Hard-won tread now winds through Marathon County along the rerouted Ringle Segment. Photo by Dave Caliebe.
Massive undertakings are best tackled in small bites. Thanks to those who joined us at the Ringle Segment Mobile Skills Crew event, that small bite resulted in more than 3,000 feet of new, hard-won tread anchoring phase two of the revamped Ringle Segment. In addition, a new Dispersed Camping Area opened along a 28.5-mile road walk in southern Marathon County.
Thanks to the 191 volunteers who hauled rotten granite, buckets of soil, moved rocks, removed hazard trees, and kept everyone’s appetite sated. More than 3,700 volunteer hours were logged – whew! Archimedes said he could move the Earth with a long enough lever. Through your actions, you proved that with enough shovels and buckets, and with enough people leveraging their collective efforts, mountains of rotten granite could be moved and a trail forged through fields of erratics.
A crew of volunteers leverage their efforts to move a boulder. Photo by Dave Caliebe.
Special THANKS to:
Marathon County Solid Waste Department for providing base camp, tables, chairs, and a tent;
Roger Clark and David Manteufel for use of their tractors to move rotten granite;
Thelma Johnson and all the kitchen crew for delicious food;
Central Moraines Chapter, especially Rachel Riehle and Roberta Bie for all the fun activities, presentations, and entertainment;
Crew Leader class of 2018 for stepping into the fire and coming out stronger;
DC Everest 7th graders, and volunteers from Greenheck Fan Corporation and the Medical College of Wisconsin for pitching in to give the project an extra boost;
Nueske’s, Ruder Ware, WDNR, and others for contributing funding to the event.
Support for this project was provided through the Edward & Lois Drott Legacy Fund of the Community Foundation of North Central Wisconsin.
An end-of-the-day campfire burns brightly and brings volunteers together for evening laughter and stories. Photo by Dave Caliebe.
Next up:
We dust off the woodworking tools to construct a 192-foot long bridge and boardwalk on the Harwood Lakes Segment in Chippewa County. Registration has reached capacity and is closed for this event.
Ice Age Trail University, taking place June 28 – July 1 in Dane County, is currently accepting students for courses in signage, rigging, tread construction, trail maintenance & stewardship, stonework, and more! Check out the full list of course offerings and sign up today.
Generous Sponsors of the 2018 Mobile Skills Crew Trailbuilding Season include:
