Friday, February 16, 2024 from 2pm-5pm at Palmer Woods Forest Reserve
Join the staff of the Leelanau Conservancy along with Docents, Board & LC Collective members for winter fun on the trails at Palmer Woods.
Please come ready for the weather! Skis, snowshoes, and warm winter gear are recommended. If winter snow levels aren’t ideal for snowshoeing & skiing, we will hike and recommend yak-tracks or ice cleats with hiking poles. Please feel free to snowshoe and ski throughout the afternoon. We ask that you leave pets at home for Winter Trails Day. Sign up here, and view the schedule below.
Schedule
2:00pm – Docent Guided Snowshoe (longer route) – Conservancy docents invite you to enjoy a winter snowshoe walk to experience the sights and sounds of winter. They’ll also discuss how the forest ecosystem responds to the season. Why might winter be important to forest health? How might the changes brought about by global warming change the ways winter impacts our forests? This moderately-paced walk will include stops along the way to experience the woods in winter and talk about the coming changes. This 1–2-mile snowshoe with our knowledgeable Docents will get you looking & thinking about the forest in new ways. We’ll start and finish at the Hub in the main Palmer Woods parking area in time to join the Fireside gathering.
2:30pm – Docent Guided Snowshoe (shorter route / great for families and kids!) – Prick up your ears, eyes, nose, or fingers! Families comprised of all ages are invited to experience a one mile snowshoe walk on a winter trail to look closely at the woods around us. What might we notice differently in winter? We’ll engage our other senses as well: what can we smell, hear, or feel? Join Conservancy docents on this fun exploration! This slower paced 1-mile snowshoe with LC Docents will explore the Ursa Minor trail. We’ll start and finish at the Hub in the main Palmer Woods parking area in time to join the Fireside Gathering.
2:00pm – 5:00pm Fireside Gathering – Join us at the Palmer Woods Hub to warm up around the fires and chat with LC Staff, Docents, Board & LC Collective members. We’ll have refreshments and hot cocoa! BYOM (Bring Your Own Mug) is preferred to help us reduce waste.
4:00pm – Staff-led Cross-Country Ski – Bring your cross-country skis and explore the Price Valley Trail out to the fern garden and back. LC Staff will be on the trails and at the main hub, so say hello or ask us a question!
Things to consider:
- Trails are multi-use
- We recommend that no hiking occurs on the groomed ski tracks
- Download Map Here
- Restrooms are located at the main parking area / Hub / #1 on map
- The main gathering will take place at the Hub with warming fires and refreshments
- It is best for pets to stay home for this event
- BYOM – Bring your own mug for hot cocoa to help us reduce waste. (We’ll have cups too!)
- Please register in advance, so we know how many attendees to plan for
- Sign up for our e-news for more Trails Days events later this year!
