blog | Frequent Hiker

Ice Age National Scenic Trail – Eagle, WI

Just 24 minutes outside of Whitewater, in Eagle, WI, you can find the Ice Age National Scenic Trail. This is a leisurely trail that has some excellent views. This trail is one of 42 designated Wisconsin State trails. And is a trail that your whole family could enjoy.

These trails are named because of the glaciers that were located in the Kettle Moraine area. Some people say this is the best evidence of glaciers that you can witness in Wisconsin. This trail is no longer than 4 miles, but the entire Ice Age Scenic Trail, was established in 1980 and runs about 1,200 miles in total.

kms_700x295 — Ice Age National Scenic Trail

From my personal experience, I went with my family this past summer. This is a beautiful view that you can witness when out on the trail. If you come into the park from Highway 59 and go up to Highway Z its about a 3.1 mile hike. I would recommend doing this hike in the summer rather than the winter months because of the wildlife. The flowers and trees make for vibrant colors and great views. It would still be an excellent hike in the winter months but I’m all about getting the best view.

Outer Wear: Long Sleeve, Shorts, Running Shoes

Music: Clouds Never Get Old – Bas

Shenandoah State Park – Virginia

Shenandoah State Park is near the East Coast, in Virginia. I took a trip last spring break with a few of my friends to do some hiking and camping. It was a blast! I would definitely recommend taking a trip out to see Virginia. The mountains are beautiful and the trails are great.

The first thing we did when we got there was go into town to buy groceries, it was colder than we had expected so we needed to get some extra blankets also. We talked to a few of the locals and told them we were camping in the National Park and asked for any tips. We had 4 different people tell us that there had been a few bear attacks in the last year up in the mountains and thats when we started to worry.

We decided that we weren’t going to let ruin the trip and went hiking anyway, fortunately we didn’t run into any bears and ended up having a really excellent time, we ended up going hiking high up in the mountains as well as a little lower down. You don’t really realize how much the elevation can cut off your oxygen levels until you get up into the peaks of these mountains. It was an amazing experience.

Outer Wear: Jeans, Columbia Jacket, Boots

Music: Lamborghini Tears – Marc Goone

What to Bring

Hiking, like many other things in life, can be anywhere from extreme to casual. Knowing what kind of hike you want to take on is how you can determine what you need to bring on your next stroll through the woods or climb on the edge of a mountain. I have gone on both of these kind of adventures and I enjoy both.

For the leisurely hike I would suggest bringing a backpack with water, a packed lunch, and maybe a flash light and a pocket knife. But in this situation the risk is low so really your pack can be light.

If you plan on extreme hiking here is a list of things the American Hiking Society suggests packing:

pocket knife
Appropriate footwear (boots)
flash light
extra food
extra water
whistle
sunscreen
lighter
first aid kit
map/compass
Bear spray

Okay, the bear spray might be over doing it but hey you never know. Be sure to do research on the area that you are hiking in. Most sites will have news stories if they have had a bear attack in the last year or so, so be on the lookout. Until next time, get outside and explore.