So much happened this week!! Trail angels galore!

After another great VFW visit with Cambellsport, we were off on the trail again. We had one more night in the Kettle Morraine. And that day we hiked with a fellow veteran, Matt. He went about 8 miles with us and it was like we were old friends the way the jokes were coming. After he left us, Jenni and I continued on until we hit Shelter 4. I wanted to stay there and check out the tower although that meant back-tracking over a mile. It was worth it for the cell phone reception the tower provided. 

We picked up a fellow veteran hiker for a bit!

Two things happened while up on the tower besides me talking on the phone a really long time. First found a working lighter. Since the fluid in mine was almost out, I considered it a lucky day. However, a teenager came down to the level I was on and asked do if I had found a blue lighter. I handed it over and said, I had. He said, I knew you had it, I saw you pick it up. To which I replied, if you knew I had it, why would you ask if I had it - just ask for it back. (It had been in my pocket almost 2 hours at this point. I could have left with it a looong time ago.) He replied touché. Not sure why that annoyed me so much... Maybe it was the tone and body language in which he asked.

An additional 3 miles for cell reception and a beautiful sunset? Okay :)

The second thing that happened is when I was at the top and taking pictures of the view these two guys were looking at Holy Hill through their binoculars. I must have been looking super sad and forlorn because on their way down, one looks right at me and said God bless you. (I had not sneezed). About two hours later after a long phone conversation with a friend, I see this sitting next to my water bottle at the base of the tower! Geez! I mean, I was not in a happy mood up there, but my goodness! My resting super sad face must have been out.

I wasn't going to jump... Yeash.

I walked back to the shelter the 1+ mile in the dark... It was further away than I had remembered. A deer snorted at me and then I had to set my tent up next to Jenni's.

The next morning I woke up in a super great mood. But had a lazy morning anyway. Since I hadn't eaten dinner, I had ramen for breakfast.

Starting the morning right! 

Good morning Jenni!

It was a hot hike out of the Kettle Morraine that day, and we decided to walk into Glenbeulah. We got some food at the one restaurant/pub and ended up camping in a guys yard just outside of town. I was again on the phone most of the night... But the next morning I got to go for a swim!!! Oh my gosh did that just hammer in how much I miss the water! I played around with my cameras underwater setting. I was only going to be in the pool a few minutes but could have stayed in there a day. I cannot wait till I can be in the water on a regular basis. My paddle board is calling my name back home.

Best start to a day in a long time! I miss the water! Hiking is okay, but... but... I like to swim too!

That night, after a long, fairly uneventful and hot hot hot, very sunny road walk we got to JoEllen and Dave's place. They are trail angels right on the path. We were treated to spaghetti, corn on the cob, homeade bread, and a yummy desert. We had some options for sleeping that night. I chose the Scamp they had!!!! My first night glamping (glamour camping). It was love at first sleep. I see a Scamp in my future. Jenni stayed in the house. The next morning I had a bowl of cereal with a big handful of wild raspberries from their yard. We then set off for the road walk we had before us.

Such great people!

We got about 22 miles into the road walk when it started to sprinkle. I, in my normal way, thought it wouldn't amount to anything. Jenni, recommended to call the trail angel we had contacted for that night. After the sprinkling got a bit stronger about 5 minutes later I listened to smarty pants Jenni and called Cheryl. Here is the text message I had received earlier from Blair, Cheryl's son. Turns out I would be meeting another WI Army National Guard member that night! I was excited!

It was a big family affair at Cheryl's house and everyone was incredibly nice. Cheryl herself is a thousand-miler! She sectioned hiked the trail and finished a few years ago. She is still active though with the IAT as the next morning she was off to do some mowing for us. That night we were treated to tacos and dirt desert. We also had another reporter visit us while we are the tacos. Blair, had set up tent-ma-hall for us and we got to play disk gold on their very own course and enjoy that night by a camp fire.

How amazing was this meeting!

Disk golfing at dusk

We walked onto a truck scale that was just hanging out not being used.... Ummm I don't want to do the math. But with our packs and both us together that scale reads 380... Yikes!

Road walking.... And walking... And walking.

Most definitely!

Jenni's forever crooked pack.