Chippewa Moraine Chapter
Ice Age Trail Dispatch
February 2013
Our First Sunday Hike, This Sunday, on Snowshoes!
Our first Sunday hike of 2013 will be Sunday, February 10, at 1 PM at the Chippewa Moraine. Meet at the Obey Interpretive Center at the Chippewa Moraine, 13394 Co Hwy M, New Auburn WI (7 miles east of New Auburn and 1.9 miles east of State Hwy 40).
This will be a snowshoe hike, so bring your own snowshoes, or you can arrange to borrow a pair from the Interpretive Center by calling 715-967-2800 to reserve a pair. If you are borrowing a pair, please arrive early so you can get fitted and all set up. Naturalist Rod Gont will be on hand to answer questions you have about using your snowshoes, whether you borrow or bring your own.
Traveling by snowshoe gives us a chance to explore areas off the main trail and get a broader view of the unique landforms the Chippewa Moraine has to display, so join us for an interesting afternoon of exploring together.
Last Full Moon Snowshoe Hike for 2013 Planned For Saturday, Feb. 23
If you want to see the Chippewa Moraine on snowshoes by moonlight instead of in broad daylight, there's another full moon snowshoe hikes at the Chippewa Moraine on Saturday, Feb 23. These are magical evenings where you can hike with a group on snowshoes around the reserve under the amazingly clear illumination of the full moon. You'll visit places unreachable during other seasons, so it's interesting for that alone.
Afterwards, a bonfire will warm you outside, or you can come inside for refreshments.
Meet at the Obey Interpretive Center at the Chippewa Moraine at either 6:30 PM for a brief presentation on snowshoes, or at 7 for the main event. If you wish to borrow snowshoes from the center, you should call ahead to confirm availability and reserve a pair (715-967-2800).
Ice Age Trail University
If you're interested in learning how the trail gets designed, built, and maintained, as well as how the volunteers are organized to undertake this endeavor, then you should reserve April 24-28 and plan to attend Ice Age Trail University, right here in Chippewa County. Everything from how to physically construct a trail to first aid and chain saw training and certification are some of the subjects available at IAT-U. The full schedule and specific topics to be covered will be coming later, but for now, set aside the dates. There's something for everyone, and much of it is hands-on and in-the-field. The specific location will be at Camp Nawakwa, near Cornell on Hwy E, and overnight accomodations will be provided.
If you are interested in learning more, be sure to attend our chapter's March meeting at 6:30 PM on Monday, March 18, where IATA Director of Trail Operations (and Dean of the University) Tim Malzhan will be on hand to describe IAT-U and its offerings in detail. The meeting will be at the Chippewa Falls Library.
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