Ice Age Trail - Jerry Lake Segment

“Just planning out my May backpacking trip. This is one of my favorite trails in Wisconsin. I go there about twice a year.”

“Dang it! I was going to ask for a map, hike lengths, etc... then realized that is the first big "summer" weekend of town celebration coverage I have to do. Crappity crap crap crap!”

“I just updated the trip to add miles onto it. I should have done this. I know this trail well, it is a good friend of mine.

The dates can be moved, lizs. I just picked a date a few weeks out.

I added a map to the trip page. I'll update the map to show the route in a little while.”

“Well, the weekend before that I have an event I'm at that puts me one hour closer to it Friday afternoon than I normally would be. Not sure I can go, but that's the weekend I was hoping it was. So for sure do it on a weekend that works for you.

Thanks for putting the map up, but it's too small. What is the nearest town? I know where Drummond and Lake Ownen are. Or road or other landmark? Something I can find in my DeLormes Gazatteer. Thanks.
last edited: 4/28/06 12:33:52 PM”

“I updated the map and added trip details. I had to pull it together with some GPS data and the GIS centerpoint data from the Ice Age Trail (which doesn't exist for the lobe as far as I can tell). Anyway, hope that map works better.

The trail is near Medford, WI. That would be the closest town. I'll post directions to the trailhead from here/etc if people sign up.”

“Oh I just realized the weekend before is Mothers Day weekend and if I go backpacking on this weekend I won't go again for 6 months as payment for this sin. How about the weekend of the 26th? This is actually better for me so I'll change the trip to reflect this.”

“That's Memorial Day weekend, FWIW.

lol, funny about Mother's Day... Maybe that weekend I'll try to do Black River State Forest. Not hugely far away. I'll be in Winona, MN as is, right on the ole Miss and easy going from there.”

“ARGH!!!

I love BRSF.

I am going to see if I can get a permission slip for mothers day weekend.”

“LOL!

Have her go with??

As far as Black River State Forest...
HA! Winona to Millston, WI (Black River State Forest entrance off I-94): 1.5 hours. My town to Millston, WI (return trip): 2.5 hours.

Memorial Day weekend might work for your trip, if indeed you want to have it then. I just have to be back for sure to cover Memorial Day events that Monday. So maybe have Sunday be the last day, or have a bail-out point?

My town in MN to Medford, according to Mapquest, 4 hours, 16 minutes and 200 miles.

**Note to self: I have to keep in mind I have a big June trip that is likely going to shoot $550 in gas at $3 a gallon... and possibly lots more. So trips are still tentative on my end (Lord knows I WANT TO GO!!! WAAAAAH!!!)”

“I make that trip to Millston from Chicagoland at least 4 times a year. It's almost an exact 4 hour drive. I love the BRSF. It's a great place to bring kids. The area near the Dike 17 Wildlife Refuge and Weber Flowage are to cool for school. Weber Flowage road is an incinerator on a hot, sunny day in June! At least on the flowage on such days you have the chance for a breeze.”

“Yeah, last year we hiked point to point, reversing a hike from Eric Hansen's book. There was a tricky spot where we had to hit a "kind of" trail to connect from the flowage roads to the trails in the Wildcat Mound unit. We managed it. Sure wish I had GPSed that point! We ended up at Smrerkar (however it's spelled).

We camped at the same spot both Friday and Sat. nights, so could slack-pack Saturday.

http://community.webshots.com/myphotos?action=viewAllPhotos&albumID=330724955&security=czeidz”

“That is SUCH a great place to take scouts, young kids, and novices backpacking. The trails are wide and open, easy to follow. It has a deep woods feel to it but it's not a total wilderness experience. I love Wildcat Mound. There is another ski shelter much like the one you camped at that is only shown on a few maps. There is water at this shelter, a pump, unlike the shelter you stayed at. I generally stay at the shelter you slept at, however, because it is in a very convenient location.”

“So.... where is the other one, huh huh? There was one in the Smrekrar (sp?) area, but is this other one elsewhere?”

“I'll never tell!”

“Too soon for me to tell....I would like to make this but a billion and one things are in my way right now lol!”

“I'm going to be in NDak middle of May but will keep my eyes on this hike in case that falls through...plus, your dates seem to be moving around...LOL...who knows..how about serious bug season and do it sometime in early June...”

