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NEWS | Bayfield Area Trails |
 John, Doug, Neil, Steve, Gerry, and Kris all ready to rock and roll!
During the culvert installation, John, Kris, Jerry, Doug and Neil worked on cleaning out and restoring the water diversion channels that were added to the trail after last year’s storm.
Mark dispersed the dirt that was removed to install the culvert and separated rocks from the material that he, Gerry and Neil used to armor the ends of the new culvert. Mark then used a roller, loaned by Dan Maki, to smooth out tracks on the road and compress the gravel placed on the trail. The diversion ditches, new compacted gravel, and the new culvert should make this section of trail more stable during heavy rain and runoff as well as more durable to foot and bike traffic. On Saturday June 28, John and Kris along with volunteers Doug Welty, Gerry Miller, Steve Vircsik, Gene Lemmenes, Neil Howk, Bob Feyen, and Rich Metcalfe met at the end of Chequamegon Road to work on the Brownstone Trail near the Wild Rice Resort. They raked leaves from and deepened drainage ditches, cut back vegetation along the trail, and cleared debris from the box culverts in the trail.
All of that work will ensure effective drainage of water off of the trail so it does not erode and it can be traveled during wet periods.
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 The Most Dedicated Volunteers Receive Bayfield Area Trails Mugs as a BIG THANK YOU!! On Saturday June 7th, sixty folks gathered at the Bell Town Hall and Community Center in Cornucopia to celebrate World Trails Day at the Bayfield Area Trails annual trails forum. The day started at 7 am with a guided nature/bird hike led by Ted May and Neil Howk at the Siskiwit River Preserve. The Forum festivities began at 9 am where attendees had the opportunity to enjoy world-class baked goods and coffee while mingling around information tables hosted by Bayfield Area Trails Committee members and other partners. The Bell Town Hall was a fantastic venue for the event: many thanks to the Town of Bell for allowing the opportunity to host the Forum!
The 20 most dedicated volunteers and partners were thanked and recognized with cobalt-blue mugs adorned with the Bayfield Area Trails logo. The meeting hall resounded with applause and cheers. Thank you volunteers! We would be nowhere without you! The morning wrapped up with four break-out demonstration sessions where participants could take deeper dives into the following topics:
 Mike Passo, keynote speaker, chats with the audience. Thanks to the fabulous work of several volunteers on the planning, logistics, set up, and communications, the Forum was a SUCCESS! We were happy with the great turn out, especially on a day with so many other activities going on. It’s always wonderful to see our Bayfield Area Trails supporters; and 15 new people joined us at the event! To help make this a better forum in the future, we hope participants will take a few minutes to provide feedback to this online form.
 Saturdays crew by the new steps. Even though the first trail projects of the year started on Friday the 13th, a great crew of volunteers accomplished several priority projects before the start of the high-use period on the Big Ravine Trails in Bayfield. We were excited to have six new volunteers join the fun!
“We moved a lot of rocks during these projects. It’s good that the creek has an ample supply,” chuckled Gene Lemmenes, one of our stalwart volunteers, known for his propensity to mess around with rocks in the creek. Newcomer Pete Havlik from the City of Bayfield Parks and Recreation Committee joined the crew on both days, sharing the following thoughts “Connecting with neighbors I've never met while maintaining trails that keep us all connected (to each other and our surroundings) was pleasant and fun. I'm looking forward to participating more often and discovering new trails and friendships.” Make a note: Bayfield Area Trails is leading trail projects on Friday and Saturday mornings from 9 am to noon during the 2nd & 4th weeks of each month from June through October. Email reminders will come out the week prior. Upcoming projects will include:
Thank you volunteers!
By: Mary Anne Welch Lavin  Strike a pose birders!! Click any image in the post to enlarge. As part of National Trails Day on June 7, a nature/bird walk at the Siskiwit River Preserve was added to this spring’s series of walks co-sponsored by Bayfield Area Trails and the Chequamegon Audubon Society. We met our guides from the Audubon Society, Ted May and Neil Howk, at the trailhead.
Later in the hike, Neil added a few more bird “phrases”:
The land was placed into conservancy in 2018 by two families. Trails have since been established throughout the preserve by Bayfield County’s Department of Forestry and Parks, Bayfield Area Trails, and other community volunteers.
 Examining the beautiful forest floor.
In 2024, a severe flood deeply impacted this area, shortly after volunteers had finished refining the trail. Torrential waters rose above the banks, carrying sand and stones downstream. The force washed gravel from the path, stripped bark from cedar trees and vegetation from the red sandstone. A felled tree whose years-long spot on the river’s edge had seemed permanent was carried 40–50 yards downstream. Sand deposits made the kettle hole shallower, and the buildup of rock at a turn in the river is slowly altering the river’s meander toward the lake. It’s all still quite beautiful--and volunteers quickly restored much of the gravel! 
A hiker asked about the bat houses in the meadow. Neil said they get used and added that this was the weekend of the annual statewide bat count. They’ll count again in July after the pups are born. Numbers, he said, are slowly improving after being devastated by White-nose Syndrome.
Trail Notes The east trail to the river actually has three entrances:
Credits: Birdsongs and bird images are from the Cornell University’s Cornell Lab | Macaulay Library.
Helpful Resource: The Merlin app lets you ID birds by sound.  Grace Hogan and Alyssa Larsen present the donation check to Bayfield Area Trails. Photo credit: Steve Aggergaard On Saturday May 17th over 400 runners participated in the Madeline Island Marathon and Half Marathon, running along the Island’s shore and through the scenic forests. It was a perfect day for the runners: slightly overcast and not too hot. At Joni’s Beach the air was full of energy and live music as spectators cheered runners crossing the finish line where they could find water, warming blankets, brats and beer.
THANK YOU KYLE AND THE MADELINE ISLAND MARATHON!!! Photos & narrative provided by Neil Howk. On Sunday May 11, Ted May from the Chequamegon Audubon Society led a group of ten hikers and birdwatchers on a beautiful walk through the Frog Bay Tribal National Park. The 175-acre park features a large tract of boreal forest, the mouth of Frog Creek, and almost 4000 feet of Lake Superior shoreline.
We heard white-throated sparrows, black-capped chickadees, blue-headed vireos, black-throated green warblers, black-and-white warblers, a Magnolia warbler, and a special treat, a black-throated blue warbler.
Lake Superior forms a barrier to hawks flying north on their spring migration. Upon reaching the lake, hawks follow the shoreline to the west end of the lake before continuing their journey to the north.
 Shore view at the end of the Salmo trail. As you stroll the easy 1-mile walk to and from the Lake’s edge, enjoy a few poems from present and past poets laureate along the way. Trailhead/parking located 2.5 miles south of Bayfield on the east side of Hwy 13, opposite the Fish Hatchery. Poems will be posted May 30–June 7, 2025.  A Blue Heron approaching the rookery behind the Les Voigt Fish Hatchery building. Blue Heron, Warblers, Kinglets, Yellow-Bellied Sapsuckers, Winter Wren, Greater Yellowlegs and American White Pelicans were among the birds a group of northwoods bird and trail enthusiasts observed on May 3, while enjoying Bayfield Area Trails’ and Chequamegon Audubon Society’s first co-sponsored nature and bird walk of the year.
For the next 90 minutes, while the group explored the trail through and behind the hatchery, herons came and went overhead while working on their nests. Once the nests are complete, the heron will lay 3-6 eggs, which hatch in about a month. After birth, the chicks usually stay in the nest for about 60 days.
Another highlight of the day’s walk came on the Salmo Trail, across Highway 13 from the hatchery that follows Pike Creek out to a Lake Superior beach. There, the group was lucky to spot a flock of American White Pelicans. Flying north towards the lake, the flock flew almost directly overhead, providing great viewing for the group.  White Pelicans flying over Lake Superior.
 This May, Bayfield Area Trails and Chequamegon Audubon Society are co-sponsoring a series of free nature/bird walks to highlight the importance of the Bayfield area as resting habitat for migratory birds. The series of guided walks will help celebrate World Migratory Bird Day. Early May is the time when the pace of migration in northern Wisconsin begins to accelerate. A variety of kinglets, sparrows, thrushes, flycatchers, waterfowl, and warblers reappear in forests and along waterways in the area. The trails will also feature spring wildflowers bursting into bloom.
The theme of this year’s event is “Shared Spaces: Creating Bird-friendly Cities and Communities.” Chequamegon Audubon members and local birders Neil Howk and Ted May will take turns leading the following walks:
 Lots to see at Frog Bay! April 29, 2025 UPDATE: These trails have reopened for hiking. If you encounter wet or muddy sections, please follow Mud Season Principles:
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