Recent property protection: great for the Trail, not so great for shortcut seekers.
For years, hikers have shaved miles off a 40-mile connecting route between the Cornell and Lake Eleven segments by following state highway 64. A recent property protection for the Trail, however, will soon upend this popular shortcut.
The Ice Age Trail Alliance closed on a 76.08-acre property along County Highway H in Chippewa County. Now known as Otter Lake Preserve, the property contains a creek and high-relief hummocky glacial topography, including several small ice-walled lake plains along the Perkinstown Moraine.
“It’s an exciting addition that will permanently protect more than a ½ mile of future Ice Age Trail,” said Kevin Thusius, Senior Director of Land Conservation. “Beyond its natural beauty, the Preserve will anchor the Trail’s route through southeast Chippewa County.” An added benefit: there is potential for a parking area and dispersed camping site.
Jared Wildenradt, an Alliance member, volunteer, and seven-time Thousand-Miler (200 miles from his eighth) spotted the property. He keeps an eye on real estate listings along the Trail corridor and routinely notifies Thusius of potential properties, this one fitting Alliance criteria.
“The property is just a home run! It’s got woods, hills, and great views,” said Wildenradt. “It’s a game-changing route for the hiker experience, adding two more days to section hikers’ plans, which means two more days of people spending money in area communities.”
Thusius asked Vicki Christianson, Chapter Coordinator of the Chippewa Moraine Chapter, and Wildenradt to walk the property as part of the due diligence process of Alliance land purchases. They did, sending back a two-thumbs-up report and plenty of photos.
The Preserve is near a 13.2-acre property the Alliance purchased in 2016 and transferred to the Chippewa County Land Conservancy to manage: the Otter Lake Esker Preserve. This property features a dramatic esker and may host future Ice Age Trail. Plus, both preserves add to the area’s public recreational land.
“Sometimes properties take years to acquire,” said Thusius, “but this one only took nine weeks, from when it was brought to my attention by Jared. This shows just how quickly the Alliance can move when things line up just right.”
The generosity of the Prairie Springs: The Paul Fleckenstein Trust continues to support Alliance land protection, making this one possible. The Alliance plans to recoup part of the property’s purchase price by submitting applications for partial reimbursement available through the Chippewa County Conservation fund and the State’s Knowles-Nelson Stewardship fund. This way, funds expended from the Alliance’s Prairie Springs Land Fund will be repaid to the fund for future land protection efforts.
The Ice Age Trail route across this property is not yet created or blazed. New Trail will be announced in the future.
