Ice Age Trail: Turtle Rock Segment

Charlie and I completed the Turtle Rock Segment last weekend! I'm always happy to hike a trail near a river ~ especially the Wisconsin River, but this was one of the most challenging and difficult trails I've ever done. It didn't help that it was a hot day and the deer flies were out in full-force either.

We started at the Burma Rd. entrance with the hope of completing the longest stretch of trail first and then taking a decent break when we reached the river. The problem began when we entered the trail and were instantly swarmed with biting flies that we had to practically run from. I kept my can of bug spray in hand, ready for constant reapplications. I even sprayed Charlie's new Ruffwear Web Master Harness and wiped some spray on top of her head; I felt so bad for her.

The terrain alternated from wide mowed paths edged with trees to overgrown wooded areas where the path was barely visible, although the yellow trail blazes are easy to find. However, the bugs never relented. Occasionally there would be mucky spots and I could see how difficult this trail would be during the spring or after a rainy period, but by this time in the year the creeks and marshes were mostly dried-up.

 

We eventually entered a forest-and-swamp mix that reminded me of the "Fire Swamp" from the Princess Bride movie. I kept waiting for the "Rodents Of Unusual Size" to jump out at me. Maybe it's just because this is such a remote part of the trail, but it was spooky. At times like these, I'm so glad to have my dog, Charlie, along. While I'm technically hiking alone, having her with me helps me feel less so.

Rocks began to protrude up through the trail in spots and I could hear the distant roar of the falls; I figured we were getting close to the river. Finally.

But apparently I was wrong. Instead we continued to trek along completely overgrown trail with waist-high weeds. And the flies were still swarming... although by this point I just gave in and accepted that they were going to be with us throughout the hike. Charlie was a good trail leader and trudged ahead, blazing her own trail. At times, I could barely see her red vest through the thick ferns.

Finally we arrived at the trail marker turning us toward the river, but as we got close enough to see the distant water, I realized the foliage was going to be too dense to get near the river's edge. Charlie kept trying to pull me toward the sound of the water, but we had to keep heading along the trail and hope to find an opening soon. I knew she was getting hot; we needed to find a safe spot for her to go swimming and take a break.

Hiking with a dog has its own special challenges. It's not like you can ask whether they're okay or if they need a break - you have to watch their body language and use good judgment. I always carry enough water for both of us because I don't want Charlie drinking out of the mosquito-filled puddles (and whatever else might be in there). We take regular breaks to have a snack, rehydrate and pour water on top of her back (under the harness) to help keep her cool. I also stop every 1/2 hour or so to check her feet for injuries and pull ticks off her.

The trail was getting MUCH more challenging along this stretch. We had to scramble over huge rocks, boulders and logs while climbing up, down and all around. Having the Ruffwear Roamer Leash belted to me - freeing up my hands - allowed me to grip rocks and tree trunks as I made my way through this crazy trail.

The trail kept going and going and going and all the while the river was taunting us with its delightful babble over the 1.8 billion-year-old rocks of Grandfather Falls... just out of reach. We paused frequently to look for yellow blazes to make sure we were still on the trail - sometimes guessing our way but never getting lost. And finally a view of the river; we had to be close to an opening!

But no. Next thing I know, we're practically swallowed up by ferns that were taller than me! Charlie didn't know where to go, so I took the lead, wading through the ferns and hoping like crazy that we were heading in the right direction.

Six-foot-tall ferns!

Yellow blaze on small tree ahead!

As we emerged from the ferns, I spotted a yellow blaze on a tree up ahead - sweet relief! And yet, the trail continued with no access to the river.

Until finally we came out onto a large sloping rock just below Grandfather Dam. We could see people fishing and picnicking on the opposite shore, enjoying a beautiful Saturday afternoon - such a tease after hiking so long and just wanting to be done already.

Unfortunately the water was moving too swiftly to let Charlie swim here. We headed back up the trail, much to Charlie's dismay, to hopefully find a swimming spot above the dam in calmer water. This time Charlie was in luck! And I totally let her play and frolic in the water for as long as she wanted. She was so happy and completely revived!

After our swimming break, we headed back into the woods to finish up the hike. I found a HUGE snake skin across the trail at one point (presumably a water snake) and we heard deer up on the ridge above us, which Charlie attempted to chase before realizing that she was securely anchored to me.

Snake skin in comparison to my boot - over 3 feet long?

I was dead tired so I allowed Charlie to assist with pulling me up the steep trail above the tiny creek flowing below us.

The hike continued through pretty woods and decent trail terrain. I carried Charlie over the bridge at the final creek crossing because the squares in the plastic grate were too big and her feet would have gone through. When we arrived at the designated parking area off County Highway E, I checked my clock and found that we'd hiked the 5 miles of trail in 2-1/2 hours. Not too bad, but longer than I had expected. Turtle Rock Segment definitely requires extra time due to the extreme terrain and allowing time for possibly wandering off-trail. We found some evidence of trail-marker damage but not enough to cause us to get lost - the yellow blazes are always easy to find if you watch for them.

