The center of the Ice Age Trail Universe is Cross Plains, Wisconsin, where the Ice Age Trail Alliance headquarters is located right on Main Street.

Just a few blocks from the IATA offices the trail leaves city streets and dives into the woods.

The trail climbs up the side of a bluff.

Soon we could overlook the roofs of Cross Plains.

One thing I appreciate is that the trail is well marked.

We’ve been having a lot of rain lately, so everything is green. Occasionally a little breeze would stir the leaves and there would be a shower of raindrops. It was almost like a rain forest.

Soon the forest gave way to oak savanna, and then restored prairie.

The prairie flowers are beautiful!

This is the third deer that I have seen on the Ice Age Trail, but the first one that I was able to photograph. He didn’t stick around very long. A few minutes later, I saw the first snake I’ve seen on the trail. He didn’t stick around for a photo either.

On the other side of the prairie is another woods, the S.B. Anderson Preserve.

Along the trail a fresh tree fall, within the last 24 hours.

The trail looped around back to the Village of Cross Plains.

The trail also went along Black Earth Creek inside the village of Cross Plains.

Made a final stop at the IATA offices to let them know about the downed tree.