Workday CANCELLED 8-14-24

  Volunteer Work Day at Shimek Forest August 15th.

WORK DAY HAS BEEN CANCELLED

DUE TO STORMY WEATHER PREDICTED.

 In the event this expected inclement weather misses us, you are welcome to work on the trails and clean firepits in the campground.

Meet with Patrick Thomas, DNR Technician and Sonny Gipe, FOS President, at Lower Campground, at left side, at 8:30 AM on Thursday, August 15th. Activities planned include clearing downed trees on the trails and trails trash pickup. If you are going to help clear downed trees, bring ATV, chainsaw and personal protective equipment, etc. Campground work needed, if you can help, includes: Sorting cans for recycle, Painting, Campground clean up. Bring gloves. We will work until about noon. All volunteers welcome. No prior experience necessary.

Weather issues: There is an active weather pattern for this week that could change the status of the work day. Any change will be posted here.

Hopefully the weather will cooperate and some much needed clean up can take place.

As always, stay safe!

Kathy

Secretary/Editor

Workday Scheduled Thursday 8-15-24

 Volunteer Work Day at Shimek Forest August 15th.

CAN YOU HELP?

Meet with Patrick Thomas, DNR Technician and Sonny Gipe, FOS President, at Lower Campground, at left side, at 8:30 AM on Thursday, August 15th. Activities planned include clearing downed trees on the trails and trails trash pickup. If you are going to help clear downed trees, bring ATV, chainsaw and personal protective equipment, etc. Campground work needed, if you can help, includes: Sorting cans for recycle, Painting, Campground clean up. Bring gloves. We will work until about noon. All volunteers welcome. No prior experience necessary.

Weather issues: There is an active weather pattern for this week that could change the status of the work day. Any change will be posted here.

Hopefully the weather will cooperate and some much needed clean up can take place.

As always, stay safe!

Kathy

Secretary/Editor

All Trails are open as of 8-7-24

All trails are now open!

There may be some muddy spots so please use caution in those areas. 

It's going to be a beautiful weekend for riding.  Get out there and enjoy this cooler weather!

Have a wonderful time!

Kathy

Secretary/Editor

Dirt Trails are closed 7-29-24

 Due to quite a rain storm last night at Shimek Forest, Forester Byrd reminds us:

The Wet Weather Trails remain open for use.

Please be aware the big horse flies are coming out if full force. Your riding companion would appreciate some protection from their bites. The weather is predicted to be hot this week. Remember to hydrate your animal and drink plenty of fluids yourself.

As always be courteous on the trail, smile because it looks good on you, and do your very best to ensure everyone has a nice day on their trek through the forest.

Happy Trails

Kathy

Secretary/Editor

Dirt Trails are CLOSED 4-18-24

 The dirt trails have been CLOSED.

As of 4/18/24 9:30 AM, Shimek Lick Creek DIRT trails closed to riding due to rainfall received. Wet Weather Trails are still open. Status message also available from Forester John Byrd on the Shimek Forest office phone at 319-878-3811.

It is Spring!  We can most definitely expect to have a roller coaster ride of weather.  We will post when the trails are reopened.  Until then, enjoy the WWT.

Stay safe, 

Kathy

Secretary/Editor

Dirt Trails are CLOSED as of 4-2-24

 

ForesterJohn Byrd has CLOSED the Dirty Trails.

4/2/24... 8:19AM Yes-DIRT TRAILS ARE NOW CLOSED to riding in the Lick Creek Unit of Shimek Forest.. Rain has been coming down off and on all night and still is ....So:

As the rain continues to fall, we must appreciate this will be only temporary. Spring is here. Flowers are starting to pop up and bloom in places. One of these days very soon the weather will be nice and warm again.

Until that time,

Stay Safe

Kathy

Secretary/Editor

Trails are open 3-28-24

 Trail Status

3-28-24

 Shimek Forester John Byrd: "All trails are OPEN. This time of year trails can open and close often so please check before you ride. Thank you!" Closure status messages are posted on the FOS facebook page as well as on the Iowa DNR Trail Closure page. A recorded message is left on the DNR Shimek office phone at 319-8778-3811.

Have a wonderful week!

Kathy

Secretary/Editor

Update from Patrick Thomas 3-25-24

 Notes from Patrick 

Update 3-25-24

This past Thursday, 3/21, volunteers Lisa and Dave McDowell, Bill Mathias and Ike Meek worked with me to remove old fire rings and install new ones in better locations and even relocated a hitching rail! My appreciation to the volunteers who put in a total of 15 hours of work to help get this done. We are almost finished with this Lee County Charitable Fund project. Volunteer Bill Mathias plans to join me this coming Thursday to install the last ring that we have purchased. So no additional help will be needed this Thursday in the campground. Did snap a photo (l to r) of Bill Mathias, Ike Meek and Dave McDowell working on a fire ring.

It is great to see the progress that has been made.  I don't know about you, but I am getting anxious for the camping/riding season to get underway.

As always, stay safe

Kathy

Secretary/Editor

Notes from Patrick Thomas on the campground fire ring progress.

 Progress is being made!

Notes from Patrick -3/8/24

Progress on installing Firepits! Yesterday two volunteers helped me with the installation of 3 fire rings and 2 culverts in the Lick Creek Lower Campground. In addition we three finished the work on one campsite pad and got most of another finished in four hours of work. That's a lot of progress. I very much appreciate the great help provided as well as the interesting conversations with Isaiah "Ike" Meek and Bill Mathias. These photos show Ike and BIll hard at work on one of the firepits. Thank You, Ike! Thank You, Bill. I plan on continuing to work on this on Thursday March 21 and March 28 about 9:00AM. If you can join us, we would much appreciate the help in making our campsites safer and more comfortable. Call if you have any questions.

Bill Mathias (left) and Ike Meek begin installing a firepit. Ike is getting a workout there with that bag of Quickrete!

Making the final adjustments to the new Firepit.

Until next time,

Get out and enjoy the great outdoors!

Patrick Thomas

Natural Resources Technician

cell 319-931-7805

Volunteer help needed on Thursdays

 Do you have time to volunteer your time?

Do you like to camp and ride your horses or mules at Shimek Forest? Then will you help with the camping site improvement project in the Lower Campground in the Lick Creek Unit?? Three Thursdays in March beginning at 9:00AM, Patrick Thomas, DNR Technician, will be working on the Campsite Improvement project to upgrade sites for your convenience and safety. The current work is to replace the old fire rings with new ones. The fire rings are provided under a grant from the Lee County Charitable Fund to Friends of Shimek. To install them, volunteers are needed who can help remove the old ones, level the new space for a fire ring, install a new one and spread some gravel around it. No previous experience needed but gloves and a shovel would be handy! So if you can contribute a few hours beginning about 9AM on these Thursdays in March--- March (7, 21, and 28 --or until all are finished!) --your help would be appreciated. 

Here is a photo of FOS Board Member Teresa Murray and Dave Forsythe, DNR Summer Staff helping Patrick with installation of some of the new fire rings last fall.

 If you have any questions, contact Patrick at cell phone 319-931-7805. 

Follow the updates each week on the Friends of Shimek Facebook page or on the Friends of Shimek blog page.

As always, be kind and smile because it looks good on you!

Kathy

Secretary/Editor