Last year, I participated in the Mammoth Hike Challenge as a way to get out on the trails while I rehabbed my broken ankle and foot. Heck, even if I hadn't had an injury, I would have done it. I discovered the Ice Age Trail during the pandemic and fell in love with the beauty, the climbs, and the solitude. Regular readers know that I spend many happy miles on these trails, both hiking and running.
When the Ice Age Trail Alliance announced this year's Mammoth Hike Challenge, I optimistically signed up, knowing that I would be out of town for a week in October. Even so, since I was running, I thought that maybe I'd be able to cover more miles this time. This year, the IATA awarded 10 bonus miles for participating in an official event, which I had earned from the Wisconsin Fall Colors Run. That gave me a little breathing room. But you know me...and I wanted to do all my 42 miles on the trail. Since this is a recap, you know that I did.
The challenge also requires that participants visit 3 official trail communities--towns adjacent to the trail that partner with the IATA. This year, the IATA added several new communities and I would expect more to join in the years to come. It's a win-win for both and encourages hikers to visit the towns. After visiting Janesville, I was on a mission to find murals this year and was rewarded in each of the towns I visited.