The dirt trails have been closed for the time being.
Forester John Byrd just announced that due to over an inch of rain this week that has made the trails wet and predictions of more today, the Dirt Trails in the Lick Creek Unit are closed to riding.
Wet Weather Trails are OPEN.
As always, stay safe!
Kathy
Sec/Editor
All Trails Are Open
Forester John Byrd advised us that all the Lick Creek trails have been 95% cleared of down trees. Plus the dirt trails are dry enough to ride--so ALL OPEN for riding. Thanks much to the DNR Shimek Crew for clearing the trails.
Camping Rate Increase for 2024
You need to know about a change in the camping rates at Shimek Forest campgrounds. The Iowa DNR has set the camping fee for equestrian campgrounds in the Lick Creek Unit, both Upper Campground and Lower Campground, at $14/ night. The fee for the non-equestrian campgrounds at Bitternut and White Oak has been set at $10/ night. These rates will be year round and go into effect February 16, 2024.Gray Foxes
Friends of Shimek 2024
Friends
of Shimek have new officers to start this year off.
Let’s
begin by introducing them.
President: Herman (Sonny) Gipe
Vice President: Neal Hartman
Secretary: Kathy Weber
Treasure: Debbie Miller
Volunteer Hours Coordinator: Lala O’Hara
Grant Officer: Teresa Murry
Member at Large/Trail reporter: Marsha Achenbauch
Member at Large: Jo Watson
Lora Conrad is still working behind the scenes posting
information on our Facebook page as well.
The board has set up three workdays for the summer. Please feel free to come to any or all of these days. Volunteers are never turned away! I am sure we will find something for everyone to do. A lunch break will be taken around noon. You should bring a sack lunch if you plan to attend for the entire day. Water will be provided.
May 16, 2024 –Meet at the lower
campground at 8:30 am
Neal Hartman will be the coordinator.
Projects will be cleaning trails,
installing new signage, cleaning firepits, and campgrounds.
August 15 – Meet at the lower
campground at 8:30 am
Sonny Gipe will be the coordinator.
Projects will be determined after the
1st workday.
September 28 – Statewide All
Volunteer workday. All volunteers are to
meet at the lower campground at 10 am.
Patrick Thomas will be in
charge. No coordinator was assigned at
this time.
DNR Technician Patrick Thomas has been posting the entrance
conditions leading into the Lick Creek unit.
As of today 2-6-24, the road is clear.
The dirt trails remain closed.
However, the Wet Weather trail is open.
Be mindful there could be some downed limbs, trees, soft spots, and ice
and snow in the shaded areas. The
campgrounds are a little soggy with some standing water from the recently melted
snow. Patrick will be posting road and camp conditions periodically on our
Facebook page (Friends of
Shimek State Forest Equestrian Trails, Inc.) to help keep you informed
of troubled areas or the safety of entering the Lick Creek Unit.
If you have any other questions, please contact us at FOShimek@gmail.com
As always- be safe, be kind, and smile because it looks good
on you!
Kathy
Secretary/Editor
Follow us on our blog:
friendsofshimek.blogspot.com
or
Facebook page - Friends of Shimek State Forest Equestrian
Trails,Inc.
Friends of Shimek 2023
2023 has come and gone leaving behind many memories.
The year started with some ice and snow conditions that hampered travel and left the entrance road to the campgrounds with a blanket of slippery wet conditions.
The first workday was held in May. FOS volunteers and DNR staff gathered to work on various projects. Firepits were cleaned, cans were sorted, bagged, and made ready to be hauled to the redemption center. A few new hitching rails were installed to replace the ones that had become unstable, and fresh lime chips were spread around most of the hitching rails, limbs and down trees were removed from the trails. This left the trails and campground in tip top shape for the upcoming long holiday weekend.
Construction started on realigning some of the campsites to allow for a more user-friendly site. New firepits were ordered to replace some of the more dilapidated ones. There is a total of 13 firepits that will be replaced as soon as weather permits. Three are already in place.
