Butler Lake to Parnell Tower
The hike from Butler Lake today was a reminder of why they call the Northern Kettle Moraine 'hummocky.'
We (me and some backpackers from a local meetup group) started the morning at the Butler Lake trailhead. The first mile or so felt like a geography lesson come to life. I spent most of it walking along the spine of the Parnell Esker; a narrow, winding ridge of sand and gravel left behind by an ancient subglacial river. Looking down through the bare trees at the 158-acre Butler Lake State Natural Area, you can really see how the glaciers sculpted this place into a messy masterpiece of kames and kettles.
The trail between Butler Lake and the Parnell Tower area is only about 4.5 to 5 miles, but it's a leg-burner. The Parnell Segment is notorious for its constant ups and downs. The elevation changes had me working harder than I expected for a five-mile stretch.
Before reaching the shelter, I took the mandatory detour up to the Parnell Tower. Climbing those 60 steps to the top gave me a bird's-eye view of the entire forest canopy. Low clouds hung in the sky, but we could still see for miles, and it's the highest point in the Kettle Moraine State Forest.
Parnell Shelter is a rustic Adirondack-style wood structure, tucked away from the main Parnell Tower loop to give backpackers some peace. There was a stone fire ring and plenty of space for us all to gather around it for tales and ghost stories. It's quiet out here. I slept well at night, despite temperatures dipping below freezing.