Snowy Activities

The winter weather continues to change quickly and dramatically this January. We have had nice spring-like weather getting into the 40's followed by arctic below 0 temperatures with and without windchill adjustments. This has made for needed adjustments in winter activities and what we wear outside.

My two daughters and their families visited us over Christmas vacation. My older daughter Beth, her husband Justin and our granddaughter dressed up warmly and went sledding at Fort Ridgely after our other daughter left. All of us had a great time on the short sliding hill north of the chalet. It was Sophia's first time sledding. We got lots of pictures and here are a few of my favorites. Can you tell that Sophia had a great time?

Scott Kudelka has had two winter hikes recently. The weather had a huge impact on attendance and dress for the hikes. I will give the description he gave of the hike and add a picture I took of each hike with a short commentary.

Animal Tracks Snowshoe Hike at Fort Ridgely State Park, Jan. 8^th

There are many different animals living all around us but it can be tough to see them. Looking for tracks is a great way to discover who some of these animals might be.

Come out to Fort Ridgely State Park on January 8^th (Saturday) at 1 p.m. for a guided snowshoe hike through both forested and prairie sections. This will be a fun chance to go looking for tracks and other signs of animals in the park.

We will be out for around an hour and half walking up or down a couple of steeper hills covering about two miles. If there isn't enough snow, the event will become a hike. Meet at the Chalet parking lot.

Here is the picture Scott took of the group that came to this hike and his short commentary that he put in his weekly Minneopa Update. Reply to Scott if you would like to get this update as well as the Fort Ridgely one.

In the afternoon I made my way over to Fort Ridgely to do an Animal Tracks and Signs Snowshoe Hike that again became a hike as we stopped along the trail to talk about some of the animals you might see at the state park. A group of Boy Scouts joined us who were staying overnight at the park Chalet. Two reporters from the New Ulm Journal also came out for the hike.

Here is the link to the article they wrote. https://www.nujournal.com/news/local-news/2022/01/10/nature-lovers-hike-fort-ridgely/

It was very nice weather and lots of people showed up. Here is a picture of Scott showing a raccoon skin and talking about it.

Snowshoeing with the Naturalist at Fort Ridgely State Park, Jan. 21^st

Explore Fort Ridgely State Park to go for a snowshoe hike with the Naturalist on January 21^st (Friday) at 10:00 a.m. Minneopa Area Naturalist Scott Kudelka will lead a fun and informative tour of the park’s landscape.

Plan to spend about an hour and half snowshoeing on the park’s trails where the naturalist will talk about the history of Fort Ridgely State Park and some of the more unusual characteristics of this place.

If there isn’t enough snow this will become a hike. Please meet at the park’s chalet parking lot.

We did not snowshoe as the trails were well packed down and it was very cold. There were only 4 of us as it was a very cold (close to 0) and we did not hike for 1.5 hours. I did not get a picture of the group but I got this picture of the remains of a rabbit that some predator (fox or coyote?) had killed and eaten completely, except for the hair and some bones.

Facebook post about history of Fort Ridgely Amphitheater

Fairfax MN Depot Museum group on Facebook had a very good post on January 8, 2022 about the amphitheater and with comments on the state of the park in general. The picture above was where it started and showed the state of it today. I recommend you read all the comments to see peoples’ thoughts of where the park is today. Below is a picture Kerry Bethke Haala took on January 8 of the renovated amphitheater

I wrote several comments and so did Joanne Svendsen, park manager. I copied and placed two of Joanne’s comments to give you some idea of what is on the agenda at Fort Ridgely.

The DNR hired engineers and architects to examine the amphitheater and design the restoration of the original structure. The estimate for the restoration came to over $300,000. The current renovation was a less expensive solution that allowed the stage to remain open and useable. This is the only historic building in the park that’s been renovated, all the CCC buildings are there for people to enjoy.

This is what the amphitheater will look like moving forward. Construction on a $500,000 shower building for the campground will begin next year. The museum is run by MNHS, not the DNR. Yes, the golf course is gone, but many people are pleased that we now have more trails and restored prairie for wildlife. I prefer to look at the positives, support the park and do my part to help it grow. We’ve seen record attendance levels the last two years.

Candle Light Trail Event at Fort Ridgely State Park, Feb.12^th

Be part of a fun seasonal outing and invite your family, friends, and neighbors to take part in a traditional winter event. On February 12^th (Saturday), Fort Ridgely State Park is holding its annual Candle Light Trail Event from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. starting at the Chalet.

Come out to enjoy a candle lit trail marked for both snowshoers and walkers winding its way through prairie and forested areas. There will be a blazing bonfire and bring your own marshmallows and hot chocolate to enjoy the winter night.

The Candle Light Trail Event will take place even if there is no snow on the ground. Be prepared for icy conditions. Bring along items to roast in the campfire (roasting sticks will be provided).

I hope all of you can come to this event. The weather was great 2 years ago and 400 people showed up. That was right before Covid shut down many activities. Hopefully this will signal the end of all restrictions on activities due to Covid at the park. I include a picture of the trail near the chalet taken two years ago. I remember putting out some of those candles.