Ice Age Trail Alliance
Chippewa Moraine Chapter
Ice Age Trail Dispatch
September 2022
September Chapter Meeting: Monday, September 19th: 5:30 pm
The September Meeting will be held at the Chippewa Falls Public Library. Please note that the meeting will start at 5:30. The library’s hours have been changed during Covid, and they now close at 7:00. We will discuss the pending Firth Lake project in October. The Alliance Mobile Skills Crew and local and statewide volunteers will install a new boardwalk at Firth Lake. If you plan to attend, please contact Vicki Christianson at chippewamorainechapter@iceagetrail.org.
Great Horned Owl takes Flight
The Chippewa Moraine Chapter of the Ice Age Trail received a request from the David Obey Ice Age Interpretive Center to sponsor the taxidermy for a great horned owl turned in to the Center. This was voted on and approved at the July picnic meeting. The taxidermy has been completed, and the owl will soon be soaring from the ceiling at the Center. This will be a great addition to the collection of animals in the Chippewa Valley.
First Sunday Hike - September 4th - Obey Center
We will be hiking at the Obey Center on Sunday, September 4th at 1:00. This will be a hiker's choice hike. The group will chose a hike from the variety of hikes available at the Obey Center. Hikers should wear sturdy shoes, pants, and long sleeve shirts. Bring water and some snacks for on the trail. Come early or stay after to visit the Obey Center. The Obey Center is open from 8:30-4:00. Please contact JoAnn Parks if you plan to attend the hike: jjjparks123@gmail.com.
CHIP off the old MORAINE
The new Chapter Hiking Patch was designed at JM Productions in Cornell. They are producing the patches, and they will be available this fall. Hikers who complete all of our segments and CRs will be eligible to register for this patch. They will also receive a certificate of completion. Thank you to the patch committee for their work on this project.
Three New DCAs Are Installed
Three new Dispersed Camping Areas have been installed this summer by our trail work volunteers. One campsite is a cooperative effort with Landmark Conservancy. They had a campsite on the western Horseshoe Lake on the Chippewa Moraine segment near 267th Ave. They offered to make the campsite available to Ice Age Trail hikers if we would build a spur trail from the IAT to their campsite. This was done as an Eagle Scout project with Jacob Collis. The Landmark campsite provides a metal fire ring with log seating and two tent pads.
The other two campsites are east of the 600’ boardwalk on the Firth Lake segment. The first campsite to the east features a long “couch” log, just the right height for seating 5-6 people easily. A spur trail takes you into the campsite, which offers at least three tent pads. The second campsite is a short distance further east and heads up a rise past some old mink farm fencing. This campsite has two large tent pads that could hold four tents. A double set of fallen trees provides a “picnic table” after the crew cut a flat tabletop out of the higher log.
Volunteer Shuttle Drivers needed for the Parade of Colors Hike - October 1st
We will host our annual Parade of Colors Hike at the Obey Center on October 1st. Hikers will arrive at the Obey Center between 9 am and 11 pm and select a hike of two, four, or six miles. Our shuttlers will drive them to the start of their hike, and they will hike back to their car at the Obey Center. Shuttlers need to arrive at the Obey Center by 8:30. If you are willing to serve as a shuttler or work at our registration table, please contact Vicki Christianson at chippewamorainchapter@iceagetrail.org.
September Trail Work Day - Firth Lake - Saturday, Sept. 17th
For our September Trail Work Day, we will be working on the Firth Lake segment. We have been selected for a Mobile Skills Crew project to replace our 600’ boardwalk at Firth Lake in mid-October. On our September work day, we will prepare the trail for the project from the Firth Lake parking lot to the boardwalk.
Volunteers will meet at the Ice Age Trail parking lot on County CC by 8:00 am. They will then shuttle to the small parking lot at Firth Lake.
If you are interested in joining us for this trail improvement project, please contact Jerry Sazama as soon as possible at sazfam@aol.com. This will help him with planning the work day and knowing how much equipment needs to be brought.
