Pikes Creek to Ashwabay Trail Work Begins

​An enthusiastic group of Northland College students recently spent a day doing service work on the new Pikes Creek Trail as part of their August Welcome Experience to the Chequamegon Bay area. 

The group of Northland College students who came to help with the trail building. Click to enlarge image.

​According to Kate Kitchell, Bayfield Area Trails Chair, this was the “launch” of work on the Trail which will start at the Les Voigt State Fish Hatchery on Highway 13 south of Bayfield, and connect with the Jolly Loop at Mt. Ashwabay.

​Prior to the Northland students’ work, a BATs crew established and flagged a six-foot wide trail corridor, routing it around bigger trees. Then two chainsaw crews--led by BATS Trails Subcommittee members Kris Wegerson and John Ipsen—cut shrubs and small trees from the corridor. The Northland students hauled and dispersed vegetation into the woods, lopped and clipped branches, and raked a four-foot-wide trail tread. 

Volunteers Kris Wegerson and John Ipsen cut shrubs and small trees from the corridor. Click to enlarge image.

​A big shout-out and many thanks to Sean Reagan and his employer, Cisco, who pays employees for up to 80 hours of volunteer work for nonprofits or charities annually through their program “Time to Give.” “He found us,” Kate Kitchell said of Sean. “He’s a volunteer from the Twin Cities—and he brought his own tractor!” Sean used his tractor to pull stumps and smooth the surface of the trail after the chainsaw crew and students completed the initial clearing.

Volunteer Sean Reagan and his handy tractor. Click to enlarge image.

The recent work was done on the half-mile long “B” segment of the Pikes Creek Trail. The “C” segment starts at the Fish Hatchery, and the “A” segment connects to the Jolly Loop.

Northland College students resting at the end of the workday. Click to enlarge image.

​“It’s beautiful in the trees—and not too hot. And dragging large branches into the woods gets some stress out,” one Northland student commented.

​Another added, “I liked seeing the outcome of our work. When we started, we couldn’t see any trail. And some trees fought back! But when we finished, I thought, ‘Wow! There’s the trail!’ I feel good about giving back to the community.” 

​The students were from all over including Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, central and southern Wisconsin, and the Twin Cities area. Several students planned to major in outdoor education; others were studying biology and natural resources. Welcome, all, to the Chequamegon Bay Area! And thanks for your work on the Bayfield Area Trails!