North Country Trail Wisconsin FKT - Bringing it Home
Preparations
Downtown Duluth’s Lakewalk offered great views of Lake Superior.
Initially, I dismissed the idea of completing the North Country Trail (NCT) Wisconsin Section. What drew me to the Superior Hiking Trail (SHT) was that it comprised nearly 100% trails. Additionally, the trail encapsulated an adventure where there seemed to be a beautiful waterfall, rock outcropping, or vista around every bend. On the other hand, the NCT compromised about a quarter of roads walks. After further investigation, I considered foregoing chasing after a Fastest Known Time (FKT) and biking the major bike sections (miles 8-54 and the final 12 miles) to avoid the pounding especially with the extra load of my pack with all my food and gear. Ultimately I decided to take on the mental challenge of the road.
Pattison Falls State Park was one of the only places I had previously been on the NCT.
As I studied more guidebooks and maps, I realized I hadn’t been on the NCT beyond Pattison and Copper Falls State Parks. The opportunity to discover the trail drew me in. Furthermore, many of the road miles were on low traffic gravel roads. (I ended up traveling miles on roads, even paved, without seeing a car.) The stage was set: with the mild winter, I ran more than usual and this year, the trails had dried out for running before I usually put storage wax on my skis.
I had already conveyed some of my cockamamie ideas to my husband, but one day he inquired why I had a bin of gear and stockpile of thousands of calories of food in our bedroom. I told him I wanted to be ready when a weather window aligned with my schedule to head north to take on the NCT. My timeline would only last until mid-May since I did not want to be in the woods after the mosquitos hatched followed by deer flies and humidity. Shortly after spring break, it looked like there may be a 3-4 day stretch approaching. (In hindsight, it turned out to be the only window that met that criteria.) I began checking the weather every day, even analyzing if the weather forecast would be more favorable starting in one direction versus the other. This window would be bookended with rain on both sides. I preferred overnight lows in the 40Fs (ideally 50Fs but that wasn’t a practical scenario in April), but knew that I shouldn’t push my luck. Besides, the coldest night (predicted to be 31F) would be the first night which I didn’t plan to stop to sleep.
Two days before the FKT attempt, I pulled the trigger. I used my packing list from the SHT and ratioed it for 3-4 days plus incorporated a few tweaks with it being spring rather than fall (such as adding a pair of tights, waterproof socks, and a wool top). I weighed out my food to measure my calories. After I weighed out my cashews, I was in disbelief to see how few cashews amounted to 700 calories that I triple checked my math. Then the disbelief turned to appall when I realized that was my typical snack serving size!
I had fantastic company at the start! Nicole recently completed the entire 1,125 miles of the Ice Age Trail!
Now I needed to figure out the logistics of my point-to-point run. I could park my car and figure it out after I was done (that is if I made it), but that left me uneasy. With both trailheads in remote areas, I couldn’t prearrange an Uber but saw two on-demand options one morning, so that could be a possibility. (But I worried I’d finish in the middle of the night and have to shiver alongside the road until morning!) I only had to reach out to two people before I had a ride. The only problem was I had to switch the direction I had intended, and I wouldn’t be able to start the unsupported FKT attempt until the afternoon. But beggers can’t be choosers! I was a bit worried about losing out on daylight and getting caught in rain that was forecasted to begin at my predicted end time. Turns out neither mattered and God showed me His plan is far better than mine. God stamped on an exclamation point by bringing unforecasted rain that would have been miserable at the start had I started at my preferred time and location! Over the coming days, I’d discover that the eastern trails were far wetter and slower going than the western trails. So had I started the direction I intended, I would have likely battled foot problems and frustration with my slower than expected pace.
Setting out
Standing confidently at the Minnesota/Wisconsin border ready to take on the next 215 miles.
My starting point also served as the Southern Terminus of the 310 mile SHT where I stood 226 days earlier at the start of my first ever FKT attempt and thru-hike. When I last stood in that spot straddling the Minnesota / Wisconsin border, I expected to fail. I was alone, hoping I’d packed everything I’d need for the next week, and optimistic that I would gain valuable experience no matter the outcome. What unfolded over the following days empowered me to seek another rewarding experience. I now stood with confidence to leave my car, parked in Michigan, with only my two feet to travel the 215 miles on the NCT Wisconsin Section back.
I was giddily chatting with Nicole all the way up to the start!
