DELAFIELD — How long do you think it takes to hike 1,200 miles? One person I interviewed said, "36 days." Wait wait wait, hold on. That's about 33 miles a day. I'm looking for a more normal pace.
“Most people would probably take 2-3 months," said the same person who claimed it would take 36 days.
Well, it turns out that both answers are right. That person is Melanie Radzicki McManus. She is an avid hiker and travel writer.
In 2013, she completed the Ice Age Trail, a 1,200 mile long route through Wisconsin, in 36 days. Why so fast?
“Because I needed to get back to work and my kid," McManus said.
That's a pretty practical response. But there was another bigger goal she set out to accomplish by hiking the trail in 36 days.
“I also kind of wanted to set the female - the fastest female thru hike," she said.
Thru hiking is when a person hikes an entire trail in one attempt. Well, even if that was the fastest known time, she beat her own time again in 2015. She walked 1,200 miles in 34 days. It's important to keep in mind that this was all while she was in her 50s.
McManus' second hike was inspired by her desire to write a book about the trail. It's called Thousand Miler: Adventures Hiking the Ice Age Trail. The book came out in 2017.
“And I thought I really want people, A, to know the Ice Age Trail and to get out on it, but also there’s no right or wrong way to hike it," she said.
Now, she is working on a new book, a children's story.
"Hopefully, we can get more kids interested, you know, to not only hike (the Ice Age Trail), but also someday also maintain (the Ice Age Trail)," McManus said.
She could probably write a few more books about her thousand-mile-long adventures. She has thru-hiked some of the longest trails in the country:
- Florida National Scenic Trail - 1,500 miles
- Arizona Trail - 800 miles
- Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail - 444 miles
- Potomac Heritage Trail - About 900 miles
- Ice Age Trail - 1,200 miles
- New England Trail - 235 miles
She also has plans to section hike the Appalachian Trail, Continental Divide Trail, Pacific Crest Trail, and North Country Trail. Section hiking means completing a trail in phases. She has already started the Continental Divide Trail and the North Country Trail. Overall, McManus has walked more than 10,000 miles. That's like walking from New York City to San Francisco three times, but you'd still be 1,000 miles short.
“All you have to think about every day is walking, going to sleep, and eating. Just really reduces your life to the simplest form," she said.
Hiking is her passion, and the books are a way to help others discover Wisconsin’s trails.
“Unlike some of the other national scenic trails, the ice age trail is great because you can hike it year-round.”
Watch the video below to learn more about McManus' story....
While McManus might not be hiking 33 miles a day anymore, she does have thousands of miles left on her journey.
“I hope I can hike at least another 20 years, maybe longer, who knows.”
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