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The Cruise--Details

I didn't include more details in the prior "The Cruise" post for two reasons. 1)  I didn't think anyone would be interested; and 2)  This trip didn't include much of the normal topics:  good beer, good coffee or John-style travel. But there are details, which may be useful to some people contemplating how such a trip is put together. On the first day of the trip, we drove three hours to pick up my mother in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.  At 85, she isn't comfortable driving for long distances and hadn't flown for many years. We then drove 3 1/2 more hours to Chicago, where we checked into the Wyndham, where you can get a room that includes the cost of parking for up to 12 days.   We were up early on the hotel shuttle to O'Hare, where we then boarded the a non-stop American Airlines flight to New Orleans. Here, we checked into a Hampton Inn near the port.  My mother was pretty tired, so Julia and I went out for a Cajun dinner and live music.   Rememberi...

Brewed Journey Camp

 

Justin watching Callie retrieve the Frisbee

I felt like a new man after a good night's rest in the Scamp, which is parked on top of my hill. Sunny skies with highs in the upper 60's and lows in the lower 40's are probably my favorite type of weather.  

I knew that I wanted to hike somewhere different today, but I decided to stay close to home.  The nearest Ice Age Trail segment to my house is less than a mile away.  Recently, I've avoided that trail because it is heavily used during the pandemic.  Historically, there have been other reasons to avoid the trail at certain times of the year.

 

This is a public hunting property.  The bullet holes all over the sign (which is in a public parking lot right next to the public road) tell you that not all of the hunters use good judgement.  Part of the sign, obscured by a bullet hole, says that dogs can be off-leash for most of the year on this property.  

Nevertheless, I decided to take my chances this morning at about 8 a.m.  It's about a five mile in/out hike from the Lodi Cannery to the Twin Pines parking lot on Riddle Road. Callie reports that we didn't see any unleashed dogs on the entire hike.  The scenery was beautiful.


 

During the first part of the hike, I approached three young adults on a narrow part of the trail without any room to pass.  Nobody was wearing a mask.  I moved off the trail into the brush about five yards to let them pass.  Just as they passed, we were all startled by a loud "Boom."  Someone from a concealed spot nearby in the woods took a shot at something. 

The rest of the hike was uneventful. I stayed more than a few minutes letting the view below soak in.

Upper Prairie overlooking the Lodi Marsh




Comments

Bill said…
Gunshots and maskless hikers seems more like a gauntlet than a hiking trail.
John said…
At that particular moment, it did feel that way. Overall, it was a great hike. I wish that more people in Wisconsin took Covid seriously. Wisconsin hit 3000 cases/day today for the first time today. The Milwaukee newspaper noted that other states with Republican legislatures have taken safety measures. Wisconsin's Legislature, dominated by Republicans in the Assembly and Senate due to gerrymandering, has done absolutely nothing during the pandemic. They are currently taking the Governor to court to set aside the mask order. Meanwhile, today it was disclosed that Michigan militia members were training in my county in an effort to kidnap the governor of Michigan. It's downright embarrassing .

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