Sunday, August 14, 2016

A Longer-Than-Expected Hike

Dale, Jalee, and Tony in tunnel 
on Badger  StateTrail near New Glarus, WI.
Photo by Jake Theis

A 3-mile hike turned into 12 miles, and I'm not sure where I got my misinformation.  Fortunately, those with me forgave me, especially after I bought them beer upon completing the hike.

Our outing began with two objectives: 1) visit the tunnel on the Badger State Trail near New Glarus, WI and 2) visit the New Glarus Brewery.  We accomplished the first but failed the second---by the time we completed the 12-mile hike, it was 7 minutes till closing time and we still had to drive from the old train depot in New Glarus to the brewery.  Fortunately, along the trail, a banner advertised 80+ craft beers, and the adjacent outdoor patio offered a place to take off our sandals and cool our feet.  Yes, sandals.  They would have been fine for 3 miles.  For 12?  Not so much.  3 blisters and a bleeding toe.  Still, we considered the day a success---the 1,200-foot tunnel was foggy inside from the high humidity and relatively cool air, dark enough to require our flashlights, decorated with graffiti, and far bigger than we expected from the photos.  Well worth the hike.

No comments:

Post a Comment