IOU Meeting Monday August 21st 2006

Introductions and Question – Where do you use your GPS?

Reports

Boundary Waters Canoe Area - At the meeting we will be giving a brief trip report on the Boundary Waters Canoe Trip. You can read more about in on the IOU blog (www.iowaoutdoorunlimited.blogspot.com). Photos can be found on the website at www.iowaoutdoorunlimited.com.

Mike Coonan discussed using a GPS in the BW and shared a map of the area and they also compiled waypoints for GPSs for future use by group members. Photo’s were shared and some have been posted on the website and yahoo groups. Doug Palmer and Brady White also shared highlights of the trip.

Old Business

Reminders
If you have not signed up on the yahoo group, please do so that you can receive information sooner and to be notified of last minute activities.
BOW – an email has been sent out prior to the meeting. Contact Melissa Ritter for more information.
Butterfly tagging – September 16th, 9-noon. Sara Hollerich will send out more info soon.

New Business


We will also be introducing our offices and take nominations and have elections in September.

Officers:

President – Run meetings, set up meetings, work on policy, help support or advocate chairs, events and activities. Sends info to membership chair for weekly newsletter.

Vice President – Helps president with running meetings, set up meetings, work on policy, help support or advocate chairs, events and activities. Sends info to membership chair for weekly newsletter.

Secretary – Takes notes at meetings, posts notes to the website, makes meeting agenda and print out 20 copies for the meetings or provide a copy of the meeting agenda to president or VP to print out. Sends info to membership chair for weekly newsletter.

Treasurer – Keeps up books, organizes and collects receipts, writes receipts, keeps a list of IOU property, writes checks and gives to Sara Hollerich or Mike Coonan to sign, keeps an updated list of dues paid members. Sends info to membership chair for weekly newsletter.

Public Relations – Updates blog on a regular basis, send meeting information to City View, Juice, Datebook, Outdoor Dan and others. Work with other clubs to network and share information. Sends info to membership chair for weekly newsletter.

Website Designer – Update current website or redesign the website. Work on a way to combine all the websites and make them more user friendly. Once the website is redesigned, help with updates throughout the year. Sends info to membership chair for weekly newsletter.

Historian – Keeps a scrapbook of the news articles past and present. Historian will keep a copy of all blogs, photos, meeting notes and handouts. Sends info to membership chair for weekly newsletter.

Membership Chair - Writes form letters to welcome new members. Works with treasurer to keep a list of paid members. Puts together a weekly newsletter of IOU’s upcoming events.

Philanthropy/Stewardship/Service Chair – Works with organizations like the Habitat for Humanity, County Conservation Boards, Iowa DOT, or other organizations to set up charity or stewardship projects. Sends info to membership chair for weekly newsletter.

Social Chair – Organizes bi-annual pot lucks, picnics, holiday parties, and other fun activities throughout the year. Sends info to membership chair for weekly newsletter.

Officer Nominations – Please Feel Free to Nominate yourself or others via email
President – Mike Coonan
Vice President - Sara Hollerich
Secretary – Doug Palmer
Treasurer – Melissa Ritter
Public Relations – Jamie Jacobs
Website Designer – Brady White
Historian – Stacey Sieloff
Membership Chair – Lee Hill or Jennifer Ritter
Philanthropy Chair – John or Scott Murphy
Social Chair – Ken Hunt or Scott Murphy


Subject For This Evening

GPS Discussion

Upcoming Actives…

IOU Camping trip to Lake Ahquabi August 25th -27th ... Camping trip at Lake Ahquabi, it is close to home so if you can't make the whole weekend maybe we will see you for the day!!! Celebrating Sara and Melissa's Birthday's, send us an email if you are interested in coming. http://www.iowadnr.com/parks/state_park_list/lake_ahquabi.html

Butterfly Tagging – 9:00 am to Noon September 16th. Join IOU in a stewardship program to help tag monarch butterflies. More information to come soon.

IOU Meeting Notes 5/15/06

Introductions

Announcements

Devonian Fossil Gorge Trip – next weekend. If you would like to go please contact shollerich@peoplepc.com.

Devils Lake State Park – 5 spots remain for the weekend of June 1st or 2nd to June 4th. If you would like to go please email iowaoutdoorunlimited@yahoo.com.

Loess Hills and Desoto National Wildlife Refuge – Some of the group will be leaving for the western side of the state on the 9th and return on the 11th.

Boundary Waters Canoe Area – 4 spots open for the week of August 5 – 12th. If you would like to go please email iowaoutdoorunlimited@yahoo.com. The first $100 deposit will be due at the June meeting (June 19th at 7:00 p.m. at Grays Lake Park swimming peninsula). Second deposit of $100 will be the July meeting (July 17th). The remainder of cost will be due upon leaving for the trip (around $50 to $75).

IOU Amazing Race – June 17th most of the afternoon. If you are interested please contact Emily Vaughn at eev23@hotmail.com by June 5th. If we don’t have 4 teams (8 people) the event will be cancelled.

Next meeting is June 19th at 7:00 pm on the Gray’s Lake swimming peninsula. Look for the tent. This meeting we will be learning about bicycle maintenance so please bring your bike if you would like.

July meeting will be held on July 17th at 7:00. During the meeting we will be discussing how to hang a bear bag and water treatment practices. More to come.


Meeting:

The group met with Chris Adkins and Reba Reddick (IOU member) at the Dallas County Conservation Board. The weather threatened to ruin our fun but as we pulled onto the road to Kuehn Conservation Area the rain stopped.

Chris eagerly awaited out group and upon arrival he talked to us for a bit about what Dallas County parks can offer our group and invited us to come to many of their special events.

