Show Notes
Wisconsin has thousands of miles of trails that can be used for everything from hiking to snowmobiling – and lots in between. State trails are an easy way to start exploring Wisconsin’s outdoors.
We’re also fortunate enough to have two of 11 National Scenic Trails wind their way through our state -- all of the Ice Age Trail and about 200 miles of the North Country Trail.
The Ice Age National Scenic Trail spends nearly 1,200 miles winding its way through Wisconsin’s many lakes, river valleys, hills, and even state parks. In 2013, author Melanie Radzicki McManus decided to take on the Ice Age National Scenic trail to set a trail running record. And once wasn’t enough for her – she hiked and ran the trail in both directions. She also chronicled her journey in “Thousand Miler: Adventures Hiking the Ice Age Trail.” Beyond her adventures in Wisconsin, she has traveled the world hiking and writing. On this episode of Wild Wisconsin – Off the Record, Melanie shares her experience hiking in Wisconsin and beyond, plus gives her best tips for getting started.
Also weighing in is Brigit Brown, the DNR’s section chief for recreation management, who shares more on Wisconsin state trails. Listen in to learn more about Wisconsin’s thousands of miles of trails and the many ways you can use them.
Learn more about Melanie Radzicki McManus at:
https://thethousandmiler.com/
Katie Grant: [
00:00:13] Welcome back to another episode of Wild Wisconsin -- Off The Record. I'm your host, DNR's digital media coordinator, Katie Grant. These are unprecedented times as we embrace our new normal. We at the DNR hope you find this podcast to be a little escape from all things COVID-19. On this episode of Wild Wisconsin, I talk with award-winning journalist, author and hiking enthusiast, Melanie Radzicki-McManus.
Available now, the Wisconsin native's first book, the Thousand-Miler, is a memoir about her record-setting trail run of the Ice Age National Scenic Trail. Melanie has traveled the world hiking and trail running. She joins us to talk about her journey.
As you know, several things are postponed with COVID-19 including this podcast. We've recorded this episode before the COVID-19 pandemic when Melanie was about to start her next long-through hike. You'll hear a bit more about that in this episode, but... which... We wanted you to know that she is back home and safe now.
As a friendly reminder under Governor Ever' Safer At Home Order for those looking to explore the outdoors, we encourage you to stay in your local community and social distance to help slow the spread of COVID-19. For now, listen into my conversation with Melanie Radzicki-McManus, the Thousand-Miler.
Melanie Radzicki-McManus: [
00:01:32] My name is Melanie Radzicki-McManus, and I am a freelance writer. Um, travel is one of my specialties, and I write a lot about hiking in particular, uh, or active travel. But hiking is my super niche spot.
Katie Grant: [
00:01:47] Yeah. So we brought you on here today to talk about one of the experiences you've had here in Wisconsin.
So back in 2013 and in 2015, you actually ran the Ice Age Trail. Why did you decide that this was something you wanted to do in the first place and why the Ice Age Trail specifically?
Melanie Radzicki-McManus: [
00:02:07] Well, it's kind of a longish answer and it stretches back to, uh, I guess you could say 2009 when I first learned about the Camino.
Um, and in, um, in Spain. It's a ancient pilgrimage trail and a lot of people were hiking it. So I went over to Spain and I was just captivated by this long-distance trail and following these yellow blazes through the Spanish countryside. And so I started going back many times, writing many articles. I had an app guidebook on the Camino.
And then in 2012, a running, friend of mine named Jason Dorgan told me about something called the Ice Age Trail in Wisconsin. And he said, it's a lot like this Camino you love so much, Melanie. So I researched it that night and I was flabbergasted because here I was a travel writer for, I don't even know at that time, 20 some years.
I had never heard of the Ice Age Trail. When I learned that it was a long-distance hiking trail, twice the length of the Camino, almost 1,200 miles in my own backyard. One of just 11 prestigious national scenic trails. I knew I had to, um, explore it. And I didn't have too much time to take off of work to explore it.
