2013 - Fall in Northern Wisconsin

End of September, temperatures dropping, football in full swing, and the leaves changing colors. That means only one thing - time to head to the North Woods of Wisconsin for some hiking and biking.

Day 1 - Biking Lac du Flambeau

The timing of this year's trip worked out perfectly. Although I wasn't able to make the 49th Annual Beef-a-Rama in Minocqua, I did arrive the day after (September 29th), with clear blue skies, temperatures around 70 degrees, and the leaves at their peak color change. My plans called for two bike rides and one hike along the area forest roads and trails, before heading back home on October 2nd.

I arrived in the Minocqua area about 12:30pm, which was perfect for a bike tour around the Lac du Flambeau Indian Reservation. Since the drive from Waterloo, IA was approximately 6-1/2 hours, plans were for a nice 18 mile bike ride on the roads shown in red in the in the photo. However, when you are enjoying the sights more than the route you are traveling, you end up with a 30 mile bike ride, and only riding a portion of the intended route. But that was ok.. I got to explore some of the back roads and lakes of the area. 

My journey started and ended at the Lake of the Torches Resort and Casino (good place to leave my SUV). Although my thighs and rear end were "feeling it", I couldn't resist a few slots before heading to the hotel in Minocqua. More good news... I came out even!

Day 2 - Hiking along the WI/MI Border

Monday morning I loaded up the SUV with my back pack and camera equipment, and traveled North on Hiway 51 thru Manitowish Waters and headed to the Wisconsin/Michigan (UP-Upper Peninsula) border. The area had several forest roads and ATV trails which looked perfect for exploring. My planned route would take me into the UP around Hook Lake, and then South around No Mans Lake and Bena Lake. 

The initial portion of the trip was on ATV trails - gravel and sometimes grassy paths, This wooded area also had wetlands, which made some of the trails impassable. It was clear that the ATV riders knew this and made several alternative paths thru the woods. You'd think after missing turns on my biking route yesterday I would have looked my hiking route over a bit more closely to avoid missing the right trail. LESSON #1 - Make sure you know your route! (Yes, I ended up taking a different route, adding an extra couple miles). No problem... I had plenty of time to wander on the beautiful Wisconsin day.

Upon completing the 1st half of the hike I headed out on the southern portion of the route. This was mainly on gravel roads which property owners used to get to their homes and cabins. Should be a piece of cake completing this portion. LESSON #2 - Verify the Google Maps routes do still exist! About 3/4 of the way around No Mans Lake, the road I was on came to an end. Fortunately, there was a cabin, and a gentleman chopping wood. After showing him my "planned route", he pointed me to "the road" I wanted (see photo to the right). He informed me that the current property owner "wouldn't shoot me", but that the prior owner "probably would have. Time for about a half mile of cross country hiking to get to the main road. 

After 10 miles of hiking, this added adventure took a bit of effort, but I made it to the road heading back to my vehicle. Along the cross country hike I came across an old Model T frame, obviously abandoned many, many years ago.

4-1/2 hours and 11.6 miles later, I made it back to my car. A successful hike completed!

Time to head back toward Minoqua and relax a bit. But not before a stop at Mann Lake, and a check of the old family cabin. 

This cabin, built in the 1940's has been abandoned for the last 15 years... and it still stands prominently on a point of the lake. 

Day 2 is in the books. Tomorrow brings one more bike ride, this time around the Boulder Junction area.

Day 3 - Bike Ride around the Boulder Junction area

The final day of my trip was to explore the roads and trails around the Boulder Junction area. The planned route would take me Northwest out of Boulder Junction, along forest roads, around Jenny and Sanford Lakes, back to the South to near Upper Gresham Lake, and then back East and North, returning to Boulder Junction. Boulder Junction has several paved bike trails along Hiway M, providing leisurely riding for those visiting the town. Leaving the bike trails I headed into the forest. Following some ATV/snowmobile trails, I once again found my planned route "disappearing". Using my phone's GPS, I was able to find the route, but it appeared that the portion I was on was no longer used as a trail (see photo). Not wanting to back track, I ventured on, and came upon a trail system which appeared to be a mountain biking trail system. Thinking I was back on track, I headed out... 1st thing I learned was I AM NOT IN SHAPE FOR TRAIL RIDING MOUNTAIN BIKE TRAILS! These trails had tons of hills to ascend/descend, and several alternative "trails" you could take. Not having this trail system on my map, I continued on, thinking I would soon intersect with the road I would take back to the South and West. 

