Ice Age Trail Alliance
Chippewa Moraine Chapter
Ice Age Trail Dispatch
Late August 2010
Trail Improvement Opportunity, This Saturday, August 21
Some fine weather has arrived in time for our August Trail Improvement Day, this Saturday, Aug. 21. We'll meet at 9:30 AM at the Chippewa Moraine Visitor Center, and spend the day cleaning, lopping, and sprucing up a section of trail. We'd love to have you along as well. This is pleasant work, mostly lopping and throwing branches off the trail, but be prepared to tangle with blackberry canes! That means wear long pants, long sleeves, and work gloves and sturdy footwear. Mosquitoes will join us, of course, so plan for that, and bring a lunch and water if you plan to stay into the afternoon.
If you can't make this opportunity, we have another day planned for Saturday, Sept. 18.
If you plan to come, please let us know with an email to chapter@iatchippewa.org so we can plan our day accordingly. Please indicate how long you plan to stay. Also, please note that helpers under 18 must have a signed release form.
September Sunday Hike, Sunday, Sept. 12
If you are looking for an enjoyable outing on a beautiful Sunday afternoon, join us on Sunday, Sept. 12 for a hike on the trail. We'll hike 4 miles or so, and enjoy the views and mushrooms along the route. We might even see some fall color!
Meet at 1 PM at the Chippewa Moraine Visitor Center.
Our Thanks to BioLife Plasma Services
Five employees of BioLife Plasma Services and their three young trail workers spent their annual company volunteer service day with us and helped get a section of trail into tip-top shape! Five of our chapter volunteers joined them, and we all had a great time working together. It was especially enjoyable having youngsters along, as they are much closer to the ground! As a bonus, we got some experience removing a patch of the invasive spotted knapweed at the Chippewa Moraine. Thanks to BioLife, to the volunteers, and to our friends at Chippewa County who coordinated the project with BioLife.
Looking Ahead: Trail Improvement, Chapter Meeting, Parade of Colors
September and October are great trail months, and we've planned (in addition to the Sunday Hike noted above), a Trail Improvement Day on Sept. 18, our September Chapter meeting on Sept. 20, our annual Parade of Colors event on Saturday, Oct. 2, and another Trail Improvement Day on Oct. 16. Mark your calendars as we'd love to have you along for the ride!
Where To Find Information
Here's where to look for IAT and IATA information:
IATA Information: http://iceagetrail.org/home
Chippewa Moraine Chapter Information: www.iatchippewa.org AND http://chippewamoraine.iceagetrail.org/home AND www.twitter.com/iatachippewa (subscribe!)
Calendar of Chapter and Alliance Events: http://chippewamoraine.iceagetrail.org/chapter-events
Hiking the trail: www.iceagetrail.org (check the options under the "Hike the IAT" tab). For Chippewa County: http://chippewamoraine.iceagetrail.org/hike-the-chapter
National Park Service Information about the Ice Age Trail: www.nps.gov/iatr/index.htm
See you on the trail,
Richard Smith
Chippewa Moraine Chapter Chair