Tyke Hike #9 - Monches

Mother Nature finally helped us out today. After a handful of less than spectacular weather tyke hikes. the sun shining down on all 22 hikers was a wonderful way to start the weekend. Eleven children and eleven adults enjoyed a brisk spring day in the Monches segment. Though muddy at times, the leaf-covered trail and naked trees allowed for spectacular views that will soon be hidden by foliage and flowers.

Though my favorite little hiking assistant's "terrible two tantrums" came a bit early (she turns 2 in a few weeks), we were able to make it through an exciting and energetic stroll through the ups and downs of the forest. With walking sticks in hand, the children were all smiles. Whether it was examining leaves, inspecting acorns, or balancing on fallen branches, the happiness I saw from the children really summed up why I even started Tyke Hiking in the first place.

Today's hike was about the Sights. Smells, and Sounds of Spring. It was awesome having the kids report when they heard a bird or felt a "fuzzy" stump. I even was told that "spring rocks smell better than winter ones." Either way, seeing the kids interact with each other and nature in such a beautiful setting was amazing.

A special shout out goes to two volunteer extraordinaires that were able to join me on the trail. As always, Kevin was a fountain of information about the trail while assisting with sweeping duties and being the lead photographer. We were also graced by the presence of one of our chapter's Blazin' Babes, Chris. She, along with many other fantastic volunteers, improve signage throughout the county and state to help all better enjoy the trail.

Tyke Hikes continue on Saturday, April 18th at 10:00AM at the Hartland Segment, beginning at Centennial Park. We will focus on the importance of Wisconsin's Waterways.

Spring Has Sprung - Lapham Peak & Havenswood

Fresh off a great few days planning my upcoming Saunters program with a wonderful group of educators, it was time to enjoy some fun in the sun exploring with the family. As my previous post mentions, the first stop was Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary in Green Bay, a place I regularly visited as a youngster and a phenomenal place to spend time outdoors.

After a nice night of rest, it was back to adventure as the family headed to one of our favorite stops, Lapham Peak. Here, along with many other Ice Age Trail volunteers from the Waukesha/Milwaukee County Chapter, we had an excellent appreciation lunch to recognize those who lead hikes and take care of the segments for all of the hikers and walkers who trek it throughout the year. Not only did I learn a great deal about what the responsibilities of segment leaders, I was able to connect names to faces and have an overall appreciation of all the time and effort everyone does to help the trail be such a great resource.

And, we couldn't just go to a state park for a lunch and meeting, we had to hike. :)   We took a quick jaunt to the tower, headed down the trail a bit and meandered through the mud to enjoy some fresh air and sunshine before heading home.

Then, the final day of the weekend meant a final day to explore.We were able to hook up with some excellent friends and have two terrific toddlers lead us through the urban forest of Havesnswood, a state forest smack dab in the middle of Milwaukee. It was my first trip there, but most certainly not my last. The fallen leaves served as a protective barrier from the otherwise muddy ground and the many fallen branches helped entertain us as we took several trails around, sidestepping a wide array of scat along the way.

Overall, an amazing and adventurous last few days. 2015 is setting up to be quite an exciting time!

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.