Ice Age Trail: Grandfather Falls Segment

While sipping my morning coffee, I pulled out my Wisconsin Gazetteer to find a place to go hiking today. (If you are an adventurer or road-tripper, I highly recommend you go get one - you can find them at most gas stations and even Wal-Mart.) So after perusing various pages, I found a sweet spot. Since I've never hiked any part of the Ice Age Trail before, this seemed like the perfect time to start. And after today's hike (which was *awesome*), you can expect a series of Ice Age Trail reviews to come.

This segment of the trail is located about 10 minutes North of Council Grounds State Park along Hwy. 107. The marker on the map was for Camp New Wood County Park and there was a dotted line next to it indicating a trail for the Ice Age National Scenic Trail. I figured it would be worth a shot to check it out, and if it was a bust, we could always go back to Council Grounds.

The winter has not been kind to Hwy. 107 and the drive was pretty bumpy. But the scenery made it all worthwhile. Halfway between Council Grounds and the Grandfather Falls Segment is a peak marker on the map for Ninemile Hill; there is a momentary but spectacular view of the Wisconsin River Valley from the top of this hill. Also there are two pick-your-own strawberry farms on this stretch of road ~ Engelberry Farms and M&M Strawberry Farm ~ so if you end up checking out this trail in June, make sure to leave time to get some strawberries!

Upon arriving at the  Camp New Wood County Park, I realized the parking lot had not been plowed and had to put the Jeep in four-wheel-drive so as not to get stuck. There is alternate parking across the road (with a plowed parking lot) for the Merrill School Forest.

The park itself has pit toilets, playground equipment, covered picnic shelters and plenty of parking. Down the trail a little ways, there is another pit toilet area and a few campsites... although the road is only about 30 feet from the camping area ~ it may not be the quietest place to camp, but being so close to the Wisconsin River might be worth the trade-off. I'll let you know when it warms up enough to camp!

The first thing I noticed when I stepped out of the Jeep was how silent it was. So quiet. You could barely even hear the river gurgling. Normally, when we're at parks you can hear the distant sound of a highway or roads or... something. But here, there was only silence. The evergreen branches hung heavy with the newly fallen snow from yesterday and there were stray snowflakes still falling from the white sky.

The trees along the trail are marked with little yellow rectangles so you don't lose your way. I'm not sure if this would even be possible because it's pretty clear where the trail is ~ even with over a foot of snow covering it! Luckily, someone had already hiked this section of trail earlier and the footprints matched my stride perfectly! (I found this person at the end of this section and talked with him for a minute about other trails in the area, and thanked him for leaving nice footprints for me to walk in!).

There are cute little foot-bridges throughout the trail. Because the trail is kind of "cut into" the hillside between the river and the road (above the trail), I'm sure there's quite a bit of water runoff down the hillside that would wipe out the path, or make it impassable if it weren't for these little bridges. In any case, I think they're cute.

I seriously cannot get over how SCENIC it was along this trail. I can't seem to find the right words to bring it to life properly. Instead of taking my word for it and trying to experience it through these photos, I highly recommend you get off the computer and make the road trip out there!

I realize a lot of the beauty today had to do with the blanket of fresh snow on everything, but I can't wait to check out this trail during the different seasons... birds and smell of fresh pine in the spring, camping and swimming in the summer, and the beautiful fall foliage in autumn.

As we got closer to Grandfather Falls, the river got increasingly louder. The babble of water over the rocks of the rapids was so soothing. At the end of this segment is a dam with a portage area for canoes. The trail continues across the river, but we had already hiked 3 miles and needed to conserve our energy to get back to the parking lot. Plus I only brought along one bottle of water and had shared some of it with Charlie (which she didn't drink anyway!) and I knew I was getting dehydrated.

Charlie was definitely much slower on the way back and stopped to chew on sticks along the way. She had been so exuberant when we started the trail, funny how walking through a foot of snow will tire you out so quickly. We had fun though, and that's the whole point.

Even though there was a lot of snow on the trail, I never felt like I was in danger of sliding down the slope to the river below. There were good footholds and if you pay attention to where you're going, you'll do just fine. It is a bit of a challenging hike, but still do-able for beginners. Just make sure you stop frequently to enjoy the view and bring along water so you don't get dehydrated. However, if you're super-afraid of heights, this may not be a good trail for you.

Small bird's nest I saw on the way back ~ tiny treasures!

I've lived in the Wausau area since 1996 and I can't believe how little I know about this part of the state that I call home. I'm so lucky to live in the Wisconsin River Valley where there are many natural resources to explore. I can't say it enough, people, get out there and explore your world... whether it be your neighborhood, your city, your state or any part of the world. Don't miss out on anything!

Exploring, going for a walk, checking out a local park... nature is free, people. It doesn't cost you anything to experience the natural world around you. And the reward is immense.

Happy Hiking!