Saunters Summit 2015

With the weather turning and an amazing two days of planning for some summer hiking, June can't come fast enough!

Staff from the Ice Age Trail Alliance and Saunters teachers from throughout the state of Wisconsin met in Green Bay this week to communicate about and collaborate on their upcoming Saunters programs. Being a new Saunters teacher this year, I was looking forward to learning about what others have done and coming up with ideas of my own to help make the program I am helping coordinate the best it can be. My co-coordinator and I worked hard to fine-tune our program and get the next steps ready. It was a busy few days, but WOW, I feel like we are ready to hit the trails.

Teambuilding is important, especially after a long and productive day of planning. Our group was able to partake in a "Legends" Tour of historic Lambeau Field. Being a Packer fanatic, I was certainly giddy as I walked throughout the stadium, into the locker rooms, on the rooftops, and on the not so frozen tundra.

The second day of planning was just as productive and really gave us direction and a clear goal for what we have left to do to prepare for the week of hiking awaiting us in June.

My wife and daughter also came to Green Bay to take in some tourist time while I was working, but luckily for us all, we finished with enough time left over for us to visit one of my favorite places to explore as a child: Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary. With a very interactive nature center and a variety of woodland animals, waterfowl, and birds of prey to view, we enjoyed walking the trails and visiting all of our forest friends.

Could It Be True???

Was the robin I saw in my backyard real and not just an illusion? Are the patches of green poking out from the receding snowline here to stay? Will the sun visit more often from now on?

I hope the answer to all three questions is a YES, but if not, I am glad my family was able to take advantage of the morning sun and hike out on one of our favorite parts of the trail. We headed out today on portions of the Loew Lake and Monches segments, utilizing the new parking lot right near the trailhead.

We headed out and saw (and mostly heard) a decent number of our avian friends, especially enjoying the classic chicka-dee-dee-dee call of the chickadee. Embry kept on saying "deer, deer" but I think she was just hoping for the best. 

It was wonderful to see some of the pine needles and cones peeking through the melting snow and even better to see green. I don't think I have really trekked through this area at this time of year before, so it was unusual and almost surreal to see everything so open, not yet encapsulated by shrubs and thick plumage. Better yet was seeing the bright blue collide with the green at the tip tops of the pines.

Hiking with my family is always something I treasure and today felt like a preview of a wonderful hiking year ahead, especially with my beautiful wife and daughter stopping to tap every blaze along the way.

Tyke Hike #8 - Lapham Peak

As anyone living in the Badger State knows, Wisconsin weather is consistently inconsistent. So, a few months back, when I started scheduling Tyke Hikes for 2015, I knew it would be a gamble to start in February. And as the minutes crept past the start time of our scheduled hike this morning, I had a feeling my gamble wouldn't pay off at all. However, just as my wife, daughter, and fellow volunteer, Kevin, were about to set off on our own, a car pulled up and a tyke emerged from the back seat. Tyke Hike season had officially begun!

With subzero temperatures throughout the week, a 30 degree morning seemed down right balmy for the 7 hikers who ventured out on the Plantation Path trail at Lapham Peak. The usual Tyke Hike crew was joined by a forest ranger from Bigfoot Beach and her family. Together, the five adults and two-some of toddlers enjoyed checking out pine cones, throwing snowballs, and greeting the many four-legged friends out and about this morning.

In just a  month, Tyke Hikes will resume on the first day of spring, the vernal equinox. We will   explore the Monches segment and learn more about the Ice Age Trail and how the world around us wakes up and gets ready for the warmer weather. Please consider joining us!

Are You Ready for Tyke Hike Season 2015?

The 2015 Tyke Hike season is only a week away and there's plenty in store for everyone. I can't give away all the surprises, but let's just say the hikes will be more interactive, will include more post-hike activities, and maybe include a special guest or two along the way.

Please tell your friends, spread the word, but most importantly, COME ON OUT and enjoy the beauty nature provides us all year long.

P.S.- Details for each specific hike are available the at the Waukesha/Milwaukee County Chapter of the Ice Age Trail Alliance's Facebook page. (https://www.facebook.com/iatawaukmilw)

WHAT ARE TYKE HIKES?

Tyke Hikes are short, slow-paced hikes promoting nature and family hiking in an outdoor educational setting. Families with children of all ages are encouraged to come experience Wisconsin’s outdoors as they explore portions of the Ice Age National Scenic Trail. Led by Peter Dargatz, a kindergarten teacher and volunteer for the Ice Age Trail Alliance’s Waukesha/Milwaukee County Chapter, each session will focus on a particular nature-related topic on a leisurely trek on the trail. Post-hike educational materials and certificates for the children will also be provided. Hikes typically last  60-90 minutes and cover up to 1.5 miles in length.

