Sturgeon Bay, June 7, 2025, by Roger Carpenter / Greg in Wild Near the finish of my previous three long-distance thru-hikes, I met with unexpected encounters with wildlife. I considered those moments to be omens for strong and fulfilling finishes to the hikes. On the PCT in 1996, a deer and a rabbit lingered in my final campsite. On the CDT in Glacier National Park, three deer watched as I hiked nearby, never showing fear of my presence.

West Bend, Wisconsin, May 25, 2025, by Roger Carpenter / Greg in Wild I have hiked 956 miles and 82.8% of the IAT, but I have not answered any of the questions asked by readers in the comments. By the way, knowing that many people are visiting my site and writing comments is one aspect of the hike that gives meaning to the effort needed to complete a thru-hike! 

Delafield, WI, May 24, by Roger Carpenter / Greg in Wild In two days since leaving Delafield, I hiked 45 miles to IAT milepost 956. With only 198 miles to the eastern terminus, I have a strong case of Potawatomi Fever. My goal was to finish the hike on June 7, but it is likely I will finish on June 5 or 6.

Janesville is mile 831 for eastbound thru-hikers like me. I like to say "EABO" instead. The next trail town I aimed for is Delafield, which is 81 miles beyond Janesville. I am now watchful of the numbers because Delafield is just 242 miles from the Eastern Terminus of the IAT. As I write this in Delafield, I have hiked 79% of the trail.

Janesville Janesville, WI, May 15, 2025, by Greg in Wild / Roger Carpenter On a long, multi-month hike, I am able to ponder the highs and lows of my life, how much I appreciate what I have accomplished, and what I can do in the future. Often, I think of my childhood and the events and places of my youth that had lasting impacts on me.

Verona to Janesville Janesville, WI, May 15, 2025 by Greg in Wild / Roger Carpenter Since leaving Verona on May 10, it was hard to stay present in the trail right in front of me. The reasons for looking ahead to Janesville five days ahead included the vast majority of the 78 miles were on roads or rail-to-trails. The hot temperatures on some days made me wish for more patches of shade to rest within.

Devils Lake to Verona Verona, Wisconsin, by Greg in Wild / Roger Carpenter, May 10, 2025 See my current location on the trail and the places I hiked recorded by Garmin InReach. On May 9, I reached milepost 750 in perfect weather for hiking. The vibe of the hike gradually changed as foliage got greener and taller, wildflowers became more numerous, the sky clearer, and days more sunny and warmer.

May 5, 2025, Devils Lake State Park, Wisconsin, by Roger Carpenter / Greg in Wild The view outside from my hotel window on May 1 was not encouraging. The parking lot had large puddles of rain that fell most of the night. My weather app predicted high temperature in the upper 40s. "Really?" I thought. The hike would be easy because it was one more day on the 'great IAT roadwalk to southern Wisconsin".

April 20, 2025, Westfield, Wisconsin, by Roger Carpenter I left chilly Antigo knowing that I was, at last, leaving the Northwoods and heading south. Would the weather begin to warm with the change in latitude? I also knew that over the next eight days and 162 miles, much of the IAT route would be on roads. It meant no more bushwacking around fallen trees like I did in the Kettle Bowl segment.

April 22, 2026, Antigo, Wisconsin, by Roger Carpenter / Greg in Wild No wonder it still feels cold! For four weeks, I hiked the portion of the IAT that stayed in the northern part of Wisconsin...the Northwoods. Warmer weather is coming, especially as I begin to walk southbound out of Antigo, where I enjoyed another zero day. The map, below, has the waypoints I recorded at every overnight stop.

April 16, 2025, Merrill, Wisconsin, by Roger Carpenter / Greg in Wild I appreciate the numerous kind comments written on this blog and Facebook about the passing of my brother, Jim. The thoughts expressed have comforted me and helped me move forward on the IAT. Thank you. For three days and 51 miles, I experienced most of the discomforts an upper Midwest hiking trail in early spring: rain, deep, cold water, boggy trail, mud, snow and freezing temperatures.

Soon after Pat Kosher, a Trail Angel in Cornell, gave me a ride back to the IAT on April 8, I received a message from Chalice, the wife of my brother Jim. He was going to enter hospice. Jim seemingly had beaten lymphoma that was diagnosed in 2015, but complications from infections made him progressively weaker for three months. The reality of Jim’s situation shifted my energy on the trail to one of despair, fatigue, and pain.

The snow was nearly all melted when I departed the comforts of Rice Lake. After the Uber driver dropped me off at the start of Tuscobia Trail, a wide, flat rail-to-trail, I entered another snowy but easy 11-mile hike to the Bluegill capitol of Wisconsin, Birchwood. Along the way a enjoyed a can of Hamms with my lunch in a bar.

From inside my tent next to the St Croix River I heard what sounded like a large object splashing into the water. Again and again it was the same splashy sound. A big fish, or a very big fish? It was 24 degrees outside, and I could no longer delay my exit from my warm sleeping bag. I looked to the river.

March 24 2025: Cindy and I arrived at the parking lot near the western terminus at noon while I had the Day 1 jitters. A 5 minute walk to the plaque deaignating the IAT and I was ready to start the 1200-mile hike in sunny, chilly weather. Oh, how I was thankful for the nice weather. It could snow in late March.

“I think your three favorite things are backpacking, baseball, and trains,” Cindy remarked while we shared a dining car table with a retired railroad employee. She is correct! I love taking a cross-country train to the start of a long hike. The long, slower-than-flying journey encourages me to transition more gradually to the 2 mph travel that will begin in a few days.