I set out on a hike this morning and I got one, but not the hike I thought I would get.

My plan was to hike a ten-mile stretch of the Milwaukee River Segment of the Ice Age Trail near Kewaskum. To walk that far, I planned to drop my bike off at the southern end of the segment, drive to the northern end, hike back to the southern end, then ride my bike back to the northern end where I would have left my van. I worked it all out very carefully, put together everything I would need, dressed for the weather, and hit the road at about ten-thirty this morning. I got as far as Sun Prairie, about fifteen miles from my house, before I realized I left my bike behind. Brilliant.

I wouldn’t be going on a hike of ten miles, not without a way to get back to my van, so I did a quick search for a shorter stretch of the IAT I could easily get to. There was one in West Bend I hadn’t done before so I headed in that direction. About halfway there, though, I crossed the Wild Goose State Trail, which sounded interesting. I pulled off the road to take a look.

Although it’s got a great name, in my opinion the Wild Goose State Trail is not all that interesting to walk on foot. It’s straight as an arrow and looks like it goes like that for miles, probably one of the many “rails to trails” conversions in this area. I walked about a mile and a quarter without seeing much of interest (although I did love listening to the birds) before I turned around and doubled back to my car.