Wisconsin’s Ice Age Trail is now part of the National Park Service, the NPS announced Thursday, a designation that could make the nearly 1,200-mile trail that spans much of the state eligible for additional federal funding.
People are also reading…
Violet Fritsch, 5, and her dad, Nate, navigate the rock steps at Devil's Lake in 2021. The trail is part of the Ice Age Trail, now part of the National Park Service.
Woman on her thru-hike of the Ice Age Trail in winter: 'Me being me'
You've told other interviewers that you hope your thru-hike inspires others, but that your intent was modest. Tell me about your motivation, and have you reflected on that over time?
A: You are exactly right. I like backpacking. I like the rhythm of the life of backpacking. Even if there was no publicity about this, I would still be a backpacker. I would still be looking for another trail to do. I still would love my trip. But I am so excited that something I love can be helpful in many circles. I think sometimes silent sports can be selfish. I am really pleased that this gets to be a community thing. That is really exciting for me. Even though it was just a suggestion from a buddy at a bar and I ran with it.
Q: Did your long time in the wild, much of it alone, deepen any convictions for you?
A: Everything is a choice. You have to choose if you are going to decide to face your demons alone while you are in the wilderness. Are you going to allow those emotions to arise? Are you going to face them? What are you going to do with feelings that you have when you are alone out in the wilderness? Some days I really tried to let those issues that I have come up with and deal with them. Face some weird qualms head-on. When you are out there alone, you are your own hero and your own enemy. And there is nobody else to fight with and point the finger at. You really have to deal with yourself. If you don't, a lot of people just quit, because it's hard.
It gave me perspective, and it brought me back to a center of myself that I enjoy: deep thinking. I love thinking for long hours and sitting in the quiet and soaking that in and being OK with that. I think I've missed that. I hadn't gone on a trip for a while, a couple of years. It was really good.
Q: Did you anticipate your skin color or other parts of your life becoming topics? You seemed to have reconciled that people want to acknowledge race.
A: No, because I forget. I just like to backpack. My personality is definitely a silent supporter. The way I show love — it's through small actions. It is way more than me proclaiming something out loud. The tension I feel [about the Atlanta spa shootings], I remember the same tension of when George Floyd was murdered. There have to be actions somewhere. I've never been outwardly "Black is Beautiful" even though I believe it; I just like to do the [outdoors] things.
For social justice, we need every type. The loud and proud folks, the doers, the silent supporters — we need everybody to keep it going. If the result of me doing something that I love is that other people feel more comfortable and it pushes social justice and racial justice forward, that's fantastic. I love that. I wasn't even thinking about my skin color before I left.
Q: What about social media? You are alone but not alone
A: I am still figuring it out. This time last year I didn't have Instagram. I am still learning the rules. Now there is this audience of thousands of people that could see what I am doing. That is kind of the weird thing, I guess. I am still learning what that looks like. The biggest thing is sponsors and brand sponsors. Is that something I want to shift into? Sometimes when I say yes to that it makes me think I am getting out of "I am a normal person; you can do this, too" type of thing.
I had tons of things I did not post. There were a lot of sweet moments that were just for me and Diggins. The conclusion I have come to is (social media) is a tool and a versatile tool. Even a Swiss Army knife has its limits. Airplane mode is the best thing to have ever happened to a cellphone. I love taking photos and having those memories, but having your phone on airplane mode is pretty close to disappearing. Yeah, I love that. I disappeared, but people were very much searching for me while I was out there. Sometimes it was so cold, getting my phone out of my pocket was nonnegotiable.
Some people were upset that I wasn't using Strava (an app that tracks activity). I don't want you to know where I am. That is not the point of this. I promised you I would do one social media dump a week. It's mostly not for the people out there; it's mostly for my family. That is all you are going to get because that is not what backpacking is about for me.
These long backpacking trips are for me. If there is a spark for other people after that, that's fantastic. Mother Nature doesn't need an Instagram. She just is.
Q: How have you adjusted since getting off-trail?
A: Better now. I have a good idea of how Mike Summers felt. It's an indescribable hike. I would see people, but this is literally a trail that nobody else was thru-hiking. On the AT [Appalachian Trail] and PCT [Pacific Crest Trail], you will most likely see people. So coming back was tough. The world out here is a lot more complicated. My partner, Flo, was very gracious and patient. I am very thankful. It's been good being back at work. I've been on small skis and small hikes, but my body is like, I just want you to rest for a second, and then we can get back out there and do aggressive things.
Q: How is Diggins?
A: Oh, man. I have a picture of her at my desk. Going into it I knew I was borrowing her, and you have to return her. I recognized that her life is not to be a house dog right now. She is a working animal. She loves to pull, she loves to run, she needs that exercise. We've stayed in touch, and I will see her again. The first couple of days were rough. I missed her very much.
We definitely learned each other's communication styles. It is hard to describe how, but we got into our routine, our rhythm. I think she understood that we were the pack — it was just her and I. And that is good because no matter how many people we met, we were the only consistencies in each other's lives for almost 70 days.