After our talk we went over and learned about spear throwing and throwing spears with Atlatls. It was really neat to see how far and fast a spear could be thrown with an atlatl vs without and atlatl. Several members actually hit our deer target. Only a couple probably would have really injured the deer had it been real. It had a couple of pains in the butt, a shot to the hoof and a couple of stomach shots. All in all I think our group did pretty well.

Here are some links to Dallas County Conservation Boards Homepage.

Current Events/ Calendar - http://www.co.dallas.ia.us/conservation/Events_Cal/Events_Cal.html

Dallas County Conservation Board Homepage -
http://www.co.dallas.ia.us/conservation/DCCD.html

Learn more about AtlAtl’s at the following sites.

http://www.atlatl.com/

http://www.worldatlatl.org/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlatl

The throwing was concluded by dinner at Cracker Barrel.

IOU April Meeting...

The April 17th meeting was held at Hard Back Café in the West Des Moines Public Library at 7:00 pm. We were pleased to see several new faces at our meeting! The meeting adjourned at 8:30 pm.

Announcements

IOU Blogs: Our blogs have been updated. See http://www.iowaoutdoorunlimited.blogspot.com/ for trip reports. Meeting minutes are now being posted on http://www.iouminutes.blogspot.com/. There is also a running list of events on http://www.ioucalendar.blogspot.com/.

IOU Web page: Be sure to check out the photos and calendar of events on our website http://www.iowaoutdoorunlimited.com/. Registered users may post events to the calendar, including events coordinated by other outdoors groups. You can register on the site.

IOU Email: With so many (over 200) people on our email list, we had to start a second email account, iowaoutdoorsunlimited@yahoo.com. In order to receive all emails, please make sure this address and our other address iowaoutdoorunlimited@yahoo.com are not on your blocked senders list. You can send your email to either address and it will get through. Please send event announcements at least 48 hours in advance.

Next Meeting: 7:00 pm, May 15th, 2006 at the Kuehn Conservation Area in Dallas County. To carpool, meet at the Flying J truck stop on Hickman (west of I-80/I-35) at 6:30 pm. Directions are below.

Topics for Next Meeting: Chris Adkins will teach us how to throw spears with an Atlatl! It will be a lot of fun and a change of pace for our meetings.

Directions to Next Meeting: Kuehn Conservation Area – 3293 Houston Trail, Earlham.

From I-80, take the Earlham exit (exit 104), bear to the right, and proceed north on I Ave. Continue past the intersection with 358th Pl. Continue northbound for just over 1 mile until you come to a four-way stop intersection. Turn west (left) at the intersection onto Bear Creek Rd. Follow Bear Creek Rd. for 1/2 mile. When the road turns north, it becomes Houston Trail. Follow Houston Trail about 2 miles until it dead-ends at the park. The parking lot for the Nature Center will be on your right.

From County Road F60, turn south onto H Ave. This intersection is about 5 1/2 miles west of Adel and about 2 miles east of Redfield. Continue on H Ave. for about 4 miles to the junction with Bear Creek R. Turn east (left) on Bear Creek Rd. and continue 1/2 mile to the junction with Houston Trail (a "T" intersection). Turn north (left) at the intersection and continue about 1 3/4 miles to the park.

Summer Meetings: June through September meetings will be held at 7:00 pm at Gray's Lake on the peninsula next to the swimming beach and playground equipment. At our June 19th meeting, Lee Hill will give a presentation about bike maintenance and equipment, so bring your bike!

Presentations

Boundary Waters Canoe Area: In preparation for the IOU trip to BWCA in August, Mike gave a talk about backcountry canoeing and camping in BWCA. The deadline for signing up for the trip will be June 19th at which time a $100 deposit will be due. See the IOU event list ioucalendar.blogspot.com for more details.

Costa Rica: Sara Hollerich and Cindy Reitz gave a presentation about their trip to Costa Rica. Those who would like to experience Costa Rica for themselves are invited to join a trip lead by Cindy Reitz next December 27, 2006 – January 7, 2007. Contact Cindy at sarapique@earthlink.net for details.

Old Business

IOU Graphic Artist Needed: Emily Vaughn has been looking into ordering IOU gear like window stickers, water bottles, etc. She is looking for someone with graphic arts skills (e.g., Adobe, Corel, etc.) to help refine our logo before we can place an order. Please contact Emily at eev23@hotmail.com if you can help out.

IOU Policy Committee Needed: As we are now over a year old, IOU needs to begin developing some policies for several topics including: driving to events, planning trips and events, website, dues, etc. If you would like to help work on the policies, please email iowaoutdoorunlimited@yahoo.com.

IOU Partnerships Needed: IOU is looking to network and build relationships with other outdoor groups around Des Moines. If you belong to any other outdoors clubs or have contacts in other clubs, please share your contacts, websites, event calendars, or emails with IOU. Please email iowaoutdoorunlimited@yahoo.com.

IOU Upcoming Trips and Events

Note: Rather than posting a complete event list for every meeting, we will only post new event announcements or event changes here. A complete event list for each month can be found on our blog ioucalendar.blogspot.com or in calendar format on our website iowaoutdoorunlimited.com.

Service day for Polk County Conservation Board at Yellow Banks Park: May 6. The date for this event has changed. It will be held May 6. We will be cleaning up the park's hike-in campsites. Sign up by emailing iowaoutdoorunlimited@yahoo.com.

IOU Devonian Fossil Gorge near Iowa City: May 19-21. Sara Hollerich is organizing a trip to camp and see fossils near the Coralville Dam. Sign up by emailing iowaoutdoorunlimited@yahoo.com.

IOU Devils Lake: June 2-4. There is still room for 5 more people to sign up for this trip to Devils Lake State Park in Wisconsin. Sign up by emailing iowaoutdoorunlimited@yahoo.com. A $50 deposit is due upon sign up.

