Trails are Open 7-19-23

 The dirt trails are now open for use.

Please be mindful of any wet soggy areas

 and avoid them if possible.

Kathy's Tid Bits:

The ticks are very plentiful this year.  Please use extra caution to protect your animal and yourself. 

Poison ivy is also very thick in the forest.  Good rule of thumb " Leaves of three, leave it be."

The weather is going to get very hot and humid next week.  You need to ensure you are properly hydrated as well as your animal.  You should avoid riding in the hottest parts of the day.  If you must be out in the extreme heat, take several breaks in a shaded area and drink plenty of fluids.  Your animal will need to have access to plenty of fresh water and shade to rest also.

Be safe and be careful in these temperatures.

Smile, because it looks good on you!

Kathy

President/Editor

Dirt Trails Are CLOSED

 We have been blessed with rain.  Seven - yes- Seven inches to be exact.  We are thankful for the rain to restore the much-needed moisture for the trees, pastures, and crops.

The unofficial rain gauge showing what 7" of rain looks like.

However, this has caused the dirt trails to be closed until it dries up enough to safely use them again.

DNR Shimek Technician has reported the following:

Hello everyone, hope you all are doing well over this Fourth of July holiday!

We have had 7" of rain the last four days and it is still raining here. The rain is very welcome, however. The dirt trails have been CLOSED today for equestrian use, the WWT (Wet Weather Trail) is OPEN. Please obey this as the dirt trails are soft and tracks in them will collect water and take longer to dry out and have the staff work on any problem areas which equates to you the rider not being able to ride on them sooner.

Have a safe holiday and I'll see you out there!

The campgrounds faired pretty well.

 There is some standing water in the tree line.

Standing water at these camp spots. 

What did 7 inches of rainfall do to the Lower Campground at Shimek Lick Creek this week? We all know its on low ground and has been swamped before. But our hard-working DNR staff have been embarked on a project to upgrade the parking area and improve the quality of the sites this past year. Has it worked? Sure has!! Then two photos showing that there is only a small amount of standing water and no really soggy spots. Thanks for all the improvements!

 We will post when the dirt trails will be open again.  Until then, please use the Wet Weather Trail for your riding enjoyment.

May your troubles be less your blessing more and may nothing but happiness come through your door.

Kathy

President/Editor

Photos (and a lot of work) --thanks to Patrick Thomas

Successful workday completed on 5-16-23

 Friends of Shimek held a very successful workday.

FOS held their first Workday of 2023 on 5/16. Pictured is part of the crew of 12 FOS Volunteers and 4 DNR crew - Lala O'Hara, Dan and Martha Andrews, Bob and Marsha Achenbach, Sonny and Tammy Gipe, Jo Watson, Ann Bennett, Nancy Graves, Neal Hartman, Teresa Murray, Heath Fraise, Eric Martin, Ben Hassman, Patrick Thomas, and John Byrd worked on trails, hitching rail rocking, campground cleanup, and can sorting for recycling.

       

FOS Volunteers cleaned all the firepits at the Lick Creek campgrounds on the work day. Here volunteers Dan and Martha are shown shoveling the ashes and trash left into the bucket of the skidsteer. Campers-PLEASE Do NOT put cans and bottles into the firepit. We have recyling bins at both campgrounds for cans and bottles. There are also garbage bins at each campground to place garbage such as diapers and twine in. Only put in the firepits what will burn without creating a lot of smelly smoke and leaving plastic or wire etc behind! The firepits are now clean and ready for the holiday.

This hard working crew sorted and bagged several months of accumulated cans and bottles from the campgrounds. This helps keep the grounds clean and provides a little money for FOS by returning all that are eligible for the Iowa refund which means Iowa refundable bottles and cans that are not squashed and then taking all others to state recycling centers. Please help out by placing empty cans and bottles in the wire bins for that purpose that the DNR Crew places in the campgrounds. Shown are Marsha and Jo (seated) and Nancy and Ann (standing). Thanks very much for that mountain of sorting and thanks to Ann for transporting a horse trailer full of cans to the refund center.

DNR Technician Patrick Thomas unloads the lie chips at the hitching posts while others work leveling the lime chips.

Most every FOS Workday includes clearing brush and fallen trees back from the trails. The DNR Crew regularly remove all downed trees that are blocking passage on the trails but this time of year with windy weather and fast growth, there is always more trail cleanup needed. Both Volunteers and DNR Crew took ATV's, chainsaws and loppers out to clear back trees and brush. Shown here are DNR crew Eric and Heath removing a tree from the trail and FOS Volunteer Neal trimming back some trail side briars and brush. Several other crews were out on the trails as well.

