Ice Age Trail Alliance
Chippewa Moraine Chapter
Ice Age Trail Update
Late-March 2018
Trailbuilding Event Registration Opens!
A small trailbuilding event has been announced for June 6-9 with a focus on replacing the Mudbrook bridge and boardwalk. In addition to the structures, an unknown amount of new tread may also need to be constructed. This is an IATA Mobile Skills Crew project, and will include the usual MSC features: food and campsites are provided at no cost, learn as you work under the eyes of experienced MSC leaders, lots of camaraderie and entertainment capping off a day of hard work.
The event is identified as the Harwood Lakes Segment project, and registration is now open. The catch is that due to the circumstances caused by much of the activity being on a boardwalk and bridge, the registration is capped at 40 participants. Registration is open, and the spots are filling up fast — and the event has not even been publicized yet! If you were planning to work on this event, or are interested in joining the fun and learning about bridge construction or trail building, you’d best register ASAP!
Harwood Lakes MSC Info & Registration
Camping and meals will be at the Chippewa Moraine - Old Girl Scout Camp site that was used for the Wayward Beaver project in 2004.
Trail Cleanup Day, Saturday, April 21
Register now for our annual trail cleanup day on Saturday, April 21. This year we are going to be joined by volunteers from Latitude 44 Yoga Studio in Eau Claire, and a group of Scouts from Eau Claire as well. They’ll need lots of tender loving guidance by our experienced trail maintainers, so we are counting on you to be among them. We’re planning a special day, with some surprises, and a never-before accomplished trail-wide sweep.
Why the focus? With luck the snow will be but a memory, and coming up the following week is an IATA-organized backpacking group trip and the annual Chippewa 50 Ultramarathon.
Tony Schuster is our master of the broom. Sign up today!
Trail Cleanup Day Confirmation
Construction Alert: County Forest East of 245th Ave
We’ve just learned that a construction project in the Chippewa County Forest over the winter has caused some trail rutting and damage on the segment from 245th Ave to the newly constructed trail segment just west of Firth Lake. Eventually the trail will be graded and seeded (projected for early summer), but in the meantime equipment will continue to compete with trail users in that area, so be alert for trucks and extra muddy conditions.
Help IATA Win $5000!
Remember to vote for your favorite trail and help IATA win! It’s the Gear Junkie’s “Fastest Known Time” contest. One of nine “Iconic Trails” will win $5000, and all will win something. You can win something, too (a guided hike, a pair of trail shoes). Vote early and often — daily if you wish — and even get bonus votes each time you upload a photo taken on the trail. Vote often between now and May 31.
- Full information: https://gearjunkie.com/merrell-find-your-fkt-favorite-hiking-trail-contest
- Your link to vote: https://gearjunkie.com/c/find-your-fkt
Look for the link on the first page to share the contest with your facebook and twitter friends.
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 in the menu, 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