“LOL, I like the disclaimer on the map. I always try to put "disclaimers" on trips I host, like "If you die and want to sue me, first of all, you are barking up the wrong money tree, and second of all, you get mud on yourself, it's not my fault. This hike does include inherent risks and you are hiking knowing that."

Just something like that. ;-)”

“I don't have a map that has both the Ice Age Trail and the Chippewa lobe on it. I digitzed a copy of the lobe, scaled it to the same scale as the IAT map, and matched it up with trail features on the IAT. I am betting it's pretty good but it for sure is NOT for navigation purposes. ;)”

“Thanks for the invite Jim, but the knee, actually the right leg has gone bad on me. Favoring the knee itself, I think I pulled something in the leg and it hurts more now thatn the knee.”

“drive up with the wife and kid and car camp at jerry lake an waddle around the area... :)

Hope you are feeling well soon, WK. I look forward to hiking with you before next winter!”

“August baby!”

“Do we know a weekend yet? hmmm? hmmm?

I should post a May 12 to 14 trip somewhere fairly local....”

“I still have to ask for a hall pass for Mothers Day. It will be some sort of trade and it will cost me dearly...”

“I posted my trip, May 12-14.

The "somewhere within 2 hours of Winona, MN"

BRSF is likely, but if no one else is going there, I'll go elsewhere.”

“from that list i have only been to brsf. they all sound good to me.”

“I got a hall pass for Mothers Day. So I am going to say that May 12th-14th is final as far as I am concerned. Sure hope people can make it. I have a good friend I am hoping to bring along.”

“So, you are saying May 12-14 is final for Jerry Lake? Or for BRSF? lol... I am confused (don't say it! And I'm not blonde! LOL)

OK, so it's for YOUR hike. I just checked the page. hmmmm...
last edited: 5/01/06 9:16:10 PM”

“Haha, I guess I am open to either but I really want to go to the Ice Age Trail. I was just at BRSF last month camping with my boys. Regardless I got a hall pass for that weekend so I am free to backpack SOMEWHERE in Wisconsin.”

“OK, next question... Mapquest tells me it's 145 miles/3 hours to Medford. I wouldn't be able to leave that Friday till 4 p.m. from Winona, MN.

Don't know that I like the sound of the river crossing at night. I'm skeered o' water and don't swim as it is!!! So tell me more on that....

Or hey, Jimmy San, another idea is the Kickapoo Valley Reserve.... This is a place I've wanted to visit for awhile. Could backpack, I think... or canoe and/or backpack.

MAIN WEBSITE: http://kvr.state.wi.us/home/

MAP: http://kvr.state.wi.us/home/images/kvr_map_96dpi.jpg

FRIENDS OF: http://www.kickapoofriends.org/”

“RE crossing the Yellow River...

First here is a photo of the Yellow River in June:



Swimming should NOT be required. It's a simple ford if you must. I have always crossed on the stones. I can't imagine the river being higher than this unless we suddenly get a whole lot of rain near the weekend.

Sunset is at 8:20 PM and twilight is at 10:06 pm. It's 3 miles from the parking area to the Yellow River camp site. If you want I could set up camp and meet you either at Jerry Lake or at the south side of the lake.

Anyway, there is an OK camp site right at Jerry Lake. It is a few hundred yards from the parking lot on a very obvious trail. The trail follows the west edge of the lake and right into the camping area.

If that camp is taken as it sometimes is you can camp anywhere off the trail so long as you follow the regulations (forget what they are but they are reasonable).

So if you really can't make the 3 miles to north side of the Yellow River we can always camp there. It matters not.

Whoa, full moon on the 13th! This will be a good weekend for this trip.”

“Oh, I'll read about the KVR tonight. Looks very cool to me. I have never been there myself.”

“hehe, i just looked at that river photo. the blue things at the top of the photo sticking in the grass are my buddies legs. i am not much of a photographer. i have looked at this photo dozens of times and never noticed that. LOL”

“OR, YOU ALL could postpone and join us the following weekend at Pictured Rocks? (5/19-23) 42.8 miles of beautiful Lake Superior shoreline hiking!!!!”

