Post by isawtman on Jul 25, 2017 18:15:06 GMT -8
Trip Report from this past Weekend, Lincoln County
General Information about the trail in Lincoln County: If you are used to hiking the IAT in the southern or eastern part of Wisconsin, well, this is a different experience. The trails here are generally not as well maintained or smooth here. There are a few downed trees and wet spots along the trails here, but not overwhelming. Logging, beavers, and wind storms can make dramatic changes to route finding in a short time period. The trail is generally well marked although some of the blazes are fading. In a lot of places they have a yellow dot on the tree instead of nice crisp rectangular blazes. I wear clothing treated with Permethrin to keep the bugs away from me. I also use a head net. You definitely need to be prepared for bugs.
Friday, The Underdown, Copper Lake Road To Horn Lake Road. Generally easy to follow but it keeps going on and off old forest Roads and horse trails. Many intersections so keep watching for blazes. There are some tricky turns. Nice new Shelter for camping on Dog Lake. There is a nice campfire area with benches, and some tent pads if you want to sleep in a tent instead of the shelter. I walked out into the woods behind the shelter and did not find a latrine. Continuing on, I did not find the campsite that is located between Dog Lake and Mist Lake. It’s marked as a campsite on the map, but I found no indication of it. You’d think if it was listed on the map, you’d at least see a fire ring, etc. There is a nice grassy spot near Mist Lake that would be good for camping. After Mist Lake the trail generally goes on an old forest road all the way out to Horn Lake Road. There is a car camping area with two campsites on Horn Lake about ¼ mile from the trailhead.
Saturday, Hwy E to Hwy E. Grandfather Falls Segment. We started North of Grandfather Falls. The first obstacle was a creek below a beaver dam. The water was low and it was easy to cross the creek on rocks without getting wet. Then you gradually descend next to the creek to the Wisconsin River. It’s a rocky walk next to the Wisconsin River. I wish they would make side trails below the dam and at Grandfather Falls. It would make visiting those locations a little easier. As it is now you have to pick your own way through the trees and brush. After passing Grandfather Falls you ascend a hill and come out on an old forest road. The road has tall grass and is not mowed, but it seems that the trail is fairly well beaten down because more people hike this segment than Averill - Kelly.
Averill –Kelly Segment. The first obstacle was Kelly Creek, which was low and easy enough to cross on rocks without getting wet. After Kelly Creek, the trail soon joins up with a grassy forest road. You travel on that Forest Road for at least 2 miles with very tall grass. The trail is not mowed and the tall grass is not beaten down very much from hikers. After a while walking through the tall grass it wears you down.
Eventually, you reach the fords of Averill Creek, then the New Wood River. Both of them were low with water just above your ankle. The Trail was mowed between the creek and the river. It was also mowed from the river to Hwy E
Sunday, Newwood Segment. From Hwy E to Conservation Ave the trail is in almost perfect condition. There is one spot where it is wet for a step or two, and almost the whole section is mowed. The trail goes along the New Wood River for a ways, and there is a nice bench at the large white pines. The trail eventually joins an old logging road and continues on it for the rest of the way to Conservation Ave.
West of Conservation Ave is where the trouble spot was. About .75 to 1 mile west of the crossing the trail goes through a recently logged area where the trail is hard to follow. I was hiking west to east, so I bailed because I could find the trail and went out to Conservation Ave and continued east to the Conservation Ave Trailhead. West of the logging area, the trail continues to be good and easy to follow. There are a couple of short areas with tall grass, which are not mowed, and there is a short area of swampy woods where you could lose a shoe if it is not tied on tightly. I continued on to the Camp 27 Segment
Camp 27 Segment: The Camp 27 is good. It is not mowed, but for the most part it doesn’t need to be mowed because it is a mature forest where the grass doesn’t grow tall. For a long ways you are on an old forest road, which has been transformed into a single trail. In other words, there is no evidence that it has been used as a road for several years. The trail goes to the ford of the North Fork of the Copper River. On Sunday it was easy enough to stay dry by crossing on some rocks. After the Ford you soon come to an open area with a beaver pond. The pond has been fully restored by the beavers and is full of water. Just a few years ago the dam was blown out and had no water. There is a new bridge over the gap in the beaver dam. The beaver dam area is a sunny with tall grass, which makes it a little more difficult to cross the dam. After the dam it is just a short walk through some woods to Tower Road.
