Trip Plan: Ice Age Trail - Harrison Hills Section

Stage 0: Pre-trip

Pack Thursday Night. Google says 2h9m to reach trailhead. Wake at 4:20am, stop at Kwik Trip, depart Appleton by 5:00am

Stage 1: Solo

[T = 7:10 AM]
Bob drops me off at the Harrison Hills Trailhead. Hike Eastbound through the Alta Springs Fishery area,  and down the first leg of the Harrison Hills Ice Age Trail Segment. Topographical Maps indicate that this will be a much hillier trail than SAFL/WR/HCSP.  Highlights of this segment of trail include a sandy beach I'm told sits at the riverbend early on and an unnamed lake suitable for topping off water supply. Meet Bob at Turtle Lake Road Lot.

Luke's Trail Snacks: Chocolate Covered Raisins, Yogurt Pretzels, 1 of 4 Clif Bars

Estimated Segment Length 3.7 miles
Google Estimated Time To Complete: 1h17m
My Estimated Time to Complete(@2mph): 1h 51m
Optional Filtering/Break/Food buffer: 30m

Completion window T+1h 17m  to  T+2h 20m / 8:27am to 9:30am

Stage 2:  + Bob

Resupply from Car if Necessary, Add Bob to the Party, Continue down Second Harrison Hills Trail Segment. Keep on watch for a good lakeside or hilltop lunch spot, and stop for lunch between 11am and 1pm. Continue Eastbound down the trail headed for Lookout Mountain. Lookout Mountain is the highest place on the Ice Age Trail and somehow, despite the trail segment being named "Harrison Hills" the topographical map indicates far more up and down than I had been picturing. CalTopo doesn't overlay where the trail GOES, but I suspect it does more up and down than around.

Keep an eye out for good camping area along this stretch of trail, but plan on camping E of Lookout Mountain. Lookout Mountain will also serve as an exit point should either hiker require extraction.

Luke's Lunch: Knorr Mushroom Rice & Pink Salmon
Luke's Snacks: Finish Chocolate Covered Raisins, Finish Yogurt Pretzels, 1 of 3 Remaining Clif Bars

Estimated Segment Length: 4.4 mi
Google Estimated Time to Complete: 1h:30m
My Estimated Time to Complete(@2mph): 2h 24m
Lunch Break: 45 min
Filter Break: 30 min

Segment Completion Window: Seg+2h 45m to Seg+3h 39m
Total Completion Window: T + 4h 2m to T + 5h 59m / 11:12pm to 1:09pm

Stage 3: Find Camp

Continue East, looking for a good camping area. Earliest point likely around 2.1mi in @ Fox Lake until area parallel to Fish Lake 4.4mi in. Not only will we have covered most of the trail length at this point, but we will be nearing our physical limits. (at furthest point we will have traveled 8-12 miles of what passes for high relief terrain in wisconsin. ironically, high relief terrain does the opposite of what it sounds like.)

Luke's Snacks: 1 of  2 Remaining Clif Bars, Fruit-Based Item

Luke's Dinner: Mountain House Roasted Chicken Breast w/ Mashed Potatoes (Add Dehydrated Onion to potato, bring BBQ Sauce Packet for Chicken), Backpacker's Pantry Dark Chocolate Cheesecake. Aleve Painkiller.

Furthest Camp Point 4.4mi

Google Estimated Time to Complete: 1h 33m

My Estimated  Max time to complete: 2h 24m

Dinner Time: 1h

Filter Time: 30m

Segment Completion Window: Seg+2h 30m to Seg+3h 54m 

Total Completion Window: 6h 32m to 9h 53m  /  1:42pm to 5:03pm

Stage 4: Set Up Camp

Make Camp and relax! It's been a long day, I'm sure! Enjoy the stars and hopefully the sound of Wolves.

Luke's Snacks: Whisky (hopefully this'll help with that whole sore leg thing!)


Stage 5: Wake, Breakfast, Break Camp, Depart.

Wake by 8am and make breakfast, tear down camp and head Westbound down Ice Age Trail aiming for 9am trail departure.

Luke's Breakfast: Mountain House Granola & Blueberries, Aleve Painkiller
Luke's Snacks: Kashi Fruit and Nut Trail Bar

Distance to top of Lookout Mountain: 4.4mi

Google Estimated Time to Complete: 1h 33m

My Estimated  Max time to complete: 2h 24m

Filter Time: 30m

Segment Completion Window: Seg+2h 3m to Seg+2h 54m / 11:03am-11:54am

Stage 6: Return to Vehicle

Head down from Lookout Mountain, keeping an eye out for a lunch stop location. Stop for lunch and head for car.

