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Mountain bike trail building experts coming to THE U.P. AND Madison, Wis. An International Mountain Bicycling Association's (IMBA) Subaru /IMBA Trail Care Crew will be in the Michigan U.P.'s Keweenaw Penininsula July 31 to August 3 and then in the Madison, Wisconsin, area August 7-10 to talk trails and to teach proper trail building techniques. The Trail Care Crew events are open to anyone with an interest in supporting mountain biking in Wisconsin and Michigan. The award-winning Subaru/IMBA Trail Care Crew program includes two full-time, professional teams of trail experts who travel North America year-round, leading IMBA Trail Building Schools focused on sustainable trail building techniques, meeting with government officials and land managers, and working with IMBA-affiliated groups to improve mountain biking opportunities. IMBA's crews have led more than 1,000 trail projects since the program debuted in 1997. The IMBA crews teach "sustainable" trail building, which means building trails that last a long time and require minimal maintenance. This helps reduce trail damage, protects the environment and enhances visitor enjoyment. Most Trail Care Crew visits last four days, allowing time to assess local trails, host an evening event at a bike shop, conduct a two-day trail building school and ride with the locals. The Subaru/IMBA Trail Care Crew program has inspired great volunteer trail work across the U.S. and abroad - a big help to government agencies and land managers who have limited funding for trail construction and upkeep. As a direct result, there are now thousands of new and improved trails in all 50 states, Canada, Mexico and several European countries. Coming to the U.P. and Madison are crew members Kelly and Collins Bishop from Chattanooga, Tennessee. All are welcome to join them at the following events: Michigan's Keweenaw, July 31 to Aug. 3 The Bishops will team up with the Copper Harbor Trails Club (CHTC), Keweenaw Trekkers and Michigan Tech Sports and Recreation to put on a trailbuilding school, group rides and other fun activities. All participants are asked to attend both the Saturday classroom and Sunday field sessions. Thurs., July 31 Fri., Aug. 1 Sat., Aug. 2 Sun., Aug. 3 For more information, contact Lori Hauswirth at haus@chartermi.net. Madison, Wis., area, Aug. 9-10 Sat., Aug. 9 Sun. Aug. 10 For more information and to register for the IMBA trailbuilding school in the Madision area, contact Scott Baryenbruch of CORP at scott@madcitydirt.org or visit www.madcitydirt.org. For a complete list of visit dates, photos and additional information on the Subaru/IMBA Trail Care Crew, visit www.imba.com. Wisconsin Ped/Bike Conference, Aug. 13-14, to take aim at energy crisis As of 2002, 1.2 percent of all trips by Americans were made by bicycle and 7 percent of all trips were made on foot, so that human-powered transportation accounted for 8.2 percent of all trips taken, according to the U.S. Household Travel Survey. The same survey indicated that the distance of 41 percent of all trips taken was less than 2 miles and the distance of 61 percent of trips was less than 5 miles. With the recent astonishing increase in energy costs, the crisis in health care related to sedentary lifestyles and a growing awareness of the effects of fossil fuels on global warming, we are approaching the tipping point whereby walking and bicycling as a transportation alternative can be a winner on all three fronts. The 2008 Wisconsin Pedestrian and Bicycle Conference in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, August 13-14, will gather nonmotorized advocates and transportation professionals to discuss how to bring about this necessary transportation modal shift by the end of the decade while acting as a force for positive economic and social change. The conference is supported by the Governor's Bicycle Council, Wisconsin Walks, Wisconsin Department of Trans-portation, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, West Central Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission, Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin and the city of Eau Claire. This year's event, held at the Ramada Convention Center, promises to be the premier educational and networking event for transportation professionals, educators, public health specialists, park and recreation managers, elected officials, planners and citizens who are involved in the creation of bicycle- and pedestrian-friendly environments. Registration for the two-day conference prior to August 1 is $90 and will include one dinner, two lunches, one breakfast and all breaks. Registration after August 1 is $125. Student registration is $50 before August 1 and $75 after August 1. For complete conference information click on http://www.dot.wisconsin.gov/news/events/bikeped08-contacts.htm. As a bonus event for conferees, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation will sponsor a two-day pedestrian safety workshop titled "Developing a Pedestrian Safety Action Plan." The workshop will be free of charge but participation is limited to 35. See http://www.walkinginfo.org /training/pdps/ for more information. Illinois finding Safe Routes to School Statewide conference, Aug. 13-14 Registration is now open for the Illinois Safe Routes to School Conference at Illinois State University in Normal, Illinois, August 13-14. This free conference provides two full days of workshops and presentations for schools, municipalities and advocates across the state who want to encourage and enable children to walk and bike to school. Day 1 of the conference is the Safe Routes to School National Course that will provide a comprehensive overview of the need for safe routes. Day 2 is the Illinois Safe Routes to School Conference, featuring successful examples of Safe Routes to School projects around the state. Register for one or both days at www.biketraffic.org/saferoutes. NE Ill. Safe Routes to School Task Force networks The Northeast Illinois Safe Routes to School Task Force provides direction and leadership for the development of programs that focus on making walking and bicycling to school a safe and valued activity. Experts from the fields of transportation, health and education are invited to join. The task force provides an opportunity for communities to network and monitor Safe Routes to School activities. For more information, e-mail Shana Hazan at shana@biketraffic.org or call 312/427-3325, ext. 291. Wisconsin Nordic Walking Championship & Woolly Mammoth Classic Run-Walk Sept. 6 The Wisconsin State 5K Nordic Walking Championship will be one of the events at the 2008 Woolly Mammoth Classic run-walk. The seventh annual running of the Woolly Mammoth Classic and Hulda Hilfiker Memorial Run-Walk will be held as part of the Brill Harvest Festival on Saturday, September 6. Male and female events will be held for a 5K and 10K competitive trail run, 5K fun walk and a one-mile youth run in addition to the Nordic walking event. Last year the Woolly Mammoth Classic held the first competitive Nordic walking event in Wisconsin. This year's male and female champions will be awarded trophies and their entry fee will be paid for the third annual Nordic Walking World Championship to be held as part of the Portland Marathon on October 5 in Oregon. Opportunities to learn Nordic walking techniques and to try out equipment will be possible on Thursday, July 17, and Thursday, August 28. The seminars, providing participants with instruction on the use of walking poles to provide a full body exercise, will be held at Adventures Restaurant in Rice Lake starting at 7 p.m. Nancy Frank from public television's "Outdoor Wisconsin" will demonstrate how the poles condition the body, strengthen the lungs and heart and provide other health benefits in an easy and enjoyable way. All events will be held on the Tuscobia Segment of the Ice Age Trail that has been designated by the National Park Service a National Scenic Trail segment. Awards will be presented to first- and second-place finishers in all events. All registered participants will receive T-shirts and a goody bag. The annual event is held in memory of Hulda Hilfiker and her many civic contributions, including spearheading the conversion of the 74-mile Tuscobia railroad corridor into the recreation trail it is today. Registration for adults is $10 before August 28 and $15 thereafter. The registration fee for youth walkers and runners is $8. All proceeds above expenses will be used to improve the Ice Age Trail in Barron, Rusk and Washburn counties. Further information can be obtained from Linda Schuh at Dairy State Bank at 715/354-34111 or summit5@centurytel.net. Registration forms are available at www.eventbrite.com/woolly mammoth. CXC launches online cross-country ski academy The Hayward, Wisconsin-based Central Cross-Country Ski Association launched in June the CXC Academy - interactive online coaching support for novice to veteran skiers. The educational audio and video content is available on demand via personal computer. Users of the program can download yearly training plans based on their individual training background, strengths and weaknesses as well as time available for training. The academy is led by professionals with expertise in training, technique, exercise physiology, nutrition, sports psychology and various other aspects of athletic training. The objective of the academy is to help academy enrollees improve their race times. "We are very excited about this project," CXC athletic director Yuriy Gusev said. "It is a product of much hard work and taps into many resources. The goal of this project is to provide easy access to education for athletes and coaches at all levels." For more, go to cxcacademy.com. National Park(ing) Day coming to Twin Cities, Chicago Sept. 19 National Park(ing) Day, when metered public parking spaces nationwide will become temporary public parks, is set for September 19. The project is sponsored by The Trust for Public Land (TPL), a national conservation nonprofit. National Park(ing) Day is an annual event celebrating parks by creating temporary parks in public parking spaces. Supporters in 25 cities nationwide, including Chicago, Minneapolis, New York, Atlanta, Boston, New Orleans, Denver, Washington, D.C., Seattle, San Francisco, and Los Angeles, have announced participation. The goals, according to organizers, are to celebrate parks and promote the need for more parks in America's cities. "By turning parking spaces into instant parks, National Park(ing) Day is a creative way to demonstrate the real need to create more parks in our cities," TPL President Will Rogers said. "Across America, cities are renewing their investments in parks because our civic leaders have come to recognize that close-to-home parks, gardens and playgrounds are essential if we are to have cities that aren't just livable, but lovable." In 2007, National Park(ing) Day spawned more than 200 new parks in more than 50 cities nationwide and around the world. The park(ing) parks in Minneapolis and St. Paul reflected contrasting park needs. In Minneapolis, a park(ing) park in the heart of downtown highlighted the need for a park there. In St. Paul, a park(ing) park was created in the Frogtown neighborhood, where local parks are also hard to come by. The effort to turn parking spots into green spaces - by laying down turf, potted trees, benches etc. - has garnered media attention, including a short film on the Sundance Channel. A YouTube video shot in San Francisco shows all the park(ing) materials delivered by bicycle. It was unclear whether the same approach would be taken by Park(ing) Day activists in the Midwest. However, a contact for the project in Chicago is active there with critical mass rides, monthly gatherings of thousands of cyclists on city streets. For more information about National Park(ing) Day, go to www.tpl.org. Soles4Souls launches charity running team Soles4Souls Inc., the international shoe charity dedicated to providing free shoes to needy people around the world, recently launched a running team called SolesInMotion. The nonprofit organization designed the running team in order to provide competitive and casual runners a charitable cause to rally behind during their individual races. "We've found the running community at large to be very supportive of our charity," said Wayne Elsey, founder and CEO of Soles4Souls Inc. "They are energized, engaged and open to our mission, which is to put shoes on the feet of needy people and victims of natural disasters." The SolesInMotion racing team is designed for ecologically minded runners of all skills, and is currently registering new members. An optional training plan can be individually tailored to give team members personalized assistance to complete a marathon or half marathon. The training plan includes training schedules, dietary guidelines and group support. Elsey said that running clubs around North America are adopting the charity as their cause, and Soles4Souls has hired a full-time race director to coordinate members, team events and celebrity endorsements. The charity is also seeking a wide range of corporate sponsorships for upcoming events. Based in Nashville, Tennessee, Soles4Souls facilitates the donations of both new and used shoes, which are used to aid the hurting worldwide. Since its inception, Soles4Souls has collected more than 3.3 million pairs from shoe companies, retailers and individuals. The shoes have been distributed in more than 60 countries, including Mexico, Honduras, Romania, Thailand and Sudan. The charity Soles4Souls is a 501(c)(3) recognized by the IRS; donating parties are eligible for tax advantages. For more information on SolesIn Motion, visit www.giveshoes.org |
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