IOU Loess Hills and DeSoto NWR: June 9-11. Tim and Anna Whipple are organizing a trip to the Loess Hills and DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge on the Missouri River. There is space for 2 more people to sign up by April 28. Email tawhipple@mchsi.com to sign up.

IOU Biking in RAGBRAI: July 23-29. We did not have enough interest to organize a team this year. However, if you would like to ride for just a day or two, contact Lee Hill at lee.hill@att.net.

Other Opportunities

"Wild Edibles" Workshop through Polk County Conservation Board: April 22. This event has been cancelled, but the Cache Bash is still on.

IOU Meeting March 20th...

Introduction:

1. Name
2. Two truths and a lie.

Meetings:

1. Next Meeting April 17th at 7:00 at the West Des Moines Library, Hard Back Café. Last meeting at the Hard Back Café for the year unless bad weather forces us inside. Next months meeting Sara Hollerich and Cindy Reitz will talk about their trip to Costa Rica. Those interested to experience Costa Rica for themselves will be invited to join a trip being lead by Cindy Reitz next December/January. We will also talk about the Boundary Waters Canoe Trip.
   
2. May Meeting will be May 15th. We will be meeting with Chris Adkins and learning how to throw spears using an Atlatl. It should be fun. It will not be held at the library or Gray’s Lake as usual. A meeting place will be announced as soon as possible. June’s meeting will start our year at Gray’s Lake.
   
3. Ideas for future meetings. We would like to start doing something different with our meetings. We want ideas for workshops, talks, etc. Ideas include wild edibles, cooking, geocashing, mountain biking and shelter building.

Announcements:

1. Sign up for RAGBRI by Friday, March 24th he needs to know as soon as possible so he can set up the team ride. If no one wants to go as a team each person has to sign up for a raffel. If one team member wins the raffel then the whole team gets to go, if people sign up seperately and their name does not get drawn in the raffel they will not get to go. So it is better to go as a team. It is possible to purchase a day pass as well if you don’t want to do the entire trip. Contact Lee Hill for more information by email him at lee.hill@att.net or call 515-201-8370 and view Lee’s FAQ’s at http://iouragbri.blogspot.com/.
2. Iowa State University has several outdoor class opportunities some start as early as next week. Learn to climb, mountain bike, kayak and more all for a reasonable price. Check the schedule at http://www.recservices.iastate.edu/outdoors/workshops.php they also have some outdoor trips http://www.recservices.iastate.edu/outdoors/. Climbing classes start Monday, March 27th.
   
3. Emily Vaughn is looking for 4 volunteers for the Girl Scouts. March 30th from 8 to 10. Please contact here by Thursday if you can help. Call 515-360-1063 or email eev23@hotmail.com.
   
4. Sara Hollerich is looking for a roommate to share a two bedroom townhouse. Rent will be $400 a month plus half utilities. The townhouse is only 1 year old and has a nice large kitchen, 1 ½ baths, garage, walk in closet, loft, washer and dryer, dishwasher, small yard and patio. See or talk to her for more information (515) 669-7193 or email shollerich@peoplepc.com.
   
5. IOU Running club is starting up again. It will meet Monday nights at 6:00 at Gray’s Lake Park in Des Moines. Park in the North lot near the boat ramp and dock.
   
6. Is anyone interested in starting a Pilates in the Park group? Members of the group would need to bring bands and a weight to the class. Sara Hollerich can teach the class and we may be able to convince a couple other members to help. We would need to choose nights and a location.
   
7. IOU Blogs: Our blogs have been updated. See http://www.iowaoutdoorunlimited.blogspot.com/ for trip reports. Meeting minutes are now being posted on http://www.iouminutes.blogspot.com/.
   
8. IOU Web page: Be sure to check out the photos and calendar of events on our website http://www.iowaoutdoorunlimited.com/. Registered users may post events to the calendar, including events coordinated by other outdoors groups. You can register on the site.

Presentations:

Sara Hollerich and Melissa Ritter talked about Devil’s Lake.

Old Business:

Dues are due for those who have not paid. $10 per year. You get a CD of IOU’s yearbook. If you did not get your CD yet please see Sara for your copy.

Other Old Business?

New Business:

Calendar Planning, we will plan events throughout the next calendar year. We need more trip leaders please. Mike, Sara, Stacey, and Anna have planned most of the trips so far but we need your help to plan more. Some others have offered to help plan more trips this year and we are very thankful. Although some are not complex it still takes time and we would love to have some help.

Other new Business?

Upcoming Events:

April:

April 8th - IOU Clean-up Brown’s Woods….
Polk County Conservation Board is sponsoring at clean up day starting at 9am this Saturday April 8th at Brown's Woods: Located just west of 63rd Street in West Des Moines.Trail: Front Loop, .4 miles Description: The giant oak trees shading this trail create a solid canopy of leaves penetrated by dancing rays of sunlight.Difficulty: Moderate
see http://www.conservationboard.org/Pages/hiking.aspx
Fore more information check out the Polk County Conservation Boards website at http://www.conservationboard.org/Pages/CalendarTemp1.aspx.

April 10th - Lead Rope Climbing in Ames… Cost $20.00. Check out their website at http://www.recservices.iastate.edu/outdoors/

April 10th – Outdoor Recreation Equipment Sale... 6:00 p.m. at Lied Recreation Center in Ames. http://www.recservices.iastate.edu/outdoors/Equipment-Sale-PUBLIC-NOTICE-06.pdf

April 15th - Run for the Egg… If interested more info on the website http://www.leadingyououtdoors.org/PDFs/Runfortheegg.pdf $25 to register 5 mile run/walk their are prizes awarded and you get a COOL t-shirt.