Luke's Snacks: 1 Remaining Clif Bar, Anything Extra

Luke's Lunch: Mountain House Lasagna w/ Meat Sauce

Distance to Parking Lot: 4.4mi

Google Estimated Time to Complete: 1h30m

My Estimated Time to Complete: 2h24m

Lunch Time: 45m

Segment Completion Window: 2h 15m to 3h 9m

Total Completion Window: 4h 18m to 6h 3m / 1:18pm to 3:03pm

Return home to Appleton for dinner, should return around 5pm

Trip Plan: IAT Test Hike SAFL-WR-HCSP

Timeline for Gear Shakedown Operation:

-Monday Night-

-Bob: Gather Car Camping Supplies

-Luke: Gather Backpacking Kit

-Bob And Luke: Load Bonneville by 7pm or earlier

-Tuesday Morning-

7:30 am - Bob: Wake Luke, Depart by 7:40am

7:50 am - Bob And Luke: Kwik Trip stop for Coffee

-Bob And Luke: Drive to Waupaca, Hwy 10 to Foley Rd (~5mi Past 49/54) North on Foley Rd to Skunk and Foster Lakes Trailhead (SAFL)@ Sannes Creek. (Google Estimated Travel Time From Home: 52min)

-Luke: Begin ~11mi Hike from SAFL Trailhead to HCSP Campground @ IAT Waypoint PW17 (Rough Estimated Travel Time: 6hr) Mark Time as T __:__ (Ideal: 9:00am)

-Bob: Backtrack down Foley Rd to 10, take 10 to 49/54 (West?) to HCSP

-Bob: Reserve Campsite. Preferrably 39 or 40. If 39/40 loop is closed, shoot for Site 20, 18 or 19 in-order. If somehow all of those are full, just get as near to that as you can.

-Bob: At office, determine Fire Ban Status.

-Bob: Once At Campsite, perform Communications Test, send test Email, SMS and POTS hailing. Notify Luke of Campsite Number.

-Bob: If Commcheck Unsuccessful, and Campsite Does Not Equal 39 or 40, proceed to Waypoint PW17 and leave a note at sign depicted in the following photographs:

http://restless.mechadynamics.net/camping/hartmanncreek/2/IMG_3747.JPG
http://restless.mechadynamics.net/camping/hartmanncreek/2/IMG_3754.JPG
http://restless.mechadynamics.net/camping/hartmanncreek/2/IMG_3755.JPG

Preferably folded and tucked between signpost and sign. If unable to securely wedge note in sign, leave beneath rock at base of sign.

-Luke: Fallback method will be to proceed from PW17/(39/40) along loop road towards site 20. Look for bonneville along that loop. If unable to locate, proceed to park office.

-Bob: If Fire Permitted, Gather/Purchase/obtain firewood.

-Bob: You're free to enjoy the park. Please remain on standby and keep your phone operational. Inverter will be provided in-car for charging if needed.


-On Trail Plan-

-Luke: Proceed through SAFL Segment 4.4mi. @ Est 2mph pace complete Segment at Estimated T+2h12m. (Ideal: 11:12am)

-Luke: Prepare lunch @ Waupaca River Segment(WRS) (Ideal: 45m/11:57am) Ending at Estimated T+3h If Communications intact, make progress report.

-Luke: Proceed Through WR Segment of IAT, 4.9mi Estimated 2h27m length and arrive at HCSP Trailhead ~T+5h30m (Ideal:2:30pm)

-Luke: Proceed into Hartman Creek HSCP Segment of IAT, Half-length Estimated at ~2.5-3mi @ Est 2mph pace, 1h-1h30m (Ideal 3:30-4:00pm)


-Hartman Creek State Park Plan-

-Luke: Locate Campsite. Check PW17 for note if not otherwise notified.

-Luke: Link up with Bob.

-Bob and Luke: Proceed to Allen Lake Picnic Table via Site 20 path, prepare dinner.

-Luke: Fill water reserves for PM

-Bob and Luke: Return to campsite

-Luke: Raise Passage 2 Tent, lay out sleeping bag

-Bob and Luke: Celebrate Successful Test, Discuss trip/impact of test on kit


Glossary:

IAT - Ice Age Trail
SAFL - Skunk And Foster Lakes (segment)
WR/WRS - Waupaca River (Segment)
HCSP - Hartman Creek State Park (segment/destination)

So, the plan here is to be dropped off at the northern-most point in the Skunk and Foster Lakes segment of the Ice Age Trail and walk the estimated 11-12 miles down to the campground at Hartman Creek State Park. This trip will serve as both training and testing for my gear. We'll be executing this plan on Tuesday the 28th, and tomorrow on the 27th, I'll post my gear list for this expedition. My gear list will actually be overkill for this operation, but this is on purpose. I'm aiming for much more ambitious hikes than this, so I need to prepare for and accustom myself to the gear load I'll need on those hikes.

I aimed for a ~10 mile segment because of my general fitness level (mediocre), and because 20-30mi seems to be the benchmark of a seasoned thru-hiker's day. As such, I figure starting with my sights set on 10 miles is a realistic goal, and if I find myself itching for more miles at the end of that, I can hike the rest of the HCSP trail down to the Emmons Creek segment, and back up. 10 miles should be long enough to ease me in and test my equipment. I should also get a bit of perspective on the equipment I'm using. With Bob camping nearby, if anything should go wrong (my ankles have been known to experience rather catastrophic failures)I should be able to summon help.

It appears to be a fairly easy segment of trail though, and I don't anticipate any great difficulty in this course.All in all, it looks like an excellent starting point for this sort of thing. Tuesday and Wednesday are supposed to be into the mid 60s/low 70s during the day and there isn't even the most remote indication of inclement weather. an ideal setup for a test-outing like this. Additionally, this exercise will prepare me for doing a lengthier, more challenging segment up north, the Harrison Hills segment of the Ice Age Trail.