Another contrast was rather than being solo, I had fantastic company to my start. A past co-worker, Nicole, who had recently completed the entire 1,125 miles of the Ice Age Trail, was willing to aid in my logistics by spending 8 hours driving across northern Wisconsin. She had never been in any sports, and I learned on the drive her first ever 5K was an IRONBULL event just a couple of years ago! To save time, I only signed the first logbook. (I signed all 17 logbooks on the SHT and many of the NCT campsites had logbooks, so I saved a good hour not making extra stops.) So many people had hiked since September the logbook was a new one from my SHT FKT attempt. I hoped I’d warm up as my hands were partially numb with the brisk breeze. Nicole brought up the interesting question of where do all the logbooks go? Nicole’s parting words to me were, “You’ve changed from being crazy to inspiring.” This statement said far more about how far she’s come since what I did ten years ago is child’s play compared to my recent endeavors.
Constant swans, frogs, and ducks in the MacQuarrie Wetlands were an appetizer for all the wildlife encounters I’d have over the ensuing three days.
One similarity to my first attempt was that another train broke the serenity of nature in the middle of the woods as I set out for the FKT! Within minutes down the trail, I wondered if I had jumped the gun. Since I was in Bentonville, Arkansas over spring break when it snowed a foot in most of Wisconsin, I neglected to consider that the snowfall would have lingered longer further north, and the trail may be soggy throughout. As we hiked in Nicole made the observation too and told me at least I’d have a soft surface to run on!
Only a few miles in and the first of three porcupines I’d encounter on my journey.
Just six miles in at the MacQuarrie Wetlands, I managed to miss a turn and had to spend several minutes backtracking. At that rate, I’d be adding several hours to my journey, so I promised myself to be much more attentive. I enjoyed observing all the waterfowl, including several white swans and frogs hopping into the water as I approached. When I popped out for my first road walk, I startled a flock of turkeys and made my first of countless stops to dump debris that had funneled into my shoes. With the exception of a mile at Pattison State Park, I’d be on roads for the next 44 miles.
Our family covered a fraction of a mile on the NCT during a stop at Pattison Falls State Park following my second scouting trip on the SHT in 2023.
I was thankful it was cool and breezy and started thinking that this could be really tough at the end of the journey. I referenced my cue sheet with turn-by-turn directions I printed so I wasn’t constantly pulling out my phone. In the early miles there were several conversation pieces at the residences. I cranked out miles and was surprised at the lack of traffic, especially on the county highways. I questioned my shoe choice, wearing the same pair of shoes as I did for the 310 miles on the SHT. I wondered if I grabbed the wrong pair and stopped to check I had sized them up since it seemed like my toes were already jamming. Luckily, this phantom worry subsided a few miles later.
Early last summer, our family had visited Pattison State Park where I had casually observed the NCT trail signage as we hiked to the falls. Ironically, this and Copper Falls State Parks were the only segments of NCT trail I had previously visited, but I found that beyond the immediate falls area, we hadn’t even hiked the rest of the trails at either park!
Since it was April, the water was still off. I made my first stop to filter water and immediately realized I made a potentially catastrophic mistake by not bringing my new water filter. It took me more than ten minutes to filter 600 mL. (In hindsight, it may have been silt since all the rivers were quite brown and my filter seemed ok when I filtered tap water once I got back home.) I had only packed iodine pills to treat about 10 liters of water. There were only a handful of campgrounds along the route, and it looked unlikely that they would have water on considering it was still freezing overnight. I decided I’d have to filter water on the move.
I changed my gait carrying my heavier pack, so I wore off the heels on my shoes!
When I was finally ready to continue on, I spotted a tick, and worse yet a deer tick, on my leg. I cringed to think how many ticks I’d be picking off over the next three days. And I’d need to manage this before I got home since deer ticks can spread disease after a day of attachment. Luckily, this stop did not set the tone of the remainder of the journey. I set off down the road knowing the next several miles may be the hardest mentally of the journey with several extended sections on highways. With my heavy pack, my gait was a shuffle as I tried to minimize my pack bounce and the chafing that I had hoped wouldn’t be an issue on this FKT (unfortunately I was wrong). Although I didn’t begin chafing as severely as last time on the SHT, the entire width of my back chafed, rather than just one side.