So I thought, well, I want to hike the whole thing and run it. Um, or I want to explore the whole trail. I don't have that much time, but I'm good at running, so I could actually run the trail like my friend Jason did, who had set what's called a fast-packing record on the trail in 2007. And I thought, oh, he's the only one that's ever tried to do it.
And he's a guy. So I could say, I could set the record for women and just to have a bunch of fun in the process, write a bunch of stories, learn about the trail, et cetera. So that's what got me started the first time in 2013 and then I just got so hooked. Um, I was obsessed in a healthy way with the trail and being outside for such a long period of time. And so I decided I wanted to write a book about it, and then that meant I needed to hike it again, or that's what I told my husband.
Katie Grant: [
00:04:03] Once wasn't enough.
Melanie Radzicki-McManus: [
00:04:04] Right. So it's like I had to do it again opposite direction for the book. So I did it twice.
Katie Grant: [
00:04:09] So you wrote a book. Tell us a little bit about ... About the experience of writing the book and I guess what it's called so we can find it.
Melanie Radzicki-McManus: [
00:04:15] It's called Thousand-Miler: Adventures Hiking the Ice Age Trail, and it's this story. It's a story of the Ice Age Trail. It gives the history, it talks about my experience on the trail, and that's kind of the thread that holds the book together.
And as I encountered different hikers along the trail, I weave their stories into the book as well. I also have a chapter devoted to Jason and his, um, fast-packing attempt, and another chapter devoted to the first person to through-hike the trail who did it back in I think like 1979 when I was probably in a disco.
Katie Grant: [
00:04:47] Wow. What were your favorite segments of the Ice Age Trail?
Melanie Radzicki-McManus: [
00:04:53] I'm glad you said favorite segments with an s. Cause I'm a person who never has one favorite. There are so many wonderful segments in this trail. Um, I like the Chippewa... Chippewa Moraine segment a lot. It's in the northwest portion of the state because it's just kind of a perfect, you know, not too hilly, but not flat.
The trails are all perfectly groomed. You pass these beautiful lakes. I love, um. The, uh, Point Beach section, which is around, uh, two rivers and I had never been to Point Beach State Park, even though it's close to where I grew up in Sheboygan, but that's a beautiful pine forest. Cushy. I liked that, and two miles are right on Lake Michigan, which having grown up in Sheboygan, I just really love Lake Michigan.
So that's unique. Um, I love the Lodi and Lodi Marsh segments that are near us here in Madison. There, there's just so many and they're all different, which is um, another thing that's wonderful about the Ice Age Trail. Slinger... Goes right through Slinger and passes this awesome shop selling the best ice cream.
Katie Grant: [
00:05:54] I hope that you made a pit up for some ice cream.
Melanie Radzicki-McManus: [
00:05:56] I did.
Katie Grant: [
00:05:56] Good. Good. Um, yeah, it's, it's interesting that on one stretch of trail through one state there's so much varied terrain and landscape and things to see and things to do and everything like that. Since your experience on the Ice Age Trail, you've explored some other famous trails throughout the world.
You mentioned the Camino in Spain. Tell us a bit about some of your other adventures, maybe what was your favorite.
Melanie Radzicki-McManus: [
00:06:23] Uh, don't say that word favorite again.
Melanie Radzicki-McManus: [
00:06:26] Yes. Um, I did a hike in Iceland called the Laugavegur Trail and one in New Zealand, um, the Tongariro Crossing. And both of those are rated, um, as some of the best hikes in the world.
And what I loved about those two destinations is the scenery was so, um, different. I mean, it looked otherworldly, like someone just made it up for it a movie set or something. So those I really liked, but honestly, and every trail goes through just beautiful terrain. It's all different weather. I hiked the Arizona Trail last year, you know, that's all desert climate.
Very different from what we have here that has beauty in its own way. Um, to the New England Trail. I hiked, that's another national scenic trail. Um, very much in some ways like Wisconsin, but very different because a lot of mountains in rocky outcrops, but everything is just beautiful. The being outdoors is wonderful.
