IAT 6-1-13 Whitewater Lake Segment - Blackhawk Segment National Trail Days

The next weekend was National Trail Days - June 1st.  So had to get out to the IAT that day!  My one daughter was in the Dells for a birthday party so it was just my one daughter, my wife, and I on this trip.  We finished up the KMSF Southern Unit that we didn't get done the week before.  It was a beautiful day with some nice hiking.  Ran a little low on water at the end, but made it through!

IAT 5-23-13 to 5-27-13 Blue Spring Lake Segment to Lapham Peak Segment

For my second hike on the IAT I brought the family along!  It started with just myself and my two daughters camping at Pinewoods campground.  From there we backpacked down to Shelter 2 the next day where my wife met up with us.  The extra car meant the end of backpacking and the start of some slackpacking.  Day two we left from Shelter 2 and finished up the rest of the Blue Spring Lake Segment then drove up to Lapham Peak for the night.

Our campsite at Pinewoods.

Hiking along the trail

Still going...  It was so hot in the sun.

Great bench!  Needed some shade though.

Sunset from Shelter 2.

Hiking on the trail.

View from Balds Bluff

Lapham Peak was my favorite part of the trail so far.  Maybe it was the good times with the family, but staying at the backcountry campsite at Lapham was a great night.  Once the park closes you are the only people in the park.  We had several deer come into our campsite and check things out.  Went up to the tower a few times and just had a great time.  The next morning we woke up and did most of the IAT through Lapham.  We ended up making a loop out of the IAT and some other trails so I had some miles to finish up now in Lapham.

Campsite at Lapham Peak

Lapham Tower

View from tower

IAT heading down stairs

Deer at our campsite

View from tower

View from tower

Sign in the privy at Lapham

Group of babies running around

Remainder of rock wall

Frog in spring at Lapham

Boardwalk on trail at Lapham

The next night we drove back and camped at Shelter 1.  The shelters in KMSF South are all pretty nice.  They all have picnic tables, privies, and are generally clean and well maintained.  It rained a little well we are Shelter 1 and we awoke to some more rain on our way out.  After saying goodbye to the wife and kids they dropped me back off at Pinewoods campsite and I hiked north back to Lapham to get the segments in between and the parts of the trail in Lapham that we had missed the day before.

View from Shelter 1.

Overall a great trip to Kettle Moraine State Forest South.  Any time I can combine some miles with some time with the family is always a plus.  And getting some actual backpacking in was nice too!

Stream crossing!

Southern end of Lapham Peak Segment

These stairs were a lot better going down - not at the end of a days hike.

IAT 5-4-13 Janesville Segment - Whitewater Lake Segment

This was my first hike on the Ice Age Trail and boy was it a long day.  A total of 37.5 miles in about 9 hours.   I started at Riverside Park in Janesville and hiked east to the southern end of Kettle Moraine State Forest Southern Unit.  Thankfully I had a shuttle setup from some wonderful fellow Ice Age Trail hikers and they got me back to my car - even if I was very sore.  It did rain a little during the morning, but the clouds gave way to the heat in the afternoon.

Not a good start.  Riverside park was flooded.

Love these signs.  Great reminder on my first day.

Janesville is second to none in its Ice Age signage and blazing.  

Bird on top of sign

Cool carved tree stump - in the rain.

Actual trail!  In the woods!

Storrs Lake

Nice blaze placement.

More flooding on the trail.

End of the Storrs Lake Segment, time for lunch and then out onto the streets.

Bridge over stream

End of Clover Valley Segment

The end of my day - southern end of Kettle Moraine State Forest South.