The NorthWoods crew finished up a grueling three weeks of hauling Sta-mat with wheelbarrows to complete a Universal Access trail at Moose Bog, in compliance with the American with Disabilities Act. From the existing Wenlock Wildlife Management Area kiosk and parking lot, the crew cut a new 0.1-mile section of trail connecting to the existing Moose Bog trail. They widened the existing trail to a minimum of 36” for wheelchair accessibility and built ten rest areas about 200’ apart along the trail. The crew hauled more than 1,000 tons of Sta-mat to cover the tread and provide a level surface for users of all abilities. This trail is a little more than 0.6-mile long and is a birder’s paradise; home to the “boreal grand slam.” During their time at Moose Bog, the crew spotted all four species of the boreal grand slam: gray jays, black backed woodpeckers, boreal chickadees, and the endangered spruce grouse.
During the summer, the NorthWoods crew built another Universal Access trail about 240’ long from the Sentinel Rock State Park glacial erratic to a grassy knoll that will be made into a picnic area in the future. From the end of that trail at the base of the knoll, the crew built a simple footpath through the meadow that connects to the lower parking area. Now that the summer Corps season is over, the fall crew is continuing to work at Sentinel Rock State Park to complete a multi-use woods trail that will connect to the lower parking area through the meadow.