April 22 - Cache Bash Saturday… 8:00 am - 4:30 pm Jester Park Lodge For more information, call Polk County Conservation at (515) 323-5300. Never heard of geocaching or always wanted to give it a try r maybe you?re a cacher search for over 25 geocaches hidden in Jester Park for this special event. Participants will be given coordinates for the geocache locations as they arrive. At each cache, participants must stamp their passport. At the end of the day, turn in your passport for a chance at prizes. Geocachers will be on hand to teach newcomers how to use a GPS and the ins and outs of geocaching. GPS units will be available for check out. Participants can come and go throughout the day. A catered lunch will be available for participants at the Jester Park Lodge. This event is held in cooperation with Great Plains Geocaching and Iowa Geocachers Organization.Fee: $15 for the first person on your team and $8 for each additional team member (children ages 4 and under free of charge). $10 fee for teams/individuals who do not want lunch. Pre-registration required by April 14. All ages welcome. Walk-ins may not receive included lunch. T-shirts are available for the event by ordering ahead of time. See http://www.rivercityphototransfers.com/geo for more information.

April 22 - Wild Edibles Workshop… 9:00 am - 5:00 pm Jester Park Lodge To register, call Polk County Conservation at (515) 323-5300 Spend a day foraging for wild edibles, including greens, flowers, shoot vegetables, roots, tubers, and mushrooms. Identification, habitat, conservation, harvest methods, and preparation will be discussed. Participants will have the chance to get some hands-on collecting experience along with instruction, and at the end of the day we will prepare a delicious meal from things we have gathered Pre-registration required, deadline is April 7. Bring a sack lunch. Minimum age 15. Fee: $25 http://www.leadingyououtdoors.org/Pages/CalendarWild.aspx


April 29th IOU Yellow Banks… Backpack in and camping, clean-up sites. More information to come.

May:

May 13th - Full Moon Float with CIP… At Lake Red Rock, contact Scott for more information email sevans@kach.org. Bring your own canoe or kayak.

May 13th - Asian Heritage Festival Tournments… For more information contact Scott Murphy at smootermuff@yahoo.com. There are several different tournments including Volleyball, Kartor/Sipa, Soccer, Cricket, and Kite Flying from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

May 19th – 21st Devonian Fossil Gorge Camping Trip…
Email: shollerich@peoplepc.comCamping at: Sugar Bottoms Group Camp Ground at the Coralville Lake Cost: $20 to $30 EstimateOther Activities: Hiking, Mountain Biking, Boating (Canoe and Kayak), and the Devonian Fossil GorgeWebsite References: Devonian Fossil Gorge InformationDevonian Fossil Gorge - Campground, Hiking, and Biking MapsCoralville Campground Information
(Members signed up so far Delite Primus?, Karen Sol, Carolyn Szezepanski, Jen Ritter, Duane Hammen, Melissa Ritter?)

June:

June 3rd – Dam to Dam Run… For more information go to http://www.damtodam.com/ .

June 1st or 2nd to the 4th - IOU Devil’s Lake State Park Wisconsin…
Cap 18 people. Please see http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/land/parks/specific/devilslake/ for more information. The deadline for sign up is the April meeting. $25 deposit.
People signed up are Sara Hollerich, Mike Coonan, Melissa Ritter, Karen Sol, Emily Vaughn, Carolyn Szezepanski, Jennifer Ritter, Doug Palmer, Lee Hill, and Duanee Hammen?, Ken Hunt?, Scott Murphy.

June 9th – 11th - IOU Loess Hills and Desoto National Wildlife Refuge…
Email: tawhipple@mchsi.comDates: June 9-11 (leaving in the afternoon/evening on June 9 and returning anytime on June 11)Itinerary: We will camp both nights at Wilson Island State Recreation Area. We will visit DeSoto NWR early in the morning of June 10 and picnic for lunch. Saturday afternoon and/or Sunday we will drive the Loess Hills Scenic Byway and explore the Loess Hills State Forest, Preparation Canyon State Park, and Sylvan Runkel State Preserve.Camping at: Wilson Island State Recreation Area, Missouri Valley, IACost: $30-$40 (estimate for splitting gas, campsite, park admission, food)Other Activities: Nature-hiking, birdwatching, touring 19th century steamboat wreckWebsite References: Desoto National Wildlife RefugeWilson Island State ParkLoess Hills Informaiton
Members signed up so far: Tim Whipple, Anna Whipple, Karen Sol, Doug Palmer, Emily Vaughn, Dunae Hammen?, and Sara Hollerich.

June 17th - IOU Great Race around Des Moines Metro... More to be announced contact Emily Vaughn for more information eev23@hotmail.com.

June 17th to the 24th - Project AWARE… Attend any days you wish. See http://www.iowadnr.com/volunteer/aware/index.html for info.

July:

July 4th - IOU a 4th of July Celebration and Fireworks… More to be announced. Email shollerich@peoplepc.com if interested in helping.

July 3rd – 9th Camping trip to Northern Minnesota and Canada… If you are interested please contact Emily Vaughn eev23@hotmail.com.

July 8th – Boon Bash River Dash… C&K Races go to http://www.boonebashriverdash.com/ for more info.

July 8th – Full Moon Float with CIP… Raccoon River overnight. Contact Lynn at laldridg@uhl.uiowa.edu or Bob at fatherrobt@yahoo.com.

July 22nd – 29th – RAGBRI… Contact Lee Hill for more information lee.hill@att.net some people will be doing the entire bike ride while others may only go for a day or two.

July 21st – 23rd – Camping and Caves… TBA

August:

August 5th – 11th – Boundary Water Canoe Area… More to be announced at the April Meeting.

August 25th – 27th –Camping Trip Location… TBA

September:

September 7th - Full Moon Float... Lake Red Rock contact Scot at sevans@kach.org

September 16 – Monarch Banding… Cost $5 to $10. It should be fun and a cool way to help the monarchs out.

September 24th - Brushy Creek Fall Cruise... Contact Jim at jdodd50@hotmail.com.

