Outdoor Adventures 2009 a Volume One special section

VolumeOne.org April 22, 201028

PREFACE: I don’t get out enough. There, I said it. I’ve been living in the Chippewa Valley now for three years, and I’ve seen only a pit-tance of it. I haven’t gone camp-ing or fishing or canoeing or even really biking here. So this winter, while I was huddling cold and alone under a pile of blan-kets, I made myself a promise. A promise to have a Mega-Awesome Nature-Loving Yokel Trip and River-Inspired Passage or, as I’ve shortened it for bragging purpos-es, a MANLY TRIP. The most epic journey any Chippewa Valleyan has ever had. I would set myself afloat down the Chippewa River and tame the beast that powers the Valley. Now, having had little to no prior canoeing experience (out-side of my cousin and myself turn-ing ourselves backward on the Baraboo River once) I decided that maybe attempting to conquer the entire river was aiming just a little high. Two days of extreme researching and itinerary plan-ning later, I set my goal: I would drive from Eau Claire up to Lake Wissota, where I would take a day or two to embrace my inner out-doorsman, and then brave the al-most 20 miles of paddling neces-sary to make it back to Eau Claire. What follows is something I’ve come to call the MANLY TRIP Log, a diary of my journey.

AFIVE-DAYOUTDOOR

ADVENTURE WITH

CAMPING, FISHING,

CANOEING, ANDBIKING

A FICTIONALIZED

ACCOUNT By Matt Ledger

EDITORS:Trevor Kupfer

& Kinzy JanssenPHOTOS:

Andrea PaulsethMODEL:

Chris McDonaldDESIGN:

Brian Moen

VolumeOne.org April 22, 201029

DAY ONE: It’s a beautiful Friday morning, and I’ve

driven my Subaru, loaded with canoe, paddles,

camping necessities, and fishing accoutrements

to just outside Wissota Marina on 197th Street

in Chippewa Falls (A). The marina is close to

a great launching spot for Paint Creek, a small

river that feeds into Lake Wissota. My plan is to

ease into the whole paddling thing today while I

slowly make my way towards Lake Wissota State

Park. With any luck, by the end of the day I’ll

be able to steer effectively. I’m pretty sure that

could come in handy. Eventually, I crossed under the Highway X

bridge (B) and into Lake Wissota itself. There’re

some pretty great rock formations there, and I

saw what I’m fairly sure was an otter. At least

that’s what he told me. Eventually, I pulled

ashore upon the beach at Lake Wissota State

Park (C), where I was greeted by a plethora of

white-tailed deer, badgers, beavers, and red-

tailed foxes. Unfortunately, this did not turn into

one of those scenes out of Snow White where we

all frolicked and sang throughout the forest. In-

stead, the woodland animals demanded my reg-

istration fee, which I had apparently forgotten to

pay. It’s good to know that the animals are look-

ing out for themselves at least.

Lake Wissota State Park itself isn’t exactly

roughing it. The campsite has flush toilets, show-

ers, and electricity, so thankfully I could plug in

my nightlight. My plan for tomorrow is to hit some

of the hiking trails and see if I can identify all of

the more than 200 species of birds that reside at

the park. If this goes anything like my attempts to

catch all 150 original Pokémon over the winter,

I’ll be giving up by bird number six.

MORE GREAT PLACES TO PADDLE:

Half Moon Lake Braun’s Bay Pavilion in Carson Park, Eau Claire

Glen Loch Lake Bridgewater Avenue, Chippewa Falls

Chippewa Moraine Ice Age State Recreation Area Cty Hwy M, New Auburn

Eau Claire River between Harstad Park in Augusta

and Big Falls in Fall Creek

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DAY THREE: I was right; it was a problem. My arms started to become sore about half-way down the stretch of river I had planned to travel in one day. Fearing intense muscle cramps, I decided that I would paddle no more. So when I came across an is-land in the middle of the river where one could pull ashore and make camp for the night, I jumped at the chance. I’m not exactly sure where I am at the moment (B)---, but I’m pretty sure that to the west of us I can see some sort of vineyard and to the southeast of us is what I think is Lake Hallie.

