The Ice Age Trail is a thousand-mile foot trail tracing Ice Age formations across the state of Wisconsin.  

Those who recently participated in the Point Beach Mobile Skills Crew Project helped first-hand to ensure that part of the Ice Age Trail’s thousand miles would interpret the largest glacial feature along its entire route – Lake Michigan. Scoured by the Lake Michigan Lobe of the last glaciation, this Great Lake happens to be the sixth largest inland lake in the world. Now, nearly nine new miles of IAT exist near its shores in Point Beach State Forest- two of those miles right on the water’s edge. Everyone should walk this new segment of Ice Age Trail. Maintenance work will be necessary and chapter coordinator Cheryl Gorsuch (gorsuchc@earthlink.net) would appreciate any help in that regard. 

The Point Beach MSC project was a tremendous success! More than 100 volunteers turned and gave over 2100 hours of their own time. In addition to the hard work, the volunteers enjoyed the great sense of camaraderie back at base camp at the end of each day, a part of the project that keeps many volunteers coming back time and again. Donors such as M&M Lunch in Two Rivers, Larry’s Piggly Wiggly, Coloma Farms and a host of bakers help foster that camaraderie by ensuring that our volunteers are well-fed and happy! 

Each and every person involved with the project played a key role in ensuring that it went smoothly and that people enjoyed themselves.  There are a few folks I would like to thank specifically, like the Project Team. Mike Wollmer and Todd McAllister spent hundreds of hours in the Forest during the Trail layout and design process – well beyond any expectations of ours. Sharon Dziengel was an enormous help on-site handling the thrones of volunteers and tracking their hours. Chapter Coordinator Cheryl Gorsuch was instrumental in pulling the whole thing together. Jean Potter and her team of food preps were spot-on. Our partners at the WDNR were excellent. Their willingness to work with us and assist us with our needs while they had smiles on their faces was a real bonus. Thank to the Friends of Point Beach State Forest.  They not only helped us tremendously in the kitchen and elsewhere during the project, but they continue to aid the Forest with programs, funding, construction, all which makes a better experience in the Forest and on the IAT.  Nice work Everyone! 

The next and final MSC project for the season will be in Chippewa County, near Brunet Island State Park October 12-15.  More information will be forthcoming. 

Thank-You,

Kevin

Project Team Leader 

Kevin Thusius

Land Stewardship Coordinator

Ice Age Park and Trail Foundation

P.O. Box 176

Cross Plains, WI 53528

(608) 798-1866

Fax (608) 798-1979

kevin@iceagetrail.org