I dreaded the road walks, but filtering my water on the go over the course of 10-15 minutes staved off boredom. I would have preferred to do this on the uphills since I wasn’t coordinated enough to run while filtering my water. There weren’t any hills, so I looked for the slightest incline to justify walking. Unlike the SHT, I opted to stow my poles for most of these road miles to free up my hands to filter water and eat.
The sun was going down, so I was glad to not have the sun beating down on me, which would make this section brutal. That night, the clear sky provided an incredible display of stars with the lack of light pollution and sliver of moon. Additionally, the frog serenades were beautiful each evening. With all the deer I saw during the day, I couldn’t believe I never saw any eyes reflecting off my headlamp over the three nights.
I was happy to only encounter a handful of cars after dark with only a single car slowing down where a driver asked me what the hell I was up to. I said in a chipper voice, “Just going for a run,” as I observed the glow of his cigarette and dent and duct tape near his front bumper. Luckily the answer satisfied the driver and he continued on. I decided that if I encountered any more vehicles as the night progressed, I would mention that I was training for an overnight race, but I never had to use my scripted answer. When I unexpectedly came to a “Road Closed” sign, I hoped it was for soft road conditions since there was no warning on the NCT trail status webpage. I just hoped there wasn’t a bridge out, since I’d need to backtrack since it would be stupid to ford a frigid remote river in the dark. On the plus side, this meant no more car encounters.
Back on the trail
At mile 54, I finally got back on trails at the Moose River Trailhead. There were several miles of flat, loose rocks through the Douglas County Forest that often forced me to walk. Turns out this would be the most technical section of trail I would encounter over the duration of my journey.
The frost was so mesmerizing I couldn’t fixate on it, otherwise I’d get dizzy. According to weather data, the temperature dipped five degrees colder than the forecast, down to 26F, and remained below freezing for eight hours. When I reached an open field in the lowlands of the Saint Croix Flowage that seemed to continue forever, the radiant cooling was bone chilling. Throughout the journey, I frequently felt pockets of cold air sting me, but oddly only noticed a warm pocket of air a single time. In a few spots standing water on the trail was forming ice, although not thick enough to bear my weight. I took solace in that at least it wasn’t full sun. I wasn’t drinking much, so my protein drink resembled a Wendy’s Frosty as I dumped the snowball into my mouth – nothing like also being chilled from the inside! Then I realized my water filter may be in danger of freezing. I couldn’t suck any water out of it, so I simply turned it upside down and hoped for the best. With the slow filtration rate, it wouldn’t be terribly catastrophic if it had froze and was now damaged (it ended up being fine).
I entered Solon Springs just before first light. It was cool to see the NCT transversing the community. The world’s longest train came exactly when I needed to cross the train tracks. Eventually I crossed and entered Lucius Woods County Park. I wasted several minutes hunting for a water spigot, but all the water in the campground was still off (and for good reason with the frigid temperatures!)
A boardwalk so long there were several pullouts to rest or pass other hikers!
It didn’t take long for temperature to rise once the sun rose with the clear skies. In just 12 hours the temperature rose 47F, five degrees beyond the forecasted temperature. I didn’t want to hemorrhage time stopping to cool off like I did on the SHT, so I slowed my pace. I’m glad I had brought sunscreen last minute since there was zero leaf cover even in the woods since the trees were just beginning to bud out. I didn’t realize until days later that my cracked and peeling lips weren’t from the mix of constant salty and sugary snacks, but sunburn. Luckily that’s the only area I forgot to protect otherwise I would have been miserable.
The memorial stones kept dating back further and further!
Shortly after passing Solon Springs, I hit the trails again where I ran on the Brule Bog Boardwalk which seemed to go on forever! Then I was surprised to pass several rocks memorializing historical figures. They were old, but what was more amazing was they kept getting older until I spotted the final one from 1680!
The only time I didn’t filter water was at the Highland Town Hall. Although I still had a decent amount of water, I went ¼ mile out of the way to top off. I had pre-determined that I’d cold soak my freeze dried meal at any spigot to save the 15 minutes that it would take to filter the water. The spigot was located in the full sun, so I didn’t stop for long and began eating as much as I could stomach. I had just eaten so I wasn’t hungry plus the heat didn’t help my situation to down over 1000 calories. I was able to consume enough that I could put the remainder of the meal in my cargo pocket to free up my hands to use my trekking poles. Although I had zero appetite, I was able to work down the meal over a few hours, which I’m glad didn’t spoil in the heat.
