- Elijah Pinkert hiked the Ice Age Trail from St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin to Potawatomi State Park, Door County.
- The journey took nearly 80 days and provided its fair share of struggles including a stomach infection.
- With careful planning and help from his family, the hike was a success.
A 1200-mile journey from Interstate State Park on the St. Croix River all the way to Potawatomi State Park in Sturgeon Bay. A recent Sturgeon Bay High School grad recently completed this hike.
"There's definitely parts where you don't expect what's coming," said 18-year-old Elijah Pinkert.
On May 10th, 2023, Pinkert embarked on a journey he had planned in his head for years.
“I realized I could graduate early my senior year if I did the right classes. So, I realized ii had this perfect opportunity, the time frame to do it," said Pinkert.
Pinkert started at the Ice Age Trail’s most Western Point - in St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin.
The Ice Age Trail heads as far north as Washburn County and South to Rock County.
About 1200 miles, according to the National Park Service, and 3 pairs of shoes later, he finished his journey near home, at Potawatomi State Park, the trail's end, on July 28th, 2023.
He says the journey wasn't smooth the whole time.
"I made a mistake with water, and I got a serious stomach infection," said Pinkert.
That took Elijah off his feet for about a week.
He said he also battled through fatigue and insects, along with checking for bears on the Northern part of the trail.
But that didn't stop him from finishing what he started.
Elijah says his family also helped him a lot through the journey.
"They often helped me with re-supply, and they'd help bring me certain things I was lacking otherwise," said Pinkert.
He shared struggles of forgetting to download music and being stuck listening to certain songs on repeat for hours.
Elijah stayed at hotels, Airbnbs, and even camped in the woods during his nearly 80-day trip.
So, we were wondering, does he have plans to hike the Ice Age Trail again?
"I think if I’m going to do a long hike like this, I want to see something new. I think that's kind of the fun of hiking. You're seeing something different every time every day," responded Pinkert.