After probably an hour of following these trails, I came upon Sanford Lake. A small but beautiful lake, run by the Park Service for recreational use and fishing. I stopped to enjoy the view, and recheck my map on where to head next.

I hopped back on my bike and headed out, and shortly came to Jenny Lake. Like Sanford Lake, this is also a great spot to camp and fish. OK, now its time to get serious and find my route... besides, there was only one other way to go. I finally came upon a paved road. This must be my road.. so I followed it... ANOTHER DEAD END! The road lead onto some private property, which I was not about to attempt. Assuming this paved road must be here for a reason, I headed back the opposite way. Now into about 20 miles (~ 4 hours) of riding to this point, and my legs (and rear end) beginning to wear out, I decided it was time to find a way out and head back to Boulder Junction. 

I followed the paved road back to the North, eventually running into County Road B. I began my 8 mile trek from there back to Boulder Junction. 33.4 miles and 5 hours later I made it back into town. A GREAT ride, but not the one I had planned. Suffice to say, by now, after three days of biking and hiking, my legs were telling me its time to call it a day. 

The 2013 edition of my Fall escape to Northern Wisconsin was in the books. The beauty and tranquility of the North Woods is like nothing else. It so makes you appreciate how fortunate we are to have areas like this to enjoy.  

As I write this, I am already exploring Northern Wisconsin and the UP with Google Maps for possible adventures for next Fall, or maybe even this upcoming Winter, using snow shoes!

If you would like to see more photos taken during my journeys, click on the link below. Feel free to share this blog and the photo albums with other who you think might be looking for an outdoor adventure in Upper Midwest!

2013 Fall WI Trip Photo Album

2013-Snowshoeing in Northern Wisconsin - Day 1

Living in the northern climate of the United States, you either have to embrace the Winter weather, or plan many trips to Florida, Arizona, or the Caribbean between November and March. This year I decided to embrace it, and experience winter sports in the North Woods of Wisconsin. Not owning a snowmobile, or cross country skis, and having this insatiable desire to explore the forests, I opted for checking out the world of snowshoeing. Being a lifelong runner, and more recently, a walker and hiker, snowshoeing seemed to be a perfect way to experience my 1st Winter in the North Woods.

The Minocqua, Boulder Junction, and St. Germain areas of Wisconsin are mecca for Winter sports in the Upper Midwest. In fact, The day I drove up to  Minocqua, the latest "Cruiserfest 2013" was wrapping up on Lake Minocqua. Literally hundreds of snowmobiles and people were traveling South on Hiway 51 Sunday, heading home after a weekend of fun in the snow.

I loaded up my Santa Fe with a bunch of warm clothing, a pair of borrowed snowshoes, a backpack, all my camera and video equipment, and headed out at 5:30 Sunday morning. The early departure was to avoid a potential winter storm predicted for portions of Northern Wisconsin in the afternoon. Of course, that meant driving on roads coated with some freezing rain until I reached Madison, Wisconsin. Once there, I checked in at my "go to" hotel - Americinn of Minocqua.

Monday morning arrived with temperatures at 30 degrees, but with a forecast for the temps to drop all day and winds up to 30 mph. Not having gone snowshoeing for an extended distance before, I brought all my winter wear to make sure I was warm... and safe. The drive to Mann Lake took about 15 minutes. Thanks to a friend who lives on Mann Lake, I was able to park at his cabin, and begin the journey from there.