I was surprised to find myself sleepy in the middle of the day. I took my first caffeine pill to stave off sleep. Eventually, I decided I was willing to lose daylight for a nap that would allow me to also get off my feet for ½ hour, air them out, and lower my core temperature. I found inviting shade in the pines and nestled on top of the needles. Ironically, just before I laid down, a runner met me on the trail, one of only six people I met on the trails. Although it was a very pleasant rest, I blamed my indecision after popping a caffeine pill for not getting a wink of sleep and got up as soon as my alarm sounded. After learning on the SHT that I need to be diligent about taking care of my feet, I hit the trail after relubricating my feet. Feeling sleepy a bit later, I took another caffeine pill which seemed to do nothing, so then I took an Excedrin Migraine which gave me exactly what I needed, and this momentum lasted through the night into the next day.
I had expected to cover the road miles quickly, but the trails and roads thus far had been much flatter than I expected. In addition, I couldn’t believe how non-technical the trails were. I knew that with a lighter pack and significantly less elevation change, I’d cover more that the 67 miles I covered in my first 24 hours on the SHT. I set a conservative target of 75 miles and blew past that with a total of 87 miles.
Next up, I would be on a bluff for several miles with less access to water sources through the Brule River State Forest. I was pleasantly surprised to find hard packed snow, so I grabbed the ice and put it in my hat which lasted for miles. (I was able to do this a couple of times over the course of the journey and knew I could always cool off with a dip in a lake or pond – some of which were still covered in ice.) I had taken notes on the water sources over the next miles to ensure I would not run out of water. I stopped at the Paul Schoch campsite to top off again. I’m glad I had done my homework to know to look for a PVC pipe on a spur trail which I would have otherwise missed.
The mix of open areas and deciduous forests allowed the sun to beat on my incessantly. Knowing the worst would be about 4 pm, I gave myself a pat on the back for surviving the hottest day without calamity. As I descended down the bluff, the wind instantly felt like an air conditioner. I expected it to subside as I progressed down the trail, but was so thankful to realize that the weather had flipped a switch. I ended up putting my pants back on well before sunset and accepted another long chilly night as I traversed the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest.
I had hoped to reach the Rainbow Lakes Wilderness Area in daylight since guidebooks indicated a lack of trail markers, but my slowed pace and extra stops delayed me and I ended up reaching the wilderness area at sunset. This would have been the highest priority for scouting had I done any. The trees weren’t blazed, so I was very diligent about consulting my phone where I took detailed notes to verify I hadn’t wandered onto a spur trail. Thankfully, the trail was on an old grade, which made it easy to follow despite low usage. I consciously decided to hike through the night. I reasoned that the difference in pace of running, additional chafing from my pack, and risk of misstepping or losing the trail weren’t worth the higher exertion level of running. The necessity for full alertness probably staved off boredom and sleepiness not only through this night but often on the NCT, especially as I worked my way east where most of the trails had lower usage.
Although I never spotted a beaver, I heard dozens of beavers jumping into the water each night.
I could see lightning in the distance and luckily I had just enough service to verify the weather forecast hadn’t changed to rain. It looked a lot like heat lightning. I wasn’t sleepy at all, so I continued on until nearly daybreak. I needed to filter water at one of the upcoming small lakes, but every time I heard beavers jumping into the water (which sounds like someone throwing a bowling ball into the water), I opted to hold off. Eventually I bushwhacked down to a lake, which seemed to take forever in the dark. Unfortunately, the edge was mucky even while balancing on a log, making it challenging to fill up my bottle. I made sure to take in landmarks where I got off trail just after an intersection and checked on my phone that I was heading down the correct trail.
I opted to attempt to sleep at midnight. With a failed two hour stop, I continued on then attempted a 30 min trail nap just before sunrise in the Drummond Woods State Natural Area. Again, I wasn’t able to fall asleep. I decided that I would take a nap during the day when temperatures were comfortable when I became sleepy, but I was miraculously wide awake all day.
