‘Hikes’ author presenting at Wisconsin Writers Festival

Book lovers can catch me and nearly two dozen other regional writers at the NW Wisconsin Writers Festival on Saturday, May 10. The festival at the UW-Barron County campus in Rice Lake, Wis., features: tables for meeting authors and perusing their books; readings by local authors; workshop sessions about writing; and a keynote address.

I’ll read from my literary novel Windmill (10-11 a.m., Commons), am a presenter in a breakout session about the business of writing (1-1:45 p.m., Ritz 202), and will man my author’s table most of the rest of the time (9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Commons).

The festival coincides with the release in paperback of my book, Hittin’ the Trail: Day Hiking Barron County, Wisconsin. I’ll have plenty of copies of the title and my other books on hand.

Find out about trail guidebooks available in the Hittin’ the Trail series.

Enjoy walk along Red Cedar River in Wis.

Red Cedar River along Cedar Side Trail on
UW-Barron County campus.

An urban route, the Cedar Side Trail still maintains a back-to-nature charm as it ambles through alongside the Red Cedar River. It’s a great walk if you need to spend a little time in town, as it runs near some retail businesses in Rice Lake.

Some of the Cedar Side Trail is paved, and it’s plenty wide – up to 10 feet in some sections. A long trail, it can be broken into a number of small sections ideal for a day hike.

Among those sections is West Coleman Street south to 18-1/2 Street, which makes for a roughly 2-mile round trip on a paved path. You should find parking along West Coleman Street near the trailhead.

A good mix of evergreen and deciduous trees line the river shore while the trail’s opposite side largely look into the urban landscape. It passes behind the local community college then enters woodland upon reaching the technical college.

The Red Cedar flows for 85 miles from a reservoir on northern Barron County to the Chippewa River in southern Dunn County. This section of the river is wide and shallow with a brisk current.

Keep an eye to sky. Bald eagles have nested near the trail, and herons often rest on sandbars farther down the riverway.

The junction with 18-1/2 Street is easy to spot as the trail goes under that road just past the Barron County Restorative Justice Center.

Mile posts along the trail let you know how far you’ve walked. Riverview benches and a picnic shelter are available in some sections. Marshy areas of the longer trail boast three boardwalks. Be aware that bicyclists also use the route.

Read more about day hiking Barron County in my Hittin’ the Trail: Day Barron County, Wisconsin guidebook.

Rice Lake, Wis., library hosts Hikes editor at meet-the-author event

A special thanks to the Rice Lake (Wis.) Public Library for hosting my meet-the-author session Saturday. Got to meet some great readers – a guy who collects edible plants, a former Wisconsinite now living in Oregon, and a fellow UW-River Falls alumnus (Go Falcons!). Three stops in the summer book tour remain, including two this coming weekend:
>>Friday – Siren, Wis. (In a New Light Gallery, 4-6 p.m.)
>>Saturday – Duluth, Minn. (The Bookstore at Fitger’s, noon-2 p.m.)
>>Aug. 10 – Chetek, Wis., City of Lakes Book Fair (Annz’s Books, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.)

Read more about family friendly day hiking trails in my Headin' to the Cabin guidebooks.

Rice Lake, Wis., library hosting reading/signing for 'Headin' to the Cabin'

The Rice Lake (Wis.) Public Library is hosting a book reading/signing for my recent book, Headin’ to the Cabin: Day Hiking Trails of Northwest Wisconsin, on Saturday, July 27 from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Headin’ to the Cabin describes more than a 100 day hiking trails in Ashland, Barron, Bayfield, Burnett, Douglas, Polk, St. Croix, Sawyer and Washburn counties, including several in neighboring Superior. The library is located at 2 E. Marshall St., in Rice Lake.

Read more about family friendly day hiking trails in my Headin' to the Cabin guidebooks.

Wisconsin’s Northwind Book Fair hosts ‘Hikes with Tykes’ author

Signing a book at the Northwind Book Fair.

