RE: [Philmont]: Hiking Trails in Southern WI

I was able to find info on only one short trail, the White River State
Trail (http://dnr.wi.gov/org/land/parks/specific/whiteriver/index.htm).
It's only 7 miles of crushed limestone on relatively flat terrain, not
what you really need for a good shakedown. If you go further west to
Kettle Moraine State Forrest Southern Unit
(http://dnr.wi.gov/org/land/parks/specific/kms/), you'll find 30 miles
of terrain that's more up and down. But still not typical of what you'll
find at Philmont this summer. But if you haven't had any serious hikes
yet, it'll be a start.
 
I'd also recommend Devils Lake State Park
(http://dnr.wi.gov/org/land/parks/specific/devilslake/). It may be too
late to get a weekend camping permit but there are several private camps
nearby. If you do go, I'd recommend that you hike up the East Bluff
Trail or the CCC trail to reach the top of the bluff. Avoid the Potholes
trail or the balanced rock trail as they are more like staircases than
trails. You won't find terrain like that too often at Philmont and it
can be treacherous keeping one's balance with a full pack. (there are a
couple of spots on the trail where you will do a staircase like climb,
but the Baraboo Quartzite at Devils Lake is especially slippery and not
worth the risk of injury). Once at the top, go down the East Bluff Woods
trail. It has a comparable slope to what you'll encounter at Philmont.
There's one stretch where the trail becomes very rocky and steep. If I
were doing a shakedown hike, I'd have my crew go up and down this
stretch for a couple of hours. That would be a very boring and perhaps
unpleasant experience, especially without a change of scenery, but a
couple of hours up and down a rocky trail will pretty much get your
legs, ankles and feet acclimated to how they'll feel at Philmont. I put
miles on my boots and feet to get ready as well as hundreds of flights
of stairs each week for my legs and cardiovascular, but my ankles, as
well as a couple of the boys', were not prepared and was my weak link.
I wish I had a dry, rocky stream bed to walk on to strengthen the
lateral motion as you will roll your ankle several times during your
trek. (Thank goodness for high ankle support on good boots!)
 
Here's a map of the park
(http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/land/parks/specific/devilslake/Devilslak
e.pdf). BTW, the bluffs are 'only' 500 feet high, but it's one of the
most scenic spots in the Midwest. It's also very popular with rock
climbers as the slippery quartzite is a challenge even to experience
climbers. Plan your schedule to have lunch at the top where you can
watch the Turkey Vultures circle on the thermals
 
Don't forget to get them up early and go up the trail again on sore
legs! Sounds mean but will pay off dividends this summer.
 
 
 

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Received on Mon Feb 28 12:23:30 2005