Bumps in the road
Around sunrise I approached Lake Owen, I anticipated that I would be passing a picnic area. In reality, I passed the spur trail when I initially popped out to the lake. I spent the next mile or two expecting to pop out to a picnic area. I even unstrapped my pack in anticipation, hoping there may be a bench to sit on or a hand pump for water, the holy grail. I often would “see” a bench, shelter, or other manmade structure that was just a downed log. Throughout the day I continued to see manmade structures – a terrace, railing, fence, bridge, and the most far-fetched was a bicycle where I somehow imagined wheel spokes from a rootstock. Eventually, I began sweating and gave up on the picnic area and delayered and applied sunscreen. I couldn’t believe I needed to be in shorts by 8:30 am when I was shivering just a few hours earlier. Although the trail wasn’t technical and quite flat, I opted to hike most of the trail to reduce my exertion level so I wouldn’t overheat like I did on the SHT and end up taking frequent stops to cool off.
At 10 am, I enjoyed both the coolness of the water as I dunked in my filter and hat at Eighteenmile Creek, as well as the beauty. During the heat of the day, the cold water felt good on my hands as I filtered on the move (plus it gave me a legitimate reason in my mind to hike on the runnable trail).
The leaves were amassing on my poles, making them resembling more of a stick with a toasted marshmallow over the campfire than hiking poles.
I had been surprised how dry the trails had been and how well the trail had been maintained, but that was about to change as I reached less traveled areas such as the Porcupine Lake Wilderness. I was very thankful for the lack of roots or rocks on the trail, otherwise it would have been very difficult footing. Although my poles weren’t as critical as the SHT, here they were a security blanket in case I misstepped. I told myself I hadn’t tripped on anything thus far and just needed to go since there was no way of knowing. Once I rolled my good ankle and my poles distributed the force that would have otherwise gone all into that foot, and managed to walk it off. (I forgot about the incident a few hours later, but was reminded when I got in my car and saw my swollen ankle.) Another time, my poles saved me from a hard fall where I may have plowed right into a tree.
As the day heated up, I decided to reward myself with a dunk in a creek. I needed to not go down the slippery slope of stopping in every puddle I could find (including just 3 miles from the terminus!), like I did on the SHT. I decided this would be a longer stop, around 30 minutes. I wanted to wait until the afternoon to use the opportunity to lube (and get the grit off my feet by washing them for the first time). By the time I washed my water bottles, my socks, rearranged my pack, and relubed my feet I was already at 45 minutes, and I still wasn’t ready to hit the trail! I couldn’t believe how fast an hour flew by.
Just after noting the lack of rock formations, I was met with plenty at Sallygirl Overlook.
After a day and a half, I finally climbed a descent hill and saw some notable rock formations along the trail that led to Sallygirl and Juniper Rock Overlooks. This was another stark contrast to the SHT where it seemed like I was constantly scrambling up and down rock outcroppings.
With the amount of leaf cover on the trails, I impressed myself on following the trail despite little tread. No sooner had I thought this, I began wandering off the main trail despite trying my best to follow blazes after passing Lake 3 Campground. I hoped that I’d start falling asleep walking so I could finally sleep. I took melatonin to aid with this goal, but they were equally ineffective as the caffeine pills I took 24 hours into the attempt to keep me alert. At sunset, I stopped to refill my water and immediately I lost the trail repeatedly. Even though I didn’t think I was sleepy, I stopped in my tracks since my cognitive function and increasing frustration required a reset. I saw some pines but couldn’t find needles to insulate me. There was a big chunk of moss in the middle of the trail so I thought it may be a nice cushion, but in hindsight it was cool and moist and probably worse than the ground. I was toasty when I got into my bivy and the second I settled in, I heard the first mosquitos of the entire trip buzzing in my ear. Agitated, I took off my double gloves, got out of my bivy to find my ear plugs buried in my pack, then attempted to put them in under my buff, cap, headlamp, bug net, rain jacket hood, and bivy hood. What a mess of layers. I reset my alarm for a REM cycle (just over 1.5 hours). By now the cold ground was conducting through my body and I just shivered. After an hour of dreading how much colder I’d get by taking off my gloves, rain jacket, and getting out of my bivy, I finally mustered the willpower, losing a total of just under 3 hours. The cold stung as I hobbled down the trail. I used this as motivation to set a good pace to generate body heat and eventually I warmed up. I had no desire to slow down or take off my gloves to eat, but ate a few cookies so I wouldn’t get too behind on calories. During the night, I also drank less, but used iodine tablets to chemically treat water rather than lose additional heat by handling my water bottle to force cold water through the filter. I didn’t want to sacrifice any layers to strain debris out of the water, so I always mixed the water with protein powder to mask anything in the water.
The mucky trail made slow going.
