Timms Hill, Wisconsin 1,951 feet

Climbed 9/3/1996

One motivation for our state highpoints project is that it inspires us to travel to parts of the states we would not otherwise visit. That was certainly the case in Wisconsin. Timms Hill is located in the northern part of the state, far from all other attractions.

The two things we remember best about Timms Hill are the mosquitoes and the wooden tower.

It is a short quarter-mile hike from the road to the summit, but we had a cloud around us by the time we were half way. When we reached the highpoint, we hurried up the stairs of the wooden tower to get above the trees and the mosquitoes.

View from the top of Timms Hill Tower

If Timms Hill were not located where it is, we probably wouldn't have gone to the Apostle Islands, located on Lake Superior in northwestern Wisconsin. Our visit to the Apostles is one of the most infamous misfires in our vacation history. Most of the boat shuttles and water taxis had stopped running on September 12, so our only option was a scenic cruise that didn't stop at any of the islands. The only available tickets were for the "lower deck." When we boarded, we learned that the lower deck was entirely enclosed — no access to outside, no windows to the front or back of the boat — and that we weren't permitted to even poke our heads onto the upper deck. Mike spent the three-hour tour feeling frustrated and claustrophobic. We might as well have watched a movie about the islands! At one point, Mike resorted to laying on the floor and putting his head next to the openings used for draining water from the deck. It was the only way to feel the fresh air!

On the plus side, we stayed at a nice motel whose rooms were filled with the comfortable knick-knacks usually found in B&Bs.

If we were to visit the Apostle Islands today, now that we could rent a sailboat, it would be a whole different experience.