The morning's work was rewarded by sweet treats provided

by the Gipe's and baked at Sprinkles on 5th.

                       

The campground and trails are now ready for the upcoming holiday---Thank you everyone for you very hard work!

Camping, hiking, and riding season is here. It's time to get out and enjoy the beautiful weather and see friends along the trails.

As you ride or hike along, be courteous to each other as you meet on the trail or in the campground. If you come across something that needs to be addressed (a downed tree, a crossing that needs attention, troublesome briers hanging over the trail, etc.) by the DNR crew, please make contact with the forester's office.

We have been blessed with a beautiful forest to enjoy. Let's keep it that way!

Smile because it looks good on you!

May your troubles be less, your blessings more, and may nothing but happiness come through your door. (BG)

Have a wonderful summer!

Kathy

President/Editor

John Byrd Forester -

John Byrd, Area Forester, Shimek State Forest, 33653 Route J56,

Farmington, IA 52626 John.Byrd@dnr.iowa.gov 319-878-3811 (office)

Work Day Scheduded 5-16-23

 

Can you help at the Friends of Shimek Workday?

The next FOS Group Work Day will be held on Tuesday, May 16, 2023 and coordinated by FOS Board Member Sonny Gipe. Meet with Sonny and Forester John Byrd and Technician Patrick Thomas at 8:30 AM in the Lick Creek Lower Campground. Forester Byrd will give assignments for the day. Priorities will include clearing trails (ATV's and chain saws needed) and lots of campground work. Campground work needed includes cleanup camp sites and horse stalls prior to Memorial Day plus collect and sort recycle items.

A major project needed is to spread lime chips around hitching rails and in the horse stalls, provided the soil is dry enough. For this we need people who can rake lime chips. Please bring rakes, shovels and wheelbarrows to do this. These lime chips help greatly to keep campers and horses out of the mud and must be done every few years.

After a morning of work, all will return to the Lower Campground at noon to report back on progress, discuss upcoming activities, then rest a while with friends. Bring a sack lunch (if you like), water provided. Don't forget your blaze orange Friends of Shimek work vest if you have one. There will be some loaners available to identify all of us as volunteers. Remember—no previous volunteer experience necessary.
We will post on Facebook and the FOS blog if rained out. NOTE: If you let us know you are coming by an e-mail to FOShimek@gmail.com, we will call or e-mail you if we are rained out. 
Kathy's Tid Bits:
The wood ticks are out very thick again this year.  It would be advised to use some type of good tick repellant. Sunscreen would be advisable if you are working in the hot sun also.
A good pair of gloves would be beneficial also.
Hand pruners (if you are going out on the trails) would be helpful to trim back the pesky multiflora rose bushes that are hanging out in the trails. 
Thank you to all that can make it out to assist on this workday.
Kathy
President/EditorFOShimek@gmail.com

Trails are open 4-26-23

 

Forester John Byrd just announced: All Shimek Trails Open!!!

As a reminder, watch for ticks. They are very plentiful again this year.

Riding season is here. You need to be prepared for any emergency situation with you and your animal.

Kathy's Tidbits:

How well do you know your horse, mule, or donkey?

What do you have readily available for First Aid in case of an emergency?

Do you know your animal's normal temperature? Their normal pulse, breathing rate?

Do you know your Vet's number or the closest Vet to the vicinity that you are currently riding in?

Take a minute and know what you need to have available before you are confronted in an emergency.

Be safe and enjoy the ride!

As always, smile because it looks good on you!

Kathy

President/Editor

Time to stop pruning oak trees

Information on pruning oak trees.

 Shimek Forest is over 9,000 acres here in Van Buren and Lee Counties with many many oak trees of different species---the beauty of the forest is dependent upon them as well as its future. Shimek Forester John Byrd shared this message from DNR. Please do your part and stop any trimming of oaks by mid-March to slow the spread of Oak Wilt.

Time to stop pruning oak trees

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) suggests finishing pruning oak trees by the end of the second week in March to prevent the spread of oak wilt.

“The best way to prevent the spread of oak wilt is to prune oak trees from November until mid-March,” said Tivon Feeley, forest health program leader with the Iowa DNR. “However, the warm weather conditions indicate that spring might be a bit early this year and for that reason, we recommend finishing your oak pruning by the end of the second week in March.”

Oak wilt, caused by a fungus, has been present in Iowa for many years. Iowa’s red, black, and pin oak are more susceptible to oak wilt, but it can also infect white and bur oak. Black, pin, or red oak usually die within the same summer they are infected. White oak and bur oak can often take a number of years before they succumb to this disease.

Oak wilt can spread from infected trees to healthy trees in two ways: a small beetle that carries spores of the fungus from a diseased tree to a healthy tree with an open wound during the growing season, and through root grafts connecting nearby oaks. For example, if a red oak is infected and there is another red oak within 50 to 100 feet, there is a good chance that the roots of these trees are grafted and the fungus can move from the diseased tree to the healthy tree.

Feeley says symptoms to look for on infected trees usually include leaves turning a bronzed brown along the outer margins of the leaves. These leaves can often still have some green on them as they fall from the tree. The defoliation tends to start at the top of the tree.

The best way to prevent the spread of oak wilt is to prevent any wounding to oak trees during the growing season. If a tree is wounded from storm damage or pruning is required during the growing season, treat the wounds immediately with a wound dressing such as acrylic paint. Do not purchase pruning paints/sealants. Those products slow the tree’s ability to seal over the wound.

Learn more about oak wilt prevention and control at http://www.iowadnr.gov/.../Forestry/Forest-Health/Oak-Wilt.

Information provided by Forester John Byrd

Projects and workdays have been scheduled.

Projects and workdays 

Campsites and firepits are on the agenda for this year.

This is an updated campsite in the lower campground.

DNR Technician Patrick Thomas and crew have been working on some of the campsites making them bigger to accommodate the larger camping trailers.  Where possible, the sites will be angled and lengthened.  

There are a few of the fire pits that need to be updated. A new concrete base added and/or possibly moved once the new parking pads have been established.

DNR staff will look at any of the remaining hitching rails that are old and determine if they need to be replaced.  

These projects will require racking and leveling of new rock, pouring some concrete, and smoothing the upgraded pads.  

Anyone willing to lend a helping hand with these projects will be welcome.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS

We have scheduled three workdays to assist the DNR staff with projects to clean, trim, and lean a helping hand on the trails and campground areas.

If you would like to volunteer your time to assist with these projects, please come out and join the group.  In the event of rain, a notice will be posted on the Friends of Shimek Facebook page.  We truly appreciate any assistance in making the trails and campsites a nice place to ride and camp.

Dates are as follows:

Tuesday, May 16, 2023 @8:30 am.  Sonny Gipe, Coordinator 

      Meet in the lower campground for work assignments.

Wednesday, August 9, 2023 @8:30 am. Neal Hartman, Coordinator

      Meet in the lower campground for work assignments.

Saturday, September 23, 2023 TBD

     This is a volunteer workday with DNR Patrick Thomas in charge.  Further instructions will be posted for this workday at a later date.

If you can't make these dates and want to volunteer some time, please make contact with Forester John Byrd or DNR Patrick Thomas.  

As you are out riding and see an area or something that needs DNR attention, please make contact with Forester John Byrd, or DNR Technician Patrick Thomas, or the FOS group email. Email address and phone numbers are listed at the bottom of this page. 

As always, stay safe.  

Smile because it looks good on you!

Kathy

President/Editor

Contact John at Iowa Department of Natural Resources
 Phone 319.878.3811 | Fax 319.878.3821 | john.byrd@dnr.iowa.gov 33653 Route J56 | Farmington, IA 52626

DNR Technician Patrick Thomas 319-931-7805

Contact any board member by sending an e-mail to FOShimek@gmail.com .  The message will be forwarded to the individual.

New Members join the Friends of Shimek Board

 

Friends of Shimek has a few new board members!

The Friendship Tree stands in its majestic beaty to greet each and every one that passes by.  It represents long lasting friendships that have been made and nurtured as the years go by.  As we pass by this tree, let's reflect on the new and old friends we have met, and the memories that have been made along this trail as we journey throughout the forest.

The FOS (Friends of Shimek) board is excited to introduce the newest members of the board.  We look forward to their ideas, creativity, ability to help and encourage each other along the way.  They each bring knowledge and experience from various walks in life to our board.  We would like to welcome them to the board.

Herman (Sonny) Gipe, Member at Large 

                                       

                                                                                                        

I am 54 years old.  I work at Conagra and currently supervise         

2 teams on 3rd shift. I have been in some type of management role

for the past 30 plus years, ranging from team lead to plant 

superintendent in fabrication of pre-engineered metal buildings to

production of food or food grade products.

My wife, Tammy, and I moved to this area in 2015 after I accepted

a promotion.  When we were looking for a place to buy, our search

criteria, included being as close to Shimek as possible.  We spent a 

lot of time camping and riding here prior to moving and it is our favorite

place in Iowa to ride.