September 29 to October 1 – IOU Great Race Around Central Iowa… TBA

October:

Trip to Utah? TBA. Please let Melissa Ritter know if your intersted iamsmelly79@yahoo.com .

October 13 – 15 - Loess Hills fall trip... TBA

October 28th - Race for the Cure… TBA

October 28th – Halloween Party… TBA

November:

November 18th - Living History Farm’s Race… More information to come.

December:

December 16th – Hike, Bike or Ski… TBA

December 18th – Holiday Party instead of Meeting... Location and time TBA.

December 26th 2006 – Janurary 04, 2007 – Costa Rica… Find out more at the April meeting. Destination, activities, cost and itinarry to be announced. Need at least 7 people to go.

IOU Meeting Notes 2/20/06

The February 20th meeting was held at Hard Back Café in the West Des Moines Public Library at 7:00 pm. We were pleased to see several new faces at our meeting! The meeting adjourned at 8:15 pm.

Next Meeting will be March 20th at 7:00 pm at the Hard Back Cafe in the West Des Moines Public Library. April meeting will be held at the library as well. We will begin out meetings ourdoors in May.

Meetings:

Hard Back Cafe: March 20th and April 17th at 7:00
Grays Lake Pennisula near the swimming beach: May 15th

Announcements

2006 Membership Dues: Membership dues are $10 per person and due now. Paying members will receive our 2005 photo yearbook on CD. As a new policy in 2006, individuals must pay their dues in order to go on any IOU-sponsored overnight trips.

IOU Blogs: Our blogs have been updated. See http://www.iowaoutdoorunlimited.blogspot.com/ for trip reports. Meeting minutes are now being posted on http://www.iouminutes.blogspot.com/.

IOU Web page: Be sure to check out the photos and calendar of events on our website http://www.iowaoutdoorunlimited.com/. Registered users may post events to the calendar, including events coordinated by other outdoors groups. You can register on the site.

Next Meeting: 7:00 pm, March 20th, 2006 at the Hard Back Café in the West Des Moines Public Library. The WDM Library is located at 4000 Mills Civic Pkwy.

Topics for Next Meeting: We will work on spring and summer event planning at our March meeting. Please email calendar items or ideas for events in advance to iowaoutdoorunlimited@yahoo.com. We will need to know applicable details such as who is chairing the event, contact information, event dates, registration dates, number of people required or limited to, estimate of costs, etc. This year we would really like to encourage more people to chair events and to network with other outdoors groups that are coordinating events.

Trip and Event Reports

IOU Skiing at Mount Kato… On February 3-4, six IOU members traveled to Mankato, Minnesota for a day of downhill skiing. It was a great practice run for those going to Colorado, and despite the frigid wind chill, the skiers were able to stay warm and enjoy themselves.

IOU Colorado Trip… On February 9-12, 16 IOU members traveled to Keystone, Colorado for a weekend of downhill skiing, snowboarding, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and ice skating. To make the trip economical, the group rented three vans, shared a condo, and cooked their meals. It was a great success!

Old Business

2005 Year-End Report: Sara Hollerich reported that IOU had 24 dues-paying members in 2005. We have already exceeded that number for 2006! Last year, dues went towards initial administrative costs and the purchase of some camping equipment (a first aid kit and picnic gear). Dues are also used to pre-pay for campsites and permit reservations.

New Business

Service day for Polk County Conservation Board at Yellow Banks Park... Melissa Ritter is coordinating an IOU service day at Yellow Banks Park and is looking for volunteers. We will be cleaning up the park's hike-in campsites. The event will probably be in April, and if the weather cooperates, we may be camping out. Sign up at our March meeting or email iowaoutdoorunlimited@yahoo.com.

IOU Policy Committee Needed... As we are now over a year old, IOU needs to begin developing some policies for several topics including: driving to events, planning trips and events, website, dues, etc. If you would like to help work on the policies, please email iowaoutdoorunlimited@yahoo.com.

IOU Partnerships Needed... IOU is looking to network and build relationships with other outdoor groups around Des Moines. If you belong to any other outdoors clubs or have contacts in other clubs, please share your contacts, websites, event calendars, or emails with IOU. Please email iowaoutdoorunlimited@yahoo.com.

IOU Upcoming Trips and Events

IOU Dodgeball at Skate North... Sundays 6:00 – 8:00 pm. Scott Murphy is looking to put together a team of 6. Registration is $25 per person. The league goes for about 6 weeks. Contact Scott at smootermuff@yahoo.com for more information or to sign up.

IOU Cross-country skiing in Wisconsin... This event has been cancelled but may be rescheduled for late fall.

IOU Volleyball... May 7. Scott Murphy would like to know if anyone is interested in playing in a volleyball tournament at the Asian Heritage Festival. Contact Scott at smootermuff@yahoo.com if you are interested.

IOU Camping, Climbing, etc. at Devils Lake... June 2-4. IOU will be taking another trip to Devils Lake State Park in Wisconsin. Devils Lake offers many outdoors activities including camping, climbing, hiking, and paddling. This trip is limited to 12 people and is currently open for sign up. Sign up by emailing iowaoutdoorunlimited@yahoo.com. A $50 deposit is due upon sign up.

IOU Biking in RAGBRAI... July 23-29. Lee Hill has researched the possibility of having an IOU RAGBRAI team. He will be creating an IOU team, so anyone interested can then sign up online by the April 1 deadline. The team size is unlimited, but we would need one support-vehicle driver at all times during the week and additional drivers to transport bikes and people to the start and finish lines. Team members can expect to bike 50-80 miles per day. The cost will be approximately $90 per person plus food and gas money. Food can cost $8-$20 per day. Contact Lee at lee.hill@att.net if you are interested. IOU Paddling in Boundary Waters... Aug. 6-12. Mike Coonan has picked at entry point (#30) and a general route for the Boundary Waters trip. The trip will be limited to 18 people and 8 watercraft. Trip details, projected costs, and sign up will be coming in April. A $50 deposit is due upon sign up.