The paddling, along with the struggle

to come ashore, has left me exhaust-ed. I am very glad that I caught and cooked enough walleye at Lake Wis-sota to eat throughout the day today, as I don’t think that even if I hooked a fish I could reel it in right now. I’m now busting out a sleeping bag and preparing to go to sleep. If today’s experience has impressed any one thing upon me, it is a desire for more campgrounds in the Chippewa Valley. If there had been one along the way, maybe I could have planned for this.

DAY TWO: I spied 13 birds while hiking about today –

more than doubling my expectations. I’m pretty

sure that qualifies as a win. Right now I’m cast-

ing off the park’s fishing pier, hoping to stock up

for the journey. So far so good – I’ve caught two

walleye and a small-mouth bass. I’m hoping to

snag a perch, crappie, or bluegill before I take

off; I’m told the lake has quite a few.

I’ll be making dinner for tonight and tomor-

row on one of the park’s grills, and then I hope

to go for a quick swim before the sun goes down.

Tomorrow I’ll actually set sail, or paddle rather.

I have just now realized that if I get tired along

the way or if tomorrow’s journey takes longer

than expected, we really have no place to stop. I

feel this may end up being a problem.

MORE GREAT PLACES TO HIKE:Red Cedar State Trail depot on 11th Ave (Hwy 29), MenomonieBeaver Creek Reserve Hwy K, Fall CreekDevil’s Punchbowl Paradise Valley Road, MenomonieHoffman Hills State Recreation Area Brickyard Road, Menomonie

MORE GREAT PLACES TO CAMP:Coon Fork Lake County Park County Road CF, Augusta

Harstad County Park Near Augusta, take Highway 12 to County AF to County HHHBrunet Island State Park

23125 255th S., CornellWillow River State Park 1034 County Highway A, Hudson

SPACE DEADLINE Fri, July 16 PUBLICATION Thu, July 29Call today for details 715-552-0457 or email mail@volumeone.org

VolumeOne.org April 22, 201031

DAY FOUR: I woke up early today to get a head

start on paddling towards Dells Pond,

which I guesstimated was over five

miles from my current island position.

Today’s plan was to head to the pond

and hang out for a bit, maybe get in

some Frisbee golf at Mt. Simon Park,

and then head back to Eau Claire to

meet my friend Mike at Phoenix Park.

We would then drive back up to Chip-

pewa to get my car. Things did not go

exactly as planned, and I’m not proud

to admit how out of shape I am. My

arms are so sore from paddling yes-

terday that even the simple act of writ-

ing this is difficult. I arrived at Mt. Simon hoping to

see a few other people around, but

being that it’s 8 am on a Monday I

should have known it would be empty.

I tossed a few Frisbees around and

worked the knots out of my arms,

enough to paddle around Dells Pond

(B) for a bit, an excellent spot for it, I

must say. The water level around the

islands forces motorboats to stay out

in the river, allowing for a fairly open

and gentle canoeing experience be-

tween the islands. Being out of fish

by this point, I chose to conserve my

strength for a paddle across the pond

to the Starr Avenue VFW Post, where

I was graciously given some delicious

fried chicken leftovers. After feasting on some fowl, I

started the last leg of my journey, the

short paddle from Dells Pond to the

river confluence in Phoenix Park (C).

As I crossed under the Madison Street

bridge I could see Mike, his shaggy

hair blowing in the breeze, his hands

waving me in. I’m fairly sure I heard

the music from Apollo 13 in the back-

ground. I parked the canoe and gave

Mike the biggest man-hug I think I’ve

ever given anyone in my life. My jour-

ney was over. … Or at least this portion.

Mike and I sat at Phoenix Park,

fishing for muskie and bass and talk-

ing about the physics of Superman

moving a planet, until the sun finally

faded behind the Eau Claire River.

“Alright,” I said, “let’s take this stuff

home and then go to Chip and grab my

car.” Mike looked away from me, clear-

ly ashamed. “About that …” he said, “I

may have sort of kind of lost my keys.

Which means we maybe sort of can’t

drive to get your car.” This news dis-

pleased me. “But I looked online, and we could totally bike the entire way out there tomorrow,” Mike suggested. “The Chippewa River State Trail goes almost the whole way there!” I was still just as displeased and sore, but somehow Mike convinced me that biking the 20 some miles back toward Chippewa was a necessary part of my Most Excellent Chippewa

Outdoor Adventure. We carried the canoe, supplies, and fish 10 blocks back to our apartment, earning us some weird glances along the way. As I laid down to sleep, I was horrified to realize that, minus the approximately quarter of an inch of insulation in the walls, I might as well still be sleeping outside at Lake Wissota again. I really need to get a better apartment.

MORE GREAT PANFISH &

BASS SPOTS:Half Moon Lake

Eau ClaireLake Altoona

AltoonaCoon Fork Lake

AugustaSPACE DEADLINE Fri, June 4 PUBLICATION Thu, June 17

Call today for details 715-552-0457 or email mail@volumeone.org

VolumeOne.org April 22, 201032

DAY FIVE: Mike and I got up fairly early and

took the bike trip back to Chippewa

Falls pretty slow. Mike bragged that

he could have ridden it in an hour and

a half by himself, but I wanted to take

in the sights. We started out of Owen

Park, near the bandshell, and over

the course of our about two-and-a-

half-hour long journey we saw some

great riverside views. It was definitely

worth taking it slow. We took Galloway Street to West-

ern Avenue, and followed the Hast-

ings Way frontage (Anderson Drive)

to Joles Parkway. The River Trail

cut off once we got to 40th Avenue in

Chippewa Falls so we had to hop onto

Prairieview Road, cut to 50th Avenue,

and bike up 195th Street. Eventually

we arrived at my Subaru, which stood

pristine and had somehow not man-

aged to garner a parking ticket. Mike

and I loaded up our bikes, sat down,

and cranked the air conditioning to

cool ourselves down from the ride. We

pulled out of the parking lot and onto

the open road, officially bringing an

end to the MANLY TRIP. I’m gonna go

home and nap …

MORE GREAT PLACES TO BIKE:Lowes Creek County Park Lowes Creek Road, Eau Claire

Chippewa River State Trail south Eau Claire to CaryvilleRed Cedar State Trail 11th Ave, Menomonie

