Ice Age Trail Alliance
Chippewa Moraine Chapter
Ice Age Trail Dispatch
April 2017
Spring Fever Workdays at Firth Lake This Friday & Saturday
The long-anticipated rerouting of the IAT west of Firth Lake will begin in earnest on Friday and Saturday, April 7-8. Check the full description here. If you can, please register using your account from that web page — it helps with planning the event and meals. Hint: do NOT click on the bright yellow button—use (or create) your very own personal login instead.
The activity will be mostly corridor clearing. You can come for either day or both.
The meeting place has changed slightly. Meet at 10 AM on 250th Ave 0.4 mi. west of the Firth Lake parking area. The workday ends at 4 PM both days. 250th Ave is about 3.25 miles north of Cornell via Hwy CC (about 1.25 mile north of the Hwy CC Ice Age Trail parking area).
April Trail Cleanup Workday Moved to April 22
Our annual spring cleanup on the trail will occur on Saturday, April 22. It’s our annual chance to whip the trail into shape for spring hiking and especially the Chippewa 50K UltraMarathon, coming up on Saturday, April 29 as well as the Annual IATA Conference hikes the same weekend. Observations so far tell us that the wind in recent weeks has left a lot of branches and downed trees in its wake. We target the trail between Hwy E and Mudbrook on this day, but would love to do more with enough hands.
Meet at 9 AM at the Ice Age Trail Crossing on Deer Fly Trail. This is 2.6 miles south of Hwy M. Bring a lunch and water, and dress for the wet conditions and ticks. Bring gloves, and a friend who hasn’t been along before.
Help us map out our workday by registering. Please email the leader, Tony Schuster, or call (715) 723-6114.
See also here.
Thousand Miler Book Talk & Signing - Wednesday, April 26
A special presentation by Melanie Radzicki McManus, author of Thousand Miler— Adventures Hiking the Ice Age Trail, will be given at the Chippewa Falls Public Library as a warm-up event to the annual conference. The presentation will be at 6:30 PM Wednesday, April 26, at the Library at 105 W Central St, Chippewa Falls.
McManus’s new book, which is being released on April 22, recounts her 36 day traverse of the IAT’s 1100 miles. While the list of “thousand milers” has increased by a few intrepid souls each year, those who carry that honor are definitely in an elite group. McManus not only did it in a very short time frame, but happens to be journalist, writer, and editor, so she put it all together in a book to whet the appetite and provide guidance to those who will follow in her footsteps, as well as providing an opportunity for those who will never attempt the adventure to share in the experience.
Annual Conference - April 27-28 in Chippewa Falls
There’s still time to register for the IATA Annual Conference, being held right here in Chippewa County at the Avalon Hotel in Chippewa Falls. It’s a rare chance to attend an IATA Annual Conference so close to home, and our chapter is encouraging as many of our volunteers and trail enthusiasts to participate fully. In fact, we’re helping pay your way! You can learn more about the conference in Mammoth Tales. You can read about it and register online. Mail your registration by Friday, April 21.
The featured speaker on Friday evening at 7:15 PM is Dr. Eva Selhub, physician,author, and expert on the importance nature plays in our health and wellbeing.
We encourage chapter members to attend, and after the conference, based on the number attending, the chapter will reimburse up to $50 toward your fees (specific amount to be determined later) as long as you are an active chapter member in good standing.
All meals are included on the days you are registered for, so come and plan to spend the whole day!
Note: You can attend just the Alliance Annual Membership Meeting, 1:30 - 4 PM on Saturday, and vote on directors and the bylaw amendment without registering for the conference. You can attend just the featured speaker Friday evening at 7:15 PM for $15 without registering for the whole day.
Help Represent the Trail at the Outdoor Expo, Sunday, April 30
The annual spring edition of the Outdoor Adventure Expo will run from Friday through Sunday, April 28-30, in Minneapolis. The northwest chapters staff the exhibit each day, and the Chippewa Moraine Chapter will be on hand on Sunday, April 30. If you are in Minneapolis on Sunday, stop by and see us! Besides the exhibits from a variety of outdoor adventure organizations and vendors, everything at the adjacent Midwest Mountaineering store is on sale. There is a parallel series of presentations and films as well. Admission is free, and food is available for purchase on site.
We need volunteers to staff the booth on Sunday. If you can spend the day, and would enjoy talking with show-goers and exhibitors from across the region about the Ice Age Trail, we would love to have you on the team. For more information, call 715-933-0252 or email chapter@iatchippewa.org.
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
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The Ice Age Trail
A Walk Through Time