All Sierra Club outings are free, unless noted, and open to the public. However, we ask that you PLEASE RSVP and notify the leader if you plan to come, and be sure to leave your name and phone number so you can be contacted if necessary. If you decide not to attend, please notify the leader of the change. Please read the outings descriptions carefully, bring fluids, and come prepared for conditions. Thank you and we hope to see you on the trail, on the water, or at the dinner table!
** OUTINGS LEADERS NEEDED **
One of the Sierra Club’s primary missions is to encourage everyone to engage in outdoor activities and to experience nature’s wonders. If you enjoy hiking, cycling, camping, paddling or other outdoor activities, and are willing to help others do the same, we’d love to hear from you. Outings leadership is a very rewarding opportunity. You’ll have the chance to meet great people, share your love of outdoor activities, and participate in educational workshops to learn things from basic first aid to advanced wilderness survival skills. To learn if this is right for you, please contact our Outings Chair, Kathy Mulbrandon at outingschair@4lakes.org.
** 4LAKES GROUP OUTINGS E-NEWS **
We have an email list to allow you to stay updated on Four Lakes Group Outings. Anyone may subscribe to this list, but only list editors can post messages, so the number you get will be limited. Sign up and stay involved today! To join, leave, or change your subscription to this list, click here and follow the simple instructions.
Sierra Club Outings Descriptions
Cruisin’ for Cuisine Dinner Series
Join your fellow Sierrans around the table to enjoy great locally-owned restaurants and discuss various educational environmental topics. It’s a great casual way to meet other members, especially if you are new, while also exploring a wide variety of dining options! We order off the menu, separate checks, and all restaurants have vegetarian-friendly options. Please RSVP a week in advance to Lacinda at lacinda.athen@gmail.com or 608-274-7870 with how many are in your party and she will give you the dinner time. We look forward to seeing you there. Bon Appetit!
- Tuesday March 20 – Avenue Bar. 1128 East Washington, Madison.
- Tuesday April 10 – Gray’s Tied House. 950 Kimball Lane,Verona.
Saturday, March 10: Canoecopia Party & Charity Fundraiser For Madison Inner City Outings
- Featuring:
- Shorts from the Reel Paddling Film Festival
- The Madpolecats
- High Noon Saloon, 701 East Washington Ave, Madison, WI.
- (608) 268-1122
- $8 cover / 21 and up
Canoecopia wouldn’t be complete without the annual Saturday night film and dance party at the High Noon Saloon, sponsored by Rutabaga. Tonight they’ll be raising funds for OUR OWN Sierra Club Inner City Outings as well as Big City Mountaineers and Rutabaga’s Josh Kestelman Scholarship Fund. All of these organizations focus on getting at-risk inner city youth into the outdoors.
The film will begin at 8:30pm, and features shorts from The Reel Paddling Film Festival. (Come back to Canoecopia on Sunday for more paddling films from the 2012 RPFF) Then we’ll draw names for prizes and enjoy music from Madison’s own Madpolecats – a family band playing reggae, ska, punk, psychobilly and bluegrass versions of your favorite songs, and EVERYBODY SINGS! Join the fun and support good good causes – see you there!
Sunday, March 11, 9 AM, Prairie/Woodland Restoration – Lodi Marsh segment, Ice Age Trail
Do you know glacial geology, or native and invasive plants? This is a great opportunity to learn about all of the above as we work with the Dane County Chapter of the Ice Age Trail to help restore prairie and woodland areas along the Lodi Marsh segment. You’ll get to see classic glacial valleys while helping cut and haul invasives and make room for the native plants. Burning brush is likely if conditions permit, so bring something good to roast. Take Hwy 113 north out of Madison and turn left on Coyle Rd. ~ 2.5 miles north of Dane, then right at the “T” at the end. Park on the left. Contact Don Ferber at 608-222-9376 or d_ferber@sbcglobal.net for more info.
Tuesday, March 20: Cruisin’ for Cuisine to Avenue Bar
Join us at Avenue Bar at .1128 East Washington, Madison for one of the “best fish fries” in Madison. I plan to put that boast to the test! Especially now that the venerable Avenue Bar has been taken over and somewhat spiffed up by the well regarded local Food Fight Inc group. RSVP at least a week in advance to Lacinda at lacinda.athen@gmail.com or 608-274-7870 with how many are in your party and she will give you the dinner time. We look forward to seeing you there. Bon Appetit!
