December 2016 Trail Dispatch

Ice Age Trail Alliance                                   Celebrate the National Parks Centennial 

Chippewa Moraine Chapter                            On the Ice Age National Scenic Trail


Ice Age Trail Dispatch                                                   

December 2016


Participate in “Giving Tuesday” with IATA

One answer to “Black Friday” and “Cyber Monday” is “Giving Tuesday”. It’s your antidote to shopping fever. You can choose from many places to give, but consider the Ice Age Trail Alliance among your options. 

Here’s how: on Tuesday, check out the IATA Facebook page and you’ll find an entry titled #Giving Tuesday. From that page, link to the donation page, fill it in, and you’re good to go. 

If you aren’t currently following IATA on Facebook, check it out and add it to your likes. The page is @iceagetrail, and can be found at https://www.facebook.com/iceagetrail.


Election Results

The election results are in, and we have a slight rearrangement of officers for the coming year. In case you missed it, here are the results: President, Richard Smith; Vice President, Tony Schuster; Secretary, Diane Harp; and Treasurer, Nancy Schuster. In addition, Jerry Sazama is our Maintenance Chief. 


The Stockings Are Hung

If you’re looking for the right gift for the season, just check into the assortment at the Ice Age Trail Store in the Obey Interpretive Center at the Chippewa Moraine. Chief Santa Kate Lindsay, has been working tirelessly to fill the sleigh with items for you to consider. Shirts for adults and kids in new colors, colorful hats, walking sticks, mugs, and Ice Age Trail books are among the items available. Shop for yourself as well as the trail-lovers on your list. 

If a trip to the Obey Center is not in your future, some items are available at http://www.iceagetrail.org/store/, including pre-orders for the new 2017 Guidebook and Atlas. 


The IAT Lives Up to its Name in Winter!

Plan a hike on the trail in the winter season and enjoy the full display of the glacially sculpted landscape. With or without snow cover, winter is the best time to see the features the trail is named for. If you want to try out snowshoes, they can be borrowed from the Obey Interpretive Center, which is open all winter from 8:30 AM to 4 PM, Tuesday through Sunday. They say it is easier to find the woolly mammoth tracks in winter.


Best Wishes for a Wonderful Holiday Season

Our trail activities wind down for the holidays and mid-winter months, and pick up in March. In the meantime, take a hike, enjoy the season, and rest up!



Where to Find IATA and Chapter Event Information

The go-to place to find current information about all our chapter events and IATA events everywhere is the calendar at the IATA website, www.iceagetrail.org. The Calendar link is at the upper right corner of the page, or bookmark www.iceagetrail.org/events/. To find our chapter-specific events, either choose Chippewa Moraine from the dropdown menu under Event Category and click the “Find Events” button, or just bookmark this button  ⬇︎


Chippewa Moraine Chapter Events



See you on the trail,

Richard Smith

Chippewa Moraine Chapter Chair