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Welcome!
I've been absent from making posts, but the hiking has continued. 2015 is coming to a close and there are many stories to tell from the last two years...

2015
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Oh wow. Many many hikes. Ice Age Trail, Colorado, South Dakota Badlands. I need a week off work to do some writing.

2014
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July 21st - Sam Baker State Park, Missouri
August - Paddling Door County
Sept 7th - Ice Age Trail - Mondeaux Segment
Oct 3rd - Levis-Trow
Oct 18th - Ice Age Trail - Greenbush Segment

Sunday, October 27, 2013

Ice Age Trail - Clover Valley Segment



     The Ice Age Trail in Southern Wisconsin has many trail segments but also makes heavy use of paved bicycle trails and connector routes (county roads).  This is a necessity as farm land has conquered what was once vast prairie broken only by streams, rivers, and sporadic stands of wood.  Today, the farm land gives way to subdivisions 40 acres at a time.  The IAT Alliance has and continues to seek out what bits and spots they can put hikers as far from a road or building as is possible.

     The Clover Valley Segment of the IAT is a short 1.6 mile jaunt through prairie, swamp, and woods with its western end at the Rock & Walworth county line. 
     The wife and I dragged the kids along for the 5km out and back walk along this segment on October 27th.  A typical October day with early November weather, the sun was as high as the wind and the temps peaked out around 50F.

     The drive from Janesville is a quick one along Hwy 59 and then south on Hwy 89 to Island Rd.  The parking lot, large enough to fit four or five vehicles carefully parked, is easy to spot on the south side of the road.  The trail starts out along a tree lined corn field.  Today, the corn was harvested on this field.  That was the main activity of the day with trucks and tractors in nearly every field we passed (and there are many many many fields between Janesville and Whitewater).    A hunter walked along the other side of the field with his shotgun at right shoulder arm. 
     When a trail carries through fields and prairie any stand of trees always seems to have one that stands out as unusual or noteworthy.  These same trees can be found in the deep forests as well, but are often lost among their brothers and sisters as just another textured brown part of the wooded backdrop.
     In one area tall swamp grasses are tossed about at head’s height on either side of the trail.  Leading the way, Ruth plays her hands across the tops of the brown heads.  I’m reminder of a scene from Gladiator.  This brought my thoughts to another mown field thousands of miles away in southern England, but today there would be no sign for a lost Roman Temple - just another corn field bordering a swamp.  What was in this place before it was farm land? 
    After a short bit of prairie the trail winds through a brief stand of woods.  This spectacular bit of forest starts off with birch, still with most of their leaves, and is speckled with various other trees.  The foliage on the forest floor, what little there was, has died back leaving a mat of fallen branches and fallen leaves.  The trail is still easy to follow, but in two weeks the yellow blaze will need to be your guide.

     After the woods there is a sound, a bird, but what is it?  Not a goose, not a crane.  Still a half mile away and the sound cannot be placed.  Shortly, though a farm comes into view and the crowing of two roosters confirms I have no ear for animal sounds after all.

     Finally, the trail comes to an end at a bench and a county road.

      The area the trail runs through is a mix of leased private land and posted private land.  Stay on the trail so we can keep it.  There really isn’t another spot for the trail to go.  Much of the trail will be closed during the gun deer season.

     There are few true hiking escapes south of Taylor County, but this small bit of trail offers a variety of habitat and is a place I will return to.




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