidebook.  What the heck does hummocky mean?  Apparently it means a hill or hump rising above marshy land.  I learn something new every day.

One thing that the guidebook doesn't tell you is what kind of plants or trees are in any of the sections.  Another thing it doesn't do is give a detailed account of what a segment-within-a-segment's length is.   Every once in a while it will say 0.2 miles to shelter from trailhead, or something like that, but doesn't give any other distances just the total overall length of each segment.  Some segments are quite long though the Milwaukee River segment is only 4.3 miles so I'll be able to finish it next time I'm in the area.

The photo below turned out to be an unintentional depiction of "hummocky forest".  Note the low area below the hill. Of course the bumpy terrain is due to the deposits of till from the glacier.

I thought the location of an overnight shelter about a mile from the campground was an odd choice.  When I made my way down the hill to check it out I discovered it was occupied.

The group turned out to be a handful of teenage Boy Scouts from Zion, my own high school "hometown"!  The darlings asked me if I was a member of the class of 2000.  I said, did you say 1000?  I told them I looked so young due to all the clean outdoor living.

Looks like a winding esker to me, how about you?

I only stayed a few minutes, talking to a dad about their experience thru hiking on the IAT and using the shelters and then left them to their morning rituals which included a smoky campfire.  In case anyone is wondering (Peggy keeps asking me so I might as well toss out a reminder) I'm a member of the class of '86 and turned 46 this year.  Go Zee-Bees!

East Branch of the Milwaukee River as it heads into Kewaskum

I walked about 2.5 miles before turning back, cutting my way through the trees and brush behind a church when I saw I was close to the road.  Getting out to the road for my return trip is working out well for me since it's more even and the shoulder is usually a compressed gravel that is nicer to walk on than the pavement.  The distance was the same but the walk was easier and quicker, though a lot less scenic.

The section of the IAT that I hiked parallels the East Branch of the Milwaukee River so it's only appropriate I include a couple of pictures I took of the river in downtown Kewaskum.  I'm sure you all noticed the kame in the background, right?  Though it parallels the river the trail does not come close enough to it any point to see the river while hiking.  The river starts not far from this area and makes its 104 mile journey to Milwaukee and empties into Lake Michigan.



There, now you've gotten your geography and your earth science lessons for the day!  I spent Friday and Saturday away from the house hiking, camping and then meeting Katrina for shopping in order to avoid a lesson in building construction.

Wayne and his buddies are in the back yard building a new 20x20 shed to store all our "toys".  Kind of hard to fit cars in the garage when it's full of kayaks, bikes, a snowblower and don't forget the quad and its new trailer.  Also currently at home in the yard is the fifth wheel, the pontoon boat and Wayne's ice shack.  One of the neighbors asks him when he's getting a helicopter.  Well, now there's no room for a landing pad!

Flowers and Cake for Katrina's Birthday

Today is Katrina's 24th birthday.  Last week I mailed her some pajamas I picked up at Dillards down in Tennessee but today on my blog I have some flowers that I saw at Pinewoods Campground in Kettle Moraine awhile back.  And a gift card to the Night Owl Bakery for some treats she can pick up on the way home from work.

So cute, right?  I made some Birthday Cake flavored roobois tea from David's Tea a little earlier.  It was almost as good as a cupcake with a splash of soy in it.  Too bad it doesn't come with a side of frosting.

We'll be seeing her in two weeks to help her move out of her place in Menominee and come back here to live for awhile.  She posted on Facebook that someone got her a copy of Lena Dunham's book for her birthday...she gets the best gifts!   Wish we could eat those cupcakes with her...all we have at home is some ham and bean soup simmering on the stove.   Just not the same, right?

Kettle Moraine's Ice Age Visitor Center

The Ice Age visitor's center (part of the State Forest and not to be confused with the Ice Age trail) was my first stop after I got my tent all set up at Mauthe Lake on Saturday.  I wanted a map for the North Unit of the Kettle Moraine State Forest.

Mary Beth recommended some hikes and gave me some background info about the geology of the area, and we both agreed that even though the fall color was probably spectacular here a couple of weeks ago it's nice to come when the trees aren't leafed out.  The bare trees make it easier to see the glacial features when hiking the area.

I asked if there was a guide for tree identification available but they were out.  She ran in the back and got me a basic guide for Wisconsin trees that they probably hand out to school groups.  What a gal, right?

scrape marks on rock from glaciers grinding across it

 I wasn't a big fan of the movie they showed, it was pretty much aimed at "teaching" school children, though for that purpose it was pretty well done.  I watched for awhile but it wasn't telling me anything the signs in the display area couldn't so I just read those.