IOU Loess Hills and DeSoto NWR... TBD in June. Tim and Anna Whipple will be organizing a trip to the Loess Hills and DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge on the Missouri River in June. Details will be provided at the March meeting.

IOU Coralville Dam... TBD in May. Sara Hollerich will be organizing a trip to see fossils near the Coralville Dam in May. Details will be provided at the March meeting.

Other Opportunities

"Wild Edibles" Workshop through Polk County Conservation Board... April 22, 9am – 5pm at Jester Park Lodge. This is a popular workshop about how to live off the land. Spend a day foraging for wild edibles, including greens, flowers, shoot vegetables, roots, tubers, and mushrooms. Identification, habitat, conservation, harvest methods, and preparation will be discussed. Participants will have the chance to get some hands-on collecting experience along with instruction, and at the end of the day we will prepare a delicious meal from things we have gathered. Registration is $25 and space is limited. Pre-registration is required and the deadline is April 7. Bring a sack lunch. Sign up by calling 515-323-5300.

Focus Group for Iowa Conservationist Magazine... Iowa DNR is looking for people to participate in a focus group. They want ideas, opinions, insights and suggestions for a formal review process for Iowa Conservationist Magazine. They want to gather input from people who participate in outdoor activities in Iowa (boating, kayaking, hiking, climbing, cross-country skiing, camping, cycling, and canoeing). The next meeting will be March 9th (Thursday) at 7:00 p.m. You will be paid $50 for your time. To register email Michelle Yeoman at MYeoman@Selzerco.com or call 1-888-509-5700. Participation is limited. They need more people in the 20 to 40 year old age range.

Challenge Course Facilitators at Camp Sacagawea... The Girl Scouts are looking for challenge course facilitators. Training will be held in May. For details, contact Emily Vaughn at eev23@hotmail.com.

Saylorville Eagle Watch... Feb. 26, noon – 4pm at Saylorville Visitor's Center. There will be several sites to view eagles on Saylorville Lake. Call 515-276-4656 for details.

IOU January Meeting...

Meeting Notes - 1/16/06

IOU's First Birthday was formed a little over one year ago. Happy Birthday!

Born: 1/16/05

Parents: Sara Hollerich, Mike Coonan, and Stacey Seiloff

Weight: Prefer not to say ;-)

Lenght: Hopefully the tradition will continue for many years to come.

The January 16th meeting was held at Hard Back Cafe in the West Des Moines Public Library at 7:00 pm.

Note about meeting times: We have enjoyed the hospitality of the Hard Back Cafe, and we encourage people to purchase something at the coffee shop. We would like to start our meetings promptly at 7pm, so please arrive a bit early to order your food or drink. Thanks to everyone who came early this month!

Happy Birthday, IOU!: IOU is one year old! In our first year, we held 26 events/trips, 12 meetings, and have 145 people on our email list. All of our event and trip reports can be found on our blog, http://www.iowaoutdoorunlimited.blogspot.com/.

2006 Membership Dues: We are collecting $10 membership dues for 2006. Paid members will receive our 2005 yearbook on CD. Also, this year you must be a paid member to go on IOU-sponsored overnight trips.

Next Meeting: 7:00 pm, February 20, 2006 at Hard Back Cafe in the West Des Moines Public Library. The WDM Library is at 4000 Mills Civic Pkwy.

Topics for Next Meeting: We will have a year-end report for 2005. In preparation for our spring and summer event planning at our March meeting, please bring ideas for events to the February meeting. We will need to know applicable details such as who is chairing the event, contact information, event dates, registration dates, number of people required or limited to, estimate of costs, etc. Please email details in advance to iowaoutdoorunlimited@yahoo.com.

Trip and Event Reports

IOU Skiing at Seven Oaks... On January 14, several IOU members, including some first-time skiers, went downhill skiing at Seven Oaks in Boone and had a great day. The weather was nice, and we were able to get the affordable group rate on lift tickets.
Presentations

Backroads Trip to Zion and Bryce Canyon National Parks... Gina Elkin gave a presentation on her 6-day trip in October to Zion and Bryce Canyon National Parks in Utah. The trip was coordinated through an outfitting company called Backroads Trips. Gina had fabulous photos to share and highly recommended Backroads for solo travelers and people who like a little luxury with their outdoors adventures. (Hotels, meals, and massages! were included in the trip.)

Upcoming IOU Events and other opportunities

IOU Skiing at 7-Oaks: Jan. 28th. Anyone interested in a trip to 7-Oaks on Jan. 28th please contact iowaoutdoorunlimited@yahoo.com and we will try to get group rates again. $18 for lift ticket and about $12 for ski rentals.

IOU Skiing at Afton Alps... Feb. 3-5. Melissa Ritter is going skiing at Afton Alps near Minneapolis with a group of friends. They have room in their van for 2 more people to join them. The costs would be: van ($36), lift ticket ($34), and rental ($19). That does not include a hotel room. Contact Melissa at iamsmelly79@yahoo.com if you are interested in going for the whole weekend or joining the group for part of the weekend.

IOU Skiing at Mount Kato... Feb. 3-5. Sara Hollerich is planning a skiing trip to Mount Kato near Mankato, Minnesota. There is room for 6 IOU members to stay at Sara's mother's house. If more than 6 people are interested in going, we will have to look into getting hotel rooms. The costs would be: lift ticket ($25) and rental ($18-$25). Contact Sara at iowaoutdoorunlimited@yahoo.com if you are interested.

IOU Skiing at Keystone... Feb. 9-12. This trip is full with 16 members going. For several people, this will be their first IOU trip, so we all hope they have fun!

IOU Dodgeball at Skate North... Sundays 6:00 – 8:00 pm, starting at the end of February. Scott Murphy is looking to put together a team of 6. Registration is $25 per person. The league goes for about 6 weeks. Contact Scott at smootermuff@yahoo.com for more information or to sign up.

IOU Cross-country skiing in Wisconsin... TBD in March. Emily Vaughn is looking into a cross-country skiing trip to northern Wisconsin. Details will be coming later.

IOU Volleyball... May 7. Scott Murphy would like to know if anyone is interested in playing in a volleyball tournament at the Asian Heritage Festival. Contact Scott at smootermuff@yahoo.com if you are interested.

IOU Camping, Climbing, etc. at Devils Lake... June 2-4. IOU will be taking another trip to Devils Lake State Park in Wisconsin. Devils Lake offers many outdoors activities including camping, climbing, hiking, and paddling. Details will be coming later.

IOU Biking in RAGBRAI... July 23-29. Lee Hill has researched the possibility of having an IOU RAGBRAI team. We will need to decide at our February meeting whether to pursue it, so team members can register for the lottery by the end of February. We will apply for a week-long pass (although some people may only be able to bike a few days). The team size is unlimited, but we would need at least one support-vehicle driver at all times during the week. Team members can expect to bike at least 50 miles per day. The cost will be approximately $90 per person. Contact Lee at lee.hill@att.net if you are interested.

IOU Paddling in Boundary Waters... Aug. 6-12. Mike Coonan has picked at entry point (#30) and a general route for the Boundary Waters trip. He will be applying for 2 entry permits this month. The trip will be limited to 18 people and 8 watercraft. Trip details and sign up will be coming later.

Other Opportunities

Master Naturalist Program at Neal Smith Wildlife Refuge... Jan. 29, Feb. 26, and March 26. Noon to five each day. Teachers can earn continuing education credits or masters credits from Drake. Ranger Sara will be teaching! Visit http://www.tallgrass.org/masternat.html for details.

Poker Run at Jester Park... Jan. 29, 1:00-4:00 pm. Kick-off Polk County Conservation’s 50th Anniversary in 2006 by participating in a Poker Run at the Jester Park Golf Course. The public is invited to walk, run, or cross-country ski throughout the Jester Park Golf Course as part of a family-friendly Poker Run. Skis and snowshoes available for use onsite. Participants can either enjoy a 3.5 mile long route or 1.2 mile short route. Along the route, playing cards will be distributed and prizes will be awarded hourly to the top hands. Hot chocolate and refreshments can be enjoyed in the Clubhouse. Pre-registration is recommended, but not required by calling 515-323-5300. This event is free.

Melissa Ritter is looking for volunteers for this event. The volunteers would need to be available from 12:15-4:15 p.m. The volunteers would be marking people's cards at stations along the trail route. You would have a deck of cards and would just need to mark what card was drawn on the person's card. Melissa needs approximately 6 volunteers. If you are interested in volunteering, please email Melissa at mritter@co.polk.ia.us.

Central Iowa Paddlers - Season Planning Meeting... Jan. 29, 2:00-5:00 pmWhere: 688 Polk Boulevard, Des MoinesBring: Salad, bread or dessert and your favorite beverage.Bring your ideas for paddling trips and other events in 2006 (show off your favorite stream or join a friend and co-chair an event). Dave Kraemer and Lynn Aldridge will serve as emcees to assist our planning effort. We will eat at 2:30 p.m. and begin the planning meeting around 3:30 p.m. Questions? Call Robin Fortney at 515-277-1763 if you need directions.

Cross-Country Skiing with the Sierra Club at Maplelag Resort... Feb. 2-5. Escape the winter doldrums February 2-5, 2006, with a weekend of cross-country skiing on over 25 miles of groomed trails at this beautiful resort near Detroit Lakes, voted No. 1 in North America. The ski trails provide routes of varying length and difficulty (from beginner to advanced), winding through forests, wetlands, and along lake shores on the edge of the northern wilderness. You can also brush up on your ski skills with a personalized lesson, or enjoy snow shoeing, ice skating, kick-sledding, or take a brisk plunge through the ice hole in the lake.

Two departure options: Leave Thursday morning and arrive at Maplelag in the late afternoon, or leave Thursday evening (with a motel stay in the Twin Cities area Thursday night) and arrive at Maplelag Friday noon. Leave Sunday after lunch and arrive home Sunday evening. You may carpool if you wish. The $276 fee ($109-139 for children) includes 2 nights lodging and 6 meals (Friday afternoon through Sunday lunch). You can add an additional night Thursday with three additional meals for $80 more ($25-$35 for children). There is a 10% additional discount for families. Cross-country ski and snowshoe rental, ski waxing service, ski lessons, massages, and babysitting available for additional charges. Space is limited to 16 and is open to both Sierra Club members and non-members. $75 deposit required and should be paid by ASAP. Skill level: None required. Difficulty level: Moderate to strenuous. Contact Doug at 515-277-1263 or aupperle_douglas@email.com to sign up. Go to http://www.maplelag.com/ for more information.


Iowa Women in Natural Resources Conference... Feb. 9-10, Guthrie Center. The pre-registration deadline is Jan. 31. Contact Deb Howe at deb.howe@hotmail.com for more information.

Iowa PaddleSport Expo... Feb. 10-12. If you are in the market for used or new paddling gear, this is a good opportunity.

Sandhill Crane Watching through Madison County Conservation Board... March 11-12. The MCCB is organizing a bus trip to central Nebraska to view the sandhill crane migration.
Cost: $130 plus food. The $130 fee covers transportation, admission prices, hotel room, blind rental, and handling fees. You will be responsible for the purchase of meals.
How to Register: Contact the MCCB at 462-3536 for a registration packet. Reservations will be accepted on a first come, first serve basis. Payment will be due at time of registration.
Registration Deadline: February 3rd, 2006
Want to Know More? Attend an informational meeting at 7:00 p.m. on January 19th at the Pammel Park Nature Center. Learn more about the trip and reserve your spot! Or call the MCCB at 515-462-3536.

