We need lots of help! … Many hands, so to speak … like all the volunteers who worked last fall on a new winter ski trail off the Capser/Nucy Meech trails just outside of town. We would like to invite anyone with a love of island trails and an interest in helping to join us. We’d also love to hear from people who know the history of existing trails or have ideas of their own for how this work might best be done.
"Duck Boards" Construction!
6/15/21-
In June, some members of The Madeline Island Wilderness Preserve and Madeline Island Trails groups joined together to construct "Duck Boards" to make the Burroughs Section of the North End Trail more easily hike-able and dry! They constructed 32 in total! Great work everyone! And special thanks to the leader of the project, Tom Kromroy!
Pictured here is a group of Madeline Island youth enjoying the newly constructed mini boardwalks!
Busy Beavers!
11/4/21
There have been a lot of busy beavers on the island recently! Literally and figuratively!
Some of you may have noticed that a beaver or beavers have been busy damming a section of wetland near the bridge on Capser trail, just southwest of the lookout. The beaver(s) did such a great job that the water levels have been dangerously close to overtaking our wonderful bridge that the Wilderness Preserve and Town of La Pointe installed years ago.
Oftentimes when beaver dams become destructive to human infrastructure, they are simply destroyed. Since it is almost winter, and the busy beaver(s) are likely to not be able to construct another dam to fish in before wintertime, Ken Myhre, President of Madeline Island trails, decided to first try to drain some water from his dam- to appease both parties, so to speak.
Ken installed some special piping through the beaver dam that lets out water slow enought so that the beavers (hopefully) wont touch it, and was able to drain enough water so that the bridge is not in peril- at least at the moment!
Thanks for the dam good work Ken!
Pictured are a before and after photo, and some of the beaver(s) handy work!
Please remove fallen branches/limbs from the trail. Thank you!