One of the glacial "hitchhikers" on display in the visitor center is a 365 pound piece of copper that made its way down here from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.  I didn't take a photo, I figured you'll be more impressed if you see it for yourself.

It's a kame!

Something that was new to me in the North Unit that I don't remember seeing in the South Unit is kames. A kame is a conical hill formed from water flowing downward through fissures in glacial ice that carried sediment with it.

Outwash plain in the foreground, kame in the background

The whole area here is a result of an "end moraine" which logically enough is where the glacier edge ended.  An outwash plain is formed from meltwater and loose debris flowing out from the glacier.  If you look right at the middle of the map below just under the word End Moraine you'll see the town of La Grange.  La Grange and Little Prairie just slightly to the north and further north into the next town of Eagle is where I do my usual South Kettle Moraine hiking.  The area is at the Walworth County/Waukesha County line and I live further south at the Walworth County/Kenosha County line.

 

There is a "kame field" further north from the Ice Age Visitor Center that you can view from Parnell Tower but I didn't have enough time to do that on this trip.  Maybe I'll get up there this weekend if the weather looks nice...and if I get a warmer sleeping bag.

Control?

Mark from the BCB was talking about an overflow of children on the hiking trails recently which led to a discussion of population control.  I tend to be a "but" person when it comes to cerebral matters.  Yes, population control and our resources being stretched thin is a crucial concern and one I think we need to worry about...but...children are our future (and some are an absolute delight).  But who am I to dictate to others what they decide to do with their body, which includes limiting procreation?  But even though I don't agree with their religious convictions isn't the idea of religious freedom part of what our country tries to guarantee its citizens?  Shouldn't that include the right to practice it as you see fit as long as it doesn't break any laws or hurt innocent people?  As for the crowded hiking trails when the kids are out...but don't they have the right to enjoy our "public" land as much as I do?  Don't I want families teaching their children that our land is important and special so they grow up and elect officials who will continue to conserve it?

Zilmer trail 

 I see too many sides to every situation and find myself often thrust into the role of mediator.  It made me a great parent, in my opinion, but it can be exhausting.  My complaint comes not from the presence of large groups of people on the hiking trails (though I avoid it whenever possible) or at the campgrounds, it comes from how they decide to pursue those activities.  Do they make every effort to follow the rules?  Do they keep the noise to a respectful level?  Do they obey the quiet hours?  Do they pick up behind themselves?  And most importantly, do they teach their young ones courtesy and respect for others?  That's where you get me.  Crowds on the holidays?  Fine, that's part of the deal, if I don't feel up to it I'll stay home or go someplace less attractive to everyone else.  Disrespect for everyone else and the land we're all there to enjoy? Parents shouting at kids who don't listen because they know there are no repercussions?  (Or the flip side, parents who don't stop nagging and don't let their kids do anything at all)  Not fine.

lonely milkweed in the forest

But aren't I supposed to be talking about the hike I took from the Ice Age Center?  It all relates, trust me.  On the suggestion of Mary Beth I left the center on the yellow trail, took a left on the red, then connected to the green and back to the yellow for a loop hike that was about 3 miles long.



There were a few folks on the trail, more than I'm used to seeing but by no means a crowd.  A few had dogs.  Great!  But, like the issue of kids on the trail, what matters is how you handle your charge.  Is your dog a nuisance barker?  Is it leashed? (no more than 8 feet according to State Forest guidelines) Are you cleaning up after it?

hard to identify shriveled leaves!

I was walking behind a couple who had what appeared to be a mix of pitbull and doberman.  Off leash.  Another couple coming towards us had a little leashed dog that they had to PICK UP IN THEIR ARMS as they walked past.  The owners of "JJ" kept calling to him to "wait".  JJ would wait (kinda), but as soon as its owners were in sight it bolted up the trail again.  Not once did JJ come back or did the owners make any effort to do anything with the leash in their hands as other folks walked past them in the opposite direction.

Sunburst lichen

After listening to them call out to JJ to "wait" for about the fiftieth time I finally caught up to them (hard to do on the hilly terrain when you're behind people with longer legs) and in a voice of barely controlled rage asked them if they could please hang back a minute and let me get ahead of them so I didn't have to continue listening to them shout at their dog.

on top of a ridge

I didn't bother to watch their faces for a reaction, just plowed uphill while they told JJ to "wait" yet again.  As I got near the top of the hill JJ decided I was coming to see him, bolted toward me and jumped up on me with his muddy paws.  I fended him off and shouted back down to his owners "and if I'm not mistaken dogs are supposed to be leashed on this trail!"

warmer than my tent perhaps?

