Hiker begins Ice Age trek to benefit Habitat for Humanity

Loyal Mehnert, a 34-year-travelanthropist, will set forth from Potawatomi State Park Saturday morning on a 1,100-mile thru hike of the Ice Age National Scenic Trail

The Milwaukee resident plans to join the ranks of about 50 people to trek the entire Ice Age across Wisconsin, and to raise money for Habitat for Humanity's rebuilding efforts in Haiti. Check out this page to add support.

Mehnert worked as a national field representative for the housing charity, and serves on the development committee in Milwaukee. The Ice Age hike is just the latest of his efforts to combine travel and philanthropy, or travelanthropy. In previous trips, he has hiked the southern half of the Appalachian Trail and the Camino de Santiago in France and Italy.

Hiking what he describes as his own back yard will be a new experience, and one he's hoping to share with others.

"I would actually like to get people in the Milwaukee area to know there's a long-distance trail in the state," Mehnert said.

His hike will be similar, though less intense, than Jason Dorgan's 23-day race across the Ice Age in 2007.

Mehnert plans to travel roughly 20 miles a day, and take about 52 days to reach the western terminus in St. Croix Falls.