There's so much beauty in the world.
Katie Grant: [
00:07:26] Right. Right. Now, how many have you actually hiked and how many have you run? Is Ice Age the only one that you've done more running on than hiking?
Melanie Radzicki-McManus: [
00:07:35] Yes, definitely. I mean, the Ice AgeTtrail, again, I was trying to have fun with it the first time, um, by running it and saying, I could be, I have the through-hike, fastpacking record for women, but also, again, as I had said to just so I wouldn't have to take so much time away from work.
And then I did it again in, in 2015 because I had a really compressed timeframe by the time the book deal came through and I had some other obligations, but you know, now I'm getting kind of too old for that, so I'm just doing the hiking on these other trails. But I am, I have set a goal of trying to hike all 11 national scenic trails before I die.
Katie Grant: [
00:08:12] How far are you on that list?
Melanie Radzicki-McManus: [
00:08:14] I'm going to start number five next week.
Melanie Radzicki-McManus: [
00:08:18] Yeah. And I'm in, I've got a sixth that I'm in the process of section hiking. So there's two ways you can hike these trails. You do. You can do a through hike, which means you do it all at once, or a section hike where you do it in sections over time.
Katie Grant: [
00:08:30] So where are you going to explore next?
Melanie Radzicki-McManus: [
00:08:34] Next week?
Melanie Radzicki-McManus: [
00:08:35] It's a, it's a very unusual trail called the Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail. Um, most of the other national scenic trails are a typical kind of point-to-point trail, but this one, um, is built by the National Park Service as a braided network of trails.
So they're trying to showcase the best scenery and history of the Potomac River. So they've taken a lot of existing trails. For example, there's one called the Mount Vernon Trail that goes from Washington D.C. out to Mount Vernon. That's its own Mount Vernon Trail, but it's also part of the Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail.
So logistically it's a little difficult to hike because there's a lot of back and forth and, um, some of the trails aren't as well marked as some of the others, and they don't have exact mileage... Mileage counts. So it's been, it'll be a little bit of a guessing game as to how long I'm out there.
Katie Grant: [
00:09:24] What's the estimate on mileage for that?
Melanie Radzicki-McManus: [
00:09:26] I've seen everything from, they mostly say 7 to 900 but I've seen one that said as much as 1,100 so it'll be a fun adventure. It sure will.
Katie Grant: [
00:09:36] What's the craziest experience you've had on the trails?
Melanie Radzicki-McManus: [
00:09:41] I'm going to tell you two, one didn't quite happen to me. If... It was when I was on the Ice Age Trail in 2015 and I had a friend crewing me, which is he would drop me off at the start of the day and then meet me several times during the day to offer food and snacks and water and things like that.
And when I met him at one of the trail crossings, he said, 'Oh my gosh, there were just two nude hikers out here.' And I said, 'what?' And apparently two men have been section hiking the Ice Age Trail, always in the nude.
Melanie Radzicki-McManus: [
00:10:11] So, yeah, call that crazy. I don't understand. I was very scratched up all over that day on my arms and legs, and I can't imagine it finding it enjoyable to be naked.
But so then that's crazy. But luckily I didn't see, did not see them.
But another kind of weird encounter I had, this is on the Superior Hiking Trail up in Minnesota, was, um, I saw a groundhog in the middle of the path and I thought, 'Oh, cute groundhog and didn't run away,' which I thought was amazing. So I took my camera out and I took a bunch of pictures and then as I went to walk it puffed its fur out and it started snapping these big long brown teeth at me and I'm like, 'Oh my gosh, this is crazy.' I tried everything for like 20 minutes to get this thing to move. I tried kind of jabbing my trekking pole at it, screaming, blowing my whistle, hiding for a while, coming back out, and it just was right in the middle of that path and would... Did not want me to pass. I actually called my husband cause I was kind of on the sort of on the top of a mountain and say, can you Google how to get past and groundhog?