Unsurprisingly, even though they called "come" to him repeatedly he ignored them and wanted to be my friend.  I had to stop, gesture toward his owners and say "JJ!  Go on!"  Finally he relented and I spent the next half hour increasing my lead, not stopping to enjoy the forest, and stewing over the incident until I ran across an adorable couple with two adorable leashed, well behaved tiny dogs that pulled them along the trail so fast they passed me.   Ah, there is hope.  And hopefully they had poop bags in their pockets.  And if you're hiking in an area where leashes are not required I hope you know that doesn't mean your dog can be a nuisance to other people and spoil their day just because it's not trained properly.  Were our dogs trained any better than JJ?  Honestly, no.  We also didn't let them roam off leash in public areas because of it.

Sorry I missed this spot when it was ablaze a few weeks ago!

As for the issue of population control, to me preventing excess population growth is desirable, including making sure folks have access to family planning they can afford.  Free would be even better, in my opinion.  Sure would save on health care costs in the long run.  But what issues strike at the heart of why our population is so out of control to begin with?  Obviously it's not because people are breeding large families because that used to be the standard.  Historically, when agriculture was invented there was a huge population surge.  Sine then, numerous plagues, war and famine have kept the population from getting out of control.  But now we've conquered most disease, have less war casualties (we have other ways of conquering our enemies) and have enough control over game and agriculture (for now) to make sure there is adequate amounts of food and water distributed at all times. Did you know that in London in the 1700's almost 75% of children didn't live past the age of five?  Obviously better nutrition and better health care are a major factor in the population explosion.   People live longer, fetuses make it full term, and women don't die in childbirth as often and so on and so on.  Does that mean we should let "nature take its course" and not fight disease, or stop sending food and vaccines to struggling regions?  Of course not.  Personally I think tragedy will befall our planet at some point soon, whether it be through a new disease that we can't fight, lack of resources or weather related phenomena.  Thoughts?  Discussion?  Pick a topic, population control or bad doggie owners or tragedy on the horizon and exercise your brain as well as your body today!

Wintry Morning

Yesterday the temperature was only 43F but there wasn't any wind and the sun was shining so it was a perfect day to go for another hike.  I also had a new sleeping bag I needed to test out so I thought it would be a good time to make my first trip to Mauthe Lake campground in the North Unit of the Kettle Moraine State Forest.  I usually stay in the South Unit because it's about an hour from home but I drove the extra hour because I've been curious and Mauthe Lake is one of the Wisconsin State Park campgrounds that does stay open year round.

Mauthe Lake is a large campground with 135 sites, including a teepee. Most of them are on the smaller side and only 36 have electric.  There is a modern (really clean, one of the newer facilities, but unheated) shower building in the 300 loop and I set my tent up there in case I wanted the luxury of flush toilets in the night.  But with a forecast of an overnight low of 27....I didn't plan on getting up to "go" and skipped my usual water bottle in the tent.

Only one other site was taken, I think guys out on a hunting trip, and when I first settled in with my new bag rated for 30F I thought I might be fine.  I even took my old sleeping bag and threw it over the top of me, and wore insulated Columbia sweatpants to bed with Smartwool socks and a Smartwool long sleeve shirt.  I read on my Kindle for awhile and even though I wasn't as warm as I would have liked I managed to fall asleep around 11:00 p.m.

But, alas, the bag was not doing it, extra "help" or not.  I woke frequently, once with my teeth chattering.  Almost every time I heard coyotes, and once I woke up to hear some animal pawing through leaves at my site.  Probably a raccoon wondering why I didn't have a fire and marshmallows like most folks do. When I checked my watch and it was almost 5:00 a.m. I thought enough was enough and dashed out to the car to warm it, and me, up for the morning.  That took almost 20 minutes alone.

It was only another 20 minute drive to the town of West Bend where wonderful things like Starbucks existed.  I took my time and kept my exhausted eyes peeled on the dark road, after all, I'd come upon 3 bucks in the middle of the road the night before who panicked and couldn't make up their mind which way to go while I stopped and they decided.

I got there shortly before 6:00 and couldn't figure out why they were not only closed but why it didn't look like anyone was in there getting it ready for the day.  I mean, I know it was Sunday, but does that really matter at a coffee chain?