EQUIPMENT/LICENSESAce Hardware 2618 Birch St., Eau Claire • 836-7788 • www.acehardware.com • Camping accessories and fish-ing equipment available. Anybody’s Bike Shop 411 Water St., Eau Claire • 833-7100 • www.anybodysbikeshop.com • It’s all about the bikes: road, mountain, hybrids, kids, new, and used. Repairing your bike is their specialty. Choose from a variety of accessories.Bad Cat Bicycles 327 E Main St., Menomonie • 231-2453 • www.badcatbicycles.com • Sells custom-built bikes (road, mountain, hybrids) and kids’ bikes, too! All services and repairs are done in-house (safety check, ba-sic tune-up, overhaul) with free quotes.Bill’s Sport Shop 620 N Bridge St, Chippewa Falls • 723-9033 • Sells primarily fishing and hunting equip-ment (licenses). Does rod and reel repairs.Dunham’s Sporting Goods 1501 N Broadway St., Menomonie • 235-0750 • A one-stop shop for equipment related to fishing, hiking, canoeing, kayaking, and hunt-ing, with snowshoeing gear available seasonally.Eau Claire Bike & Sport 403 Water St, Eau Claire • 832-6149 • www.bikeandsport.com • Beyond doing repairs, this downtown shop sells bikes, biking accessories, in-line skates, snowboards, skateboards, disc golf supplies, and some fitness equipment.Farm & Fleet 2583 S Prairie View Road, Chippewa Falls • 723-1806 • www.farmandfleet.com • Farm & Fleet carries gear for fishing, hiking, canoeing, golf, kay-aking, biking, camping, horseback riding, and hunting.Gander Mountain 6440 Sculy Road, Eau Claire • 833-7500 • www.gandermountain.com • This store’s equip-ment goes beyond its “hunt, fish, camp” slogan, also offering gear for canoeing, snowshoeing, kayaking, and geocaching.Gordy’s True Value 111 W Columbia St., Chippewa Falls • 715-726-2510 • www.gordyscountymarket.net • Sells canoeing equipment (life vests, paddles), hunting equipment (rifle scope mounting), and fishing equip-ment (line winding, live bait year round), and hunting and fishing licenses.Kmart 2424 E Clairemont Ave, Eau Claire • 834-2938 // 409 E Prairie View Rd # 3735, Chippewa Falls • 726-1320 • Kmart has hunting and fishing equipment (licens-es sold), camping equipment, and a full line of bicycles and bike accessories.Menards 3619 S Hastings Way, Eau Claire • 832-3344 // 3210 N Clairemont, Eau Claire • 830-0011 • www.me-nards.com • Carries ice-fishing and camping equipment, as well as seasonal hunting gear such as deer stands and specialized clothing. Mi Zi Zak Kayaks 22588 State Road 40, New Auburn-Long Lake • www.mizizakkayak.weebly.com • This small, local regional business sells anything imaginable when it comes to paddle sports equipment.Mouldy’s Archery and Tackle 2863 S Prairie View Road, Chippewa Falls • 723-3607 • www.mouldys.com • This muskie pro shop is the home of the “Hawg Wob-bler” lure. Sells terminal tackle (hooks, bobbers, live bait). True to the name, you can find archery equipment, too (bows, arrows, targets, tree stands). It also offers an indoor shooting range and video target system.Northern Safari Army Navy 1612 S Hastings Way, Eau Claire • 833-1942 • www.armynavywisconsin.com • This military outfitter also carries camping, survival, hunting and tactical gear. Some kayaking accessories available.Outdoor Adventures 9658 151st St., Chippewa Falls • 869-3129 • www.huntandfishtrips.com • The world-wide hunting and fishing authority. They specialize in arranging customized fishing (freshwater, saltwater, fly) and hunting (big game, upland, waterfowl, turkey) with lodges, guides, and outfitters located around the globe. Pinehurst Hardware Hank 3031 N Hastings Way, Eau Claire • 835-7341 • www.pinehursthardwarehank.com • Sells biking equipment, camping accessories, fishing equipment (worm bait, lines, lures), hunting equipment (knives, ammo, cleaners, no guns), and licenses (hunt-

ing, fishing, DNR approved).Riverside Bike & Skate 937 Water St., Eau Claire • 835-0088 • This aptly-named riverside shop carries canoes, kayaks, bikes, and hockey skates. Repair service avail-able as well.Rodd-N-Bobb’s 630 Lamplighter Court, Eau Claire• 833-8030 • www.rod-n-bobbs.com • Rodd-N-Bobb’s is simply alluring! A family-owned fishing tackle and supply com-pany operating solely online. The leading manufacturer of lighting devices and day and night fishing products. Scheels 4710 Golf Road, Eau Claire • 833-1886 • www.scheels.com • A comprehensive place for all your fish-ing, hiking, canoeing, snowshoeing, cross-country ski-ing, kayaking, biking, camping, geocaching, and hunt-ing needs. Experts in the store will be happy to share techniques and advice concerning these topics. Simple Sports 326 E Main St., Menomonie • 233-3493 • www.simplesports.us • Bicycling equipment, snowboards, skateboards, longboards, hockey and disc golf equipment available on site. They can also order supplies for addi-tional sports, including climbing, canoeing, and kayaking. Spring Street Sports 12 W Spring St., Chippewa Falls • 723-6616 • www.springstreetsports.com • Specializes in bikes (all-terrain, BMX, cyclocross, specialized, Fisch-er, etc.), bike racks, biking equipment, and accessories. Sells bike racks for vehicles. Carries skis, snowshoes, and snowboards in winter. Also do bike repairs.Target 3649 S Hastings Way, Eau Claire • 838-0196 • www.target.com • Target’s sporting goods department carries equipment for fishing, hiking, biking, camping, and geocaching. Thompson’s True Value and Variety 319 E Clairemont Ave, Eau Claire • 834-1239 • Sells camping equipment.Wal-Mart 3915 Gateway Dr., Eau Claire • 834-0733 // 180 Cedar Falls Road, Menomonie • 235-6565 // 2786 Com-mercial Blvd., Chippewa Falls • 738-2254 • www.walmart.com • Fishing, hiking, biking, camping, geocaching, and hunting gear are readily available, and special items such as canoes and kayaks can be ordered online. Wissota Adventure 19234 74th Ave., Chippewa Falls • 723-1310 • www.wissotaadventure.com • Sells an array of canoes, kayaks, and paddles for your water adventures.

RENTALBeaver Creek Reserve Highway K, Fall Creek • 877-2212 • www.beavercreekreserve.org • A nature center which carries an extensive line of field guides and rents out skis and snowshoes seasonally. Environmental Adventure Center 105 Hilltop Center, Eau Claire • 836-3616 • www.uwec.edu/recreation/EAC/ • Maintains largest inventory of outdoor equip-ment in Eau Claire. Rents tent and camping accessories, canoes, kayak (plus accessories), winter sport equipment (plus snowshoes), and fishing rods and reels. Equipment available on a first-come, first-served, daily, weekend, or weekly basis to UW-Eau Claire ID holders only. The climbing wall, however, is open to the public.Loopy’s 10691 County Highway X (Bus. Hwy 29), Chip-pewa Falls • 723-5667 • www.723loop.com • Rents ca-noes, kayaks, and inner tubes all summer long. Mi Zi Zak Kayaks 22588 State Road 40, New Auburn-Long Lake • www.mizizakkayak.weebly.com • Looking for a kayak or a canoe to take out on an adventure? Get them here at Mi Zi Kayaks. Riverside Junction Junction of Eau Claire River Bridge and Highway 27, Augusta • 456-2443 • www.riverside-junction.com • Offers canoeing and kayaking on the Eau Claire River including trip planning and drop off/pick up, and rental.Stout Adventures 41 Sports and Fitness Center, Menomonie • 232-5625 • www.urec.uwstout.edu/adven-tures/equip.html • UW-Stout has an amazing outdoor rental collection! University ID holders and community members with driver’s licenses can rent hiking, camp-ing, canoeing, kayaking, winter sport (skis and snow-shoes), and rock climbing equipment daily or weekly. Geocaching GPS now available for students.

Outdoors Listings

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TRIPSEnvironmental Adventure Center 105 Hilltop Center, Eau Claire • 836-3616 • www.uwec.edu/recreation/EAC/ • Offers many fun outdoors trips for students only.Outdoor Adventures 9658 151st St., Chippewa Falls • 869-3129 • www.huntandfishtrips.com • The worldwide hunting and fishing authority. They specialize in arrang-ing customized fishing and hunting adventures including pack trips and rafting.Mi Zi Zak Kayaks 22588 State Road 40, New Auburn-Long Lake • www.mizizakkayak.weebly.com • This small, locally owned business offers experienced and fun guides to take you on a wide variety of canoe and kayak tours anywhere in the area from from Baron County to Eau Claire county. Check out their Fall Colors Eco Tours where you can learn about local plants while in your canoe/kayak.Riverside Junction Junction of Eau Claire River Bridge and Highway 27, Augusta • 456-2443 • www.riverside-junction.com • Offers canoeing and kayaking on the Eau Claire River including trip planning and drop off/pick up, and rental.Stout Adventures 41 Sports and Fitness Center, Menomonie • 232-5625 • www.urec.uwstout.edu/adven-tures/equip.html • Offers day trips all the way to three week international trips for backpacking, sailing, dog sled-ding, kayaking, canoeing, rock climbing, and cross coun-try skiing. Tone your muscles on the climbing wall too.

CLASSES/WORKSHOPSBeaver Creek Reserve Highway K, Fall Creek • 877-2212 • www.beavercreekreserve.org • This nature center has workshops on topics varying from environmental education to snowshoe making and holiday craft mak-ing for kids. Gander Mountain 6440 Sculy Road, Eau Claire • 833-7500 • www.gandermountain.com • They offer occasional classes on hunter’s safety and fly-tying, to name a few. Mi Zi Zak Kayaks 22588 State Road 40, New Auburn-Long Lake • www.mizizakkayak.weebly.com • Small, lo-cal, and friendly: experience mi zi zak kayaks variety of canoe and kayak classes such as there Women’s Wendes-days “the alternative to happy hour” on lower long lake Chippewa County or take one of the Kayak Saftey Clinic. Riverside Bike & Skate 937 Water St., Eau Claire • 835-0088 • Sometimes teams up with Pure Water Paddlers for educational sessions.Simple Sports 326 E Main St., Menomonie • 233-3493 • www.simplesports.us • Occasional bicycle maintenance classes available and a possible snowboard tuning class this winter. Stout Adventures 41 Sports and Fitness Center, Menomonie • 232-5625 • www.urec.uwstout.edu/ad-ventures/equip.html • Learn about having fun in the great outdoors with the wide variety of classes offered such as kayaking, rock climbing, and cooking.

EVENTSCORBA Mountain Bike Group Ride Apr. 5, 6pm; Apr. 12, 6pm; Apr. 19, 6pm; Apr. 26, 6pm • Lowes Creek County Park, S. Lowes Creek Rd., Eau Claire • FREE • 894-7429 • Weekly group mountain bike ride hosted by the Chippewa Off-Road Bike Association. Non-members and members of all abilities are welcome. This is a fun “no-drop” ride. Helmet required. Meet in Lowes Creek Cty Park parking lot off of S Lowes Creek Rd. Arrive a bit early. Visit chippewaoffroad.org for more info.Chippewa Falls Youth Hockey Ice Bowl Apr. 23, 5pm; Apr. 24, 10am • Chippewa Falls Ice Arena, 839 First Ave., Chippewa Falls • 720-0189 or 726-9143 • Taking bowling to a whole new level, the Chippewa Falls Ice Arena will be converted into a 16 lane bowling alley for one weekend of live music, food, beer garden, games, silent auction, raffles, and of course bowling on ice.28th Annual Fun Run Apr. 24, 9:30am • Carson Park, Carson Park Dr. • The American Marketing Associa-tion’s 28th Annual Fun Run is a charitable event where people can rollerblade, run or walk a 5K at Carson Park’s Oak Pavilion. Also, live bands at noon, a barbe-cue, beverages, competitions and door prizes. The day

finishes with a party, featuring a date auction that starts at 5:30pm. Check website for more info.Tee Off for the Arc Eau Claire Golf Tournament Apr. 25, 9am • Wild Ridge Golf Course, 3905 Kane Rd. • 858-7960 • www.wildridgegolf.com Through this Tee Off, Beta Up-silon Sigma hopes to raise money for the Arc Eau Claire while involving the community in a fun outdoor event. Please visit www.uwec.edu/BUS/ for more information and to register for the event.Unlimited, All Day Golf Apr. 30, ; May. 4, ; May. 7, ; May. 11, ; May. 14, • Hickory Hills Golf Course, E4080 Hickory Road, Eau Claire • $23 • 878-4543 • Hickory Hills Golf Course is offering unlimited, all day golf on our scenic course just 3 miles south of Eau Claire on Highway 93. While you’re here, check out our newly remodeled clubhouse and bar area.Bowling For Bolton: Strike Out Domestic Abuse Apr. 30, 6-9pm • Wagner’s, 2159 Brackett Ave., Eau Claire • $10, $35 pre-registered team of four • 215-1801 • CVTC students organize a “fun”-raiser to support the Bolton Refuge House, plus raffles, silent auction and lots of fun. Bring your friends and family.El Fortin 5k May. 1, 9am • UWEC Nursing Building, 105 Garfield Avenue, Eau Claire • $17, $12 in advance • 836-2637 • UWEC’s Latin American Sustainability Educational and Development Club is donating 100% of the proceeds made from this 5K to the two poorest countries in the western hemisphere, Haiti and Nicara-gua. Registration begins at 9am by the College of Nurs-ing building; the race begins at 10am. Register before April 28 for cheaper price.ROCKnROLLA Climbing Competition May. 1, 10am-4pm • McPhee, UW - Eau Claire, 105 Garfield Ave Hill-top Recreation Center, Eau Claire • $25, $20 students; $15 if paid in advance • 836-2845 • This event will host all levels of climbers (no experience necessary). Reg-istration before 4/23/10 will include a complementary t-shirt. Prize raffle for all participants. Registration re-quired, deadline: May. 1.Eau Claire Marathon May. 2, 8am • prices vary • 215-0442 • Marathon and half-marathon begin at 8am. Two mile fun run begins at 8:30am. Be a part of the most sce-nic marathon in the Midwest. Enjoy a spring run along the beautiful lakes, rivers, and parks of Eau Claire, Wis-consin. Choose to run in our marathon, half marathon or two mile fun run.18th Annual Nurses’ Walk May. 6, 5:30-6:15pm • Car-son Park - Pine Pavillion, Eau Claire, WI • FREE • 717-1435 • Nurses from several local and regional hospitals, schools and organizations help will celebrate National Nurses’ Week by participating in the 18th annual Nurses’ Walk. This one-mile trek highlights the nursing profes-sion’s commitment to wellness and illness prevention. National Nurses’ Week is May 6–12. Register by May. 5.Rec Fest Early Bird Golf Outing May. 7, • Wild Ridge and Mill Run Golf Course, 3905 Kane Rd. • $30 • 836-2176 (Andy) • www.wildridgegolf.com/ Proceeds from the outing will support the Wisconsin Youth Success Program. The Early Birdie Golf Outing is for golfers of any skill level. Fee includes nine holes of golf, lunch and prizes. Games will be held at each hole for a chance to win. Participants must register by May 6 at the Hilltop Recreation Center at UWEC. jepsenan@uwec.edu.Adoption 5k Run and 2 Mile Walk/Run May. 8, 9-10am • Irvine Park, Bridgewater Avenue • 651-8716 (Carley) • Lutheran Social Services will host this event on May 8th at the Flag Hill pavillion in Irvine Park. Registration 9-10am. For more information please call Carley Schnacky.2010 Stroll in the Park for Epilepsy May. 8, 9:30am • Irvine Park, Chippewa Falls • 834-4455 • Walk with Bob Gallaher from WEAU 13 News, UWEC women’s bas-ketball coachTonja Englund and UWEC football coach Todd Glaser, plus meet the Bee from B-95, “Trax” from the EC Express, clowns and more. Registration at 9:30am; stroll at 10:30am.Happy Mother Fisher’s Day, feat. Brad Murphey and Teresa Frank May. 9, 1-4:30pm • Bullfrog’s Eat My Fish Farm, N1321 Bullfrog Rd. • 664-8775 • www.eatmyfish.com/ Featuring folk musicians Brad and Teresa plus pondside fishin’ noon-6pm and hobo chefin’ shorelunch 1-6pm. This event kicks off the Eat My Fish! Farm’s oc-casional music season.