And he's like, OK. And the answer was just walk around it. And I said, I can't just walk around it. I'm afraid it's going to bite me.
And then I started thinking maybe it was a rabbit, because you know every other wildlife just runs away from you. So I remember thank goodness, I had some mace that my husband had given me just in case, and so I didn't even know how to work it, was afraid I would spray myself, but luckily I sprayed it, and it hit it and it ran away right away and then I ran by.
But that was kind of scary. And then when I think back, it's like, it was a little groundhog, but it had those big teeth.
Katie Grant: [
00:11:46] Yeah, I'm sure at the time they looked way scarier than they actually were.
Melanie Radzicki-McManus: [
00:11:51] I know.
Katie Grant: [
00:11:53] Beyond the Ice Age Trail here in Wisconsin, do you have any other favorite trails in the state for running, hiking, exploring?
Melanie Radzicki-McManus: [
00:12:04] You know, a lot of, in retrospect, looking now that I know what the Ice Age Trail is, a lot of the trails that I've hiked on and enjoyed happened to be part of the Ice Age Trail. Um, but that being said, like Indian Lake for example, I go to a lot mostly because it's close, but I do like it a lot. And there's a section of that that's the Ice Age Trail, but many other segments of that that are not, I like the trails at Devil's Lake a lot.
How can you not like that? I like Lapham Peak. Um, quite a bit. And having grown up in Sheboygan, I did a lot of hiking in the Northern Kettle Moraine. So those are wonderful trails. So yeah, I would say those are some of my favorites for sure.
Katie Grant: [
00:12:45] Yeah, there's lots to explore here.
Melanie Radzicki-McManus: [
00:12:48] Definitely.
Katie Grant: [
00:12:49] For sure. So let's talk a little bit about getting ready for these long hikes. Uh, do you do any sort of cross-training or anything in preparation and what else is involved in getting ready for one.
Melanie Radzicki-McManus: [
00:13:02] Um, I don't usually train for a big hike per se, but that's only because I'm a very active person. I like being outside and I like working out. So, um, I'm normally doing some kind of workout six days a week.
And that includes not just say running or elliptical, but also exercise, like pushups and things like that. So I have a good base, which I'm fortunate. Um, but then when, if you're getting ready for any adventure, whether it's hiking for several weeks or just for a day or two, you have to pay attention to the terrain.
Make sure you have appropriate clothing. Always have, um, water, snacks, a phone or something for emergencies. Whistles, a little bit of first aid, um, supplies on you, that type of thing. And it's always good no matter where you're, how safe a trail is or how urban it is, just to let somebody know where you're going to be.
Um, I know a lot of women in particular are nervous about hiking by themselves. I get that question a lot, and I am not, um, I'm not afraid at all of being out there alone. But that being said, you always have to take simple precautions.
Katie Grant: [
00:14:13] Yeah. Yeah, it's smart to stay safe. Um, and the, the, the part about letting someone know where you are, I feel like that goes for anyone going out into Wisconsin's outdoors ever.
Melanie Radzicki-McManus: [
00:14:25] Right.
Katie Grant: [
00:14:25] You know, whether, whether you're hiking, hunting, fishing, whatever it may be, just let someone know where you are. So if something does happen, they can find you.
Melanie Radzicki-McManus: [
00:14:32] Exactly.
Katie Grant: [
00:14:33] When you are out on the trail, what are some of your favorite go-to snacks to stay fueled? Other than ice cream?
Melanie Radzicki-McManus: [
00:14:40] I have eaten a lot of ice cream on the Ice Age Trail, so if anyone wants to ever know where the best spots are, they can call me.
You know, it's interesting. I started out doing all like energy bar things, mostly because I was going to be running and I thought my stomach can't handle anything more. But what I've learned over time is not that energy bars aren't real food, but real food tastes real good. So I started doing more packing, regular sandwiches and I still have some energy bars and things like that, but, um, you know, dried fruit is good.
