If you're looking for some inspiration to get out there on the Ice Age Trail, start by taking a look at our newest Thousand-Miler Tribute Doc. In it, our latest class of Thousand-Milers (those who have hiked every mile of the Ice Age Trail route) tells their stirring stories about what it's like to devote months and years to completing the Trail.

You can find a full list of our 77 Thousand-Milers and read previous editions of our Tribute Docs on our Thousand-Milers Through the Years page.

Volunteers the weekend of April 26-28 participated in Chainsaw Safety, Camp Chef, and First Aid & CPR trainings in Chippewa County.

The first Ice Age Trail University of 2013 was based at Camp Nawakwa and led by Ice Age Trail Alliance staff.

The second session of IAT-U, featuring Gibraltar Rock, will take place near Lodi July 11-14. Learn more and register here.

Get a glimpse of the new issue here.

On March 23rd, with Wisconsin’s winter grip still holding on just days before the vernal equinox, 36 volunteers celebrated the day by kicking off preparations for a new Ice Age Trail segment slated for construction in 2014.

Volunteers circle up during the Springfield Hill project March 23rd. Photo by Matt Kaufmann, IATA Executive Assistant.

The project site, Springfield Hill County Natural Resource Area, is in southern Dane County, just northwest of Madison.

With camaraderie and smiles, the volunteers braved the brisk north winds while turning the tables on some of Wisconsin’s most notorious invasive plants.

Project accomplishments:

• Contributed 302 hours to launch the development of a new segment of the Ice Age National Scenic Trail
• Eradicated scores of invasive buckthorn, honeysuckle, prickly ash and red cedar
• Cleared 1/4 mile of corridor on steep, slippery hillside
• Carefully stacked a dozen large brush piles for follow-up burning

There are upcoming trail building projects in April, May, and beyond. Find out more.

Wanted: Volunteer Field Editors
For: Preparing the New 2014 Ice Age Trail Guidebook
When: Mid-April through August

Work has begun on our new Ice Age Trail Guidebook. We are looking for dedicated and enthusiastic hikers and lovers of the outdoors to volunteer as Field Editors. That means you!

Field editors hike segments of the Ice Age Trail or sections of connecting roads or both, then review the draft descriptions of these segments and provide new or updated descriptive information. As a Field Editor you will receive all the documents and support you need to complete your assignment (hiking shoes not included). You can complete your assignment as a Field Editor and submit your field edit notes anytime between mid-April and the end of August.

The best part of being a Field Editor is the rewards. This opportunity will allow you to:

1. Get exercise (despite popular belief, this is always good).
2. Explore in depth parts of the Ice Age National Scenic Trail and beautiful Wisconsin.
3. Contribute to an outstanding publication.
4. Help make the Ice Age Trail more accessible and meaningful to all hikers and outdoor lovers.
5. See your name in bright lights…or at least in the book’s list of Field Editors.

The 2014 Ice Age Trail Guidebook will represent an exciting evolution in the IATA’s suite of resources for hikers. It will have a new layout that includes both maps and photographs, and it adds tons of new information such as ruggedness and elevation change ratings for each segment. (FYI, we’ll still be offering our Ice Age Trail Atlas maps separately.) Segments of various lengths all along the entire Ice Age Trail are available. Sign up now to get your choice of segments.

To volunteer (or ask questions) please contact Gary Hegeman, Volunteer Field Editor Coordinator, at 414-217-7626 or gmheg@wi.rr.com. Call or email today!

The Ice Age Trail draws an estimated 1,252,685 visitors every year, according to findings compiled by the Ice Age Trail Alliance, the Wisconsin Department of Tourism, and other partners.

"This is some of the biggest news the IATA has ever received," said Mike Wollmer, Executive Director.
 
You may remember taking the Trail User Survey last fall (if you did, thank you!). That was part of the research used to determine trail usership. Along with your input, researchers from the University of Wisconsin–Whitewater interviewed users out on the Trail and polled businesses near the Trail. In addition to user numbers, the research determined that Trail users contribute approximately $113 million annually to statewide and local economies.
 
The findings of the research are now available to the public. Download the report.

Read more about the economic impact of land trusts like the Ice Age Trail Alliance in a blog post at the Gathering Waters Conservancy Blog for Wisconsin Land Trusts.

Online registration has opened for all of the IATA's 2013 trail building projects. Visit the online registration page or the Mobile Skills Crew events calendar to get started.

The IATA's Mobile Skills Crew Program is a great way to get involved with the Ice Age Trail. You can build trail, greet volunteers, prepare food, and more. Events happen all over the state of Wisconsin from April through October.

Season at a Glance (PDF)