Day 33
Location: Reynard Lake
Distance: 17 mi
Weather: hot and aunny
Mood: tired
Today we completed the first of three segments of the Wisconsin NCT. We are done with the Brule-St. Croix segment and are on to the Chequamegon segment! For you non Wisconsinites, that's pronounced Sheh-WAH-meh-gun, which I had to learn from a friend who grew up in the north woods (thanks again Blue Mountain!). We entered the Chequamegon National Forest today, and it's pretty remarkable how the freeway and road noise that ha followed us since Duluth quickly died off.
If I'm being honest, my feet hurt today and I didnt sleep well because of how warm it was last night. The first miles today finishing the segment were mostly green tunnel, with little remarkable to see. I'm usually pretty good at finding something to love about any hike, but I wasn't feeling it today as the temperature creeped up again, as it's been doing for the whole week. But once we reached Rainbow Lake Wilderness I couldn't hold on to my sour mood. The trail became a little more interesting with rocks and roots, and little sun dappled lakes began to emerge from the woods as we plodded on. The water from them tastes wonderful, nothing like the brown tannic water from the lakes along the SHT. I didn't know at first what was remarkable about this place, that it received the designation of a federal wilderness, but I get it now. I had to remind myself how lucky we are to be drinking out of lakes in the middle of a national forest while most people are in the middle of their work day. It can be easy to forget how extraordinary it is to be here and that the foot pain is worth it!
