Ice Age Trail Dispatch
June 2013
Celebrate National Trails Day at the Blue Hills on Saturday, June 1
June 1 is National Trails Day. Get outside and celebrate with the Chippewa Moraine and Blue Hills Chapters as we hike the trail north of Weyerhaeuser. We've picked a segment of about 4.5 miles between Hwy F/O and Stout Rd. After our hike we'll stop at a popular pizza restaurant in Bruce for lunch, before heading back home.
This is a really fine section of trail in the Blue Hills, that parallels Devils Creek. We'll be guided by Fred and Marilyn Nash, Blue Hills Chapter stalwarts, who can point out locally significant features along the way.
To facilitate travel and parking, we're encouraging all Chippewa Moraine participants to meet at 8:30 AM at the Chippewa Moraine Interpretive Center near New Auburn. We'll consolidate, and head up to the hike starting point, at Stout Rd on the north end of our trip. We'll make a quick stop at Hwy F to drop off a shuttle car. If you can't meet us at the Chippewa Moraine at 8:30 AM, then park at the trail access point on Stout Rd, 2.3 miles north of Hwy F.
You don't need a lunch on this hike, but bring water, a snack, and insect repellent.
June Trail Improvement Day, Saturday June 22
Between a bridge repair near Firth Lake, signage repairs, and the beginning of clearing a route for the September Harwood Lakes (Nawakwa) Trail Building project, we have lots to do at our June 22 workday. Plan to come out and join one of our projects that will go on that day. It's always fun to get out on the trail with a purpose!
We normally meet at the Chippewa Moraine Interpretive Center at 9:30 AM. Bring water, lunch or a snack, repellent, and your favorite work gloves. As always on our work days, we really appreciate it if you will let us know that you are planning to come by sending an email.
Reminder about Blue Hills Trailbuilding Project
Our last Update mentioned the need for helpers at the Mobile Skills Crew weekend event at the Murphy Dam Recreation Area this month. If you can help out, either to take a hand at trail-building or to fill in one of the support roles, please plan to do so. The Blue Hills Chapter doesn't have the volunteers to cover all the jobs, so they can use your help, and the project is not far from Chippewa County.
The trail event is Thursday through Sunday, June 13-16. Contact Fred Nash, nashfd@uwec.edu or 715 353-2948 if you are interested in more information or to volunteer for one of these hosting assignments. Registration for the event in general takes place at http://mobileskills.iceagetrail.org/blue-hills-segment.
It's a good opportunity for us all to participate in a "dry run" for our own Mobile Skills Crew event, which we will host at Camp Nawakwa on September 11-15.
Planning For The Trail In Eastern Chippewa County
The NPS and Corridor Planning Committee is planning a variety of informational meetings in June and July to inform elected officials and the public about our plans to establish a permanent route for the IANST in eastern Chippewa County. In addition to providing information and a preview of the possible route corridor options, the meetings are also intended to solicit information from landowners about opportunities and overlooked corridor options.
Most of the meetings take place in July, and our next newsletter will have more information. However, we will meet with the Town of Delmar's board on June 10 at 8 PM. The town hall is at 111528 320th St, Boyd. As it helps to show local support for the trail, we hope to have some of our local volunteers join us for the 20 minute presentation. If you are interested in attending this or any of the presentations to local government, go to the 2013 Corridor Planning page for all the information and to register your availability.
In addition, we have two open houses planned for later in July, and we hope to have several volunteers present to greet, provide general support, and help take notes or answer questions from the public. You can sign up for those dates at the 2013 Corridor Planning page also.
Getting trail on the ground in the eastern part of the county has been a long-sought goal, and we are taking a big step forward with this phase of the planning process.
Trailhead Signs Missing
We suffered the loss of several of our trailhead identification signs, the larger signs that identify the location of the trail along roadsides. The following signs have not yet been replaced, so the locations may be a little harder to locate than usual, unless you're familiar with the location already:
- Firth Lake trail access on 250th Ave (new in 2012) - 2 miles west of Co Hwy CC
- Trail crossing and parking area on Deerfly Trail - 2.6 miles south of Co Hwy M, large grassy area stacked with logs
Trail maps are available in various locations, including the Interpretive Center and on the chapter web site: http://bit.ly/19tSVwn