“...tempting especially since the drive is only an 2 hours or so different (7 rather than 5 hours). I did a trip last month with an 8 hour drive so I'll prolly just stick close to home this time. I love this segment of the IAT and while it's not Pictured Rocks it's still a special place for me.”

“Here is a photo of the camp site at Yellow River. The one at Jerry Lake is OK but nothing to write home about.

”

“can't wait
cant' wait
cant wait”

“Enjoy, I'm doing that trip Memorial Day weekend... Hidden Lakes is over Mother's day weekend... when I can keep up with your mileage, I join you!”

“always welcome

i saw your pics of the porkies... i was just there with Spirit Coyote!

look forward to meeting you some day on the trail”

“I know... I was following your trip page since I found this site. I'm just a beginner, so I wanted to get a few trips under my belt; learn my limits, before I join you experienced backpackers. I would never want to mess up someone else's hike, because I couldn't keep pace! I saw your pictures too... what an awesome place huh?”

“Good chance for rain next weekend. It always rains when I hike. I almost never get a break it seems. Temps should be in the 50s/40s which is really nice. Hey, good raingear is too expensive to sit at the bottom of your pack!”

“I am pushing this trip out one week since nobody seemed to be able or want to go. It just works better with my schedule as of last night.

I am going to take some of my Boy Scouts fly fishing this weekend. They want to earn the merit badge and we need two-deep leadership for the day class. I would personally rather go do the NCT trail work that prosecutor turned me on to, but hey... it's all for the boys right?”

“are you aware that it's snowing up here tonight? Maybe it's better you changed the date... I however am going on my first overnighter this weekend... trial by fire? Or by snow... I will no longer be a virgin backpacker! Whoohoo!”

“Yes, I know and I am jealous. I love hiking in crappy weather. Like I said, I am going to push my trip back a week so I will miss it. Good luck gaska and dress in layers and you will be fine. Are you going alone?”

“I thought I was going to have a guy from Madison area join me; we talk on a different backpacking site. But I haven't heard from him, so who knows. I'm going either way, and I am planning on layers. I've been out tent camping when it was 38 degrees overnight in August, so what the heck right?!?! We Chicago area transplants are tough right?”

“damn straight!”

“I might have missed some fun weather by pushing this out a week. oh well! I am still planning on going the weekend of the 20th. The weather for this weekend lots GREAT right now, but of course it's too soon to tell.”

“Well, I did it! And by myself too! I had a great time, but now I'm sure that I'll need to "train" before I join the big hikes you guys do!

I'm sure I'll be sore for a few days, but I did stay warm; even at night! Comfortable... well, that's another issue; I will have to learn to sleep on my back! That, and the dog was so miserable she kept trying to steal my bag & sleeping pad!

The rain was actually fine, the few peaks at the sun were unwelcome as they brought too much heat for my many layers!”

“Congrats graska!

I love solo hiking. I found that for me learning to be alone was almost as challenging as learning how to get along with other people. Prior to TT I used do all my hikes solo unless I could con one of my non-hiking friends to go with me. I reached a point where I had no problems at all keeping myself company on a quiet evening in the backcountry. I think appreciation of solitude, when you can really have it, is a good thing.

What kind of dog did you take with you? I have two dogs: One is a rat. The other is a moose. The rat would ride in the side-pocket of the backpack, the moose would carry one. I don't take either one hiking. I love dogs more than I can say but I just don't get anything out of taking them hiking with me. I guess if I taught my dog to be one of those cool trail dogs I meet every once in a while I would change my mind. That said, more often than not the dogs I meet on the trail are a huge pain in the butt and belong to owners that think I should apprecite their mutt like they do as it chases me down. "Oh, sorry, I don't know what came over him! He is not like that at home. I am sure that stain will come out..." ;)”

“I don't know if my dog qualifies as a cool trail dog, but she is good company and listens well. She stays close and doesn't chase anything we may happen across. She is a 3 year old black lab mutt. She generally stays right by me, but I keep her leash at hand always, if we hear people; she goes right on her leash, although she has seen other dogs before I've seen them she doesn't leave me. Kids are the biggest temptation, as she loves kids, but she's easily restrained from giving love where it's not desired. It was a great hike, I must not be in too bad a shape as I am no longer sore. Just a matter of working out some new muscles!”

“sounds like a cool pooch to me

I love dogs”