"Wild Edibles" Workshop through Polk County Conservation Board... TBD in April. This is a popular workshop about how to live off the land. Space is limited. Details will be coming later.

11/21/05 Meeting at Hard Back Cafe

Meeting Notes

The November 21st meeting was held at Hard Back Cafe in the West Des Moines Public Library at 7:00 pm.

IOU Logo: The group voted on a favorite logo. The chosen logo pictures a hiker and the words "Iowa Outdoors Unlimited" in bold, black letters.

Note about RSVP'ing: When you RSVP via email for a trip or event, please include a phone number where you can be reached in case of a change in plans.

Next Meeting: 7:00 pm, December 19, 2005 at Hard Back Cafe in the West Des Moines Public Library. We were really happy with this meeting location and the coffee shop was very accommodating to us, so we're going to be there again. The WDM Library is at 4000 Mills Civic Pkwy.

Topics for Next Meeting: Gina Elkin will be talking about her experience on an Backroads (an outdoor adventure company) led trip to Utah. Check it out at http://www.backroads.com/. Also, we will have a winter equipment "show and tell". This may be a little hard to pull off indoors, but if you have skis, snowboards, or snowshoes that you would like to show to the group, please bring them.
Trip and Event Reports

IOU Living History Farms Off-Road Race: On November 19th, 9 IOU members ran in "The Biggest Cross Country race in North America" at Living History Farms. The runners had lots of stories to tell about fording streams and climbing up muddy hillsides and had advice for those who want to participate next year. (Such as, do not run in pants. They get soggy when crossing streams and are likely to fall down while you are running!) Check out the IOU Trip Blog for details. http://www.iowaoutdoorunlimited.blogspot.com/ – we will update this site soon!

IOU Climbing at SportsPlex: Because of the tornado-producing weather on November 12, a group of IOU members decided not to go climbing outdoors at Camp Mitigwa but opted for indoor climbing at SportsPlex West in Waukee instead.
Upcoming Events

IOU Skiing in Minnesota: November 26. A few IOU members will be skiing in Minnesota over the Thanksgiving weekend. If you are interested in joining them, please email iowaoutdoorunlimited@yahoo.com or call Sara at 515-669-7193 or Mike at 515-250-4075.

IOU Hike, Bike, or Ski: December 10, 10:00 am at Saylorville. We will be hiking, biking, or skiing depending on the weather. Check your email on Thursday or Friday of that week for details. Some people may go out to lunch afterwards.

IOU Tree Decorating: December 10, TBD. Mike is going to talk to Ramsey Home (a nursing home facility near Drake) about the possibility of decorating a tree in their courtyard for the holidays. IOU would decorate the tree with berries, seeds, popcorn, and other edibles for birds and wildlife and then spend some time visiting with the nursing home residents. Once details are worked out, please RSVP to iowaoutdoorunlimited@yahoo.com.

IOU Christmas Party: December 10, around 7:00 pm. After tree decorating, IOU will be getting together for a Christmas dinner at HuHot in West Des Moines. Sara will be making reservations, so please RSVP to iowaoutdoorunlimited@yahoo.com by Dec. 5.

IOU Skiing in Wisconsin: February 4-6. Anna and Tim Whipple will be co-chairing a skiing trip to Devil's Head Ski Resort and Cascade Mountain in the Wisconsin Dells. Through another group, we have the opportunity to purchase lift tickets and book hotel rooms in Madison. It is also possible to purchase the lift tickets through the group and make other accommodations, but the group hotel package includes buffet breakfasts on both Saturday and Sunday. Please see the newsletter at http://www.superbowlski.com/newsletter.html for prices (click on "Reservations" for lift ticket, rental, and lesson prices). RSVP to Anna and Tim at tawhipple@mchsi.com by Dec. 19.

IOU Skiing in Colorado: February 10-13. IOU would like to organize a trip to one of several possible ski resorts in Colorado. The trip would be a three- or four-day weekend. Mike has done some preliminary research and estimates the cost could be as low as $120 per day plus gas and food, depending on accommodations. It may be possible to split a condo for about $50 per person per night and to get lift tickets for about $60-70 per day. It is a 10-12 hour drive to Colorado. If you would like to co-chair this event with Mike and help with research, please email http://us.f309.mail.yahoo.com/ym/Compose?To=iowaoutdoorunlimited@yahoo.com.

IOU Habitat for Humanity: March, date to be determined. Sara will be organizing another Habitat for Humanity work day for 15 volunteers.

IOU Paddling in BWCA or Quetico: August 7-11. To insure that we get entry permits early, we will need a count of how many members would be interested in a paddling trip in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area (in Minnesota) or Quetico Provincial Park (in Ontario). We will have a tentative sign-up at the December meeting or you can email iowaoutdoorunlimited@yahoo.com to express interest.

Check out Quetico at: http://www.ontarioparks.com/english/quet.html
Check out BWCA: http://www.canoecountry.com/

IOU Other Ideas: Some other events suggestions were sledding in Des Moines and ice climbing lessons in Cedar Falls.

IOU Juice Needs Help: Michael from Juice (the new Des Moines publication) is publishing a cover story about winter sports in a few weeks. They are looking for someone from IOU to help them out. They are specifically looking for talented skiers (downhill or cross-country), but there are people who are interested in other activities (sledding, skating, curling, etc.), please email them. They are looking for hard-core enthusiasts, as well as places and events where everyday shmoes can go to have fun. Please email Michael if you can help him out. michaelmo@dmJuice.com

Thanks again for all your help,

Michael

~ Anna and Sara