This Is Drivel

IAT Montrose Segment – 11/19/2025

Today I took a little walk down part of the Montrose Segment southwest of Madison. I still have to walk about a mile of this segment to complete it!

the author in a green hat and black jacket stands in front of a sign indicating he's at a trailhead for the Montrose Segment of the Ice Age Trail
Yours truly posing for the obligatory selfie at the trailhead for the Montrose Segment of the Ice Age Trail.
image of a trail through a corn field
I’ve walked many segments of the IAT through fallow fields or fields planted with prairie grass, but this is the first time I’ve seen the trail cross straight through a corn field.
in the foreground a walking trail passes beneath the branches of the fallen half of an oak tree, which straddles the trail
Half the top of this oak tree broke off and fell to the ground, straddling the IAT. Trail crews have cut away part of the windfall to allow hikers to pass, but most of the fallen branches remain suspended over the trail. An old deer stand remains in the unfallen branches of the tree.
the upper branches of an old oak tree lie fallen across some younger trees
The windfall from the reverse angle. A lot of the branches are touching the ground, but two small trees, one behind the bench and the other to the left of the bench, are holding up the thickest and probably the heaviest part of the windfall.
a ring-necked pheasant hides in the undergrowth. His bright colors blend in with the surrounding flora.
A ring-necked pheasant hides in the undergrowth. This is the first time I’ve seen a pheasant in the wild.
combined image of a sign at the trailhead showing the distance from the parking lot to Highway D 2.7 miles, and the screen cap showing my walk from the parking lot to HWY D and back, 5.8 miles
Left: the sign at the trailhead showing the part of the Montrose Segment I hiked today. From the parking lot to Hwy D 2.7 miles (5.4 round trip). My walk today was slightly longer because I took a little walk down to a designated camping spot (the spur at the lower end of the segnemt) to get a look at it.
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photo of the author and the author's best friend