Wednesday, October 21, 2020

Fall Hiking Week Two: A Return To The Ice Age Trail

In last week's travel post I shared that my husband and I made a brief stop at the Chippewa Moraine Ice Age Trail.  We took a small loop behind the Interpretive Center  and enjoyed it so much we decided to come back the next week to hike the 4.5 mile Circle Loop Trail.  

(If you missed last week's post, and want more information about the Ice Age Trail and why it's named as such, be sure to check out last week's post, as I won't be repeating that same information in this week's post.)


On our return trip, we were so excited to see that fall colors were still so vibrant!  We were afraid they would be past peak before we got the chance to come back, but there was still a lot of color.

This loop trail is very easy to hike.  It is mostly flat with slight inclines and declines here and there.  It primarily goes through a forest and passes many small lakes and ponds.


Because of all the bodies of water surrounding this trail there are lots of cute rustic bridges that provide great photo opportunities.




I just love it when there is fall color both above you in the sky and on the ground below.  It's like you are surrounded in a sea of color!



The lake views and the mirror reflection in the water are just stunning.




This bridge was so low it was flooded with lake water so they added some beams right in the middle to walk on so your feet don't get wet.





I just love walking through a forest on a crisp cool day, don't you?  The sounds of leaves crunching under your feet and being out in the fresh air is wonderful!  So good for your spirit. 





I did stumble upon a grass snake on the path and screamed because it startled me;  but grass snakes are completely harmless.



I love how even the ferns below the trees turn a gorgeous yellow hue.



I found so many pretty red leaves that I took home and pressed between a book and they are now part of my interior fall decor!







The AllTrails website describes this trail as "Easy" but in the comments other hikers said "Moderate" would describe it better because of the inclines.  As a 58 year old experienced female hiker who has hiked all sorts of trails all over the country in many different types of terrain and climates, I would definitely describe this trail as "Easy" as well.  Yes, it is 4.5 miles long, but it is so level most of the time, I was not even out of breath once.











 I hope you're all getting out and hiking this fall.  Many of you have commented that it's still hot where you live.  We are experiencing unusually cold temperatures here in Wisconsin with it being only in the thirties during the day and in the twenties at night.  Despite the cold weather, we are still getting out and enjoying life!  I recently discovered Under Armour Cold Gear and I can't say enough about their products! I'm sold for life and I will have to do a fashion post on them soon!

Next week I will be back with a another hiking trip in Devils Lake State Park!

Have A Great Day!  Amy

Linking Up with these Fabulous Blogs HERE!

34 comments:

  1. Such a beautiful place. Looks so very lovely

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  2. Such beautiful pictures and loving your black puffer jacket!
    The reflections in the water look so pretty! But that snake!!!!! Hope I never encounter one of this size on a hike!

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    1. Thank you! The jacket is so thin yet it keeps you warm to 20 degrees temperatures. I love it for hiking. The snake just startled me because it moved right where I stepped. But I knew it was harmless so I wasn't worried.

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  3. First...that snake. I'm sure there are a ton...it is their home, but eeek!!
    And how neat that you use ski poles when you hike...they are for stablility??
    XOXO
    Jodie
    www.jtouchofstyle.com

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    1. It was a harmless snake. We don't have too many worrisome ones in Wisconsin . I'm not sure if ski poles and hiking poles are the same thing. These are meant for hiking. I use them most for climbing up rocky inclines. They act like grabbing a bannister when climbing a staircase. But they also work good for not tripping over tree roots or slipping in the mud. There are several tips that come with them to use in different types of terrain and weather conditions. They really changed my life and has made hiking so much easier for me. I use to be a lot slower than the hubs hiking because I was worried about tripping or falling, but now I can easily keep up with him. They make me feel a lot more secure climbing steep terrains and rocks or going over rocky river beds.

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  4. What a beautiful hiking trail! I too find that AllTrails ratings can be all over the place some of the ones listed as "easy" aren't even hikes in my book but a nice walk on a paved trail. LOL.

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    1. It is a beautiful hiking trail. I think ratings depend on the shape/experience of the hiker, and probably weather conditions when they took the hike as well. If you take a hike on a hot, muggy day it's gonna seem harder than on a cool day.

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  5. Another beautiful hike! The leaves are finally starting to change here so I am hoping we will get back out there to hike too. Been giving my boys a break, lol!
    www.chezmireillefashiontravelmom.com

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    1. It certainly was. I'm very grateful my husband loves to hike as much as I do.

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  6. Oh such a nice place.

    But snakes! I have to pass hehehe.

    You look great while hiking.

    Ann
    https://roomsofinspiration.blogspot.com/

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    1. It is a nice place to hike. Oh, I hike all the time and I think this was only the second time I've encountered a snake on the trail. The other one was a rattlesnake in Utah! That was more terrifying.

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  7. What a beautiful place to walk at this time of year. I've no doubt it is lovely any time of year. The fall colours and water reflections are wonderful.

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    1. Fall is the perfect time to hike. The foliage is gorgeous and there are no bugs! Thanks for visiting.

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  8. wow what an incredible place to go hiking Incredible photos So glad you enjoyed Thank you very much for sharing it Have a wonderful day Cris

    http://www.photosbycris.com.au/?p=10104

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  9. Beautiful fall photos! I love hiking in a forest. I am visiting from Friendship Friday.

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  10. Looks like you had a wonderful trip, Amy. Love hiking in cool fall weather. But I agree with you about the rating system. We did one look-out trail in Algonquin Park that listed 1.5 hours at the time needed. We did it in 37 minutes, and we were NOT hurrying. I think a range of times would be more helpful.

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    1. Yes we did. Yes, range difficulty/time is different for everyone. My husband and I are always amazed at how some people treat hiking trails like race tracks. They barely seem to take notice of anything. We are constantly stopping and taking pictures, admiring the beauty, etc. Everyone's different.

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  11. Nice woods retreat! Happy trails this fall.

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    1. It was! Hopefully you're getting out and enjoying the fall trails too!

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  12. It looks so lovely with the autumn colours! My favourite trail here is either green (after the rain) or brown (in the drought), haha! No big colour variations here!

    Hope you are having a good weekend :)

    Away From Blue

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    1. I am fortunate live in an area that changes color in the fall, but I think your winters are warmer than mine!

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  13. Your photos are amazing. Nature in Autumn, trees, leafs and lake look so beautiful. Thant must be so beautiful walk around and enjoy in that beauty.

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    1. Thank you! I am definitely enjoying the beauty!

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  14. Hi, Amy. Wow, it's so good to see these photos. Very nice photos you took. Seeing this photos makes me want to go hiking too. I live in a city and we don't have forest like that. I feel so jealous of you. It looks so fun! I feel like I can smell the fresh air. But that snake is scary though😅

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    1. I'm glad you enjoyed them. Is there a park at least where you could hike? I use to live in a city when I was young and I always enjoyed the parks or the beach. The snake was perfectly harmless. We don't have a lot of poisonous snakes in Wisconsin.

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  15. This is a great place for autumn scenery! Thanks for the wonderful colors :)

    Many thanks for your link at 'My Corner of the World' this week !!

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    1. It certainly was, thanks so much, and you're welcome!

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  16. Loving the beautiful views! I want to go hiking so bad

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    1. I'm glad to hear that! I hope you get to go hiking soon!

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  17. What a beautiful trail. Gorgeous pictures.

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