Category: Traditional Events

October Walks

The long-term weather forecast for October is warmer and drier than normal, so that means a great walking forecast.  Here’s a rundown (or should that be walkdown?) of October walking events.

  • Sunday, October 4th – Hitchcock Nature Center, 27792 Ski Hill Loop, Honey Creek, IA 51542. Check in is from 9 a.m. to noon. The trail is rated 3B (pretty hilly and dirt under your feet), so be sure to come early enough to be off the trail by 3 p.m. Hiking sticks are strongly recommended. In addition to the $3 walk fee (exact change or check made out to NWFT), each vehicle load of people needs to bring $3 in exact change to feed the kiosk as an entry fee to the Nature Center. eRegister by 9 p.m. Saturday or fill out a Start Card at the check in table. COVID-19 protocols are in place and must be followed.
  • Monday, October 5th – NO CLUB MEETING.
  • Thursday, October 15th – End date of 20 Iowa Parks in 2020 program. Flat, hilly or in-between, there’s a walk waiting for you! Early October is the perfect time to enjoy these parks, with no crowds, few bugs and the best weather for getting in a quick 5k or 10k.
  • Saturday, October 17th – Walk for Wildlife (sponsored by Iowa’s Walking Club). Jester Park Nature Center, 12130 NW 128th St, Granger, IA 50109. Register at the Outdoor Recreation Center building between 10:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. (Since they can’t get into the building to set up before 10:30 a.m., give them a few minutes to set up, please!)
  • Saturday, October 24th – Wyuka Cemetery Walk (sponsored by Lincoln Volkssport Club). City Impact Building, 1035 N 33rd St, Lincoln, NE 68503. Register between 8:45 a.m. and 11 a.m., be off the trail by 1 p.m. Historically, this is a pretty flat trail, so you should be able to make good time on the trail. This walk is FREE to all walkers. This is the final walk for the Lincoln Volkssport Club and this walk is their gift to the walking community. Let’s show them some love and come out in droves!

Change of Venue for September Walk!

You know how there are only two real seasons in the Midwest:  Winter and Construction Season? Well, our scheduled walk for September will not take place at Standing Bear Lake because they have closed the trails just west of our Start Point.  We’ll have to reschedule this walk for another year.

Our September 19th walk will start at the Subby Anzaldo/Columbus Park at 1329 S. 24th Street.  Registration and walk from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m, please be off the trail by 2 p.m.  From the Subby Anzaldo Columbus Park, this trail leads through the historic Field Club neighborhood, President Gerald Ford birthsite and Hanscom Park, Omaha’s first public park.  The 10k trail extends this walk along a portion of the Field Club Trail.  Bring a mask and maintain social distancing guidelines as you complete your registration.  Fun Walkers pay $2 and Credit Walkers (book stampers) $3 – please use exact change or write a check to “NWFT” and have the payment sealed in an envelope.  Dogs on leashes and strollers welcome; the trail to/from Columbus Park and through Hanscom Park is hilly.

eRegistration below:

September Walk, latest Newsletter

Walk has moved!  See latest post (September 9, 2020).  Our next walk will be September 19th at Omaha’s Standing Bear Lake, Entrance 4 (N. 132nd Street, between Fort and Military – closer to Military) from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m.  We’ll be offering a 6k around the lake and a 10k that adds some hills in the Saddlebrook neighborhood to the west of the lake.  Please register online at: eRegistration Link .  Pay when you arrive: $2 for Fun Walkers, $3 for Credit Walkers (book stampers).  Group Walk at 8:30 a.m.  We will be observing COVID-19 protocols, so bring your mask and pen and an envelope containing payment (exact change or check made out to “NWFT”).

Our latest newsletter, containing 2021’s tentative schedule and plenty of insights from President Lee and Coordinating Committee Chair Sandy, is available here:  September – October 2020 newsletter  As always, club members get the full newsletter directly in their inboxes, hot off the press!  Be sure to send in your “Walker of the Year” nominations to newsletter editor Julie, whose email address is listed in the full newsletter.  

Our Response to COVID-19

The Board of the Trailblazers, with guidance from our parent walking club, the AVA, has adopted a set of COVID-19 protocols for our walks.  Highlights include using masks when checking in, asking for pre-registration via our eRegistrations page and only accepting exact change placed in an envelope for our walks.

You can read the full set of protocols here: COVID-19 Protocols

eRegistration for our September 19th walk at Standing Bear Lake is available here:  eRegistration Page

Unfortunately, we cannot have a September 14th club meeting, for all sorts of logistical reasons.  We are looking at options for October.

 

Summer 2020 News

If you’re not a club member, you probably didn’t see our July – August newsletter.  If you did see it, you might not know that our Westroads Year Round Event has reopened!  Good news – all of those year round events will be available next year, with a few surprises.  Bad news – our 20 Iowa Parks in 2020 program is coming to an end October 15, 2020.  Good news – there’s still two more months of great walking weather to get them all done!

More bad news – we won’t be having any Group Walks in Iowa State Parks as planned for August 29th, October 2nd nor October 3rd.  But our partner in these walks, the Greater Des Moines Volkssport Association, is planning a Group Walk of Stephens State Forest on September 26th at 10 a.m.

Bad news/Good news – our friends to the north, the Prairie Wanders Volkssport Club, have had to postpone their multi-event walking weekend from September 11 – 13, 2020 to September 10 – 12, 2021.