As I entered the Penokee Mountain Ski Trail, the trail was often mucky. I was disgruntled by the lack of boardwalks in what appeared to be perpetual wet spots. A few pallets were haphazardly strewn as I neared the end of this section. Now I didn’t mind hitting the road miles into Mellen. I didn’t see a soul in town as I passed through at 2 am. I wasn’t able to find any spigots that were on as I plodded onto Copper Falls State Park. I was shocked to see frost again since I had expected an overnight low of 38F, and I still had a few hours before temperatures started climbing. Although the temperatures were likely above freezing at the falls, the cold became biting as I approached the falls. I struggled to spot NCT signage in the park and stopped several times to navigate with my phone. I misinterpreted a sign and took a wrong turn down a hill only to backtrack. I couldn’t see the falls through the piercing darkness but made a note that what I could see confirmed there was no way it would be safe for me to ford this river in a few miles where a bridge had yet to be constructed on a new segment of trail.
As dawn approached, I was worried that a lapse in judgement would be catastrophic if I pushed into day three without any sleep. I simply curled up in a ball on the trail and hoped that I would fall asleep immediately after setting a 25 minute timer. I woke up shivering before my alarm, but I was put at ease that I finally got some sleep to help my cognitive and decision-making center going into the final push. Once again, I hobbled through the biting cold while struggling to identify the trail with little trail tread and many downed branches and logs camouflaging the trail.
The ATV trail reroute ended up being slow going.
After a fun descent, I hit a trailhead where a new section of the trail had just opened. Unfortunately, the bridge over the Tyler Forks Creek wasn’t completed and observing the flow at Copper Falls made it a no brainer to not attempt to ford the river solo at the coldest part of the day, despite adding 1.2 miles. I tried to no avail to make up time on the road. First, I mistakenly turned north following the old road walk and had to backtrack to the current road walk route. The sun was intense, and I found myself sweating before 8 am. Since it didn’t make sense to delay the inevitable, I stopped to shed layers, but also needed to apply sunscreen and rearrange my pack causing my stop to turn into upwards of 10 minutes.
Frustrated after a slip on the trail descending to Wren Falls.
Unexpected hurdles
As I turned off the road into the Iron County Forest, I slogged on a muddy, torn up ATV trail. Upon rejoining the permanent NCT, I struggled to follow the trail. I suspected volunteers hadn’t reached this segment yet with the trail still drying out, with layers of leaves, downed branches and logs camouflaging the trail. The lack of tread combined with my compromised cognitive function made rough going. I said aloud to myself, “Thank goodness the blazes on the trees were so frequent!” Spoiler alert, I spoke too soon!
I didn’t go to the overlook but paused for a photo on the Bill Thomas Memorial Bridge at Wren Falls.
I had looked forward to seeing Wren Falls, but as I approached, my route finding struggles were getting to me, capped off with a fall on a muddy downhill. Although there was a viewing point exactly 67 meters away (according to the sign), I maintained my singular goal and did not add any distance to my journey. I accidentally went back and forth on the spur trail to the latrine after missing a turn on the main NCT which was a bit frustrating.
I had dismissed the NCT website’s warning on the active logging near the Gold Mine campsite based on my prior experiences near logging areas, which was a big mistake. I recalled several instances on mountain bike trails that active logging sites may be an eyesore, but still rideable. Not the case here. To be honest, I had completely forgotten about this warning.
My first hurdle was observing trees with horizontal markings in blue at the same height on the tree as the blazes. Although it was more of a true blue than the sky blue used for most of the NCT blazes (occasionally there were signs and even blazes in true blue), I needed to decipher the two blue markings as I approached the active logging site, which was more than I cared to do in my sleep deprived state. So much for those easy to follow blazes I had just been so grateful for!
Deciphering blazes became the tip of the iceberg as I approached an active logging area.
I didn’t truly realize I was in the active logging area until I was in the thick of it, avoiding fresh mud ripped up from machinery. Then I was slowly working my way around branches and over logs only to notice virtually every tree, including the trees with blazes were laying on the ground. I couldn’t even hope to find trees with blazes on the ground since every downed tree had been marked with blue! I struggled to carry my poles, navigate with my phone, and negotiate the mud and downed trees.
Following the “trail” through an active logging area required avoiding downed trees, mud, and puddles while attempting to find the trail. I didn’t take any photos where it was really bad since all my energy was going into navigating through the area.
