Ice Age Trail Dispatch
February 2012
Moonlight (Snowshoe) Hike at Chippewa Moraine, Sat. Feb. 4
The second of DNR Naturalist Rod Gont's Moonlight Snowshoe Hikes wil take place on Saturday evening, Feb. 4, at 7 PM. If you'd like to learn about snowshoe usage, come at 6:30 for a brief walk-through. The hike takes place at the Chippewa Moraine, 9 miles east of New Auburn.
A bonfire, roast-your-own treats, and indoor refreshments will round out the evening hike.
Normally, these hikes require snowshoes. But this year, while there is some snow, there's not a lot, and so you may end up just hiking or snowshoeing, as you prefer. If you want to reserve a pair of snowshoes, you need to call ahead. The reserve's phone is 715-967-2800.
First Aid/CPR Refresher Training Coming in March
We've scheduled our bi-annual American Red Cross First Aid/CPR refresher class for Saturday, March 10, beginning at 9:30 AM. It will run until 2:30 or 3 in the afternoon, with a break for your lunch. It will be held in Chippewa Falls at the City Hall.
This training is required for any of our members who will be handling a chain saw, but we feel it is important for as many of our members as possible who may work at events or work days to have this training as well. And who knows, you may be glad you have it when you are out on your own! The instructor will tailor the training to our special need of often working away from the trailhead.
The class is a refresher class, which shortens it a bit for those who are in need of recertification. We have a special arrangement for anyone who has not had the initial class to take the refresher class at no extra charge, however, by doing some online reading beforehand. The bottom line is that this class is open to all, regardless of whether you have had prior training or not.
The cost to each active chapter member will be just $20. Non-members may join us at the full $70 cost, but if you do the math, this may be your reason to join! We have a scholarship fund for serious volunteers for whom the fee might prevent attendance. Members of other IATA chapters are encouraged to participate, and the rate will be set by their home chapter.
If you plan to attend we need you to reserve a spot so we know if we have enough participants to hold the class. To register, or if you want more info, please email chapter@iatchippewa.org or call 715-967-2164. Please register as soon as possible, but no later than March 2.
Update Your Bookmarks To Our Chapter Web Site.
We've reorganized our chapter web site and all the pages now have a URL beginning with http://iatchippewa.org. Formerly, other URL's appeared on various pages. If you have bookmarks, you may need to update them. As always, you can find our chapter information at http://iatchippewa.org.
We've also added a Twitter area with a button for you to tweet our web site's url to your own twerps.
Where To Find Information
Here's where to look for IAT and IATA information:
IATA Information: http://iceagetrail.org/home
Chippewa Moraine Chapter Information: www.iatchippewa.org AND http://chippewamoraine.iceagetrail.org/home AND www.twitter.com/iatachippewa (subscribe!)
Calendar of Chapter and Alliance Events: http://chippewamoraine.iceagetrail.org/chapter-events
Chippewa Mammoth Trackers (informal hike announcements): http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MammothTracker
Hiking the trail: www.iceagetrail.org (check the options under the "Hike the IAT" tab). For Chippewa County: http://chippewamoraine.iceagetrail.org/hike-the-chapter
National Park Service Information about the Ice Age Trail: www.nps.gov/iatr/index.htm