Ice Age Trail Update
May 2014
Krank Nature Preserve Gathering this Saturday
Come to the Krank Nature Preserve on Saturday, May 3 for a hike and afterwards a celebration of this newest home for future Ice Age Trail. The hikes will begin at 4 PM and run until a bit before 6. At 6, the Gathering Waters reception will begin and run until 8 PM. Due to the late April deluge, the reception will be held just across the river at Brunet Island State Park, in the pavilion at the picnic area. We’ll be able to see from there how acquisition of the property by the Chippewa County Land Conservancy has protected the view across the river from the park from eyesore development. Brunet is a gem of a park, and the pavilion is a real old-school classic as well. There will be food and beverages to toast the project and land conservation in general throughout Wisconsin. Plan to come and enjoy the hike, but plan on wet and muddy trails! For the hike, park at either parking area on Hwy CC—the large IAT parking area or the Anglers’ lot just north of Hwy Z on CC. For the reception, park right at the picnic area in the park.
May Sunday Hike this Sunday
The spring flowers are just starting to appear, along with the few ticks which didn’t drown this past week. Come and check it out on the May Sunday Hike at 1 PM at the Obey Center at the Chippewa Moraine near New Auburn. Join hike leader Susan Bauer in exploring the circle trail and Ice Age Trail, and intriguing side trails. Be sure to be prepared for wet or muddy spots, and even a tick or two!
Trail Improvement Day
We had a great trail workday on April 19. The weather was great, and we had a robust crew that successfully swept the trail clean from the Obey Center to Hwy E. We even received a thank-you note from one of the ultramarathon runners the following weekend for our trail maintenance.
Your next opportunity to help get the trail in shape will be on Saturday, May 17. We’ll meet at 9 AM at the Obey Center at the Chippewa Moraine and likely head over to Deer Fly Trail to work on bridges and dams. If you can help and plan to attend, please email Jerry Sazama (sazfam@aol.com) so we can plan accordingly.
Be sure to bring along lunch, water, work gloves, and wear waterproof boots if you have them. The insects will likely be joining us, so plan for your personal defense.
May Chapter Meeting
Our May chapter meeting will be held at the Chippewa Falls Public Library at 6:30 PM on Monday, May 19. Plan to join us to discuss our summer projects and events. It’s a great way to get involved, or just to find out about the range of projects we engage in. Check it out! We’re usually done by 8, and at this time of year, it’s still light out! (Note that there was a date error in the postcard we mailed out back in March.)
First Aid / CPR Training Openings
It’s not too late to sign up for either the First Aid / CPR full class or review class. As described in our April newsletter, we are sharing the costs of training for our active volunteer-members. Your cost for either the full training or the review session is just $25. We’d love to have our hike leaders and trail maintainers armed with the knowledge and confidence to respond in an emergency along the trail, and we’ve tried to make it as flexible and convenient as possible. And it takes less of your time if you take the review class right on schedule every 2 years. This year, we are teaming up with the Chippewa Valley YMCA in Chippewa Falls, which routinely offers courses locally.
To enroll with our IAT program, choose your date and then please call or email Nancy Schuster: 715-723-6114; nbbsch@charter.net. Name, address, phone, e-mail, and birth date are necessary for registration. Then we need to have your check for $25 made out to “Chippewa Moraine Chapter IAT” and sent to:
Nancy Schuster
5997 167th Street
Chippewa Falls, WI 54729
Current scheduled classes are as follows:
Lay Responder – Full Class: Two evening sessions are required. (book included).
Class Dates Registration Deadline
May 8 & 15, 6:00-10:00 pmMay 5th
June 12 & 19 6:00-10:00 pmJune 9th
Lay Responder – Review: This is for those whose CPR certification is soon to expire or has expired within the last two months. If you are unable to demonstrate skills, you will be asked to take the full class. Book not included.
Class Dates Registration Deadline
May 22, 6:00-10:00 pmMay 19th
June 26, 6:00-10:00 pmJune 17th
A minimum registration is necessary for a class to be held.
Please determine which date will work for you, and send your registration information as soon as possible to Nancy Schuster. If you wish to review the booklets we were given at the last class and you can’t locate them, you can download the two PDF's online:
Adult Ready Reference Participants Manual