Just when I gave a sign of relief to have made it through the logged area, I hit another area worse than before. I lost the trail altogether and kept having to pull my phone out to check where the trail was. I accidentally paralleled the trail due to obstacles and must have pulled my phone out six times only to have it say each time I was 30 meters from the trail before I finally got back on course. For the first time in my life, I felt the urge to just crack a cold one – but I don’t even like beer!
As I left the logging area, I found myself in a terrible headspace. I had expected to cover these 4 miles to Upson Lake in roughly an hour, but I became frustrated taking nearly twice as long. After recognizing that this negative headspace would only do me harm, I reframed my thoughts. Despite the loss of time, I’d still exceed all my goals unless I allowed the negativity to weigh me down. That epiphany helped me move on almost immediately. This was perhaps one of my most powerful moments on the trail since I usually am very slow to overcome a negative headspace. I stopped for 27 minutes to regroup at the first water source.
Final push
The amount of water on the eastern portion was remarkably substantial compared to the western portion of the Wisconsin NCT.
The Potato River at Foster Falls looked inviting, but I pushed on. As the trail pulled away from the river, I was pleasantly surprised to find myself on a very runnable doubletrack (when not avoiding the huge mud puddles). As the final trail miles ticked by, I was almost on a gravel road. I hadn’t previously inferred that I’d pop out on a state highway, so seeing my first people in roughly a day was surprising. With cell coverage and only 11 miles to go, I made a two minute phone call, my only call of the entire journey. Although the road miles were easy going, they were boring. I needed a final water fill up and was glad I grabbed water where I did because the next water source would have required a sketchy scramble down several hundred feet to the water. I finally reached the only section I had previewed, where I drove the final 8 miles to check if overnight parking was prohibited near the state line. I looked forward to a few more miles on gravel instead of pavement. With seven miles to go, I had my first encounter with a dog, barking as it ran towards me. Luckily the owner called it back, but I would not have been fit to be tied if a dog bite just a few miles from Michigan ended my FKT prematurely.
The Lake Superior shoreline was a beautiful sight to end the journey!
The sun was warm on my skin but the strong breeze coming off Gitche Gumee counteracted it. I laughed aloud as I looked at the sky and saw God hand brushed a single whisp of a cloud. God has a since of humor - now I couldn’t say it was a cloudless day!
The best photo of me at the finish of the FKT!
The sharp downhill to Lake Superior near Saxon County Park was surreal, but then I got my poles out for a final time to trek up the hill to the Michigan state line. It wasn’t nearly as bad as it looked. I discovered the “fun fact” that the NCT Wisconsin Segment is within 1% of the SHT regarding Lake Superior shoreline (a few hundred feet over 215 miles vs. 2 miles out of 310 miles).
As I made my final turn, I laughed to myself as I doubletaked to make sure the deer that popped out to the road to root me on weren’t a hallucination (I had previously fabricated bears and even an anaconda out of stumps and sticks). I picked up the pace knowing that it would be nearly impossible to finish in 3 days, 3 hours, and 3 minutes, but I had been using any tactic to improve my time over the final road section. I hit the state line just 2 minutes later where I didn’t even have a car drive by to witness my effort. I had surpassed all my goals and became the fastest person, man or woman, supported or unsupported, to cover these 215 miles!
I took a few terrible selfies then slowly worked my way to Superior Falls where I had parked my car three days earlier. I was relieved to find it still there and chatted deliriously with my husband as I prepared to drive home. If I left immediately, I could make it home by dark! And that’s what I did, getting home just in time tuck my kids into bed. I raved about the luxury of a warm, soft mattress as I nestled into my bed. Despite only going to bed an hour earlier than usual, I woke up at my normal time the next morning completely refreshed and back to normal! I guess all those nights breastfeeding my children prepared me for not needing sleep?
Takeaways
In addition to being blown away how well I can function on so little sleep and rebound (I also raced a 9 hour adventure race just 12 days later and seemed fine.), I learned more about myself.
All my non-food gear except my 3rd pair of socks which I left outside to dry out and my Timex Ironman watch which I was wearing!
1) Intrinsic motivation: I only told a handful of people on a need-to-know basis about my FKT attempt, so I was happy about my level of intrinsic motivation. I didn’t have a smartwatch, so my only way to collect GPS data was through Strava on my cell phone (not to mention maps and communication). I normally would want a backup, but I figured that if I lost data and the FKT wouldn’t be official, it would be a really good test for intrinsic motivation.
