Sunday Rides on Two Wheels: Motorcycling in Southern Wisconsin

II KETTLE MORAINE

43 43 43 43 43 II - KETTLE MORAINE KETTLE MORAINE SCENIC DRIVE - 117 MILES HOLY HILL SIDE TRIP - 23 MILES 44 44 44 44 44 II - KETTLE MORAINE The Wisconsin Glacier covered the state 14,000 years ago with a mile-thick sheet of ice. As it advanced and retreated the glacier created end moraines and kettles. Moraines, composed of rock, gravel, and sand, formed as the glacier scraped over the landscape and left this debris in nearly parallel lines. Kettles were formed when the glacier retreated and great chunks of ice were buried in the moraines. As the ice melted, the debris caved in, leaving potholes (kettles). As the glacier moved over Wisconsin, it separated into six lobes. Two of these lobes were created as the glacier moved south around the uplands of Door County. The Kettle Moraine area was formed when the two lobes began coming together around Plymouth. Because they were both carrying vast amounts of debris, the two lobes bumped and ground against each other as they moved as far south as Janesville. The advance and retreat of the glacier left the parallel lines of moraine for nearly 120 miles. Some of the moraines were over 300 feet high and can still be seen. Others have been destroyed by erosion and by human activity. Building and mining have been the biggest culprits. In 1936 the Kettle Moraine State Forest was designated to preserve this natural wonder with land purchased from the Izaak Walton League. The league sold the property to the state with the provision that it remain a wildlife preserve. There are three units in the Kettle Moraine State Forest: Southern, Lapham Peak, and Northern. The Southern unit, in parts of Waukesha, Jefferson, and Walworth Counties, covers 21,000 acres. The Lapham Peak unit, near Delafield, covers 671 acres and is the highest point in Waukesha 45 45 45 45 45 County at 1,233 feet above sea level. The unit’s 45-foot-high observation tower provides a good view of the surrounding features. The Northern unit is in parts of Fond du Lac, Sheboygan, and Washington Counties and covers nearly 30,000 acres. It has its own 60-foot observation tower, Parnell Tower. The Northern unit was the first section designated as the Kettle Moraine State Forest. All three units have hiking trails and picnic areas. The Southern and Northern units also have camping facilities. The Northern unit is also a part of the Ice Age National Scientific Reserve, which is a cooperative effort between the State of Wisconsin and the National Park Service. The Henry S. Ruess Ice Age Visitor Center contains exhibits explaining the effects of the ice age on the terrain of Wisconsin. The Ice Age Visitor Center is also part of the Ice Age National Scenic Trail, which attempts to follow the end moraines of the Wisconsin glacier. There are currently 225 miles of trail that are certified by the National Park Service and an additional 250 miles of trail on public and private lands open to public use throughout Wisconsin. When the scenic trail is completed, it will have 1,000 miles of trail. There are two routes totaling 140 miles in the Kettle Moraine section: • Kettle Moraine Scenic Drive, broken up into three maps— southern, middle, and northern • Holy Hill Side Trip The Kettle Moraine Scenic Drive starts in Whitewater and ends in Plymouth. There is not a return route, but I would recommend Highway 67 south. This road goes through parts of the Northern and Southern units and is scenic without all the stops and turns. The Holy Hill Side Trip begins at the junction of County K and Highway 167 (located on the middle map of the Kettle Moraine Scenic Drive). 1 46 46 46 46 46 1 KETTLE MORAINE SCENIC DRIVE The Kettle Moraine Scenic Drive connects the Northern and Southern Units of the Kettle Moraine State Forest and was laid out to provide a way for visitors to easily enjoy the varied beauty of the glacial landscape. It can be recognized by the acorn shape on the green signs. Several years ago two friends and I set out to ride the entire Scenic Drive. We were unaware of any maps featuring the entire route and weren’t sure of the actual beginning or end. We knew approximately where it started near Whitewater and set out from there to follow the signs...