I got on my iPhone to find out when they opened...and finally realized I'd forgotten about the time change.  They opened at 5:30 alright, but apparently I'd been up since 4:00...not 5:00.

What else was there to do but sit in the dark parking lot and wait another half hour?  I used the time to catch up on 3 blogs that I read (man that print is small on the iPhone...) before going in and ordering a hot water to make my decaf Chai.  Oh yes, all that hassle for a cup of hot water, folks!  I did buy a slice of lemon loaf too for later on because I'd eaten my breakfast out of my lunch box in the car.  Hikers need more than sugar.

small pond freezing over

Speaking of decaf tea, I ordered quite the variety from David's tea the other day.  A tea spree, if you will.  The flavor my sister-in-law gave me when we were in Newfoundland is almost gone and they have a kick-ass selection of rooibos, which is my favorite.  If you buy $50 you get free shipping, even though it's shipping from Canada to the U.S.

I ended up timing it perfectly.  After I left Starbuck's I got to Kewaskum and then Mauthe Lake just in time for sunrise light on all the frost coated plants.  I'm not sure if that makes it all worth it, but at least it's something!  I'll definitely be sending that sleeping bag back for something rated for colder weather.  I saw some stuff at the Ice Age visitor center yesterday where I toured the facility and went for a hike, and then of course I hiked the Ice Age trail this morning after the sun came up.  For now just enjoy the frosty post and I hope your night and morning were warmer than mine!

Starting the Blackhawk Segment

On Wednesday I headed back to the parking lot at Bald Bluff one last time to take the spur to the right that led to the Blackhawk segment of the Ice Age trail.  This Bald Bluff/Oak opening area is the only part of the Ice Age trail that travels through Jefferson County.

Bald Bluff is where General Atkinson was on the lookout for Blackhawk, remember?  The spur wanders through some low lying shrub that is relentlessly trying to overtake the dry prairie they are preserving and then starts gradually climbing a ridge that runs paralell to Hwy County H.  After a short walk it crosses Young Road and the Blackhawk segment begins.

I climbed along the ridge for awhile, trying not to get distracted and take too many pictures even though the scenery here was quite different from what I saw on my last two outings.  All the fallen leaves have led to great views of the skies.

naked oaks and me in my blaze orange - hunting season is here!

farm land in the distance

 I don't know if the ridge may be big enough to be considered an esker and but either way it is really a pile of debris left behind from the glaciers, which is why I imagine it is filled with so many of those pesky rocks!  There are a couple of different ways they are thought to have been formed, one of which being that it was where sediment piled up in a crevasse.  Pretty cool!

 typical rocky trail of the IAT in Kettle Moraine State Forest

Just one lichen shot, I couldn't walk past the pretty gold on a late fall afternoon.

And one shot of what is left of the year's wildflowers.

I wasn't up there long before the trail took a turn and wound down the hill to cross Hwy H.  Watch out for speeding traffic!

On the other side of the road I entered a pine forest and the trail was flat and easy, no more rocks!

Due to the leaves falling I was able to spot a small lake alongside the trail, maybe it was a kettle, yet another sign of Wisconsin's glacial past.

Even though the light was falling I kept pushing fast along the trail to try to make it to Oleson Cabin.

The two story cabin was built by Ole Oleson in 1846 out of Tamarack logs.  He was a Norwegian immigrant and lived there with his wife and 9 children.  This was the first time I've been out to this cabin which isn't far from the Pioneer Lime Kiln on the John Muir trails I visited 2 years ago.  

The logging sled was found next to an old foundation in the woods of the area and is estimated to have been in use around 1900.  This type of sled was what would have been used in the area to haul Tamarack trees they felled for buildings.  Tamaracks are coniferous trees that grow in swampy areas and there aren't many left because they were cleared and drained for agriculture.

This pretty shrub/tree wasn't far from the cabin and was my last photo op before making my way back to the trail.  I plan on having Katrina drop me off at the cabin and I'll hike my way back to Whitewater to complete this segment sometime before Christmas.

I wasn't worried about the approaching dark because I finally got a headlamp!  I put it on and had it ready to go but I made my return trip a little shorter and faster by cutting out onto the roadside so I made it back to the car right at dark.  It was nice to have a backup plan though.

I just packed up the car and am taking my first drive up to Kettle Moraine's North Unit.  I got a new sleeping bag that I'm hoping is warm enough for 30 degree nights that I want to test out and most of the Wisconsin state parks are now closed for the season, but not Mauthe Lake.  If I wake up freezing it's less than a 2 hour drive home.,. and I get to try a new section of the Ice Age trail today.