Start - Lodi Marsh Segment / Lodi-Springfield Road
End – Brooklyn Wildlife Segment / County Hwy D
Note that it is not necessary to do the short out & backs, and loops indicated by our GPX track. Stay on the main trail.
More than 12,000 years ago, an immense flow of glacial ice sculpted a landscape of remarkable beauty across Wisconsin. As the glacier retreated, it left behind a variety of unique landscape features. These glacial remnants are now considered among the world’s finest examples of how continental glaciation sculpts our planet.
The Ice Age National Scenic Trail is a thousand-mile footpath that highlights these landscape features as it travels through some of the state’s most beautiful natural areas. The Trail is entirely within Wisconsin and is one of only eleven National Scenic Trails.
But the Ice Age Trail is more than a path through the woods. It is a place for mental and physical rejuvenation, a place to unwind after a hard day and enjoy the landscape of Wisconsin. More than 1 million people use the Ice Age Trail each year to hike and snowshoe, to backpack, to disconnect and reconnect.
https://www.iceagetrail.org/ice-age-trail/
Also to note is that the HQ for the IAT (Ice Age Trail) is located in Cross Plains which is in Dane County.
Comments
I will be attempting an unsupported FKT of the Dane County Ice Age Trail (Lodi Marsh to Brooklyn Wildlife segments) starting around 5 am on 10 October 2020. Per the map/description of Peter Caldecourt's FKT, I am starting from the Robertson Trailhead (Lodi-Springfield Rd) parking area and ending at the Brooklyn SWA CTH-DD south parking area.
Please note that the FKT distance listed above (73 miles) is incorrect, since it includes various out and backs (as Peter Caldecourt noted) including a large out and back to the east on Lee Rd. The actual distance is ~64 miles and I will upload my GPS track to correct this discrepancy and avoid confusion for others on future attempts after my completion.Â
I completed my unsupported solo hike yesterday in 16:56:51 to secure the FKT... at least for a while, until an ultrarunner decides to destroy my time! ? Â
Please see my full trip report with my suggestions for others on future Ice Age Trail -Â Dane county FKT attempts at the link below.Â
https://fastestknowntime.com/athlete/christopher-luhman
Oops. Wrong link. Correct report link below:Â
https://fastestknowntime.com/fkt/christopher-luhman-ice-age-trail-dane-county-wi-2020-10-10
Tomorrow I'll be attempting a supported FKT attempt of the Dane County portion of the Ice Age Trail going north to south as above.Â
Well I was able to get it done in 14:01. Started in Lodi at 5:58am and finished at Brooklyn at 7:59pm, with a little extra mileage from a detour in Verona where the trail is under construction. An amazing trip with beautiful views, new trail segments I hadn't been on, a terrific pacer for the second half, and a couple of crazy thunderstorms. Unfortunately, despite being in airplane mode throughout the trip, my phone died about 6 miles from the end. Either way it was a really fun journey, and if I can't verify it I will just have to run it again! Maybe just with less lightning next time...
Here is a link to my report:Â https://fastestknowntime.com/fkt/ice-age-trail-dane-county-wi-2021-08-07
DrewWatson, did you ever get notice on whether your attempt would be verified or not? I am planning to give it a go (supported) in a couple weeks. I'll be shooting to beat your time anyway. Just wondering where this record currently stands. Thanks.
Looking forward to going after this FKT tomorrow!Â
I'll be running this (again) tomorrow. I'll be running the entire thing north to south as in the file above with my younger brother Doug Watson as a group self-supported attempt. Looks like better weather than last time so fingers crossed!
We did it! 13:18 overall and a beautiful day to see Dane County. We’ll be submitting the files and posting a trip report soon…
Hello! I ran across Dane County including the extra miles from Lodi at the start and to Hughes Rd at the end, in 14:16. I ran this FKT subsection in 13:08, including the spur to the Hwy D trailhead. But, apparently I missed a short quarter mile or so of IAT diversion from the bike path in Verona, not sure how or why but assuming I just missed it?
Anyway, here is my report and tips for others. FKT or not, I'd really feel better if somebody took it below 13:08 and/or decided to run all the way across Dane County as well. Cheers!
https://www.strava.com/activities/7451577251/overview
Edit: looks like FKT and I have the same route, so I wonder if there's a route or sign change by Neff Park in Verona? Very small if so.