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Not really SAD, but

A lot of people are affected with Seasonal Affective Disorder in Wisconsin.  We have many, many days without sun during the winter months.  This year, we've had a string of days with heavy fog and unseasonably warm temperatures in the 30's and 40's.   Personally, I can't claim that I've ever really felt the effects of SAD, but this year, knowing that we are likely moving west later next year, I've been very impatient and annoyed with Wisconsin weather.   Sun trying to fight through the clouds It hasn't helped that my daily routine involves looking at the weather in Fort Collins and Tucson.  Their weather has been spectacularly sunny and more pleasant this time of year.   So, I haven't been blogging much because not much is going on. I've substituted indoor pickleball for hiking. The trails have been muddy and not much fun. For Christmas, we had my mother, Julia's brother and Allie here.  I went and retrieved my mother from Cedar Rapids a...
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Mauthe Lake Recreational Area


This weekend, Julia and I did something different:  we went camping with my adult daughter and her two friends.  Mauthe Lake is located about an hour north of Milwaukee and has 135 mostly wooded sites.  It’s part of the Kettle Moraine State Forest, Northern Unit. There are electric sites at Mauthe Lake, but our campsite was without any hookups.

We arrived early Friday afternoon in time to set up the Brew Hut and hike a few miles of the Ice Age Trail.  That trail runs through most of the state forest and cuts across this property near the entrance station.  Although rain was predicted for the entire weekend, the weather held off until the end, making for fantastic hiking conditions.




Allie and friends showed up in time for a supper of bratwurst, chips, IPA’s and homemade wine.  Setting up Grandpa Gene’s tent was a learning experience for all.  Allie also learned how to use Gene’s old campstove.


By ten o’clock, the old geezer (me) was ready to turn in.  As I heard the young women and Julia talk and laugh, I was reminded of my own early adult camping experiences and the foolish but fun times we had.

Julia and I rose early Saturday morning and hiked around Mauthe Lake.  The trail was wet.  In the beginning, we balanced on logs and jumped across stones to keep our feet dry.  By about halfway, the trail was so deep with water that it was pointless, so we just sloshed through, ankle deep.  By the time we arrived back at the campsite, the girls were hungry.

I fixed bacon, eggs, and toast for five on the two burner Coleman stove.  Then we went for a  3.5 mile loop hike around Parnell Tower.  Afterwards, we celebrated with two flights at SoLu Estate Wine and Meadery.  My favorite was the ginger root mead, but we took home a bottle of Highland’s Blend, a delightful red wine, reminding me of a spicy California Zinfandel.




After an early dinner of tacos, tortilla chips and guac, Allie and Company headed back home to Milwaukee. Julia and I sat by the fire, sipping red wine until after dark.

On Sunday morning, we drove out to the Long Lake campground to check it out. Most of the sites were located in scrub and without much shade.  We hiked some more on both the Zillmer Trail and the Butler Lake loop.  By noon, it was time to hit the taco truck in Campbellsport.  By the time that we hitched up and hit the road, the long-predicted rain started to fall.  All agreed that it was a great start to a Wisconsin summer.


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