Hiking the Ice Age Trail

I have now completed over 900 miles of the 1200 miles of the Ice Age Trail over 90 days. This Spring I hope to finish my hike of the entire Ice Age Trail to photograph the natural landscape, culture, and history of rural Wisconsin! I had never done anything like this and seriously wondered if my body could handle the 1200 miles. But so far so good. I’ve been taking it slow and did a lot of preparation. I’m getting optimistic that this hair-brained idea just might work.

cameron gillie at the eastern terminus of the ice age trail in door county.
Me at the Eastern Terminus of the Ice Age Trail, just before taking the first steps on the 1200 mile journey.

I am a photojournalist, a fine art photographer, and a nature photographer based in Madison. So this just seems like the perfect challenge for me. despite some lousy weather, I have been getting some good photography. There are sections and places I hope to return to improve on what I have, but overall I’m pretty happy with how it’s been going photographically.

the Holy Resurrection Monastery in St. Nazianz
the Holy Resurrection Monastery in St. Nazianz was a wonderful place I discovered along the Ice Age Trail and was one of the most unique places I experienced.

The inspiration for this hike came to me driving home from an art fair in the summer of 2018. I was daydreaming about doing a photo project just for myself. As I crossed the Wisconsin River, it reminded me it had been ten years since I canoed the Lower Wisconsin River. I did it the year we moved to Madison and it was a great way to experience Southwestern Wisconsin and spend a few days in nature. I wanted to do something like that again. By the time I reached my home in Madison, that “exploring Wisconsin” idea somehow grew to hiking the entire 1200 mile Ice Age Trail over the next couple of years! What better way to photograph and get to know my adopted home state even better! 

an old seeder along the Ice Age Trail.
An old seeder left along the trail is a reminder of the agriculture roots of Wisconsin.

So on a sunny day in late April, I set out from Door County with a backpack on to begin my exploration. I’m currently taking a break for the winter, but I will return to the Ice Age Trail again in the Spring to resume the journey.  

I’m looking forward to getting back on the trail in spring to photograph new sections of the state of Wisconsin along the Ice Age Trail up in Northern Wisconsin. Check out what I’ve photographed so far on my blog and on Facebook and Instagram.

About Cameron

Everywhere you look in Algoma there are reminders that this is a fishing community.

By Cameron Gillie

Cameron Gillie began his photography career as a staff photographer at several daily newspapers. As a photojournalist he documented all aspects of life, everything from the extraordinary to the ordinary, learning to appreciate both equally. Photojournalism is like having a front row seat observing life as it unfolds. He explored life in Colorado while working for the Greeley Tribune and in Florida while working for the Naples Daily News. Leaving the newspaper business to begin a freelance photography career, he continued to follow his curiosity and explore new creative challenges. Cameron has been an exhibitor in art festivals and galleries around his new home in the Midwest, his art taking on many forms over the years. His love of the outdoors inspires him to photograph wildlife and nature, while his fascination with the simplicity of homemade cameras brought him to pinhole photography. Cameron is an avid film photographer using analog vintage cameras. He develops and prints the images in a darkroom in his basement in Madison, Wisconsin. This diverse background in photojournalism and creative photography prepared him for his biggest project ever — hiking the Ice Age Trail and documenting the landscapes, communities, and people of Wisconsin. Cameron enjoyed blending nature photography as well as capturing storytelling images of the interesting people he met along the way.