Madison & Table Bluff
A few weeks ago, when the idea of doing the Ice Age Trail (IAT) first occurred to me, I knew I would need to start “training.” I slowly increased my usual .5 mi daily dog walks to 2.5+ mi. a day. For the average hiker, that probably doesn’t seem like much, but it was an accomplishment for me. Much of that walking passes over segments of the trail, but my first official IAT hike wasn’t until a couple of weeks ago.
For those unfamiliar with the trail, the IAT is divided into 120+ yellow-blazed segments, covering a little more than half of the 1,200 miles; the remainder is compromised of connecting routes between the segments, often on roads. The Ice Age Trail Alliance is constantly working towards converting connecting routes to yellow-blazed official trail segments.
Madison Segment - 4.8 miles
For my first segment, I chose something close to home. I know I’m not in the best shape, so focusing on shorter segments where I could easily “bow out” if needed felt like a priority for the first few hikes! The 3.0-mi Madison segment fit the bill, with a 1.8-mi westbound connecting route to the 1.8-mi Valley View segment.
My first hiking companions joined me on the morning of May 7th. Though I felt prepared, I did manage to forget to bring a few simple supplies, like sunscreen and bug spray (Thank you, KM, for remembering!). Because of the location and descriptions of the Madison segment, our group expected to be switching between paved bike trails that cris-cross the city, but we were pleasantly surprised to see that it was a proper trail, winding in and out of prairies and woods. We even crossed through the University Ridge Golf Course, which was an unusual experience that added to the charm of the hike. We were never in the way of any golfers and were even offered concessions while crossing through. Most of the time, we forgot we were in the middle of a golf course.
Despite the beauty and relative ease of the hike as we set out, it was not without its challenges for me. The heat and exhaustion almost got the best of me, and I found myself questioning my decision to pursue this challenge. At one point, as I slowly dragged myself up a hill, it also occurred that I hadn’t eaten much and was likely running on fumes. But I was determined to finish the segment and told myself I would plan better for the next one. We completed the segment and most of the connecting route in about 90 mins. It was a small achievement, but I was proud of myself for pushing through.
Table Bluff Segment - 5.3 miles
We completed the second official segment last weekend. On May 13th, we made our way up to Cross Plains to complete the Table Bluff segment. Not being a fan of heat, I convinced my hiking companions to start early in the morning again. This time, I was much more prepared with a pack full of trail snacks, sunscreen, bug spray, and everything else I could think of. It may have been a bit more than we needed, but I didn’t want to repeat my experience on the Madison Segment.
The northern trailhead for the Table Bluff segment is a 1.6-mi lollipop trail that takes you out into a prairie for a lazy loop and then back to the trailhead, making it a great warm-up. During this first section, our little troop decided we needed a name. So, to entertain us, out came ChatGPT to give us name ideas. There were many terrible ones, but ultimately we decided the one most appropriate for us was the “Hungry, Hungry Hikers,”.... which immediately made us all famished. We took a quick snack break before heading down a 1.2-mi connecting route along the highway to the rest of the Table Bluff trail.
The overcast skies and 65-degree temperature made this hike more enjoyable than our previous hike. The views along the way were beautiful as we trekked through prairies, woods, and dry creek beds. I was pleasantly surprised at how much easier this hike was for me, despite being longer and scampering over several hills as we climbed the bluff.
The final portion of the hike travels through the Swamplovers Preserve and climbs up from a marsh to the top of the bluff, where it levels out. We spotted the Swamplovers’ sunbathing alligator statue off the trail, complete in a blue polka dot bikini, sipping a mai thai. We reached the southern trailhead just past the alligator statue— or looked down at the trailhead. Carved into the face of the bluff is a steep set of switchbacks which we happily noted we were descending and not climbing!
I enjoyed the 5.3-mi hike.* Surprisingly, I’m not sore from climbing and descending. And we all felt like we could keep going had we planned for it. Maybe this challenge isn’t as unattainable as I thought it might be.
*Official documentation says the Table Bluff segment is 4.8 miles. My GPS tracking listed it at 5.3 miles when we completed it.
