Ice Age Trail Alliance
Chippewa Moraine Chapter
Ice Age Trail Dispatch
April 2019
April 22, 2018 - Richard Smith
Earth Day Trail Cleanup Next Monday, April 22. Register Today!
Our annual spring cleanup project is rapidly approaching, and there’s still time for you to plan to join us!
The cleanup is on Monday, April 22, starting from the Deer Fly Trail trailhead. We’re meeting at 9 a.m. for this event, and afterwards we'll celebrate a clean trail together with a light lunch.
It is an important event because of the Chippewa 50 trail run on the following Saturday, as well as the general need to take care of whatever downed branches and trees have appeared over the winter, and make possible repairs to structures. The possibility of high water could mean some additional unexpected maintenance.
It is also an opportunity to get out, stretch your legs, and see the trail for the first time in the spring.
Meet at the Deer Fly Trailhead south of County Highway M at 9 a.m. Because of road conditions, plan to enter Deer Fly Trail from Hwy M and head south. Drive around the barricades (the road is closed but we have the county’s blessing) and drive south, slowly and carefully as the road may be soft or wet in places.
If you think you can join us, please register online by April 21. We ask you to register so that we can best plan how we are going to accomplish the task and have enough for lunch. You can add a comment for the leader. It also allows us to contact you if we have to make last minute changes to our plans.
Additional and updated information is at https://www.iceagetrail.org/event/chippewa-moraine-earth-day-trail-improvement-day/, including the registration link (at the bottom under Website).
New Trail Detour at Horseshoe Lake (Townline Lake Road)
In a repeat of two years ago, Horseshoe Lake water level has risen several inches in the past few days, putting the Horseshoe Lake boardwalk under water. As a result, we are again detouring the trail on the former detour route just north of and parallel to the proper trail. Signs will be going up to mark this, but the route may be rough at first until we can get it fully in place.
If you plan to hike between Townline Lake Road (160th St) and Ice Age Drive (144th St), take note of the detour which may not be well marked.
- Westbound, at Townline Lake Road turn right and follow the road north across the wetland and turn left into the woods on the trail. Follow the trail westbound until, at a low point in the trail, you see the lake on the left, and turn south just 25’ to the main trail.
- Eastbound, shortly before coming to the flooded boardwalk is a path leading to the left up a rise to a logging trail. Turn right on the logging trail and follow to Townline Road and turn right to rejoin the main trail in 0.1 mile, then turn left on the trail toward Rattlesnake Hill.
Heads UP! Our July Meeting date is Changing
Grab your trail calendar postcard and other calendars and make a change to the date for our Summer Chapter Meeting and Potluck at the Obey Center. The new date is Monday, June 17 at 6 p.m. We have special guests coming to join us, and you really don’t want to miss the potluck, do you?
Mammoth Tracks / Guthook app
There have been some nice updates to the smartphone app called Mammoth Tracks on Android or Guthook on iOS. If you tap any of the waypoints (campsites, for example), and slide down on the page, you’ll find a lot of information including comments by trail users, links to the highway map, complete description of cold cache features, distances, and more.
If you don’t already have the app, you can download the app for free, and then buy the trail map you want. The IAT is broken into 4 sections and you can buy just one section, or all four for a bundle price. You don’t have to be connected to cellular data while on the trail, because the map has been downloaded. Instead, your phone is connected only with GPS.
Chapter Email Address
In case you missed it, we are using a new email address! Please update your address book and use the following address: chippewamorainechapter@iceagetrail.org. It’s easy to remember and is consistent with all the other chapters. The old addresses will be forwarded for a bit, but eventually, they’ll go nowhere!