Day 1 of Wisconsin-Minnesota Hike

Tuesday, June 1 - I talked to Jim this morning and he sounded great. He left his motel around 7am and was on the road to Sparta - a relatively busy Rt. 16 with a "stingy shoulder". When we talked later this afternoon he was sitting at a picnic table in his campground and reading a book. Clear sky all day but the temps were very uncomfortable - reaching 90 at some points - a tough first day of walking. The bottom of his left foot is quite sore. He did hike most of the day in his sandals (exactly what he wore on his many training hikes). The one difference today was the high temp. He did change to his hiking boots for the last hour or so and that felt better. Today was a long boring hike down one busy road. He was looking forward to a nice lunch at a bar & grill that he had identified online, but when he got there, they didn't open until 4pm - UGH! He went a little further and found another place and stopped there for an hour - a beer, lots of ice water and a great lunch! His campsite today is great - handy restroom, nearby water supply and 100 feet from the trail he will start on tomorrow. He is hoping that the forecasted rain comes in early and is done by morning for packing up. The temps are supposed to cool after tonight. We spoke again around 8pm his time - no rain yet, but it was definitely cooling down - he had even added a layer of clothing. He sounded a little bored - just reading and doing Sudoku puzzles.