The rock work crew proudly gathers at the culmination of their efforts. Photo by Alaina Dedo.
The Mobile Skills Crew 2018 (MSC) season finale was a thundering conclusion to a successful season of Ice Age National Scenic Trail development, construction, and stewardship. The first-ever MSC event in Langlade County generated the most project hours in the history of all IATA events, and the most miles of new Trail opened in one fell swoop since such data has been reliably tracked. Continue reading
This event is all-hands-on-deck & a HUGE opportunity! Please join us and help reroute and reimagine nearly 10 miles of the Ice Age Trail. This is the first MSC event to occur in the gargantuan tableau of Langlade County and promises to be fun for all.
No previous experience is necessary; training is provided by certified volunteer crew leaders. There will be roles for all ages and abilities. The IATA provides food, tools, and campsites free to all who volunteer.
See a map of the project area [PDF]
Your contribution is welcome for any part of the event or the entire project. Work begins on Tuesday, October 9, and concludes Sunday, October 14. Trail construction activities begin each day around 8:00 a.m. and typically wrap up between 4:00 and 5:00 p.m. On Sunday, work ends by noon.
We love dogs, but we ask that you not bring them to this event. Woolly mammoths are welcome.
Morning mist rises on one of the many lakes along the re-imagined Old Railroad Segment. Photo by Dave Caliebe.
A grand time of year to be in the north woods is when the sugar maple, oak, and aspen light up in fall colors and, at long last, the mosquitoes, gnats, and flies have had their final say for the season.
Beginning Tuesday, October 9th and continuing through Sunday, October 14th, please join us for the season-finale of the 2018 Mobile Skills Crew “Light the Candles” tour and help create a new, nearly 10-mile long, reroute of Ice Age Trail in Langlade County.
This event is all-hands-on-deck and a HUGE opportunity to elevate the hiker experience in the north woods. Continue reading
Photos by Cameron Gillie of ThePinHoleThing.com
Ice Age Trail Alliance founder, Ray Zillmer.
Beginning with the dream of a single individual, Ray Zillmer who, in 1958, envisioned the Ice Age Trail and established what would become the Ice Age Trail Alliance. Fast forward 60 years and the Ice Age Trail is one of only eleven National Scenic Trails in the United States and the Alliance its strongest advocate. Continue reading
Join supporters and staff as we celebrate 60 years of building, stewarding, protecting and promoting the Ice Age National Scenic Trail. Celebrate with us at Ice Age Trail Days in Cross Plains, which is both the headquarters of the Alliance and a designated Ice Age Trail Community focused on increasing awareness of the Ice Age Trail and the mission of the Alliance. If you would like to attend other events during Ice Age Trail Days, click HERE to learn more.
This new-trail construction party in the Village of Cross Plains celebrates community and built-to-last camaraderie. Tread, signage, stonework and trail stewardship zones will be the focus of this shindig!
No previous experience is necessary; training is provided by certified volunteer crew leaders. There will be roles for all ages and abilities. The IATA provides food, tools, and campsites free to all who volunteer.
See a map of the project area [PDF]
Your contribution is welcome for any part of the event or the entire project. Work begins on Wednesday, August 8, and concludes Sunday, August 12. Trail construction activities begin each day around 8:00 a.m. and typically wrap up between 4:00 and 5:00 p.m. On Sunday, work ends by noon.
We love dogs, but we ask that you not bring them to this event. Woolly mammoths are welcome.
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. Continue reading
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. Continue reading
Dig into the back-to-basics skills that are fundamental to the Trails purpose and success. Tread construction, Stonework, Thinking Beyond the Blaze, Trail Eyes…course details below.
No previous experience is necessary; training is provided by certified volunteer crew leaders. There will be roles for all ages and abilities. The IATA provides food, tools, and campsites free to all who volunteer.
See a map of the project area [PDF]
Your contribution is welcome for any part of the event or the entire project. Classes begins on Thursday, June 28, and conclude Sunday, July 1. Activities begin each day around 8:30 a.m. and typically wrap up between 4:00 and 5:00 pm.
2018_Course Schedule
2018_Course Descriptions
We love dogs, but we ask that you not bring them to this event. Woolly mammoths are welcome.
Volunteers gather around to learn the finer points of tread construction from Tim Malzhan, Director of Trail Operations for the Ice Age Trail Alliance. Photo by Cameron Gillie.
Private citizens coming together to create a public resource is an astonishingly complex undertaking. The momentous scale of developing and stewarding the Ice Age National Scenic Trail requires a shared vision for the Ice Age Trail and the skills and resources necessary to bring that vision to life. It isn’t easy, but it happens one volunteer, one steward, at a time. It happens during Ice Age Trail University (IAT-U). Continue reading
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
You helped open 1.7 new miles last year. This year, help take it further. Discover this “Landscape Crossroads” where ancient glacial drift meets ‘new’ Wisconsin drift – ephemeral ponds, boulder-strewn hillsides, and ice-walled lake plains harboring stones from hundreds of miles distant. This new section will be sure to inspire.
No previous experience is necessary; training is provided by certified volunteer crew leaders. There will be roles for all ages and abilities. The IATA provides food, tools, and campsites free to all who volunteer.
