This cache is one of 31 caches - part of the WGA IAT Series - hidden to highlight Wisconsin's Ice Age Trail. See the bookmark list for all of the geocaches included in this series!
The Ice Age Trail Alliance Headquarters is located in Cross Plains along the Cross Plains segement. The mission of the Ice Age Trail Alliance is to conserve, create, maintain and promote the Ice Age National Scenic Trail. Their vision is that the IAT would be a place where all people may enjoy and embrace unique glacial landscapes and cultural histories, while finding physical and mental renewal in a peaceful setting and an enduring spiritual connection to the land.
Nineteen volunteer chapters throughout Wisconsin, help to build and maintain the trail across the state throughout the year. More than 1000 people have hiked the entire Ice Age Trail, some as thru-hikers and some as segment hikers. Ten different chapters offer awards when a hiker completes all of the miles within a chapter's geographical area. Each October, hikers may participate in the Mammoth Hike Challenge and earn an award.
Hikers will also find many ColdCaches along the Ice Age Trail. These are a part of geocaching and a fun way to learn about the glacial and other natural features along the trail.
If you happen to find this cache during normal office hours (8 am to 5 pm; Monday – Friday), feel free to stop in the Ice Age Trail Alliance office to pick up additional information about the Ice Age Trail and programs supported by the Alliance. Also, check out the landscaping of the grounds. You’ll notice the many boulders donated by member chapters of the IATA – you’re sure to see some similar boulders as you wander the many miles of the Ice Age Trail.
Wisconsin's Last Glacier
Movement of the Laurentide Ice Sheet was shaped—to a certain extent—by the landscape. Highlands diverted the glacier into lobes (tongues or fingers of ice) that advanced into the lowland areas.
The Lake Michigan Lobe of the glacier flowed down the Lake Michigan lowland to central Indiana and Illinois. The Langlade, Wisconsin Valley, Chippewa, and Superior Lobes covered northern Wisconsin. The Green Bay Lobe flowed south in the Green Bay lowland, advancing over the east end of the Baraboo Hills and into both ends of Devils Lake gorge.
The edge of the Green Bay Lobe was probably a steep ice slope, perhaps several hundred feet high, littered with rock debris. Behind the steep slope, the ice surface probably rose very gently toward the center of the ice sheet, where the ice was thousands of feet thick.
The Ice Age National Scenic Trail is one of only 11 national scenic trails in the U.S. It is approximately 1,200 miles long and the entire trail is located within Wisconsin! The trail follows the edge of Wisconsin's most recent glacier and highlights many geological features along the way. The western terminus is located in Interstate State Park in Polk County and continues through a total of 30 counties with the eastern terminus located in Potawatomi State Park in Door County.
WISCONSIN GEOCACHING ASSOCIATION
The Wisconsin Geocaching Association (WGA) is a group of geocachers dedicated to promoting and protecting geocaching within the state of Wisconsin. The WGA organizes geocaching events, works with land owners/managers on geocaching policies, educates the public at large about geocaching, and facilitates communication between WGA members. To learn more about the WGA click on our logo below!
This cache placed by the WGA
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Permission to hide this geocache has been granted by Eva Ballering, Land Steward, Ice Age Trail Alliance.