Get out and explore what region has to offer

Last weekend Andrew Pickerl traveled from Winnipeg in Manitoba, Canada to Westboro. So did David Roberts of Pasadena, Calif., Karen Murphy of Celebration, Fla., Kelly Wilson of Orlando, Fla., Cassondra Piotrowski of Bothell, Wash., Stephen Gaetke of Colorado Springs, Col. and Kyle Kalbus of Chattanooga, Tenn.

All of these people, and about 200 more, came to the area to take part in the third annual Midwest States 100 ultramarathon event held August 24-25. The race started and finished at the Mondeaux Recreation area, just yards away from the historic Mondeaux Lodge which overlooks the flowage.

The race is held on the Ice Age trail, climbing up and down eskers, traversing terrain carved by glaciers and shaped by thousands of years of nature and northern Wisconsin weather.

Race director Michele Hartwig of Ornery Mule Racing explains that there is something special about the Taylor County segment of the Ice Age Trail. Something that caused her to fall in love with the area years ago and prompted her to put in years of effort to bring an ultramarathon trail running event here.

What is surprising is the number of local residents who have never walked a portion of the trail or, for that matter, been to the Mondeaux Lodge or recreation area.

It is perhaps inevitable that people disregard what is familiar and nearby, giving truth to the adage that “familiarity breeds contempt.” How many of us have done this in our own lives, discounting a community feature, local landmark or event for no other reason than that it is nearby? Things farther away have an allure of being somehow better than what is close at hand.

It is not uncommon to find people who have lived their entire lives in Taylor County who have never explored around Wood Lake or Camp 8 near Rib Lake or have never stopped to check out the historical marker by the Rib Lake “Hot Pond” How many area residents have never ventured to the banks of the Jump River or followed it upstream watching the water leap over the rocks and boulders on its riverbed? How many never have sought out the Yellow River Ice Walled Lake Plain area within the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest, especially in the late spring when the area is an explosion of colors from the many species of wildflowers?

How many people have stood on the Gilman swinging bridge and watched the Yellow River slowly make its journey below, or gone shopping in a former bank vault in Gilman’s downtown, or spent an afternoon exploring the county and town roads that wind through the rich farmland in southern Taylor County?

Beyond the immediate area, the entire region has so much to offer. You could spend a lifetime exploring and never fail to find something new and unexpected.

As the seasons turn from summer to fall, take time to explore in your own backyards and see what hidden treasures and adventures await.