Tammy and I enjoy camping and riding. We try to camp and ride every chance that our work schedules allow. We camp and ride all over Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin, Missouri, and South Dakota.

We have 2 boys, 2 girls, 7 grandchildren, 3 dogs, 4 cats,15 chickens, and 5 horses.  We enjoy being outside and nature.  With the time we spend camping at Shimek and our love for it, I wanted to join Friends of Shimek to be able to give back, as well as help maintain and preserve the area for camping and trail riding.

Lala O'Hara, Member at Large 

 

Our family started out in town where our parents ran a Mom and Pop grocery store until I was 3 years old.  Then moved to the country south of Burlington and began a horse boarding facility- which Neal and I still own and operate, along with storage.  I can’t remember not having horses since I was 3.  Our first horse was an American Saddlebred named Romance.  I can remember riding around our circle drive and mom would go from front door to back door with oatmeal cookies for Romance.  Numerous horses and ponies came from there.  We belonged to Des Moines County Saddle Club and always rode as a large group in Ft Madison Rodeo Parade all wearing red and white.  Started in horse shows at age 10, and dad and mom hauled me to Mt Pleasant for riding lessons.  The saddle club had their horse shows at our place for many years until the college put up a covered arena and moved the shows out there.  I showed western pleasure, English pleasure, some reining as I was preparing for queen contest.  Won Tri State Rodeo Queen in 1977.   Now I like team sorting and obstacle trail challenges at River Valley in Farmington.  I have also done a few Cowgirl Challenges which consisted of 4 events: ranch sorting, ranch cutting, ranch pleasure, and barrels.  In fact, I won a series trophy saddle in 2019. 

I also love trail riding in Iowa, Missouri, Illinois, SD, NM (cattle drive).  We went on a 6 day wagon train ride (50 wagons and150 riders) 

from Four Corners, WY to Deadwood, SD.   2023 will be 45 years going to Cross Country Trail Ride in Eminence, MO.   I have given riding lessons to kids and adults for many years and will look at doing more of that since retiring July of 2022.  I retired from 20 years with Des Moines County Farm Bureau.

We love riding at Shimek- it’s close, has great maintained trails - thankful for the wet weather trails when it’s wet everywhere.  There has been a lot accomplished with the FOS and the DNR with trail maintenance, rock needed additional parking lots, adding stalls to the upper and lower barns, etc.  I hope to contribute help where I can a new FOS board member.      

Teresa Murray, Member at Large 

I was born and raised in Keokuk and have had a love of horses from day one.  My husband and I have been married for 42 years.  we have 2 great kids and 2 grandkids.  I'm fortunate my grandkids have a love for riding horses as well.  I grew up trail riding and showing horses and have owned and raised American Paint horses and American Quarter horses. 

Some of my earliest memories were showing horses at Jesse Hagmeier farm just south of Montrose. We became members of the Keokuk Saddle Club in the 1970's.  I have great memories hanging out with friends at the barns.  we had a lot of memorable shows at the saddle club.  Once such show had a jumping class put on by a jumping club from another town.  The had those fancy jumps with the grass on top (LOL). Mu horse was a16 hand1/2 quarter 1/2 thoroughbred gelding that would do anything I asked. I asked the entry stand "Can I enter the jumping class?"   I'll set the scene here; all of these people rode English saddles and all the attire.  Here's a 14-year-old girl in a western saddle, riding a barrel and game horse.  What they didn't know is one of our favorite things to do was to ride the timber and jump every downed tree I could find.  The class was intense with a jump off the at the end.  Buck and I won, and the crown went WILD!

I have been President of the Keokuk Saddle Club since 2005.  The Club lost its land lease with the City of Keokuk in 2004 and has not had a permanent home since that date.  In 2017 the club signed a new lease with the City of Keokuk to build a new 130 x 250 arena in Joyce Park, just north of Keokuk.  The club has been awarded multiple grants that I have written.  Club members have been busy getting ready for opening day.  I'm a typical Grandma, love spoiling and bragging about my grandkids.  My Granddaughter was the 2016 Little Miss Ft. Madison Tri-State Rodeo Cowgirl.  My Grandson was the 2022 Ft. Madison Tri-State rodeo All-around Cowboy.  I'm so blessed they have the love and passion of trail riding and showing horses.

I retired in 2019 after a 39-year career in the Lee County Assessor's office, spending the last 11 years as the Assessor.  Retirement has given me more time to do one of my favorite pastimes of trail riding in Shimek.  I'm looking forward to being on the FOS board, continuing with their great work and heling out wherever needed.

