Day 7 – IAT Mile 86.6 to 108.7

Ladies and gentlemen, friends.  Someone must be held accountable for incorrect waypoints on the Apple Maps application.  When we arrived at the Dairy Queen address on Main St in Haugen, WI, it was a residential home.  Undeterred and hungry for what we had been craving all day, we knocked on the door and asked that the home owner give us ice cream in exchange for American currency; they refused.  After about an hour of arguing we recommended they either start serving ice cream as Apple Maps says they do or change their address.  I’ll monitor the situation and report back next year.

Today’s hike started at the Bear Lake Segment and on into Tuscobia.  Bear Lake was back to the single track hiking Brianna and I do so enjoy, at least for a bit.  Eventually, the trail melded into a Cub Scout camp where you could see cabins, practice shelter buildings, even an amphitheater.  The camp was deserted of cubs, but there were a group of kids swimming in the nearby lake, we exchanged a “hello” as we hiked by.

Over 5 miles of road walking separate Bear Lake and Tuscobia.  As you may have guessed, we did not get DQ as we had hoped.  We did stop in the Hausen Village Store where a kind old lady talked me into buying some Wisconsin cheese curds my Mountain Dew & Brianna’s Ruby Red Squirt.  The curds were pretty delicious.  She also asked me sign her guest book, so I put a little note in about the trail and signed Brianna & I’s name on it.

Tuscobia is another abandoned railroad turned recreational trail, like the Gandy Dance except better.  Unlike the Gandy, Tuscobia has softer dirt paths, easier on the knees.  Wide and well maintained trails led to less bugs, for the most part, until we got halfway through and hit a patch of wetlands on both sides of the trail.

It was a long day, but no day is truly long when Shauna is still here hanging with us.  Shauna got us another campground, this time in Birchwood, with a $.50 x7 minute shower.  We showered up and hit the local Bluegill Bar & Grill, which didn’t have Bluegill anywhere on the menu, but was still delicious.

There is something worth sharing about the city of Birchwood.  The city has country music playing throughout the entire downtown.  Downtown isn’t big, it was just a bit odd to drive down the street and hear Dolly Parton the entire time.

Hit 100 miles today.

🎶 My feet hurt, my knees hurt, and I don’t love Jesus 🎶 

-Brianna was singing this as we were laying in the tent getting ready for bed.