General Information about the trail in Lincoln County: If you are used to hiking the IAT in the southern or eastern part of Wisconsin, well, this is a different experience. The trails here are generally not as well maintained or smooth here. There are a few downed trees and wet spots along the trails here, but not overwhelming. Logging, beavers, and wind storms can make dramatic changes to route finding in a short time period. The trail is generally well marked although some of the blazes are fading. In a lot of places they have a yellow dot on the tree instead of nice crisp rectangular blazes. I wear clothing treated with Permethrin to keep the bugs away from me. I also use a head net. You definitely need to be prepared for bugs.
Friday, The Underdown, Copper Lake Road To Horn Lake Road. Generally easy to follow but it keeps going on and off old forest Roads and horse trails. Many intersections so keep watching for blazes. There are some tricky turns. Nice new Shelter for camping on Dog Lake. There is a nice campfire area with benches, and some tent pads if you want to sleep in a tent instead of the shelter. I walked out into the woods behind the shelter and did not find a latrine. Continuing on, I did not find the campsite that is located between Dog Lake and Mist Lake. It’s marked as a campsite on the map, but I found no indication of it. You’d think if it was listed on the map, you’d at least see a fire ring, etc. There is a nice grassy spot near Mist Lake that would be good for camping. After Mist Lake the trail generally goes on an old forest road all the way out to Horn Lake Road. There is a car camping area with two campsites on Horn Lake about ¼ mile from the trailhead.
Saturday, Hwy E to Hwy E. Grandfather Falls Segment. We started North of Grandfather Falls. The first obstacle was a creek below a beaver dam. The water was low and it was easy to cross the creek on rocks without getting wet. Then you gradually descend next to the creek to the Wisconsin River. It’s a rocky walk next to the Wisconsin River. I wish they would make side trails below the dam and at Grandfather Falls. It would make visiting those locations a little easier. As it is now you have to pick your own way through the trees and brush. After passing Grandfather Falls you ascend a hill and come out on an old forest road. The road has tall grass and is not mowed, but it seems that the trail is fairly well beaten down because more people hike this segment than Averill - Kelly.
Averill –Kelly Segment. The first obstacle was Kelly Creek, which was low and easy enough to cross on rocks without getting wet. After Kelly Creek, the trail soon joins up with a grassy forest road. You travel on that Forest Road for at least 2 miles with very tall grass. The trail is not mowed and the tall grass is not beaten down very much from hikers. After a while walking through the tall grass it wears you down.
Eventually, you reach the fords of Averill Creek, then the New Wood River. Both of them were low with water just above your ankle. The Trail was mowed between the creek and the river. It was also mowed from the river to Hwy E
Sunday, Newwood Segment. From Hwy E to Conservation Ave the trail is in almost perfect condition. There is one spot where it is wet for a step or two, and almost the whole section is mowed. The trail goes along the New Wood River for a ways, and there is a nice bench at the large white pines. The trail eventually joins an old logging road and continues on it for the rest of the way to Conservation Ave.
West of Conservation Ave is where the trouble spot was. About .75 to 1 mile west of the crossing the trail goes through a recently logged area where the trail is hard to follow. I was hiking west to east, so I bailed because I could find the trail and went out to Conservation Ave and continued east to the Conservation Ave Trailhead. West of the logging area, the trail continues to be good and easy to follow. There are a couple of short areas with tall grass, which are not mowed, and there is a short area of swampy woods where you could lose a shoe if it is not tied on tightly. I continued on to the Camp 27 Segment
Camp 27 Segment: The Camp 27 is good. It is not mowed, but for the most part it doesn’t need to be mowed because it is a mature forest where the grass doesn’t grow tall. For a long ways you are on an old forest road, which has been transformed into a single trail. In other words, there is no evidence that it has been used as a road for several years. The trail goes to the ford of the North Fork of the Copper River. On Sunday it was easy enough to stay dry by crossing on some rocks. After the Ford you soon come to an open area with a beaver pond. The pond has been fully restored by the beavers and is full of water. Just a few years ago the dam was blown out and had no water. There is a new bridge over the gap in the beaver dam. The beaver dam area is a sunny with tall grass, which makes it a little more difficult to cross the dam. After the dam it is just a short walk through some woods to Tower Road.