Ice Age Trail Dispatch
May 2011
In This Edition:
Another First Hike of the Year!
Two Trail Improvement Opportunities, and a nearby Trail Building Weekend
Chapter Meeting May 16
Sunday Hike at Chippewa Moraine, Sunday, May 1
Our first hike was on snowshoes, so perhaps this counts as the real “first” Sunday Hike of the season. Join JoAnn Parks on this spring hike on the Ice Age Trail on Sunday, May 1. Witness the fresh blush of the red maples, the first hepatica blooms, and whatever other spring flora awaits our discovery.
Our Sunday Hikes are designed for an enjoyable Sunday afternoon amble. You have to be present to help decide the exact segment of the trail to be explored; proxy votes not accepted.
Meet at the Chippewa Moraine Visitor Center at 1 PM. Bring along some water and a snack, and be prepared for ticks.
Improve The Trail With The Cameron School, Friday, May 6
Join 30 Cameron Middle School students as they help clear the trail of downed branches and other impediments on Friday, May 6. The students have all volunteered to spend the day doing trail work, and can use your participation.
Meet at the Chippewa Moraine Visitor Center at 9, and we’ll be done at 2. Bring a lunch, water, and work gloves. Be prepared for ticks.
If you can join us, please email the chapter.
Tuscobia Trail Building, May 11-15
If building new Ice Age Trail sounds interesting, or if you want to learn some of the skills involved, or even if you just want to spend an enjoyable day working in the woods with a group of great fun-loving volunteers from around the state, consider the trail building weekend near Birchwood in Barron County on Wednesday - Sunday, May 11-15.
There are opportunities for crew support as well as trail building; you’re welcome to come for as much time as you wish, from 1/2 day to the whole project. All meals are provided for free as well as your place to camp.
You can get lots more information and register online. Click on May 11 - Tuscobia State Trail.
Please note: Pre-register by Friday, May 6.
Chapter Trail Improvement, Saturday, May 14
The weather has not been our friend so far this year, so we’ve combined our April and May workdays into one workday extravaganza on Saturday, May 14. This will replace the previously scheduled workday the following Saturday. (It’s a thinly disguised attempt to fool the weather gods.)
We’ll be joined by students from UWEC’s Delta Sigma Phi fraternity.
Meet at 9 AM at the Chippewa Moraine Visitor Center. Bring a lunch, water, work gloves, and prepare for ticks! If you can come, please email the chapter.
Chapter Meeting - Monday, May 16
We’ll meet at the Chippewa Falls Library at 6 PM on Monday, May 16 to review where we are with our spring work projects, what we need to accomplish, and plan for our National-Trails-Day-On-The-Road event.
It’s a great chance to connect with other members and participate in the planning of our chapter activities.
Coming Saturday, June 4: Our National-Trails-Day-On-The-Road event
Save Saturday, June 4 for our second National-Trails-Day-on-the-road. Two years ago we had a great day in Taylor County on the Hemlock Esker, followed by great pizza. We’ve got some great ideas for this year’s excursion, so help us decide at the chapter meeting, and then plan to spend the day visiting a trail segment that we aren’t responsible for! Watch for details coming later.
Read This Newsletter In Your Browser
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
Chippewa Mammoth Trackers (informal hike announcements): http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MammothTracker
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
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The Ice Age Trail
A Walk Through Time