Nuts are good. Um. Some candy's good. Especially if you're going all day, you do need some calories, so it's nice to have a big candy bar that I don't normally let myself eat.
Katie Grant: [
00:15:23] Yeah, yeah. Do you prefer to listen to any music or podcasts or anything or just be out there in nature and enjoy the sounds?
Melanie Radzicki-McManus: [
00:15:32] Mostly I like to be out in nature and enjoy the sounds. I love the sounds of the wind of when going through the different tree branches and all the different noises. Uh, branches can make, you wouldn't believe it. Everything from like a, um, an old door, big wooden door creaking open in a haunted house or something to some that sound like a, you know, a boat rubbing against a doc or something. That being said, especially if I'm on a long-distance hike where I'm maybe hiking for 8 or 10 hours a day, um, toward the end when I start getting tired, I need music or podcast or something to kind of distract me. So that's when I switch to that.
Katie Grant: [
00:16:10] Okay. Keep you going.
Melanie Radzicki-McManus: [
00:16:11] Right.
Katie Grant: [
00:16:13] So in some of your recaps of hiking, running the Ice Age Trail, you mentioned that you did it kind of in September cause you don't like the heat and then of course it ended up being a super hot September anyway. Um, do you get out on the trails in the winter?
Melanie Radzicki-McManus: [
00:16:27] I do. Um, yes. I like to snowshoe. That's actually my trail name now, Snowshoe. Um, and there's great snowshoeing on a lot of the trails all over the state. Um, and that's a great activity. I'm trying to get more people into it because so many people say, 'Oh, it's winter. You know, snow, it's cold.' But unless you're talking, you know, zero or below zero, it's, you generate heat when you're out there snowshoeing.
And it's...it's so beautiful when you get into some of the woods where they're just, you know, the snow is so deep and it's so quiet and just so beautiful out there. And, uh, cross country skiing is nice too. And then sometimes when we don't have that much snow, we'll just hike on the trails in our boots.
Melanie Radzicki-McManus: [
00:17:12] And just, it helps to have, uh, if you're doing that, some kind of traction device, like yak tracks or, um, ice cleats or something cause it can get icy.
Katie Grant: [
00:17:22] Right. Yeah. Do you have any tips for other cold-weather gear that you love or have to have?
Melanie Radzicki-McManus: [
00:17:27] I'm a big fan of trekking poles year-round. Um, they're useful for so many ways, not just balance or taking weight off your knees.
You can see, um, if how deep water is in the summer and the winter, you can see, um, if the ice is thick, you know how, how, how solid the ice is. Um, in the summer, they keep your arms parallel to the ground, which means you don't get really swollen fingers. Um. So I love that. It's like a little, my little secret tip, I just discovered that by using them, but they come in handy for, well, didn't help with the groundhog but for other wildlife.
You know, if you need to kind of draw yourself up large or just look scary, you know, trekking poles can help for that. And um, hydration. I'm just gonna mention too, cause we talking about year-round, but a lot of people think if it's winter, you don't need water, you don't need as much water and you definitely need water and sometimes you can, you need more water and it's, and you need to remember to drink your water cause I'm bad about that too. I'll take all this water in the winter and then sometimes it's like, ah, I'm not thinking to drink it, but it's really important to do that, to stay hydrated.
Katie Grant: [
00:18:33] For sure. For sure. What advice would you give to someone who's interested in maybe running the Ice Age Trail for the first time or doing a long through-hike kind of a thing? Any, any tips for beginners?
Melanie Radzicki-McManus: [
00:18:47] Well, if you're going to do something like running, um, make sure you have a big, uh, base, a deep base for running.
Um, I had been running for decades before I started that and did long runs on the weekends and things like that. Um, and for, if you want to do, thinking of a long through hike and you're, um, maybe not having hiked that much. Just make sure you start getting out on the trails and getting yourself used to it and building up slowly.
