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.
Dolly McNulty expertly pops a rock at the Ringle trailbuilding event. Photo by Cameron Gillie.
Once the glow of the meteor shower faded from the event, a new 1.7-mile section of the Ringle Segment was open for hikers. Thank You to the 75 volunteers who contributed over 2,000 hours to this great effort.
Phase One of the Ringle transformation is now complete and we got a good head start on Phase Two with an additional half-mile of corridor clearing. In another year, the meteors will return – and so will the volunteers of Mobile Skills Crew events. Another opportunity to shine bright and light up the Ice Age National Scenic Trail.
Special Thanks:
Gail Piotrowski, Rachel Riehle, and the Marathon County Chapter for helping prepare for the event and organize a trip to the wonderful Concert in the Clouds
Jerry Pfeiffer for doing a standup job as Crew Leader Manager
Thelma Johnson and her cadre of helpers for keeping everyone fed and happy
Sitka Salmon Shares and Pine River Pre-Pack for donating yummy smoked salmon and cheese spread for evening happy hour.
The Marathon County Solid Waste Department for providing basecamp location, tables and chairs, and on-going support for the Trail.
Professional photographer, Cameron Gillie of ThePinholeThing.com created an album of the event and a time-lapse video of trailbuilding – check both the album and video at his facebook page.
Support for this project was provided through the Marvin & Ruth (Rudie) Schuette Fund of the Community Foundation of North Central Wisconsin.
Next Up:
Join us for big-time fun as we build a brand new segment of the Ice Age Trail in Manitowoc County. Come see for yourself the dramatic expression of the Kettle Moraine which provides a perfect setting for a September 13 – 17 trailbuilding event at the Walla Hi County Park.
We appreciate our sponsors who GENEROUSLY support the 2017 Mobile Skills Crew Program.
