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 NOTE: All images in this post can be enlarged by clicking. Bayfield Area Trails committee members, volunteers, and newcomers to the Bayfield Peninsula’s trails community, celebrated five years of Bayfield Area Trails activities! The celebration took place at the Les Voigt State Fish Hatchery, and at the Big Ravine Headwaters, during World Trails Weekend, June 1st and 2nd. The celebration included a wide range of programs, starting with early bird walks, followed by a talk on the Pikes Creek watershed, field season updates from Bayfield Area Trails committee members, highlights of volunteer opportunities, and a wrap up dedication of the new pond overlook platform and trails at the Big Ravine Headwaters. Despite the downpour, 55 trails enthusiasts attended the Saturday celebration, including 15 new volunteers.
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Round Robin Field Season Reports
Here are some more of our fantastic presenters. Click images to enlarge.
Calling All Volunteers!
Launching the Bayfield Peninsula Trails PlanThe Trails Celebration marked the launch of a planning effort to develop a comprehensive, long-term, & sustainable Bayfield Peninsula trails plan and a strategy. Bayfield Area Trails Committee Chair Kate Kitchell introduced this year-long effort, calling on participants to provide their suggestions for improving existing trails. Recommendations were also requested for potential new trails. The goal is to create a Peninsula-wide silent sports trails network.
Hover/tap the image carousel below for navigation & viewing options. The plan will be supported by a technical assistance grant from the National Park Service Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance (RTCA) program and a grant from the Apostle Islands Area Community Fund. BAT Committee members, stationed at tables around the tent, discussed maps and gathered ideas from attendees. This was just the beginning of the process. Community members will have more opportunities to provide input and review progress during the planning process.
There's Lots Going on at the Hatchery
Below are images from the Hatchery tour conducted by Darren Miller, Operations Supervisor of the Les Voigt and Brule Hatcheries for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.
Hover/tap the image carousel below for navigation & viewing options. Wrap Up with the Big Ravine Headwaters Dedication CelebrationIn Sunday afternoon’s sunshine, a couple dozen supporters gathered at the Headwaters pond overlook platform to say thanks to all who made a dream become a reality. Erika Lang from Landmark Conservancy emceed the gathering. She gave special recognition to Ed Rabideaux for leaving a lasting legacy by selling the 10-acre parcel for conservation and public enjoyment.
Tom Gordon, previous Town of Bayfield Board Chair, reflected on how working together with public and private partners is a fantastic way to get things done. Glenn Guntenspergen from the Biodiversity Fund, one of the grantors, reminded everyone how places like the Headwaters connect people with the natural world and inspire land stewardship. To wrap up the weekend celebration, the banner was cut to a round of cheers and applause! Hooray for all!! Hover/tap the image carousel below for navigation & viewing options. Trail Note:We originally planned to dedicate the Pileated Woodpecker trail as well. However, access from the Les Voigt Hatchery remains closed beyond the Red Dam gate.
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Bayfield County, and private landowners are working to determine property boundaries and options for re-establishing access. Thank you for respecting the closure. BUT…the trail can be accessed from Mt. Ashwabay and will be much improved after volunteers finish the corridor that was cleared last fall. Volunteer recruitment for that project will start in mid-July. Come on out and help! 
THANK YOU VOLUNTEERS!!A small army of fabulous volunteers made the 2024 Bayfield Area Trails Celebration possible!!
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 Mary & Jen create a new tread.
A short segment of the West Rim Trail was also re-routed to avoid a seep that had created slippery conditions and caused people to widen the trail by going around the bad spot. All of these improvements not only make the walking experience more pleasant, they also resolve drainage and erosion issues so that the trails are more sustainable and easier to maintain over time. Since these trails are on City of Bayfield property, the City Parks and Recreation Committee provided funding for boardwalk materials. Let’s give a shout out to Mike Kinnee, John Ipsen, Mary Ledin, Jen Crump, Jon Crump, Anna Stocksdale, Kate Kitchell, and Sue Aiken for racking up a total of 56 hours of volunteer time!! They also brought their own tools including mattocks, pulaskis, Rogue hoes, McLeods, circular saws, screw guns, loppers, hand saws, shovels, rakes, and sledges to the party. Mary Ledin’s multi-component battery-powered weed trimmer and brush saw was the biggest hit! So many tools to choose from! Come on out and join the fun on our next project on the Upper Pileated Woodpecker Trail in July and August. Stay tuned for details and sign up for our mailing list!  After the intense rain event on June 18th – 19h, volunteers ventured out on the trails to assess trail safety and resource condition. While all trails are passable, many areas are gullied and runoff has displaced soil or gravel and piled up debris. Please use caution when crossing deep gullies such as on the Brownstone Trail at Blue Wing Bay Road, as the sides could collapse. There is standing water or heavy mud where drainage is minimal, including on the Big Ravine’s Headwaters and upper East Rim; Brownstone Trail near the Wild Rice Retreat; and Jerry Jay Jolly. Practice muddy trail etiquette: if you leave a track, please turn back. Or, if you feel compelled to walk the trail, walk through the mud, not around it. From what we see, all of the issues can be repaired, but we’ll need lots of volunteers to help during the next 2-3 months, especially on the Brownstone, Big Ravine, and Siskiwit River Preserve.
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