Your 2023 Board Officers are as follows:

Kathy Weber - President/Editor

Marsha Achenbach-Vice President/Trail monitor

Debbie Miller - Treasurer

Lora Conrad - Secretary/Grant Officer

Jo Watson - Member at Large/Volunteer Hours Coordinator

Neal Hartman - Member at Large

Herman (Sonny) Gipe -Member at Large

Lala O'Hara - Member at Large

Teresa Murray - Member at Large

As we move toward spring watch for new projects to be posted, workdays to be scheduled, and activities of interest to be added.

Spring is just around the corner.  That old groundhog is about to show us just how soon.  Until then, stay warm, stay safe, and smile because it looks good on you!

May your troubles be less, your blessings more, and may nothing but happiness come through your door. (BG)

Kathy

President/Editor

Campground improvements and Activites from 2022

Shimek Lick Creek Unit

 Improvements and Activities

2022

Shimek Forest Campground Improvements and Activities in 2022 by the DNR Crew. Reported by DNR Technician Patrick Thomas:

As we all look forward to getting out on the trails this year, I would like to reflect back on the happenings that took place in the campgrounds in 2022.

I first want to recognize the contributions of the summer staff this year, David "Dave" Forsythe and William "Bill" Mathias. Without them, these projects and day to day maintenance wouldn't have happened.

*Seven sites in the Lick Creek Lower Campground have been rearranged to better accommodate larger trailers, ease of backing in, relocating hitching rails for safety, making better use of fire ring areas, and possibly better use of the campground space. (I hope to continue this process) The pole hitching rails were replaced with treated 6X6 posts. Photos are included here that show some of these changes for sites 31, 33 and 36. We were able to relocate site 31 to make it a longer pad and have a better site overall. Now, sites 31, 32, 33, 34, 36, 37, and 38 will all accommodate larger horse trailers!

*Several hazard trees were removed, cleaned up and stumps have been removed throughout all four campgrounds. (Thanks to Bill for his mapping skills I would have never found all those stumps this winter)

*Thanks to the Friends of Shimek for the grants, donation and time for the additions to the stalls. We expanded the Lick Creek Upper Campground Horse Stall building with one set of stalls, and one of the Lower Campground Horse Stall buildings had two sets of stalls added.

*A workday was held, the Lick Creek campgrounds were tidied up, with replacement hitching rails going in fire rings being cleaned, the stall additions worked on with both DNR staff and FOS volunteers helping.

*A few site posts were replaced.

*Several picnic tables were either completely replaced with new treated lumber or had a few boards replaced. These new boards had to also be stained.

*A guided first day hike was offered at Black Oak Lake, however with a winter snow event no one showed. ( Jan. 2022)

Campground guest numbers were down slightly from last year with that being expected across the state as things have re-opened after COVID restrictions have been mostly lifted.

We had in all four campgrounds 1,664 individuals to camp 1,469 nights.

We estimate 21,750 people visit Shimek Forest. (This number is estimated based on how many people I see using the forest. These numbers are high during spring/fall riding, mushroom hunting and hunting seasons.) I would like to note that I have been noticing more people hiking this last year.

I want to thank the Friends of Shimek Board and Volunteers for all you do!! I greatly appreciate it! A special thank you to those that pick-up litter trail side when riding or hiking. It was a great year and I look forward to the happenings this year.

Note added by FOS: WOW! Much improved parking sites for trailers in the Lower Campground. I'm sure many equestrian campers will appreciate those! Thank you to Patrick, Bill, Dave, Ben, Eric, Heath and Forester John Byrd for all they have done this year to maintain and improve the facilities at Shimek.

As we start rolling through 2023 watch our Facebook and Blog page for more improvements and activities during this year.

Thank you to Patrick for a breakdown of last year's accomplishments and photos, to Lora for posting the information on Facebook, and all that took time to help along the way. Many hands makes light work.

Kathy

President/Editor

Photos courtesy DNR Technician Patrick Thomas

The Lick Creek Unit Road entrance - Use Caution

 

Snow and Ice

1/23/23 -AM: CAUTION!!!! Roads into Shimek Forest are snow covered and with a little melting today they will get even slicker and harder to drive upon. These photos were made by DNR Technician Patrick Thomas this morning. The first is the entrance to Lick Creek. We would all do well not to pull a trailer in there. The second photo is the entrance to Donnellson Road. The weather report states we could experience more snow starting Tuesday night. Spring is coming, but just not quite yet.

It won't be long before warm weather will be here. Start planning your spring adventures and camping season.

Until then, stay safe, stay warm.

Kathy

President/Editor