Our First “Hiking Trip” -Part 1

I am an avid outdoors person. Every year, the first weekend in May, my family has camped in northern Wisconsin for opening trout season. If you know anything about the area, it is very cold in May. Most of the time, it freezes overnight, and sometimes there is still snow on the ground.

During the day, I usually pack enough food, my fishing pole, bait, a knife, and toilet paper to last me the entire day, and go out in the woods, by myself. 

So, naturally, I thought that it would be wonderful to go backpacking for days through the woods. I bought myself, and my then boyfriend, now fiancé, a backpack for hiking. We bought a lightweight tent, and ultra lightweight sleeping bags, a water bag for our packs, a compact-able pillow, and hiking boots. I even bought myself a new knife that I could strap on the front of my waist band of my backpack.

To start out, we decided to do an overnight hike through Lapham Peak state park which wasn’t very far and the trail to it ran right passed our house. We packed up our hiking bags, put on our packs, I strapped the knife to my pack, and we walked out our front door to hike the Ice Age Trail.

We imagined a day hiking through fields, the woods, and possibly hiking near a stream. The day was hot and I was really looking forward to coming across a stream.

Mike works in construction, and he walks around, going up and down ladders carrying tools, all day. I was taken aback when we got two blocks from our house, and he looked at me and said, “This sucks.” 

Being a goldsmith, I sit all day, so it was little surprise that I was not used to walking with a huge pack strapped to me. At first it felt like it was going to pull me backwards. I was very uncomfortable to say the least,  but Mike helped me adjust my backpack, and tighten the straps so the pack rested closer to my back. I did feel better, but I was not accustomed to carrying so much weight. 

Our walk through our neighborhood lead us to The Ice Age Trail... which went right through an industrial park. Once we got through the industrial park, then we would get to the woods or fields or streams one imagines when you are hiking a trail. Our walk through the industrial park lead us to cross a really busy road. After crossing the road we finally had some respite from the glaring sun. We finally came to a, somewhat, wooded area. 

This photo was strategically taken to not see the busy road to the right

This photo was strategically taken to not see the busy road to the right

The shade felt good. After this grassy section (pictured above) we walked up and down hills on the dirt trail with trees all around us. This is what hiking was supposed to look like. That section of the trail lasted for about 1/2 a mile. Not long enough. Pretty soon, the trail let out to a residential neighborhood, where the trail was no more. 

The only indicator that we were still on the trail, where signs, or more like little badges, on roadsigns. There was no tree coverage and the hot pavement made the day seem even hotter. The only water I ever came across, besides what I was carrying on my back, was a sprinkler system in somebody’s yard. I was extremely hot, so I stopped and wet my bandana in somebody’s yard sprinkler.

I must have looked utterly ridiculous, walking through this residential neighborhood packed to the brim with hiking gear, wetting my bandana in someone’s front yard. The neighborhood lasted far too long. It took us about 45 long minutes to get to the next section of the trail, which was at the end of a dead end road.

It lead us to the outside edges of a golf course, where we watched golfers teeing off. Mike stopped and picked up a golf ball. “A souvenir from our hiking trip,” he sardonically laughed.

After the golf course the trail led to a busy shopping area. We walk out of the slightly wooded area to the back of a Walgreens. “We could always stop there and get some more water,” I mockingly said. The trail led across a busy highway, next to a McDonalds, then finally, had some semblance of a real looking trail. The trail did, however, run along the backside of peoples houses and it was paved, giving little relief from the heat.

We walked past many sites of nature, like a power station. Of all the places they could’ve put a bench on the trail, they positioned it with a view of this power station. 

We walked on, and decided to stop and sit on the ground, as we preferred to look at trees and flowers. On the side of the trail, above a ditch, we sat and ate a snack of mandarin oranges, beef jerky, and nuts. I took my shoes off, and we pulled the stuff out of our packs and repacked them to distribute the weight better. We finished up and strapped them back on to head out. 

This section of the trail ended when we came to a downtown area. We walked passed restaurants and bars, and decided to stop at the public library to use the bathroom. There were two Adirondack chairs in front of the library, and Mike sat down and told me to head in first. I took off my pack, figuring they wouldn't appreciate me bringing in the knife I so clearly needed for the trip, and set it down on the ground propped up next to the chair. Walking without the pack felt like I was constantly falling forward. I felt so light.

The building was cool and wonderful. I took a long drink of ice cold water from the water fountain, and used the bathroom. Just washing my hands felt great too. I wet my bandana again and went outside to let Mike go inside. Mike didn't want to get up, he was relishing in the simplicity of sitting down in a chair, so I sat next to him and sighed. "I know, right?! We have to get some of these!" exclaims Mike.

After we finish at the library, we leave our beloved chairs behind to continue for the second half of our journey.