                    

Date	Location	Topic
Saturday, Feb. 21st  - 10AM	Lapham Peak (Homestead Hollow)	Winter Walk
Saturday, March 21st -  10AM	Monches	Spring
Saturday, April 18th  - 10AM	Hartland (Hartland Marsh)	Marsh life
Saturday, May 23rd – 10AM	Lapham Peak (tower left)	Glaciers
Thursday, June 25th  - 6PM	Monches	Wisconsin Wildlife
Thursday, July 16th - 6PM	Pike Lake	Forests
Thursday, August 6th - 6PM	Hartland (Centennial Park)	Waterways
Saturday, September 12th - 10AM	Waterville	Prairies
Saturday, October 10th - 10AM	Lapham Peak (tower right)	Fall Colors
Saturday, November 7th - 10AM	Monches	Preparing for Winter
Saturday, December 5th - 10AM	Lapham Peak (Homestead Hollow)	Winter Walk

First Day Hike 2015

In my opinion, there isn't much of a better way to start the year than to enjoy nature at one of Wisconsin's most beautiful state parks. Fortunately for me, the Ice Age Trail Alliance's Waukesha/Milwaukee County Chapter hosts a First day Hike at this location. In the past, I had attended this event as any other hiker. This year, with months of volunteering under my belt, I was lucky enough to be a hike leader, meaning a group of park patrons would be guided through the woods under my direction.  I am happy to say everyone made it out alive.

The planning committee decided to have several smaller groups depart from the Hausmann Nature Center in shifts rather than try to coordinate one massive group. Based on the popularity of the event, this was a very wise choice. I led the 4th shift of hikers, which happened to be populated by a large group of children. Being the Tyke Hike Coordinator, it was meant to be.

My group of approximately 25 hikers of all ages (and a few furry four-legged friends) set out from the nature center and took the paved path until it connected with the butterfly garden and traversed an open field of buckthorn remnants. We eventually took a short path through the woods before connecting with a groomed cross country ski trail and ultimately meeting up with the Ice Age Trail. We took the IAT to the tower before taking a quick respite, taking in the views from the tower, and hydrating. Then, it was back to hiking as we headed back on the trail through heavily eroded section of the trail and a newly flagged section just off the trail that will be converted to trail in the summer's Mobile Skills Crew. I have not yet been able to experience this trail-building and restoring adventure, so I am very excited about it being so close to home later this year. This newly flagged section led us through some wonderfully scenic overlook opportunities before looping back and connecting back with the Ice Age Trail on our way to the nature center to enjoy a variety of snacks and beverages graciously donated by trail volunteers.

Helping me lead was a very enthusiastic group of children who impressed me with their knowledge and excitement for nature. They also had an adorable puppy. :)  Those fun conversations were exactly why I am coordinating Tyke Hikes and leading a Saunters program this year. While I aimed to teach the next generation of hikers some things and get them excited for the trail and nature in general, it was I who learned so much and got rejuvenated for a new year out on the trail.

Tyke Hike #7 - Winter Walk

The fog and chill of a mid-winter morning didn't derail 9 hikers from joining in on the final Tyke Hike of 2014. Trekking through a portion of the Plantation Path in the Homestead Hollow of Lapham Peak, we all braved the less than ideal elements to enjoy an hour out on the trail.

As I tell my kindergarten class, I can do snow, I can handle cold, but those wet and chilly days are my least favorite of all the weather Wisconsin brings us. That being said, the conditions were perfect for a Halloween-themed stroll.

The Tyke Hike was joined today by a local celebrity in terms of hiking.  Pat is a fellow member of the Waukesha/Milwaukee County Chapter and is an amazing volunteer in helping maintain the trails we all can enjoy. Besides being the maintenance maiden for Waukesha County's 40+ miles of trails, she organizes Monday Mudders (a group that volunteers in all conditions to work on the trail) and is a Blazin' Babe, one of the wonderful women who works to improve signage for hikers on the trail. It's always inspiring to hear her trail reports at our meetings. She also gives excellent outreach presentations to help support the cause of the trail and increase awareness of it and all that is outdoors. I was fortunate enough to see portion of her presentation as she presented to the 4th graders at the school where I teach. It was awesome to have her join on the hike today.

Well, the inaugural season of Tyke Hikes was a blast  I am looking forward to 2015 and all it brings. Information on the 2015 Tyke Hikes coming soon.

A Look Back to Plan Ahead

It's always important to look back. For me, looking back is the bast way to plan ahead. I have many exciting opportunities connected to the Ice Age Trail in the future, but before I can really go full speed ahead with those plans, I thought it would be nice to look back.

Boy was I right!

As I looked through my pictures of my trail adventures over the last year, I was brought to the warm summer days with my daughter, the first time I ventured out on my own, and the Tyke Hike sessions I've led. I think of the quick paces to beat the sunset, the early morning treks to beat the heat, and the excitement of every new discovery. I remember encountering some wild animals, other hikers, and the many opportunities to walk with friends and family.  While the past is jam-packed with memories, the future has so many more ready to be cherished.

A picture tells a thousand words, so I have included one of my favorite images from each of the Waukesha/Milwaukee County Chapter segments below.

Stoney Ridge

Eagle

Scuppernong

Waterville

Lapham Peak (with my favorite co-hiker)

Delafield

Hartland (autumn)

Hartland (spring)

Merton

Monches

I am not sure exactly where my hiking adventures will take me, though I am working on a few things right now, including. . .

• coordinating a Summer Saunters program through my school district for summer 2015.
• getting dates and locations for next year's Tyke Hikes.
• organizing a school-wide hike along the Ice Age Trail.
• writing a non-fiction/fiction hybrid picture book promoting the trail.

I also have some more personal goals for the next year, besides successfully completing all of the aforementioned.

I'd like to. . .

• complete another county's worth of segments
• add to my very early edition of an Ice Age Trail poetry book
• complete a "Walk the Wauk" weekend

So much to hike, so little time. :)  Happy Trails!