[10/18-20] BACKPACKING 55 MAMMOTH MILES FOR THE MAMMOTH CHALLENGE

Do your friends keep telling you to touch grass? Do you think your life would be enriched with a little more suffering? Maybe it's time to put down the Dostoevsky and go for a hike!

Every October, the Ice Age Trail (one of the US's longest contiguous trails) puts on an event called the "Mammoth Challenge." This year, to celebrate their 44th anniversary, they're inviting participants to hike 44 miles cumulatively with "teams" over the entire month (so if a 3-person team does a 1 mile hike together, it counts as 3 miles towards the challenge for each team member).

HOC stands for many things--one of them is Huge OveraChievers. We're aiming to celebrate the IAT with a 55 mile backpacking trip, in one weekend, through the Kettle Moraine segment. We'll leave in the afternoon on Friday (time is somewhat flexible), hike 10 miles, hike 25 on Saturday, hike 20 on Sunday, then return late Sunday night. Map of the route here: https://caltopo.com/m/0FLV27T

This is not a beginner's backpacking trip! To sign up, you need a BP2 or higher. (If you don't have the rating but are an experienced backpacker and stoked for the trip, email alyun@wisc.edu, gbertalot@wisc.edu, landsafety@hooferouting.org)

We will also be doing a mandatory fitness test for all participants, regardless of experience level, just to make sure we're all on the same page:

- Meet at MemU outside Mendota Lodge at 7:00am on Tuesday and Wednesday (BOTH days are required)

- Hike 3 miles in 45 minutes carrying at least 40lb (if you need to borrow gear, email us and we'll meet slightly before)

- Pre-trip meeting after the test on Wednesday (probably around 30 minutes max)

Estimated cost will be around $50 per participant.

If you have any comments, questions, concerns, or thoughts on Pambdelurion's strange head shape, email us at alyun@wisc.edu/gbertalot@wisc.edu. We hope to see you on Tuesday morning!