You can also start, a lot of people start these long hikes and just start out and build their way, as they're hiking. So for example, maybe your first day you hike five miles, maybe your first week you hike five miles a day or eight miles a day, and then you next week you bump up to 12 or whatever.
It's always good to start, um, slowly and do some research so you know what you're going to get into. Um, I what I didn't know when I started the Ice Age Trail, despite nine months of research, I didn't realize that that trail and many of our others, um, are maintained by volunteers. And what that means is, um, people like you and I go out in their free time and they trim back the trail amongst other things or put fresh markings, but it's all people can't be out there.
Keeping the trail in perfect condition every minute of every day. All I had in my head was, it's a national scenic trail and there's only 11, and I was picturing some like Disney-esque type of path where, you know, every, there'd be no weeds or rocks or roots, and it would be just perfectly mowed. And when I got up there, there were some sections that were pretty overgrown because volunteers just hadn't gotten there yet.
And so you have to be prepared for that. Um, if you're going to, most trails have some kind of organization or place where you can find out information where you can call locally and just say, what's the trail like? So if you don't want to be in a situation of waiting through knee-high brush or something.
Um, just call and say, what's this? This is where I want to hike. What's it like right now? And someone will be able to tell you, or if you like the adventure...
Katie Grant: [
00:20:52] Go for it anyway.
Melanie Radzicki-McManus: [
00:20:53] To be surprised by what you'll encounter.
Katie Grant: [
00:20:55] Yeah. Yeah. Anything else that you want us to know about your, your adventures, your experience, things that people should know before they get into this.
Melanie Radzicki-McManus: [
00:21:05] Two things. First of all, get out on the Ice Age Trail in Wisconsin and start exploring. You'll be blown away by the beauty. I thought I had seen so much of this state just from whether it's driving the car or times when I've hiked or ...Or biked or ran through different parks. But the trail takes you to so many places you just wouldn't normally stop and you will not believe how beautiful it is.
And then also I would say, please people get outside and move. There's so many studies that show being out in nature is healthy for you. And, and uh, especially they, there's a link between walking and being in nature. And I'm here to tell you it's absolutely true. I cannot believe how therapeutic it was to be out there day after day in nature.
All the stress and anxiety levels go way down. And um, it's just wonderful. So whether you can spare an hour a day, three days, just do it. You'll love it.
Katie Grant: [
00:22:05] Are you feeling inspired to find your next adventure here in Wisconsin? Curious about how many trails we have or maybe wondering all the ways that can be used? To answer those questions and more we talked with DNR Section Chief for Recreation Management and the Bureau of Parks and Recreation.
Brigit Brown: [
00:22:21] My name is Brigit Brown, and I am a Section Chief for Recreation Management in the Bureau of Parks and Recreation in the division of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks. Uh, prior to that, I was the state trails coordinator for about 15 years.
Katie Grant: [
00:22:36] We brought you in to talk about our trails today cause we have a lot of them and they're pretty awesome. Um, and it turns out that it's not just a simple question of how many we have. Why don't you tell us a little bit about what it is that we have here in Wisconsin for trails.
Brigit Brown: [
00:22:49] Yeah. Well, we have a really rich history of trails here in Wisconsin.
Um, everything from the first rail to trail conversion in the Elroy Sparta State Trail, uh, to, uh, the Ice Age Trail and the North Country Trail to national scenic trails. Um, the Ice Age Trail, uh, is one of the only nationals scenic trails that is contained entirely in one state. Uh, and the Ice Age Trail also has the distinction of being Wisconsin's only state scenic trail, a special designation that it has in state law.
Katie Grant: [
00:23:25] What does scenic trail mean for it?
Brigit Brown: [
00:23:27] Oh, that's a good question. Well, it sounds really nice. So that's one thing, but essentially, uh, it, it's a designation that was given, uh, at a federal level. Uh, so it is a national scenic trail. There are also national historic trails. Um, to me, I think, uh, although a lot of the national historic trails are things like a Natchez Trace, um, you know, Trail of Tears, uh, those kinds of trails that have a really rich, um, cultural history.