To make sure I stayed warm, I had four layers on top, and under my jeans I wore my winter running pants. I wore a stocking cap, a neck gaitor, and used my running gloves (worked well with ski poles). To play it safe, I also carried in my back pack an extra running jacket, my heavy duty winter mittens, an extra stocking cap, two "space blankets", binoculars, a safety whistle, and a trusty bag of licorice. Time to head out.

The 1st step onto the lake was a bit unnerving... I'd never been on a frozen lake like this. I had been assured there was "at least two feet of ice" on the lake. As I ventured out from the shore line, I started feeling the slush I had been told about that had formed between the snow and the ice, as a result of the warm weather the past week. Each step felt like stepping in "mush". As I moved along the shoreline, I noticed open water underneath a boathouse. Two feet thick, huh?? Time to move out away from the shore, where the ice has to be good and solid! Sure enough, the "mush" disappeared, and I ventured on. Gaining my confidence that I could do this, I began to head back toward the shoreline so I could check out the landscape for animal tracks. Once again, the slush became more pronounced, and in one spot, I took a step that resulted in me sinking down, feeling like I stepped in a "weak spot" in the ice! This cannot be good, I thought. After surveying my surroundings, the "engineer in me" kicked in, and I surmised that this area was protected from the wind, and likely was prone to melting. Therefore, I should head out away from the shoreline once again. Of course, if my hypothesis was wrong, and I were to break thru the ice, I would be even further from safety! As I ventured away from the protected area, the slush went away... whew!  Onward!

I was walking with the wind for the 1st half of the hike, so after about 20-30 minutes, I was warming up pretty good (looked as though my clothes selection plan wasn't well thought out)... But I knew it would be changing soon, when I began the trek back into the North winds. The day was overcast, so with all the white snow surroundings, and the gray skies, the scenery was limited... however, the landscape of the lakeshore provided some neat views. At one point, where the lake turned into a marsh area, I ventured back into the grasslands. Several animal tracks could be seen along the shoreline, but no animals. By now, I was starting to feel my confidence building, so I ventured off the lake and into the wooded area. The snow depth increased, not to mention the hidden objects (branches, trees and rocks). So what seemed like a leisurely walk in the woods had turned into alot of work!

I worked my way back on to the lake, and began the trek back to west, along the south shoreline... The wind had picked up, and my path was directly into it. The snow also seemed deeper along the south shoreline (or maybe it was my legs were starting to get tired??).

Part of my journey was to visit the Titus cabin on the south side of the lake. The cabin, used for many, many years as a getaway for our family, still stands proudly, albeit a bit run down due to having not been used in over 20 years.
I took some photos to document the condition of the property, and pressed on.

The "slush" was back... 6-8 inches of snow, and 1-2 inches of slush on the ice made the going a bit tougher. I worked my way across the cove, toward the "old rock" at the west end of the lake. This was always a "go to" spot as a child, when we were old enough to take the boats out on our own. Sure looked alot bigger 50 years ago!  Once again, I headed up into the woods to explore the shoreline. The fresh snow from the night before was untouched. I looked up into the rustling trees, and caught a glimpse of two eagles flying over. Sight and experiences like this make you appreciate just how lucky we are!

Time to head back to the car, so I started my journey along the north shoreline, where all the homes and cottages on Mann Lake are grouped. I couldn't help but think how nice these places would be in the middle of July.. but right now they were quiet, and no activity whatsoever. My arms and legs were definitely "feeling it" by the time I made it to my starting point. Although glad I had finally made it to the end, safe and sound,  I couldn't help but think how neat this snowshoeing experience was!

I was able to track my adventure using one of the MapMyFitness.com apps - MapMyHike. Its great for tracking time, location, elevation, and estimated calories expended. The bad news was that my smartphone battery, in the cold, would only allow it to work for half of the hike. So the trip was recorded in two segments (2nd segment was with a new phone battery).

The following is a Google Maps 3D recording of my journey around the lake.

• The 1st Half of the Hike

• The 2nd Half of the Hike

My 1st snowshoeing trip is in the books!  I took several photos along the way. They can be viewed in my Picasa album (click here to view).

Stay tuned for the 2nd day of my snowshoeing adventure - Bond Falls, in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan!