Fox Valley Sierra Group Past Outings Archive (Click for Upcoming Outings)

Fox River Tire Service Outing (August 1999) Cleared old tires from the Fox River using canoes and other small boats. PICTURES

Ice Age Trail Service Service project at Hartman Creek Park

Bicycle the Fox A bicycle ride along the Fox River between Kaukauna and DePere. About 32 miles.

Bicycle Trip - Sheboygan Marsh Approximately 26 miles of country roads through hilly farm lands surrounding the marsh.

Bike the Ahnapee Trail From Algoma to Sturgeon Bay. Approximately 30 miles on a rejuvenated, newly surfaced railbed.

Covered Bridge Bike Tour A bicycle ride through Grafton and Cedarburg, beginning at Covered Bridge Park.

The Scenic Dells of the Eau Claire River A hike at the Dells of Eau Claire County Park, east of Wausau. PICTURES

Hike the Michickanee Trails A hike on the Michickanee Trails near Oconto. PICTURES

Ski High Cliff State Park The "loop" is about 3 miles.

North Woods Cross Country Ski At Razorback and Winter Park (Boulder Junction Area). Beautiful trails, great grooming, classic and state trails. Lodging at Northern Highland Motor Lodge, Boulder Junction. Boulder Junction Ski Information

Moon Light Ski or Showshoe on Green Bay Met at Maureen's house for a brisk evening of activity on the frozen shore of the bay. Afterwards warm up with a chili supper near the fireplace.

Hartman Creek Outing We'll do whatever the weather or group interest dictates: cross-country ski, snoeshow, or hike. Bring your own equipment, lunch, and water. We'll easily do 4 miles; farther if you're more ambitious. Easy to intermediate options. We'll provide a map and choose one option.

Nicolet Shores Trip: Cross-Country Ski Eagle River Area Popular annual event. Anvil, Nicolet North, Eagle River Nordik trails - easy to moderate. Lodging at Nicolet Shores, with jacuzzi, pool, fireplace, game area. Two mights in condo unit included with trip fee and Saturday chili supper.

Ski at Nine Mile Swamp near Wausau Nine Mile has a nice warming house with indoor johns. Many trails for all levels are well groomed. Some of the best groomed trails in Wisconsin, for skating and striding. Trail fee.

Join the Milennial Midwinter snowball makers A trip you won't forget. Ski or snowshoe into the wilderness near Florence in NE Wisconsin. Camp 1 night and explore the area during 2 days.... It was a small group and a very easy going trip. We had gorgeous sunny weather. Trails were maybe just skiable but we hiked on hunters trails. Checked out 2 boat landings on the Brule River-Pentoga is veeeeery small; water swift and high. Walked up the hill to the shelter at Lauterman lake and had luxurious camping--3 sided shelter, fireplace/ring, outhouse, great views. Heard owls at night. No coyotes though, unfortunately; Charlie said mange is getting to them. Hiked to the artesian well at the southern end. About 6 miles round trip. Only about 20F at night so very mild.

Hike on the Wiouwash Trail The Wiouwash Trail is right in our own back yard, and really quite wonderful. It is a 20-mile stretch of abandoned railroad bed, converted into a great trail for hiking and biking. It extends from Oshkosh to Hortonville. It is very popular on nice days.

Whadyaknow Show in Madison Join the audience for the recording of this entertaining public radio show.

Look for eagles Look for eagles at the 1000 Island Nature Preserve in Kaukauna. Meet at the Nature preserve parking lot and bring your binoculars. The best time to spot eagles here is in spring after they have returned to their nesting area and before the trees leaf out.

April 22: Earth Day - Annual Fox River(bank) Clean-Up This is an event for the whole community. We worked from 9:00am until Noon at sixteen locations in Appleton, Neenah, Menasha, Kimberly, Kaukauna, and Little Chute.

Hike at Hartman Creek State Park Hike along the Ice Age Trail's southern segment from Emmon's Creek Parking Lot south of Hartman Creek Park to the end of completed Trail on Second Ave. Easy to moderate.

Bike the Wiouwash trail. Meet at 10:00 on Hwy 10 on June 10th, 10 minutes from the mall for 10+ miles.

The Wiouwash Trail is right in our own back yard, and really quite wonderful. It is a 20-mile stretch of abandoned railroad bed, converted into a great trail for hiking and biking. It extends from Oshkosh to Hortonville. It is very popular on nice days. It is scenic and close to wildlife and wild plants. Sandhill Cranes are commonly seen along the trail.

Meet at the trail parking lot in Medina, on Highway 10, at 10:00am across the street from the Liquidator store. (Medina is about 10 minutes west of the Fox River Mall.) We will bicycle the loop going south towards Oshkosh. If the group is ambitious we might ride up to 32 miles, but we certainly can turn around anytime. The trail is flat and easy to ride so it will be an easy trip. Bring water and lunch.

It is also an excellent trail to hike, if you prefer to walk on your own.

Bike the Butte! Bike 30 miles around Lake Butte de Mortes on a combination of trails and roads. Gourmet stops in Winneconne and Omro. Bring money! The route passes through areas of wild flowers. Meet at Fratello's parking lot north of highway 21 (on east side of the Fox River) in Oshkosh at 9:30am.

Bike ride from Appleton to New London Riding on mostly rural roads. Ride 50 miles for an optional stop at Mosquito Hill Nature Center or at the New London Dairy Queen for a picnic or over the counter lunch.

Explore 1000 Islands Environmental Center As stewards of the environment we should be aware of the nature preserves and conservancy areas in our geographical area. Our group visits 1000 Islands in Kaukauna in the spring to view the eagles nests. This is a chance to hike more of the trails and get to know the conservancy better. We can pickup some trash that we find along the trails. Bring a bag lunch for a picnic around noon. Afterwards, if you bring a bike with you, we can continue on to the nearby CE Trail for an easy bike ride. The CE Trail is a popular 6-mile paved trail running from Kaukauna to Kimberly on the north side of College Avenue (County Hwy CE). Environmental groups, including us, have planted trees and shrubs and native prairies along the trail. Meet at nature center.

October: Ice Age Trail Hike-A-Thon Hike-A-Thon at Hartman Creek State Park. The purpose of this event is to raise funds to acquire, develop, and maintain the Ice Age Trail corridor through Wisconsin.

Join thousands of hikers across the state who will be walking on completed segments of the Ice Age Trail, raising funds through sponsor pledges to help preserve this unique natural resource. (It is not necessary to have sponsor pledges.)

The Ice Age Trail is a beautiful Wisconsin treasure. This is a beautiful time of the year.

Mountain Bay Bicycle Ride Bike the Mountain Bay Trail along the scenic half of the trail, through fall colors, from Wausau to Shawano, about 48 miles. Lakeside picnic lunch. Diner together afterwards.

Bike the Rustic Roads Bicycle the rustic roads west of Waupaca starting at Hartman Creek State Park. About 25 miles.

Cross Country Ski at Goodman Park

Ski at Standing Rocks.

Weekend - Rustic Cabin camping at Bubolz Nature Center! Bunks, wood burning stove, stuff like that. Horsedrawn sleigh ride. Moonlight hike. Skiing.

Weekend - Ski in the Hayward area.

Weekend - Winter Camp in Northern Wisconsin. A great opportunity to get really close to Nature! You'll need your own camping gear, skis or snowshoes, and food.

March: Maple Sugar day at Bubolz Nature Center. We will be assisting the Bubolz staff by acting as guides for the many visitors expected for this event. A training session for the volunteers will be held. Come help out at this fun and informative outing.

Evening - Visit the Barlow Planetarium Visit the Barlow Planetarium at UWFV for the 8:00 pm showing of "The New Cosmos", narrated by Sir Arthur C. Clark.

Overnight near Hartman Creek
Member Kelly invited our group to camp on her family-owned property just west of Hartman Creek State Park.

Bike the Wild Goose Trail! Meet at the trailhead in Fond du Lac. Bring your lunch, bike, helmet, and appropriate clothing. We'll eat lunch at the Horicon Marsh Nature Center where we'll learn about the waterfowl migrations and nesting habits.

Bicycle the Elroy-Sparta Bicycle the Elroy-Sparta rail-trail in southwest Wisconsin. This fascinating trail, one of Wisconsin's first, has three tunnels the longest of which is over a mile long. Along the way we will stop at the exhibits to learn of the history of railroads in Wisconsin. In the forested stretches of the trail we may see deer, turkeys, and other wildlife. We'll camp at Tunnel Trail Campground Friday & Saturday nights. Maps and details will be sent to participants prior to the trip.

Hike from the Fanny Lake trailhead Hike 4.5 miles from the Fanny Lake trailhead through the Jones Spring Area in the Nicolet National Forest, about 1.5 hours north of Appleton. After the hike we can drive a short distance to the Cathedral of the Pines to see a Blue Heron rookery.

Paddle the Oconto River Paddle the Oconto River from Pulcifer to Oconto Falls. A quiet water trip. If you are quiet you may see an otter or muskrat on the riverbank. Meet at the town park in Pulcifer.

Bike the Shore to Shore tour in Door County (29 miles on paved roads). Meet at the town park in Bailey's Harbor at 10:00am. We'll bike from Bailey's Harbor to Fish Creek, tour through Peninsula Park, and stop in Ephriam for ice cream before returning to Bailey's Harbor. Bring your bike, water, and helmet.

Paddle Legend Lake in Menominee County Paddle part of beautiful, controversial Legend Lake in Menominee County. Learn about the history of the development and decide for yourself if it's an example of good planning or bad. Caution, there will be motor boat traffic.

Oct/Nov/Dec - Buckthorn removal at Bubolz Nature Preserve. Description of project.

Fish Creek ski weekend. We will stay in the Little Sweden condos (hot tubs both indoors and out, swimming pool, kitchens, fire places). Ski at Peninsula Park, Newport Bay Park, and Mink River.

Ski at Plamann Park.

Ski at Kettle Moraine.

Snowshoe the River Ridge Trail in Waupaca.

Return to Cable / Hayward area, Wisconsin's Ski Mecca! It's a long drive but well worth it. At least a dozen local ski areas offer hundreds of kilometers of trails. Choose the narrow winding and wooded tracks at Rock Lake, or the wide and rolling Birkebeiner trail. Bring your snowshoes. We'll stay in a furnished cabin on Lake Namakogan. We're scheduled for Friday and Saturday but could schedule a third night if arranged early.

Bike Oconto Country Trail. 18 miles (Gillett to Suring round trip), flat terrain, rustic gravel trail on former rail bed. (Optional 21 more on soft sandy surface, but you're on your own for that.) Mountain or cross bikes needed, may be muddy spots. Meet at the Oconto County Fairgrounds on Hwy 22 in Gillett at noon. Scenery: turtles, swamps, a lake and lots of woods; you'll feel like you're in a tree tunnel. Suring has an ice-cream shop!

June: (National Trails Day) Wiouwash Trail Connector Fund raiser. Events all day starting with "The Wiouwash Quad" (Run/Walk/Bike/Horseback Ride) at 9am. Join a team or watch this first-of-a-kind event. Food, drink, auction, children's activities.
See Event Website for more information.

Bike the Northern part of the Wiouwash Trail. 34 miles (Wittenburg to Aniwa round trip), easy to moderate, gravel trail with parts of trail on paved roadway. This is the more recently completed part of the trail, but on an older, more scenic rail bed. We'll stop for GREAT PIE at a Birnamwood truck stop

Explore The Northern Highlands State Forest. Camping Fri & Sat nights at forest campground near Boulder Junction / Sayner. Many activities available: biking the Bearskin Trail, canoeing any of the many near-by lakes, exploring numerous hiking trails, swimming.

Fox Wolf Basin Paddling Trip
We will be paddling from Riverside Park in Neenah to Lutz Park in Appleton. Invited on this trip are the mayors and planning staff from the four communities we will be paddling through as well as our state representatives and staff from both county agencies. This will be an opportunity to learn about the importance of urban greenspace, the proposed Heritage Park along the entire length of the Fox River, the Little Lake Butte des Morts bike/pedestrian trestle and to experience traveling through the Menasha lock.
For further information, please contact Linda Stoll (foxwolf@athenet.net) at Fox-Wolf Basin 2000.
Note: This is NOT a Sierra Club organized outing.

August 31 - September 2 Trap Hills North Country Joint Outing This outing NOT organized by our Group. This is a joint effort of our Chapter and the Central Upper Michigan (CUP) Group. Ron Horn, the John Muir Chapter (Wisconsin) "Chapter Outings Chair" is in charge and coordinating with the CUP and the Forest Service. Web site for info is: www.northcountrytrail.org/pwf/traphills.html Camping is at Matchwood Campground on Tower Road, 6 miles west of Ewen on Old Highway 28 and 2 1/2 miles south on Tower Road. Contact info for the Trap Hills weekend: Ron Horn, 3165 Tree Lane West Bend, WI 53095, 262-675-6747 (Organizer) John Rebers, CUP outings chair, jrebers@nmu.edu Eric Hansen who wrote about the area in the May issue of Backpacker, hansene@execpc.com Doug Welker who is in the North Country Trail Association, dwelker@up.net The area is beautiful, unique, and threatened with logging. The CUP SC group would like to see it not logged or done so in some manner. The weekend is to plan with the Forest Service what the plan should be. Trap is a word for lava and the basalt is of lava origins. The web site will tell you more. There is an area called the Norwich Ledges which some people rock climb. The hills are along and near Hwy M-64 and Old Victoria.

Canoe the upper reach of the Mecan River. About three hours of paddling on flat water. This is a Fox-Wolf Basin 2000 trip. Bring your own canoe, paddles, life jackets, etc. We'll meet for lunch in a local restaurant after the trip.

October Weekend Walk where most people paddle! Backpack trip into the Sylvania Wilderness near Land O'Lakes. Meet at 9:00am on Saturday in Land O'Lakes at the Chamber of Commerce building, on the east side of Highway 45. Have your water bottle filled! Trip difficulty is moderate. We will drive a short distance to the nearby trail head. Our hiking distance will be about 6 miles to Badger campsite, in the heart of the Sylvania. Group size is limited to 10 people. Travel time from Green Bay is about 3.5 hours. From there we will day hike and explore this historic area on foot. Night before camping is available at the drive in Sylvania campground, 4 miles west of Watersmeet, MI. Go west on Highway 2, south 2.5 miles on County Road 535. There is a vehicle fee of $5.00 and camp fee of $10.00. Or, use Lac Vieux Desert southeast of Land O'Lakes, east of Highway 45. Watch for the signs and road number "E". Little is known about the history of the area. A.D. Johnson, a lumberman, bought acreage on Clark Lake intending to harvest the great pine trees. Deciding it was too beautiful to cut, he formed the Sylvania Club which built a lodge, cabins, and roads. In 1967 the U.S. Forest Service bought the area under the Land and Water Conservation Act and opened Sylvania to the public. All buildings were removed, but on the south end of Clark Lake you may see some artifacts. Twenty years later it became the Sylvania Wilderness, and outhouses, picnic tables, and third campsites were removed. Thousands of people have visited and enjoyed its unique characteristics. Look for tall pines and stately hemlocks. Sierra Club members from Chicago and Milwaukee areas have been helpful in campsite maintenance over the years.

Bike the Irish Heritage Tour in the North Kettle Moraine (25 miles). Visit lovely St Michael’s’ Church with its graveyard of Celtic crosses, Parnell Tower, and the Henry S.Reuss Ice Age Interpretive Center along the way. Meet at 9:00 am at the park ‘n ride at the intersection of highways 55 & 114, a mile north of High Cliff golf course. Bring water, helmet, lunch and, of course, a bike.

Annual "Romp in the Swamp" at Bubolz Nature Preserve. Our group helps co-sponsor this event.
See Bubolz Nature Preserve website for more information.

Ski Kettle moraine. Great day trip--my favorite trails, skate or stride. Any skill level. From the trails we can see the effect of the glaciers of 10000 years ago on the landscape. Several loops from which to choose. Greenbush, Zillmer, New Fane. Later on candle light ski at Camp Sinawa food & fun.

Bike the CE trail. Meet at trailhead at Hwy.441 and CE. Ride east on paved trail to Kaukauna High School. Check to see if any of the trees, oak, and hickory, that we planted survived. Hike behind the high school to see where we will pull garlic mustard. Strictly urban

Bike the Fox River State Trail - See how interesting an urban trail can be. Bike the Fox River State Trail from DePere to Greenleaf. Meet at 10:30am in Voyager's Park in DePere. Here the first of 17 locks constructed for barge traffic on the Fox River can be seen. This is a functioning lock, which today primarily serves recreational boaters. South of DePere the trail passes through agricultural land. The Niagara Escarpment can be viewed in the distance. This prominent bluff formation stretches from eastern Wisconsin to Canada providing habitat to a variety of unique plant and animal species. Trail is paved for a few miles, then crushed gravel. Stop for lunch at the Trails End café in Greenleaf (they happily refill water bottles.) Round trip is about 20 miles. Trail pass required.

FVSG Service Project: Garlic Mustard removal from 9:00 to noon. Click for more info.

Hike and explore the Machikanee Trails in Oconto County Forest, about 40 minutes north of Green Bay. This area was once slated to become a landfill and Sierra Club action helped to prevent this. Come check out a success story and see the effects of volunteer activism. Meet at Penny Bernard Schaber's home (815 E. Washington St. Appleton) at 9:00 or meet at the gas station on the Southeast Corner of the Highway M exit on Highway 41 just north of Green Bay at 9:50. Be prepared for an exciting hike by bringing lunch, water and appropriate clothing. Plan to hike about 3 hours and maybe to have time to look for some waterfalls in the area. Penny Schaber 920-739-6041

Lake Shore Bike Trip Check out the new trail along Michigan's shore: the Rawleys Point bicycle in Point Beach has been connected to the Mariners Trail along the lakeshore between Manitowoc and Two Rivers, for a distance one way of close to 20 miles. In the park, the trail is packed crushed stone, suitable for trail or hybrid bikes (possible on road bikes, but there are a few soft spots), and is a winding, rolling ride-a great way to see the forest in fall. In town, the trail is paved, and runs close to the lake, offering changing views of the lake. Check out the results of the seagull abatement efforts. Local history and commentary provided by area resident and trail enthusiast Steve Meyer.

We have planned several interesting stops: in Two Rivers, the home of the ice cream sundae, we will stop at the historic Washington House Museum- a 1850's immigrant hotel and home of Berner's Ice Cream Parlor. In Manitowoc the trail passes the West of the Lake Gardens: the 6 acre estate of the late Ruth and John West- open free to the public, with a variety of gardens. As of 9/3, a fall mum garden was being installed.

The "official" trip is a one way tour: you are welcome to do a round trip, if you wish. We will meet to co-ordinate the car shuttle and determine direction of travel-depends on the 'wind of the day'.

We will have several members of the local bike club (Lakeshore Peddlers) riding with us. They were instrumental in the trail development and can share their experiences.

Meet at the parking lot behind Manitowoc library.

Pick your own apples in beautiful Eau Claire Orchards. Many varieties including the superb Honey Crisp developed by the U. of Minn. just for Midwest growing. Taste before your pick in retail shop (converted barn). Also apple pie and pumpkins. Meet at 10:30am at the Orchard. Bring a picnic lunch to go with that apple pie your just bought. Then...
...Bike the Old Abe State Trail. A 19.5 mile (38 miles round trip) abandoned railroad grade from Chippewa Falls to Cornell. The PAVED trail is flat and easy going and it winds through agricultural land into the community of Jim Falls. Continuing north from Jim Falls the trail follows the undeveloped shoreline of the Chippewa River (The Old Abe Flowage). Solitude and wildlife are abundant. Five miles north of Jim Falls, you will arrive in historic "Cobban", site of the Cobban Bridge! North of Cobban the trail leaves the Chippewa River for several miles before joining back up to the river just south of Cornell. The Old Abe State Trail will eventually create the northern portion of a 70 mile trail system from Menomonie (Red Cedar Trail) through Eau Claire (Chippewa River Trail) and Chippewa Falls to Cornell. We'll leave about 12:30 from the Trail head on 97th Ave (junction of Hwy S & Hwy O). State trail pass required.

Hike at Rib Mountain State Park. Rib Mountain, "towering" 780 feet above the surrounding countryside, is made of some of the oldest rock on earth. Set your hiking boots on top of some of this old quartzite. Meet at 10:30 in the parking lot near the A-frame for about an hour and a half hike. Steeps sections, I recommend bringing hiking or ski poles. After lunch we'll go the Leigh Yawkey Museum in Wausau for the annual Birds in Art fine art exhibit. State park stickers required for Rib Mountain, donation for Museum.

Ski in the Munising area. We can ski at Valley Spur, Pictured Rocks, or numerous other ski areas.

Ski at Hartman Creek State Park. Our group helps maintain and build the Ice Age Trail in and near Hartman Creek State Park during the summer. We also enjoy the Ice Age Trail Hike-A-Thon each October. These trails can be enjoyed in the winter, too. Come skiing and see the trails in their winter costumes. Enjoy hot chocolate and light lunch provided by a camp stove afterwards. We may hike if snow is lacking.


The group for the November 1999 scenic Dells of the Eau Claire River hike.

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