Uh, the Ice Age Trail is really special because, uh, it really commemorates geology and the ice age formations that are, uh, so abundant here in Wisconsin. So it's, it's scenic, in that you know, you get to see a lot of the beauty of Wisconsin and a lot of our geologic, uh, ice age history.
Um, but also just Wisconsin's beauty.
Katie Grant: [
00:24:20] What can you do on state trails on Wisconsin?
Brigit Brown: [
00:24:24] Oh, wow. That's a great question. So we have all kinds of opportunities on state trails in Wisconsin. Everything from walking and snowshoeing and skiing to, um, more, uh motorized pursuits and, uh, opportunities like off-highway motorcycling, which is a fairly new program here in Wisconsin.
Snowmobiling, ATV-ing, UTV-ing. UTVs are kind of the, um, souped-up golf cart looking type devices, uh, that are treated very similar to alternative vehicles or ATVs here in Wisconsin. We also have a lot of equestrian trails, um, we have a lot of diversity in the kinds of pursuits that people enjoy here in Wisconsin on trails.
So even among bicycling, there are a lot of different kinds of trails. So what we've done here at DNR is divided those into some different categories. So people have a better idea of the kind of experience they can expect and maybe even the kind of equipment they might want to have with them. Uh, so we have bicycle touring trails, which are, you know, sort of the easier trails, like our pave trails.
A lot of our limestone surface trails on former railroad beds, uh, they generally appropriate for all levels of, uh, cycling ability and, and bikes with pretty skinny tires. Then we have off-road bicycle trails, and those are a little bit more intermediate level trails, often in the woods. And they have a variety of surfacing from just native soil to, to woodchips.
Um, they're, you know, maybe more appropriate for folks, a little bit more experienced and who are looking for a little bit more of an adventure in the woods. Uh, they're appropriate for, you know, hybrid type bikes. Or mountain bikes as well. Then we also have constructed mountain bike trails. These are trails that are really purpose-built for bicycling.
Um, in a challenging way they're, they're a more narrow width, usually about 18 to 24 inches in width, and, uh, they're, they're built to pretty specific standards for mountain biking. That's not to say though that other uses don't really enjoy them. We have, um, a lot of other folks, um, whether they be pedestrians, uh, hikers, runners, walkers, uh, who enjoy that kind of trail as well.
Snowshoers, we find also really, uh, often enjoy those more narrow kind of intimate trails, um, that, uh, our constructed mountain bike trails offer.
Katie Grant: [
00:26:59] Yeah. So some of these are kind of multi-use, you know, you can bike them, you can run 'em, you can hike them. Some of them are more specialized where, you know, maybe you can only snowmobile on them or, um, only cross-country ski on them at different times of year.
Brigit Brown: [
00:27:16] Yeah, that's a really good point. All of our trails are open to people walking and those basic pedestrian uses, um, with the exception of our groomed cross-country ski trails. We don't want people walking on those. And so we have what's called administrative code that says, essentially, when one of our trails is groomed, uh, don't hike on it, don't allow your dog on it. Um, because we want to preserve that really specific experience of those tracks for the cross-country skiers. Um, but yeah, we have a whole variety of trails that are open to a lot of different uses. And I think a good way maybe to think about it is that trails will have, uh, multiple uses that are allowed uses.
So you can do bicycling, you can do ATV-ing, you can walk on a trail. However, they may not be a kind of the, the experience that's catered to on that trail. So a lot of times, um, you know, we, we have a motorized trail that is open to a whole variety of uses. Um, but in large part, it is designed and maintained for usually that motorized use.
So you can definitely walk on it. You can definitely bicycle on it, but it may not be a bicyclist or a walker's most desired experience. So, um, we encourage folks to kind of think about what their desired experience is. And we do our best to provide information and provide facts about all of our different trails so that folks can really find an experience that is gonna meet their needs and really meet what they're looking for.
