Sandstone rock outcroppings will soon be given their due. Corridor clearing for new Ice Age Trail will highlight these lovely landscape features. Photo by Dave Caliebe.

Trailbuilding Event & Celebration
Cross Plains Segment
August 8 – 12, 2018
Dane County
Project Area Map [PDF]

Light the Candles for a mile of NEW Ice Age Trail, the 50th anniversary of the National Trails System Act, and the 60th birthday of the Ice Age Trail Alliance!!!

It’s not often we get to rub shoulders with the folks who will benefit most directly from our efforts. Yet, trailbuilding in collaboration with a Trail Community affords us this opportunity. Week-long, we’ll gather with residents of the Village of Cross Plains, sustainable farming practitioners, outdoor retailers, elected officials and other trail enthusiasts from near and far to celebrate the splendor and diversity of Wisconsin, the Ice Age Trail, and the soul shaking experience of all stripes of people of all ages and all walks of life coming together over the span of 60 years to make real a shared vision for long distance hiking, conservation, and community.

What We’re Doing

We’re building a mile of new Ice Age Trail on the contours of a burly hill overlooking Black Earth Creek, with long, leaf-off views east to the terminal moraine and west deep into the Driftless area. Satellite projects to continue work done during April’s Crew Leadership and Skills training, and in June at IAT-U, may also spring up as time and talent permit. NOT TO MENTION, we’re throwing the hootenanny of the season Friday and Saturday with planned events, presentations and a community dinner Friday with seating for 300 – and you are most cordially invited! See details below.

All Abilities and Talents Welcome

As with all Mobile Skills Crew events, no experience is necessary and there’s a role for volunteers of all ages and abilities…bring the whole family!

Training is provided by certified volunteer crew leaders and all participants get free meals and (for those working with us for multiple days) a free place to pitch a tent.

Registration

To help us plan this event with your needs in mind, please visit our online registration page and register by Monday, July 30th.

Schedule

Your participation is welcome for any part of the event or the entire week.

Work begins on Wednesday, August 8th and concludes Sunday, August 12th. Trail stewardship activities begin each day around 8:00 am and typically wrap up between 4:00 pm and 5:00 pm each day except for Friday when work will end at 3 pm, and Sunday when the work ends at noon.

Project Team members will be on site by noon on Monday; if you are interested in arriving early, please call Special Projects Coordinator, Brad Crary at 262-370-2995.

60th Celebration & Community Dinner

All volunteers for this event, regardless of when you work during the August 8 – 12 timeframe are invited to the 60th Anniversary Celebration and farm-to-table dinner on Friday, August 10th.

Volunteers who sign up to work on Friday will automatically be signed up for the festivities on Friday evening.

If you are not working during the day on Friday, but would like to attend the dinner, please email Brad Crary (brad@iceagetrail.org) to express your desire to attend Friday’s dinner.

The farm-to-table dinner is a ticketed event and your name will need to be on the guest list in order to attend.

If you would like to have friends or family join you for the community dinner, they will need to purchase a $25.00 ticket to the event. They may get their tickets here.

Checking In at Base Camp

Volunteers should report each day at the Volunteer Check-In Station across from the Fire Station, 1501 Bourbon Road for registration and assignments (click here for driving directions). Base Camp (also the location of the camping area for those spending a night with us) is at 4409 Rocky Dell Road, Cross Plains, WI (click here for driving directions). Watch for yellow “Ice Age Trail Event” signs as you arrive in the area. Morning and evening meals will be served at Base Camp and lunch will be in the field.

What to Bring

• Dress for variable weather — even in August extra layers for warmth is advised.
• Bring sturdy hiking or work boots (no tennis shoes) and leather work gloves.
• A long-sleeve shirt and pants are recommended for trail work.
• Bring a day pack, water bottles, sunscreen and a hat. A rain jacket is a good idea.
• If camping, bring a headlamp, tent, sleeping gear, and toiletries.
• Bring a lawn chair; you’ll appreciate having it to relax around the fire in comfortable clothes at the end of the day.
• Ticks or black flies may be numerous so bring your preferred insect and tick repellent.

Questions?

Please contact Brad Crary (262-370-2995) or the IATA office (800-227-0046).

We hope to see you soon!

Happy Trails,

The Cross Plains Segment MSC Project Team

Note: Header photo by Dave Caliebe.

Generous Sponsors of the 2018 Mobile Skills Crew Season:

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. Continue reading →

The Bloomer High School Senior class spent a day giving back to their community through their trailbuilding efforts. Photo by Dave Caliebe.

Entire tomes of poetry have been written about picturesque autumn days such as the ones enjoyed at last week’s Mobile Skills Crew event. But the heart of the story lies in the collaboration the Ice Age National Scenic Trail enables. Continue reading →

Spring arrived early enabling a hardy group of volunteers to clear corridor and grub out stumps in anticipation of October’s MSC event. Photo by Dave Caliebe.

The trees of the Northwoods are beginning to turn red and gold and, as we say good-bye to summer, a new beginning lies ahead for the Firth Lake Segment of the Ice Age National Scenic Trail.

Due to the expansion of an All-Terrain Vehicle trail in the Chippewa County Forest, to ensure a non-motorized experience for users of the Ice Age Trail, we are building a newly designed 1.7 miles of improved Ice Age Trail. Change can be a good thing. Continue reading →

Construct a 348-foot-long boardwalk in three days? No problem! Volunteers quickly gained experience as they rotated between crews. This rotation gave everyone the opportunity to learn the necessary skills and to fill in seamlessly wherever someone was needed. Adding to the remarkable pace was the knowledge and previous experience of nine volunteers who had taken part in a boardwalk training earlier in the summer. The seeds planted at the boardwalk training visibly sprouted at Clover Valley and are emerging along the Trail. Continue reading →

A project beginning with a small, focused premise, grew quickly as seasoned Trail Eyes broadened the perspective (recognizing additional underlying issues could be addressed with the robust crew on hand). Replacing a footbridge with a 36-foot-long state-of-the-art bridge, designed to last 50 years, was not enough; two critical trail reroutes were added, then a third. Signage upgrades covered a mile and trail maintenance with mowers, weed whackers, and chainsaws extended for an additional three miles of Trail.

A similar expansion occurred with the 88 volunteers at the event. With every tree grubbed, blaze painted, swing of the pick mattock, and sandwich prepared, the individuals completing these tasks became an integral member of this trailbuilding community and helped “amp up” the project. The team went above and beyond, cranking it to 11, Lake 11 that is. Continue reading →