Buzz Meyer, 2019 Spirit Stick Award Winner: Trail Angel, Crew Leader, steadfast proponent of the Ice Age National Scenic Trail. Photo by Cameron Gillie (www.aroundwisco.com)
As Mike Wollmer, Executive Director of the Ice Age Trail Alliance, stated in his remarks about Buzz…
“If you don’t know Buzz, you haven’t been to Taylor County. As far as the Ice Age Trail is concerned, Buzz is Taylor County.
Since at least 2000, Buzz has been racking up volunteer hours…well over 3,000. From being the “new kid on the block” in 2002, he has become a dedicated leader serving as chapter coordinator for the High Point chapter for 17 years now.
One of his first priorities was to collaborate with fellow volunteers and the US Forest Service to mark and sign all road crossings in the Chequamegon National Forest…a first for the Ice Age Trail and still unique today.
Buzz has helped host a whopping 18 major MSC events since 2002 and earned the status of Crew Leader in 2004. Regardless of the year, Buzz is the go-to-guy for all MSC and local trail improvement events…advance work, staging, public contacts and promotion.
From time to time, change and conflicting interests arise in any endeavor…the High Point Chapter was no exception. Fortunately, there was Buzz…a steadfast proponent of working together for the common good of the Trail, but also the Alliance.
He’s been generous to the financial health of the Alliance as one of earliest members of the Yellow Blaze Club.
He helped coordinate the successful 2009 “Chillin’ on the Trail” at the Mondeaux Lodge.
Here’s notable Buzz factoid…In 2016, he shuttled 53 hikers, in 2017 another 45. In each of those years, at his own expense, he logged over 3,000 miles. Taylor County is only 42 miles long!!!
Buzz is an Ice Age Trail champ, but there’s more to him. Buzz is a fixture in the Medford. His dedication to his faith, community, youth and the outdoors is an inspiration. Medford is as lucky as we are.”