Katie Grant: [
00:29:03] Yeah, for sure. So before we got started here, you kind of had mentioned that one of the things you like to do as long-distance hike and we have some resources on our website specifically about that. What is your favorite long-distance hike in Wisconsin?
Brigit Brown: [
00:29:17] Oh, that's a great question. You know, I have to say the Kettle Moraine is always a classic.
Um, we're fortunate to have, uh, some great backpacking experiences here in Wisconsin. Of course, we have our two national scenic trails with the North Country Trail and the Ice Age Trail. And what we've done is we've provided online, if you, if you look up, uh, on our website and type in backpacking, we have some kind of sample experiences for folks.
And, you know, they can say, 'Hey, I, I'm new to this backpacking thing. Maybe I just want to try one night.' Well, we have some, uh, areas where we suggest, 'Hey, you can park here, you can hike out on this trail, camp here, and then hike back the next day.' Um, maybe you want to try a few more days. And we have some, some sampling... Sample itineraries for that as well.
Katie Grant: [
00:30:09] What do you need to be able to use Wisconsin state trails? Do you need to buy any sort of a pass or admission stickers or anything like that?
Brigit Brown: [
00:30:17] Yeah, so we do require vehicle admission stickers at a lot of our properties. So once you get into the property, if it does require that vehicle admission sticker, then we also have some trails that require a state trail pass.
So what that is is just a, it's a piece of paper that allows you for the calendar year to access our state trails. Uh, if you're doing so by bicycle or horse or cross country ski, um, and that isn't across the board. It's for certain uses on certain trails, and we do explain exactly where it's required and for what uses on our website if you just type in keyword "trail pass."
Katie Grant: [
00:31:02] Is there any trail etiquette that users should be aware of?
Brigit Brown: [
00:31:05] Yeah, that's a great question. And thank you for asking. Um, this is one of the things that I, I really wish more people knew about. Um, so basic trail etiquette, uh, and, and sometimes it gets confusing because if you're, if you're walking or bicycling on a road, uh, it's really different.
But if you're on a trail in general, you want to stay to the right of the trail pass people on their left. Let people know that you're passing. Now we have a lot of folks who are at different speeds and different skill levels, and it's really frankly just the polite thing to do to say, 'Hey, on your left,' and to let someone know that you're going to be passing them.
They won't always hear you. We do have a lot of folks that like using the trails with, uh, with headphones on or earbuds in, but, um, at least doing your best to alert others, to let them know that you're passing. You know, I think always looking before you want to change your position on a trail, whether you're going to be passing someone else or you want to avoid something, um, you know, a lot of it really just focuses on, um, kind of the golden rule of treating others how you'd like to be treated, you know, being polite and, and when in doubt, uh, I think yielding to other users is a good rule of thumb as well.
Katie Grant: [
00:32:28] Anything else you want us to know about Wisconsin state trails?
Brigit Brown: [
00:32:32] It can be considered that Wisconsin's trails are the windows to the DNR. In that trails can be a really great way for folks who don't necessarily have a lot of outdoor experience to have sort of a low consequences or, uh, uh, an easier introduction to, to being outside and to experiencing DNR lands. You know, we have, we have trails, especially some of our state trails, our rail-trails in urban areas.
And you know, just getting on one of those trails and seeing where it takes you, it's, it's a great experience and a great way to get introduced to some areas and places and some of the beauty of Wisconsin that you might not otherwise see.
Katie Grant: [
00:33:14] It's an easy way to just get out there and go for a little ways and then turn around and come back, you don't have to commit to a lot of it.
Katie Grant: [
00:33:22] Learn more about how you can explore Wisconsin's outdoors by visiting dnr.wi.gov and searching for keyword, "find your adventure." Be sure to subscribe to Wild Wisconsin -- Off The Record wherever you get your podcasts. Leave us a review or tell us who you'd like to hear from next time.
Thanks for listening.