Ice Age Trail - Springfield Hill Trail and our first Connecting Route

 

Tuesday, October 7, 2021 - Sue and I choose to bite off a segment we thought we could succeed at. 

So far, 5 - 6 miles is about what we expect to do, and hope to build on that. Since we are hiking together, we parked one car at Indian Lake, and then drove to the Springfield Hill Trail and did that loop first, and then worked our way south back to Indian Lake. We drove the route ahead of time to determine if we would walk the connecting route north to south or south to north. We have both, at different times in our lives, done hiking in other places, but Springfield Hill was a new place for both of us. It has some inclines, but the 1.6 miles seemed to go pretty fast, even for a couple of Wandering Nana's (one of which - me - is a slow walker). We enjoyed the boardwalk and the historic barn that actually had a sign explaining its' history.

One thing I had not taken into consideration before deciding to do the Ice Age trail is the connecting routes. The trail includes many actual trails through parks, woodlands, and private land but they are not all connected, so there are "connecting routes" that involve walking along roadsides. The connecting route between Springfield Hill and Indian Lake goes along Hwy 12 in Dane County for a short ways, which can be quite busy at times. We are pretty green when it comes to figuring out how best to navigate these connecting routes, so we ended up walking along Hwy 12 until we could cross the road to get to Matz Road. We stayed several feet off the road, which meant wading through some knee-high grass in places. When we reached to point where we needed to cross the road, it looked like there was a mown trail to that point, but we didn't see the start of the trail earlier, so not sure if it is part of the connecting route. The benefit of moving slower was enjoying the panoramic scenery as well as the asters along the stone ditch. Matz road took us most of the way to Indian Lake. It was a lovely walk, but definitely hills to navigate. The trees in south-central Wisconsin are starting to turn colors, so we got to enjoy that, as well. The cows even cheered us on to "moooo-ve" along, which we happily did.

After our walk, I spent some time meditating on what God might have for me, and the scripture that immediately came to mind is Proverbs 3:5-6, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight." I have no illusions that God is going to miraculously turn all of the curves (and hills!) on the Ice Age trail into straight paths though it seems reasonable to me to believe a God that is powerful enough to create the universe can do that. However, I also believe that He is the one who is ultimately in control of the path of my life. That path has not always been pleasant, but some of the hardest times have also been the times when I have experienced the most growth. Sometimes it is spiritual growth and sometimes emotional or mental growth. I believe all are necessary if we are to live lives worth living.

Hi! It's me, again! On to a new adventure!

 Life in the past few years has taking some twists and turns that included another hiatus from blogging, but, here I am, again, and excited to be here! I am probably stating the obvious when I say that 2020 brought a lot of unexpected changes - and that probably is true for many of you, as well. After three years of serving as Airbnb hosts, the pandemic brought that to an abrupt halt. Shortly after that, Norm and I looked at each other and said, "I think it's time to sell the house." That was the sum total of the conversation that led to selling our house and buying a condo in a nearby small town. It is a great fit for us at this time in our lives, and we're very happy about it. 

I've written before about dealing with my health journey. This has included efforts at different times to get a grip on weight-gain. After four Whole30's, which dealt with non-scale victories but weight loss that never exceeded 4 pounds, I determined that I was finished with the Whole30 journey. However, this last March I reached a breaking point. I couldn't find one pair of pants in my closet that I could comfortably button. One prayer I prayed at that time was that God would give me the victory over a spirit of gluttony that I seemed unable to control. Proverbs 23:1-2 says, "When you sit to dine with a ruler, note well what is before you, and put a knife to your throat if you are given to gluttony." It seems apparent to me that if we should exercise self-control in this area before rulers (or those in charge of leading us), that it would be good practice when we are in any other circumstances, as well. Also, I wanted to eat as healthy and as much whole foods as possible, as well. With a health history that includes diabetes and heart disease, I chose to give JJ Virgins Sugar Impact Diet a try. For the first time in 20 years - and having tried many other "diets" - I finally found an eating program that works for me. Notice, I did NOT use the word "diet", as that suggests something temporary that is not sustainable. I need to find a way of eating that I can sustain over the long haul. I can't say that I will continue with this forever, as I also took a break from this for 4 weeks in July and switch gears to do Dr. Alan Christianson's Metabolism Reset Diet, which is essentially a liver detox program, and is not recommended for more that 4 weeks in a 3-month period. I also started walking. If you've read any of my earlier blog posts, you know I have a dog, Nala. She and I have walked at least 15 minutes most days since I got her 13 years ago. That has led to some "non-scale" victories, but not to weight-loss. Since April 2021, she and I have upped our game, so now we walk at least a mile a day, and I walk at other times without her, too. (She is 13 years old, after all!)

The Wandering Nana's

One thing I have sensed lately is the Lord leading me to take on hiking the Ice Age trail here in Wisconsin. I have often considered the Christian life a journey, and this seems to be the next step in my life's journey. A recent scripture I read confirmed that to me. Psalm 84:5 says "Blessed are those whose strength is in you, whose hearts are set on pilgrimage." Just as I have learned some things about the relationship with God as my father/parent by raising children, I believe God has something to show me about my spiritual journey with Him by taking a physical journey. I mentioned my plan to walk the Ice Age trail to Sue, my friend and walking buddy, and asked if she would consider joining me. My initial goal was to start in April 2022, with the thought that I would have time to build up my hiking endurance, but our recent walks have increased in length so that we walked 5 miles on a recent hike. As a result, we decided that  Monday, September 27, 2021, would be our inaugural hike of the Ice Age Trail.

We walked the 2.9 mile segment at Indian Lake, near where we live. It was a gorgeous day - sunshine and a perfect 73°. The hike is considered "intermediate level" with inclines to navigate, and  I found myself huffing and puffing, but I did it, and it felt great! We did the 2.9 mile segment through the park, and then took a trail along the edge of the lake to return to the parking area, so ended up walking nearly 5 miles. We came up with a "trail name", as that seemed like a cool thing to do, so if you see us on the trail, we are the "Wandering Nana's". We are looking forward to adventuring together and meeting fellow travelers!

The colors are just starting to turn.

Quilt Square on a shed

Part of the trail at Indian Lake