Natalie on the IAT: Meeting the Jopek's and losing Jenni

Holy buckets... First I would just like to say I did not expect a blog to be so difficult to keep up on. Here is a little bit what I thought it would be like:

Day #whatever: woke up, walked, it was sunny, ate some food, slept.
Day #whatever+1: woke up, walked, saw a squirrel, got tired, ate food, slept.
Day # whatever+2: woke up late, walked, saw a deer, walked, ate some food, got rained on, slept.

And so forth... But its actually very busy! And with spotty reception and being tired, this blog goes for too long in-between updates!

So its been another week and no blog posted, but I need to devote some in-depth attention to the days after where I left off.

I ended with Jenni and I checking into the cabin by Langlade County Memorial Veterans Park. Jenni wanted to go into town, her leg was hurting and she wanted a warm meal so she called up the listed trail angel, Joe Jopek. He came to pick us up and had a passenger with him, Melonie who is researching Ice Age Trail stuff. He drove Jenni and I thru the main portion of the memorial park and showed us around. It was a very nice park.

Jenni, Joe and myself. "Bore clear Sir!"

It was a great place to get dry, but it now holds much more meaning to me and the following experiences I am humbled by.

I am familiar with the last name Jopek for a few reasons: I am a member of the WI National Guard, and I had met Brian Jopek a former fellow member years ago; also at the Merrill VFW Post I had met Tracy Jopek, and I also know the name because in 2006 I received an email and heard the announcement that a fellow WI Guardsmen, SGT Ryan Jopek, had been KIA while in Iraq. Brian and Tracy are Ryan's parents, Joe and his wife Peg are Ryan's grandparents.

At memorial park I was honored to be shown Ryan's memorial tree by his grandfather along with two other Soldiers with memorial trees planted there.

While in Merrill, Tracy showed me the truck she restored, named Walter, in Ryan's name.

All gave some, some gave all.

The truck 'Walter' refurbished

I am walking this program with Warrior Hike, and it has been full of great experiences thus far. Meeting the Jopek's and hearing about Ryan, who I had never met personally, was a truly humbling experience. From the stories and his family, I am certain this world lost a great young man too soon, but who managed to leave a mark on those around him in his short time here.

One of the Warrior Hike program's goals is for veterans who walk the state scenic trails to be from the state they walk in. This helps connect them to the community they are a part of. Having a deep sense of connection makes experiences like this even more touching and meaningful. This was in no way an expected experience, and really just shows how interconnected we are with others around us.

*Pause for reflection.*

After walking around the Memorial Park, Joe pointed out some glacier terminal moraines in the landscape and he, Peg, Jenni and I went to eat at Dixie Restaurant in Antigo. I believe I had one of my first Pasty's, which is meat inside of potatoes. A very northern Wisconsin dish. Jenni and I picked up a few things at Walmart and Joe took us back to our cabin. Jenni's leg was not feeling better.

Think this pasty is one of my firsts... Northern WI culture here. YUM!

Reunited and it felt so good!

Antigo flats (potato farming) with terminal morraines in the distance

The next morning it was 1:00 before Jenni and I headed out. It was hard to leave the creature comforts. I wanted to get in about 15 miles that day to make it to what is known as the Hillbilly Hilton. Poor Jenni, for the first time ever, was going slower, much slower, than I was. Her leg was not doing well. She stopped after about 3 miles near a county hwy and got a ride to the hospital. I proceeded on with making sure she would text to keep me posted.

She got a ride in from a nice guy I guess, and went to the hospital where her symptoms were taken down by a PA, the doc came in, looked at the list, never once at her leg and said it was shin splints. She was going home for a time to heal up. But to everyone except the doc and the PA, her symptoms certainly didn't really match shin splints.

That night I played a game with the sun... I got to mile 10 or so around 530, but had wanted to go further so I thought, "I'll just go a little bit further." Especially since there were bear tracks everywhere!

Bears get kind of pigeon toed... I am pigeon toed, so now if I see another bear I have a conversation starter.

I also started playing my music and singing out loud... Not good to surprise a bear and with me squelching out some CCR they would know I was around. Well, my little bit further technique worked all the way to the Hillbilly Hilton. Which is an old root cellar that one of the ATV clubs keeps kind of supplied as a camping area.

I found it and as I expected, too musty and too many bugs so I set my tent up outside it with all the bear tracks, which I never did outwalk. It was 8pm before I was setting my tent up and all my stuff was getting wet. The dew was falling hard and it got cold quickly that night.

The next day I had to be out and going by 10am I figured to make it to the pick up point. The first time I wouldn't be behind schedule! I was on the trail, it was a beautiful day chock full of ticks and painful feet, but I made it.

About 20 feet since last clearing off the ticks

At 4pm, I got picked up by the Antigo VFW at the desired pick up location. I had made it. And who do you know was there? Joe and Peg to greet me.

Mike, Ken and Pete all came from the VFW to meet me at the trail and then dropped me off at the hotel so I could shower and say goodbye to Jenni as she was about to be picked up and head back home. Her legs were still very swollen and painful. I asked if she was going to get a second opinion and she most definitely was going to.

Ken, me, Mike, and Pete where they picked me up

After Jenni left, I was officially on my own. I had hiked most of the prior week on my own, and now the next two weeks would be on my own as well. But, she will hopefully be back. I cleaned up quick and Mike and his wife picked me up, first stopping at their house to throw in my stink laundry and we were off to eat some pizza and drink some beer.

The visit with the VFW was once again so welcoming and nice. Lots of questions about my hike and I showed a lot of photos. It's pretty amazing how quickly it always seems to feel like I've known the people for years. Plus, the pizza was awesome!!! I got to take the left overs and I had it for lunch the next day. I probably ate 8+ slices that night myself.

We went to get my laundry, I got to see a wonderful garden and lawn and then I went back to the hotel and zonked out.

The next morning I left half my stuff at the hotel and slack packed 18 miles of road walk and I did it all in my flip flops. My feet were suffering in my shoes. They had never been so happy as they were in the flip flops. Awesome. It was all road walk... 24 miles total, and Joe picked me up that night so I didn't even have to beg someone to sleep on their lawn or 'stealth' camp on someone's property.

Best sandals in the universe.

Joe took me to get my stuff at the hotel (btw, the manager at the Super 8 is ridiculously cheerful and nice) then we went back to Joe's house where I got cleaned up and treated to an amazing home cooked meal and desert by Peg. I ate a ton.

Plus, Joe gave me a patch from Langlade County - known as the county of trails - because the Ice Age Trail in celebrating 40 years there and it's a commemorative patch. In case you were wondering, Joe has worked with the Ice Age Trail for every one of those years. He has been there since the IAT was a twinkle in someone's eye and he helped make it happen and continues too ever since. That is quite the legacy for all those who benefit from the trail.

The next morning I am up and at it at 6am and at 730 we are at the Burger King to do an interview with 106.1FM. My first time ever on the radio. Joe is there to talk about the IAT, I am there to talk about Warrior Hike, and Mike is there to talk about the VFW. Gary is the radio announcer, be made it real easy and we are done in a half hour. Off to country kitchen for breakfast and then I am back on the trail and walk out of Langlade County and into my home county... Marathon.

On the radio! And dropping my pack off for slack packing

That day Jenni got the second opinion and thank goodness she did, because it was cellulitis and would have gotten continually worse without treatment. But healing time is up in the air... At least two weeks.

"You call it being alone. I call it enjoying my own company" - some picture on the world wide web.