Special thanks to Northwind Book and Fiber in Spooner, Wis., for hosting the Northwind Book Fair where 20-plus regional writers (including yours truly) were available to meet with readers to talk about books. I promoted my book Headin’ to the Cabin: Day Hiking Trails of Northwest Wisconsin at the fair; the book features trails in and near Spooner as well as Washburn County.

Missed the book fair? No worries. The Rice Lake (Wis.) Public Library is hosting a book reading/signing on Saturday, July 27, from 10 to 11:30 a.m. The library is located at 2 E. Marshall St., in Rice Lake.

Read more about family friendly day hiking trails in my Headin' to the Cabin guidebooks.

Tuscobia Trail offers great lake, farm scenes

Tuscobia State Trail trailhead east of Birchwood, Wis.

Wisconsin has nicely converted a number of abandoned railroad grades to hiking and multi-use trails. Among the more popular is the 74-mile Tuscobia Trail running from Rice Lake to Park Falls.

In the southeast corner of Washburn County, the trail passes through the village of Birchwood, the self-proclaimed Bluegill Capital of Wisconsin. A pleasant segment of the trail to day hike goes northeast from downtown Birchwood for a 4-mile round trip to County Road F and back.

Birchwood east segment
Hiking the trail anytime in summer and autumn will prove enjoyable. Note that the trail closes from Nov. 15-Dec. 15 for deer hunting season.

To reach the trail segment, park downtown, picking up the Tuscobia on County Road D/Euclid Avenue just north of the Wis. Hwy. 48 intersection.

After walking just a tenth of a mile, hikers will come to the south end of Birchwood Lake. The popular fishing lake covers 364 acres and is home to largemouth and smallmouth bass, Northern pike, walleye and panfish.

Passing the lake, the trail swerves to the south side of Hwy. 48; be careful when crossing the highway, especially of vehicles turning off La Pointe Drive onto Hwy. 48 a few feet to the east. ATVs also can use the trail, and while it’s plenty wide for both vehicle and hiker, always exercise caution.

A project since 1968
Construction of the Omaha rail line that is now the Tuscobia begin in 1899 and lasted for some 15 years. By the 1940s when logging was no longer viable in the region, the rail line saw much less usage, which eventually ended altogether. Wooden bridges over some waterways were torn out in 1967, and the following year locals across the region began a long, concerted effort to convert it to a hiking trail.

Upon leaving town, the trail passes scenic farmland. Trees line the walking path, offering some shade.

Amid the scenery, you’ll cross an unmarked boundary into Sawyer County then enter a bucolic woods of mixed hardwoods.

Upon reaching County Road F, you’ve gone 2 miles one way. This marks a good spot to turn around, though the trail does continue for several more miles on its way to Couderay.

Learn about nearby trails in Day Hiking Trails of Washburn County.

Fourth ‘Hittin’ the Trail’ book, on Barron County, Wisconsin, released

The next book in my Hittin’ the Trail hiking guide series, Hittin’ the Trail: Day Hiking Barron County, Wisconsin, went on sale today. The ebook lists dozens of great family-friendly trails in all of your favorite Barron County communities, including Rice Lake, Cumberland, Chetek, Turtle Lake and Cameron as well as the Blue Hills in neighboring Rusk County. Included is a primer about day hiking essentials, such as gear, clothing, navigation, and how to avoid various trail dangers. Day Hiking Barron County, Wisconsin is available as an ebook on Kindle, Nook, iBook/iPad, Kobo, and other formats.

Find out about other trail guidebooks available in the Hittin’ the Trail series.

Great hiking trails located in Rice Lake area

View from Tuscobia
State Trail near
Rice lake, Wis.