See a map of the project area [PDF]
Your contribution is welcome for any part of the event or the entire project. Work begins on Tuesday, May 15, and concludes Sunday, May 20. Trail construction activities begin each day around 8:00 a.m. and typically wrap up between 4:00 and 5:00 p.m. On Sunday, work ends by noon.
We love dogs, but we ask that you not bring them to this event. Woolly mammoths are welcome.
Mysterious Ringle Segment. Photo by Drew Hanson
After a winter’s rest, recharged trailbuilding spirits bring renewed passion to the transformation underway in the geological significant “Landscape Crossroads” of Marathon County.
During three 2017 MSC events, 227 volunteers gave 5,363 hours of energy and effort to superbly hand-craft the first 1.7 miles of the envisioned 6.7-mile reimagined Trail experience of the Ringle Segment. 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
Yellow pin flags mark the center line along the route of the new Ice Age National Scenic Trail as it travels through Walla Hi County Park in Manitowoc County. Photo by Dave Caliebe.
Walla Hi County Park in Manitowoc County is home to undulating terrain formed as continental-sized loads of rock and soil, carried by two massive lobes of ice, met and co-mingled. The resulting 125-mile interlobate Kettle Moraine rises in a topographic swell more typically associated with the Adirondack Mountains. This dramatic expression of glacial landscape will soon host nearly 2 miles of the Ice Age National Scenic Trail. Sustainably built trails, following natural contours of the park, will highlight the impressive rugged beauty of the region. Continue reading
Volunteers relax in the warmth of a campfire after a day of trailbuilding. Photo by Cameron Gillie.
A sense of amazement coursed through the volunteers circling the campfire every time a streak of light from the Perseid meteor shower shot across the sky – nature’s fireworks for millennia. Those shooting stars are like the Ringle Mobile Skills Crew event volunteers who came together in a brilliant stroke of skill, effort, and camaraderie and blasted through the work set in front of them. 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
Students and their professor from a Northland College summer geology class formed a dynamic team with crew leader Ruth McCann.
Photo by Dave Caliebe.
Fresh spring energy unleased in May wove its way through 2,539 volunteer hours and materialized into recognizable magic in the geologic “Landscape Crossroads” of Marathon County.
Join us as Trail friends continue to shape tread and bring boulders to rest in retaining walls. This renewed August effort will open 1.7 miles of brand new trail. Continue reading
The work site where the new 35-foot clear span bridge will be constructed and installed.
Photo by Tim Malzhan
Deep in the velvety silence of the Chequamegon National Forest, gnarled trees remind us of the power nature unleashed 15 years ago when the Gilman tornado touched down and chewed through 4,000 acres of forested land, of which 900 acres were approaching old growth status.
Here is where the Ice Age Trail Lake Eleven Segment crosses a stream via an aged pedestrian bridge, declared “unsafe” four years ago. Now, we’re constructing a new 35-foot clear span bridge designed to last 50 or more years.
Join us for this mid-summer adventure where daytime industry meets campfire conversation and flickering fireflies. Continue reading
The newest class of boardwalk builders looks on as hikers try out their creation.
Photo by Dave Caliebe
Piece-by-piece, 21 participants in the boardwalk training built two elevated boardwalks totaling 193 feet. Every measurement taken, every pan placed, every screw installed was an opportunity to learn and hone new skills. Continue reading
Keeping 15 miles of hard-to-access Ice Age Trail open and passable through rough, rocky terrain is no easy task. It takes a certain amount of grit to volunteer for a project of this magnitude, and 59 volunteers rose to the challenge and committed 1,471 hours to this worthy cause.
The Blue Hills are a gem and, thanks to your service and stewardship, the Ice Age National Scenic Trail is in fine condition for enjoyment by visitors from far and wide. Continue reading
Ice Age Trail University is summer camp …… for Trail wizards of all ages. Plenty of fresh air, good sunshine, and happy times learning new things.
The best way to learn is by doing, and we’ll be providing lots of hands-on learning!
We’re super excited to partner with the Merrill Area School System and the Friends of the Merrill School Forest to build two boardwalks, and super excited about this year’s Camp Chef course.
North Central Technical College is offering a special training through their Culinary Arts program. It’s an exciting time for those who want to become more involved in the volunteer-support side of our Mobile Skills Crew events. Continue reading
Photo by Allan Henn
Wild, wet weather greeted us Tuesday and made repeated guest appearances all week. Thank you for drawing upon your personal stores of resiliency to make the first “MSC Mammoth” event of the season a success.
Bringing a Trail to life requires a certain toughness and the capacity to adapt and forge ahead. 107 volunteers, over the course of 2,539 hours, had fun, worked safely, and built great trail. Significant progress was made towards our August goal of opening 1.7 miles of new, sustainable, premier Ice Age National Scenic Trail. Continue reading
Brand new trail under construction on the Walla Hi Segment. Photo by Brad Crary
Whew! That’s one way to kick off the trailbuilding season. 2 days, 3 events, 146 volunteers, and 1,994 hours dedicated to enhancing the Ice Age National Scenic Trail.
Thank you to everyone who came out for the first Soul Shakedown of the year!
Ground work has been laid for ongoing tread construction on the Walla Hi Segment. Photo by Brad Crary