Van Buren County Historic Preservation Commission presented a Historic Preservation Award to the Friends of Shimek and the Shimek DNR staff for "continuous clearing and maintenance of equine trails at the heart of the forest management system built by the CCC in the 1930's." The award was presented at their annual banquet. Shimek Forester John Byrd and Marsha Achenbach, Vice-President of Friends of Shimek, accepting on behalf of their respective organizations. Lisa Plecker, Van Buren County Auditor and Paul Larson, Commission Chair, presenting the awards. Friends of Shimek and Forester Byrd wish to thank the Van Buren County Historic Preservation Commission for their recognition of the work done to maintain the trail system.
Mounting blocks have been a hot topic for many years. We have finally constructed and strategically placed three mounting blocks (like the ones at the campgrounds) throughout the forest. You will find them close to the Wet Weather Trails for all riders to use. It is refreshing to know you can safely dismount and remount without fear of the log rolling away or walking through the weeds (poison ivy) to find a place to get back on.
(By the way- Sonny took the time to construct the mounting blocks in his spare time)
As 2023 gives way to 2024 there will be more changes within the Friends of Shimek board officers. We want to thank the two outgoing officers for their tireless efforts and a job well done while serving on the board.
Lora Conrad – has served as secretary of Friends of Shimek since the group began. She has tirelessly informed, organized, created, documented, and posted many, many articles, Facebook posts, grant letters and applications. She was the reference point when any question was asked. Her ability to create was second to none. Her leadership and inspiration will be greatly missed.
Thank you, Lora, for all your hard work, positive influence on all the people you encountered, and your knowledge and wisdom of all the technical documents needed so we as a group can continue to thrive as the Friends of Shimek. You have been an inspiration to all the past and present board members.
Jo Watson – has served as the Volunteer Hours coordinator. She has tracked and reported all the volunteer hours to Forester John Byrd. The volunteer hours are required to be sent on to the state for recognition of the work done at Shimek Forest. Jo also would take pictures on workdays to show what projects had been accomplished and who was lending a helping hand. Thank you, Jo, for all your hard work in emailing, posting, and reporting all volunteer hours. You will be greatly missed.
This new year will bring many changes, especially to the Friends of Shimek board. We look forward to new adventures this coming year.
The new officers will be posted in the next newsletter which will follow our January meeting. Please stay tuned!
As always, may your troubles be less, your blessing more, and may nothing but happiness come through your door. (BG)
Until then,
Stay safe, be kind, and smile because it looks good on you.
Kathy President/Editor
Welcome to Winter
Rain, snow and mud have arrived!
Due to the recent rainfall and snow, the dirt trails are now CLOSED.
The Wet Weather Trails will remain open at the present time.
As always, stay safe!
Kathy
Editor
It's that time of year again.
Shotgun Deer Season Opens
From DNR: "... more than 100,000 blaze orange clad hunters will be walking, posting, sitting and standing in Iowa’s timber and field edges hoping to tag an Iowa deer. The first deer gun season is Dec. 2-6; the second deer gun season is Dec. 9-17."
That is a lot of people standing there with guns at the ready! Please don't take the chance of you or your horse or your dog being mistaken for a deer or your horse being spooked by unexpected people/objects in the woods!
Mounting Blocks
This is one of the best announcements we have made in a very long time!
I don't know about you, but I am excited to be able to dismount and mount safely along the trail.
 |
| Sonny Gipe shoveling gravel into the mounting block form. |
Announcing: Trail Side Mounting Blocks Installed!!! Forester John Byrd, DNR Forest staff member Ben Hassman and Sonny Gipe, FOS Board member got it done today!! Many thanks from all of us riders to this group. Sonny purchased the material, with donations from FOS members, and constructed the three wooden mounting blocks in his home shop. They are the same type as were constructed by FOS Past-President Ringo Covert for the campgrounds earlier. Today, using DNR equipment, the blocks (and gravel) were transported to their final locations and filled with gravel. So they are there now for your convenience in getting on and off your horse while riding. As Forester John Byrd said in announcing this: " Mounting blocks are installed at trail markers 3, 11, and 13. Come ride and try them out!"
Volunteer Work Day
The Iowa DNR held a Volunteer Work Day to upgrade a few of the camping sites and install some much-needed fire rings.
I huge Thank You to those that could attend to assist with this project.
Kathy
President/Editor
Photos courtesy of Patrick Thomas.
Volunteers Needed!