Cabin-goers to the Rice Lake, Wis., area will be impressed by the array of day hiking trails in and around this Barron County community. Among them:
g Cedar Lake Area County Forest trails – As with all Barron County Forests, several unnamed trails crisscross the wooded area. Try the northern-most one, off of Valley Road, which heads west for 2.5 miles through a nice mix of hardwoods; it ends at a gate just shy of Red Cedar Lake.
g Cedar Lake Sections 5 & 6 County Forest – Off of North Townline Road just east of 24th Street, a trail runs roughly north-south for about 1.5 miles before coming to a T-intersection. You’ll walk through a thick hardwood forest.
g Cedar Side Walking Trail – If you need to make a trip into town, consider this beautiful trail that runs alongside the Red Cedar River. Plenty wide and some of it paved, you can take different-length segments based on your abilities.
g Mikana Area County Forest – On Swamp Road upon coming to Mirror Lake, take the gated trail going north. You’ll skirt the shorelines of the lake and then Lake 20-10. For about a 1-mile round trip, turnaround at the gate where the trail splits.
g Moon Lake Biking and Walking Trail – Located at the site of a former municipal airport, this 1.5-mile round trip trail heads to and along scenic Moon Lake. The trail is wide and paved.
g Tuscobia State Trail – Built on old railroad tracks, the Tuscobia State Trail shares a stretch with the Ice Age Trail as it heads northeast. The trail runs about three miles to the 22nd Street intersection.
g Wild Rivers State Trail – A walk through pleasant woodlands and scenic farmland await users of this trail northwest of town. Park at the Tuscobia State Trail junction on County Road SS, near its intersection with U.S. Hwy. 53 and head south for about four miles to West Knapp Street.

Read more about day hiking Barron County in my Hittin’ the Trail: Day Barron County, Wisconsin guidebook.

Quaint country walk awaits on Wild Rivers

A walk through pleasant woodlands and scenic farmland await users of the Wild Rivers State Trail near Rice Lake, Wis. The trail runs for around 100 miles across three counties on an old Omaha and Soo Line Railroads rail line connecting the city to Superior.

A good place to experience the trail is at its southern end. Park north of the Rice Lake city limits at the Tuscobia State Trail junction on County Road SS, near its intersection with U.S. Hwy. 53. You can head south for about four miles into Rice Lake at West Knapp Street. Arrange to have someone bring you back to where you parked, or turn around at any time on the trail.

Great autumn walk
The parking lot sits east of County Road SS, and you’ll need to take the Tuscobia Trail west across the highway to reach the Wild Rivers Trail. Turn left or south onto the Wild Rivers Trail, which parallels County Road SS into Rice Lake. Turn right, and the trail heads to Haugen, Spooner, Trego, Minong, Gordon, Solon Springs and ends in Superior.

In addition to plenty of parking and its proximity to a major town for an enjoyable meal or shopping afterward, the part of the trail heading south is in excellent shape with compacted gravel making up the surface.

The first half mile or so heads through a typical deciduous forest that Wisconsin is famous for. In autumn, the trail’s varied trees alight in an array of crimson, amber and burnt orange leaves. Upon crossing County Road BB, however, the woods gives way to pretty farm fields that look best when green in August.

Bridge over stream
A little more than two miles later, you can glimpse through the deepening treeline a tributary that ultimately flows into nearby Stump Lake. As the region becomes more wooded, you’ll actually cross the serpentine waterway over a quaint bridge.

Expect to spot white-tailed deer, rabbits, squirrels and chipmunks – and if lucky, fox – along the way. Songbirds are plentiful, and hawks soar overhead.

On weekends, anticipate a variety of other users. Mountain bikers, horseback riders and ATVers also frequent the trail. In winter, snowmobilers, cross country skiers and snowshoers all use the route.

The trail grows increasingly urban as reaching 22-1/2 Street with a good end spot at Knapp Street, where you can park your vehicle. Pit toilets are available at the trailhead.

Read more about day hiking Barron County in my Hittin’ the Trail: Day Barron County, Wisconsin guidebook.