If you would like to participate in this project but do not have a Volunteer Agreement yet, please see the information below to get your Volunteer Agreement. You don’t need trail work experience to participate. We usually work in teams of three, and newcomers can be paired with experienced volunteers. It’s a great opportunity to learn. Plan to wear sturdy shoes or rubber boots, long pants (tucked into wool socks), long-sleeved shirts, and a hat. Bring a pair of work gloves. (If you don’t have any, we have a supply of gloves). Bring water and some snacks.
The Mammoth Hike Challenge is Back!
The Alliance is gearing up for the Mammoth Hike Challenge 2022. Registration is now open on the Ice Age Trail website. Go to https://www.iceagetrail.org/mammoth-hike-challenge/ to register. Participants are challenged to walk/hike/run/backpack 42 miles on the Ice Age National Scenic Trail and visit 3 Trail Communities. Mileage can be accumulated individually, or you can register as a team and combine your miles. (So a family of four hiking together would each hike 10.5 miles) The Challenge is open to all ages and ability levels. People who complete the Mammoth Hike Challenge will earn a 2022 limited edition challenge patch and certificate.
It is getting easier to travel to a Trail Community each year. Cornell became the 13th Trail Community in 2020. In 2021, they added Antigo and Sturgeon Bay. This year they added Rib Lake and Merrill, putting the count to 17. It’s great to see more communities in the northern tier of the trail! (The other communities are: St. Croix Falls, Lodi, Cross Plains, Verona, Janesville, Milton, Whitewater, Delafield, Hartland, Slinger, West Bend, and Manitowoc/Two Rivers. By mid-August, updated itineraries will be available for planning your outings, so stay tuned. Download the free Strive ON app for information on the Trail Communities and nearby trails.
We are sponsoring two hikes during the Mammoth Hike Challenge. One is the Parade of Colors Hike at the Obey Center on October 1st. The other is our Hike & Meet Monty event on the Chippewa River Segment and at the Cornell Visitor’s Center on October 8th.
Volunteer Agreements - New Volunteers & Renewals
All new volunteers need to have a completed Volunteer Agreement for the National Park Service in order to participate in our trail improvement days or to volunteer at events. They have a new form on the Alliance Website. All members that already have a Volunteer Agreement are asked to fill out this new updated form if your form was received before January 2022. Thank you to those of you who have taken care of this already.
To access the new Volunteer Agreement, here is the link: https://www.iceagetrail.org/wp-content/uploads/Packet-Individual-301a-exp-10_2024.pdf. Please fill out the fillable form and email it to Daniel_Watson@nps.gov.
NOTE: The fillable boxes are on everything except the signature line. You can fill in the rest of the document and print it off. Sign and then scan your document and save it to your computer. Then send it to Dan Watson as an attachment. Or simply mail the signed document via snail mail. Dan’s address is on the directions page that comes with the form. Another option: Dan says you can type your signature in the date box next to your signature line.
When you send the Volunteer Agreement to Dan Watson, he will sign it and return it to you. Please print a copy for yourself or save it in your files. Email me at chippewamorainechapter@iceagetrail.org to let me know you have received your new signed Volunteer Agreement.
2022 Chapter Events - Come join us on our chapter hikes and trail work days!
We have the following events on our calendar for 2022. Join us for our hikes, meetings, and trail work events!
September 4: First Sunday Hike - Chippewa Moraine Segment - Hiker’s Choice
September 17: Trail Maintenance Day
September 19: Chapter Meeting and Pizza Party
October 1: Parade of Colors Hike - Chippewa Moraine Segment - with shuttles
October 8: Hike & Meet Monty - Chippewa River Segment
October 15: Trail Maintenance Day
November 21: Annual Chapter Meeting 6:30
See you on the trail!
Vicki Christianson
Chippewa Moraine Chapter Coordinator
chippewamorainechapter@iceagetrail.org
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The Ice Age Trail
A Walk Through Time