2) Preparations were good enough: While I hadn’t scouted for the attempt (although it would have been reassuring in the Wilderness Areas and saved time at Copper Falls State Park and the Wren Falls area) and didn’t have a ton of time to plan, my preparations were adequate, including never running out of water (it was reassuring to see water in ditches on the initial road runs). I simply tweaked my gear from my SHT FKT for the spring and ratioed food for about half the time. My pack started at 18 pounds and ended at 9 pounds, with 2 pounds of spare food (since I had expected to be on the trail 3 1/2 to 4 days).
I was pleasantly surprised that despite little training specificity over the winter for the FKT attempt, I was physically fine. I didn’t carry a heavy pack much over the winter and I usually do far more long runs in preparation for ultras than I did for this since I wasn’t completely sure until two days out if I’d even be taking on this challenge this year.
3) Foot care: I was diligent about foot care. I was pleasantly surprised how dry the western trails were. I’m fortunate that I switched directions last minute. However, it was shocking how my feet went from looking like a baby’s to hot spots and a blister in a matter of hours on the final morning despite drying out my feet and donning my waterproof socks. This is a bit concerning especially for a future trail that may be wet such as the Long Trail. I never had so much debris in my shoes and socks from the thick layer of leaves covering the trails. It never attributed to blisters, but I was constantly dumping my shoes. Gaiters weren’t necessarily the solution since my feet would have gotten hot and removing gaiters to reapply foot lube would have been too cumbersome. I should not have used ankle socks that funneled debris, but instead crew socks.
Not having scouted the trail, I never knew what I’d discover around the bend!
4) Experience matters: A big goal was to learn from my SHT FKT attempt. I fell precipitously off pace the final day, only covering 37 miles over the final 23 hours (whereas I covered 67 in the first 24 hours) on the SHT. So, my goal was for a metered effort. I was very pleased how I stayed within myself, and it seemed like hiking instead of running (although so much of the trail was runnable), paid off in the end. In the final 24 hours of this FKT attempt, I covered 66 trail miles (it also helped that the final 12 miles were road miles) and that’s the double meaning of the title of this blog (the other being I covered all of the NCT in my home state)! Nonetheless, it was rare for me not to stop every hour. Even when I didn’t think I’d need to stop indefinitely something popped up. I tried to wait until I had a pressing need to stop and/or had multiple things to accomplish. I tried to be off my feet when possible, but inevitably I usually need to maneuver around rather than kick up my feet and relax. Then it was amazing how a stop turned into at least 10 minutes. This would be nice to improve upon in the future.
I did a better job getting back on the move after not falling asleep, but I could still do better here as well. Although these three days with just 25 minutes of sleep demonstrates I don’t need to sleep as much as I thought, getting horizontal is beneficial to my body especially my feet. I recognize if I get too aggressive early, this could be extremely detrimental later. My only mistake on the trail was forgetting to take my hip pad out of my Fastpackher pack to lay on to minimize the cold conducting through ground to my body. Luckily, my lack of sleep didn’t come back to bite me.
After a reset for water, I was able to flip my mindset from negative to positive after a frustrating section.
5) Focus: In hindsight, I was extremely focused throughout. I sent a total of 230 words to my husband, with the bare minimum of my whereabouts. We never talked. In fact, I wonder if the number of miles I covered outnumbered the number of words I spoke over the 3 days. Yet I never felt lonely. Or bored. Like on the SHT, I had my FKT chores – turning my socks inside out and securing on my pack to dry, plus the new chore of filtering water on the go.
I was constantly monitoring my body, not just eating and drinking, but thinking about when to brush and floss my teeth, where I’d have a water source to refill and mix more liquids, and when to reapply foot lube and sunscreen. But what fully engaged me what following the trail, whether it was spotting blazes and the tread buried under the leaves, sidestepping loose branches, or avoiding muck.
All in all, my experience on the SHT empowered me such that spending several days in the woods by myself covering over 200 miles with no assistance was very doable. I was able to jump in with virtually no scouting and no particular training plan. Now I’m looking forward to future adventures including the Long Trail, Ice Age Trail, Collegiate Peaks Loop, Zion Transverse, and the R2R2R.
Banner photo: Hiking to the Minnesota / Wisconsin border with a Sherpa doubling as a photographer carrying my 18 pound pack to the terminus.
Strava videos of the experience are linked through the FKT website.
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