Despite rain and challenging conditions, our third MSC event in 15 months at Walla Hi County Park was a great success. Hardy volunteers, 79 in total, helped create and open for business a new, signature section of the Ice Age National Scenic Trail.
Over the course of three and a half days and 1,908 volunteer hours, a little over a half-mile of spectacular new trail, one that beguiles the imagination, emerged from within a 15-foot wide trail easement. Slab Hill – the steep pitch that rises 47% over 80 linear feet – will forever be a focal point for trail users. Telling of the skill and dedication of the builders are found in the subtleties – trail drainage dips, well-crafted tread, thoughtful trail signage, and the scores of invasive plants eradicated.
Download Project Outcomes Map [PDF]
Passing tools up to the top of the work site, AKA, Slab Hill. Photo by Tim Malzhan.
Special Thanks to:
- The West Foundation, for a generous gift in support of the project.
- Kiel Sand & Gravel, for providing critical access to the site, stone materials, heavy equipment use, and tool trailer staging.
- REI, for generous financial support and comfy T-shirts.
- Businesses that donated food: Jennie-O Turkey, Natural Ovens, Schreiber Foods, Sitka Salmon, Wilfert Farms, Jones Dairy, and Raleigh’s Hillside Farm.
- Friday Night Fish Fry courtesy of North East Wisconsin, Great Lakes, Sports Fishermans, Captains Only, Fishing Derby.
- A fantastic array of desserts: homemade pies by Jim Powers, 3 gallons of Michigan blueberries from Nancy Reschke, and plenty of yummy cookies from a wide range of our famous MSC bakers.
- Manitowoc County for providing base camp accommodations.
- Kevin Walvoord for providing and operating his family’s tractor to pull stumps and stones.
- Project Team Members Jerry Pfeifer (CLM), Dolly McNulty (camp chef), and all Crew Leaders for service above and beyond.
- Lakeshore Chapter volunteers for critical pre project assistance.
- Bill Klich, Trail easement land owner, for providing parking and overall support.
Volunteers work together to carefully set a stone in place. Photo by Tim Malzhan.
Redux:
Sunday forenoon. The will and desire to complete finishing details, cut short by rain and unsafe conditions the day before, was palpable amongst the 20 or so drenched and mud-smeared volunteers who chose to remain. The road-to-road connection IS OPEN for hiking, but stay tuned…there may just be a MSC “Wildcard” event in the near future!
Next Up:
We’ll be building trail in the Cross Plains Conservancy and celebrating the 60th birthday of the Ice Age Trail Alliance. It’s a time to celebrate community and built-to-last camaraderie. Tread, signage, stonework and trail stewardship zones will be the focus of this shindig August 8 – 12, 2018!
Remember!
Use the promo code iceage18 and sign up for a share of Sitka’s premium, sustainable seafood harvest at www.sitkasalmonshares.com.
Sitka will donate $25 to the Ice Age Trail Alliance and they’ll give you $25 off too! Then they’ll deliver your seafood share directly to your door.
Happy Trails,
The Walla Hi Project Team
Generous Sponsors of the 2018 Mobile Skills Crew Season:
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