Day 26
Location: Pattison State Park
Distance: 14 mi
Weather: sunny and warm
Mood: also sunny
We had a nice night after crossing the Wisconsin border yesterday and beginning our trek on the NCT. But today we started a unique stretch of the journey: the 50 mile road walk. Unlike the SHT, the NCT has a few unfinished sections through Wisconsin (though these gaps are getting smaller all the time, and this particular one will be mostly gone in a year or two). Here, the trail routes onto low traffic roads as a temporary connector to the rest of the trail. We plan to cover this section in 3 days.
During planning, I thought this part of the trip would probably be a low point for us. We'd have come off the high of finishing the SHT and spend several days in direct sun walking on hard packed dirt and asphalt roads. But after the first day, it's been fairly pleasant! Open road means open views and there has been lots to see. We woke up early and night hiked out of camp to beat the hot afternoon sun. I love hiking at night, the whole forest reduced to a little bubble in the light of your headlamp.
As dawn broke we made it out onto the roads. Even out here there seemed to be a bit of a rush hour just before 9, with cars passing every 5 minutes or so. When that died down, we saw a coyote slink out of the woods and turn to stare at us walking towards it. It turned again and trotted ahead of us for several minutes before slipping back into the trees.
A stop for water under a bridge
Although the unforgiving pavement was hard on our feet, we made very good time to camp, arriving just after noon. The day wasn't over for me, however; we still needed a partial resupply to get us to our next town stop at Solon Springs. We decided Dad would stay in camp to rest and I planned to buy snacks at a gas station, adding 5 more miles to my day. In a stroke of pure luck, the park office mentioned that a new Dollar General had been built a little closer—only 3 miles round trip—and it would have a full selection of food! I walked with an empty pack down the shoulder of a busy highway, feeling again like I was in a different world from the car shrouded travelers I shared the road with. Some waved, most just gawked. I suppose I must be something of a sight! On the way back I picked up a box of ice cream sandwiches (Dad's favorite) and a bag of ice to help him bring the swelling down on a sore shin. The heat was at full strength, but I was enjoying my little world on the shoulder. I made up a walking song about using my feet to carry ice cream up the hill instead of driving and watched leaves blow down into the road as the wind gusted. As I crested the hill, I looked back and realized part of Duluth was visible in the far distance. How far we've come!