Saturday, April 7, 10 AM, Spring Hike – New Glarus Woods State Park
Join us for a 4 – 5 mile spring hike through prairies and forests at New Glarus Woods State Park. The hike is moderate with rolling hills and ravines and a great opportunity to see spring ephemerals just starting to bloom and as trees are just budding out. Carpooling from Madison meets at 9 AM at the western Hill Farms State office parking lot, 4802 Sheboygan Ave. Otherwise, meet at the parking lot off State Hwy 69, 2 miles south of New Glarus at 10 AM. A State Park sticker is required for cars at New Glarus Woods. Lunch option at a local Swiss restaurant afterward if interested. Contact David Smith at 608-233-1210 for more info.
Saturday, April 14, 9 AM, Woodland Restoration – Festge County Park
Participate in a work in progress where you can learn about before and after comparisons of overgrown vs. restored prairie and woodland areas. We’ll be cutting and hauling brush, and likely burning at this fine county park in Wisconsin’s Driftless region, site of last summer’s Four Lakes picnic. Take Hwy 14 ~2 miles west of Cross Plains to Scherbel Rd., turn right up the hill to the park, and drive in towards the overlook. Contact Don Ferber at 608-222-9376 or d_ferber@sbcglobal.net for more info.
Tuesday April 10: Cruisin’ for Cuisine at Gray’s Tied House
Make it a road trip night! Come join us at Gray’s Tied House at 950 Kimball Lane in Verona. Tasty beers and tasty food in a cozy atmosphere. RSVP at least a week in advance to Lacinda at lacinda.athen@gmail.com or 608-274-7870 with how many are in your party and she will give you the dinner time. We look forward to seeing you there. Bon Appetit!
Tuesday, May 1, 7 PM, Waxing Moon Spring Hike – Ice Age Trail Valley View Preserve
Join us for a 3-mile hike on the Ice Age Trail through the prairie and woods at Valley View preserve. We should have a beautiful sunset, and then a nice moonrise. We’ll hike around some trail loops and read the interpretive signs along the way. Meet at the IAT kiosk on Mound View Rd. Take Mineral Point Rd. ~2.3 miles west of the Beltline, turn left on Pioneer, then right on Valley View which turns left and becomes Mound View. Go another .5 miles to the kiosk on the right. Bring a flashlight or headlamp. Contact Kathy Mulbrandon at 608-848-5076 or kmulb@charter.net for more info.
Saturday & Sunday, June 23-24: Wilderness First Aid Certification Course
Our Madison Inner City Outings leadership is once again hosting a Wilderness First Aid (WFA) course to help certify their volunteers and anyone else interested. This is a great course to extend your skills beyond basic CPR as it addresses “back country” real-life situations and scenarios. This fast paced, hands-on training is designed to meet the needs of trip leaders, camp staff, outdoor enthusiasts and individuals working in remote locations. It will introduce you to caring for people who become ill or injured far from definitive medical care. Classroom lectures and demonstrations are combined with realistic scenarios where mock patients will challenge you to integrate your learning. At the end of the course, you’ll have the knowledge, skills and ability to make sound decisions in emergency situations.
Taught by seasoned instructors in a two day format, learning takes place both in the classroom and in outdoor settings regardless of weather conditions. Come prepared for wet, muddy, cold or hot environments. Questions? Contact Terri Felton at tfelton@tds.net.
- Location: Aldo Leopold Nature Center – Black Earth, WI
- Minimum age: 16
- Price: $200 – Tuition Only
- WMI Student Agreement (PDF) Including assumption of risks and agreements of release and indemnity.
- Registration Form
Other outdoor events not sponsored by the Sierra Club that you might be interested in:
RSVP Please
While we don’t require an RSVP for all outings (some do), we recommend you let the outing leader know ahead of time you plan to join the activity. Our leaders enjoy the opportunity to share outings with fellow Sierra Club members and the community at large. Giving the outing leader a heads-up that you plan to come lets them plan better, know how many to expect, and make your experience more enjoyable. They are also able to contact you if plans change.
Outings: Liability Waiver & Carpooling…
To participate on one of the Sierra Club’s outings, you will need to sign a liability waiver. If you would like to read a copy of the waiver prior to the outing, please see the John Muir Chapter’s web site.
To facilitate the logistics of some outings, participants may make carpooling arrangements. The Sierra Club does not insure carpooling arrangements and assumes no liability for them. Carpooling, ride sharing or anything similar is strictly a private arrangement among the participants. Participants assume the risks associated with this travel.
CST 2087766-40. Registration as a seller of travel does not constitute approval by the State of California.