Our September 19, 2020 walk at Standing Bear Lake, Entrance 4 (between Fort and Military on 132nd Street) is still on, but the breakfast portion of the walk has been cancelled.  Arrive anytime from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. to register and to walk.  Masks are required for the registration, but are not needed once you start walking.  Please bring $2 exact change in an envelope for each Fun Walker and/or $3 for each Credit Walker (book stamper).  Bring your own pen to sign in.  No need to rush this walk – you have until 2 p.m. to get back – and yes, we do check to make sure that the same number of people that start out are the same number of people that come back.  ?

Lots of News! and a Newsletter

It’s hard to keep track of everything that’s changing, isn’t it! Our crack reporter and newsletter editor Julie put together another great newsletter – and in the last couple of days, we’ve got more news and updates to pass along to you.

First, the newsletter:

You can download it here: NWFT May – June 2020 newsletter

Now for the updates:

  • Our May 9th Traditional Walk, rescheduled from April, is CANCELED.
  • No decision has been made at this time about our June 1st Club Meeting.
  • 20 Iowa Parks in 2020 seasonal walking program has OPENED as of May 1st.  All facilities are not open at the parks until at least May 15th, although one or two toilets may be available.  Try to be flexible if you want to walk before the 15th and do follow all Iowa social distancing guidelines.
  • Speaking of the Iowa Parks program, Lake Anita State Park’s POC Jill reports that the Start Box is temporarily located inside the Park Office, until the campgrounds open on May 15th.
  • Still speaking of the Iowa Parks program, the June 6th Group Walks at Lewis and Clark and Stone State Parks have been CANCELED.  These are fantastic walks that you can do on your own, but not with a group at this time. Maybe in the fall?
  • Omaha Hanscom Park YRE has REOPENED.
  • Omaha Westroads Mall YRE is still CLOSED.
  • A New Seasonal Walk, with Little Free Library!,  has been ADDED in Southeastern Council Bluffs, courtesy of Sandy Spaulding.  Info at: AVA website listing

CALENDAR UPDATE

Please note that the following events have been changed (updated May 21, 2020):

  • June 6th Group Walk at Lewis and Clark State Park, Iowa – CANCELED
  • June 6th Group Walk at Stone State Park, Iowa – CANCELED
  • June 20th Group Walk hosted by Iowa’s Walking Club at Mines of Spain State Park – CANCELED

Any questions, please let us know at netrailblazers@gmail.com.

WALKING SEASON RETURNS!

“Can” we beat 123 donations?

Our Annual Soup Walk takes place on March 7th at Mount Calvary Lutheran Church at 5529 Leavenworth St., Omaha, NE 68106 (but parking is off of Marcy Street, one block south!).  Registration takes place from 9 a.m. to noon, costing $2 for Fun Walkers and $3 for Credit Walkers PLUS 2 cans of soup.  This year, we’ll have our standard mixed beef and mixed chicken soup offerings, plus a pot of tomato basil soup for our vegetarian friends. The raffle features 5 Grand Prizes and a host of smaller prizes, with chances priced at 50 cents each or 3/$1.

We have two 5 km routes for you to choose from or to combine. Both routes feature Little Free Libraries, while the North Route also offers the “Rockin’ Around the Clock” and “Ice Cream Parlors” programs. We’ll have Group Walks at 9:30 and 10:30  – just because the Ice Cream Parlor doesn’t open until 11 a.m.!

Soup Walk Volunteers: The Workers’ Walk will take place Sunday, March 1st at 3 p.m. Come 15 minutes early to do paperwork. No bathrooms available at start.

The Lincoln Volkssport Club is offering their annual Spring Walk on Saturday, March 21st at the Enclosed Shelter in Antelope Park, near the intersection of Normal Blvd and “A” Streets, Lincoln, NE. Registration is from 9 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. Fun Walkers walk FREE and Credit Walkers pay $3. There will be a Group Walk setting out at 9:30 a.m. to walk the 10 km route. Both the 5 km and 10 km routes go through neighborhoods and park areas.  Your Group Walk leader likes to get ice cream at UNL’s Dairy Store after walking in Lincoln. Just sayin’ . . . 

Our club and Iowa’s Walking Club (Greater Des Moines Volkssport Association) are putting the finishing touches on everything you need to start walking on May 1st.  This special set of 20 walks in 20 Iowa State Parks in 20 different counties continues through October 15, 2020. Want more information? Check our website at: https://www.nebraskatrailblazers.com/2020-special-events/iowa-20-in-20-walks/  Want to get regular email newsletters about those special walks? Send an email to walk20in20@gmail.com and we’ll get you on the mailing list.

2020 Walk Booklet – just published!

Our 2020 Walk Booklet is just filled with so many walks and activities that you’re going to need to pull out your calendars NOW and mark them all!

Just check out the new weblink here to see it and the instructions for printing 28 pages bursting with information on just 7 sheets of paper!

Our first regular walking event is Saturday, March 7th – our annual Soup Walk, complete with Raffle.  Our booklet editor, Julie, calls it our “Winter-Be-Gone” Soup Walk.  Hope so! – there’s an Ice Cream Parlor on the route (one of three Special Programs available on this walk).

 

What time? Where? Registration? It’s all in the booklet! But we’ll be posting later this month to remind you.  🙂