Iola Winter Sports Club property acquisitions and a renegotiated easement created an opportunity to reroute the Ice Age Trail from ski trails onto a dedicated hiking path. Over 5 days, 117 volunteers worked 2,962 hours to construct 4,000 feet (a little more than ¾ mile) of new Trail along breathtaking kettles and a wonderful wetland.
While future projects will complete the 1.5-mile reroute, our recent efforts included a 24-foot bridge and more than 100 feet of boardwalk. A viewing platform will encourage hikers to admire the wetland and enjoy the singing frogs that serenaded us all week. The work was hot and sandy, but safety was paramount, and smiles abounded. We were grateful for the abundance of ski trails providing easy access to the farthest reaches of the project site. There were many visits to Sunset Lake in the evenings to cool down and relax.
As a bonus, we sent a small strike force about a mile down the Trail to repair two boardwalks. This effort reopened the Trail between County Road T and Krogwold Road—a section closed for three years!
The exciting re-imagination of this section of Trail will continue next year. We look forward to you joining us!
For making this project possible, special thanks to:
- Iola Winter Sports Club for hosting the Trail and providing a great place for basecamp.
- Iola-Scandinavia Community Fitness and Aquatic Center for $1 showers
- Debbie Krogwold and the Portage/Waupaca County Chapter members for all of their time, commitment, and hard work.
- The National Park Trust and National Park Service for the financial support through a Challenge Cost Share grant.
- Paul and Laura Przybelski for supporting the reopening of the Trail between County Road T and Krogwold Road.
Up Next:
July 13 – July 17, Rice Lake Preserve, Marathon County
The newly expanded Rice Lake Preserve is ready to host the Ice Age Trail. Help create a segment, which will offer a reprieve from road walk and meander through old-growth white pine, hemlock, and white cedar. Enjoy outstanding scenery, stonework, and almost 900 feet of boardwalk construction.
Generous Sponsors of the 2022 MSC Trailbuilding Season include:
