January 2013 Trail Dispatch

Ice Age Trail Dispatch

January 2013


Chapter's Annual Membership Meeting, Monday January 21

Our chapter will meet on Monday, Jan. 21 at 6:30 PM at the Chippewa Falls Public Library for our Annual Membership Meeting. This is an important meeting where we will:

  • Elect officers
  • Approve our 2013 Budget
  • Review and approve our 2013 Activities and Events
  • Hear reports on 2012 Activities, Finances, and Assets

We appreciate all our members volunteer activity in support of the trail and the IATA, including this important activity, and look forward to seeing members and renewing friendships at this meeting.

Please note time of the meeting has been changed to 6:30 PM!

2013 Trail Calendar

Our annual postcard-sized trail calendar for 2013 has been mailed to all members as part of the official notice of our annual meeting. If you didn't get one or your's was mangled, we'll have more at the meeting or you can email for a new one. You may also access the a version of the calendar online and print it out yourself.

Chippewa Moraine Full Moon Snowshoe Hikes for 2013

Rod Gont's popular full moon snowshoe hikes at the Chippewa Moraine are scheduled this season for Friday, Jan. 25 and 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).

Full Sun Sunday Snowshoe Hike

This year we'll have our first Sunday Hike of the year on Sunday, Feb. 10. We're hoping it will be a snowshoe hike on the trail, but if there's not enough snow, then it can be a regular hike, instead. 

We'll meet at the Obey Interpretive Center at the Chippewa Moraine near New Auburn, and plan to begin at 1 PM. As always, our pace and distance will depend on the participants and the weather! 

Snowshoes can be borrowed at the Interpretive Center, but please call ahead to reserve a pair if you plan on coming.

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