December Tracking Club: Shoulder Season

Come join us for our next Tracking Club at Ft. Snelling State Park:

Sunday, December 20

9:00am - 1:00pm

We will gather outside the Ft. Snelling State Park visitor center:

Ft. Snelling State Park

101 Snelling Lake Rd

West St Paul, MN 55111

It's the shoulder season here in Minnesota with freezes, thaws, snows & rains--sometimes all in one day. Every December, we may find fresh snow, pristine mud, or hard frozen ground at our favorite tracking spots. This year, we may also need to change from in-person tracking club to dispersed tracking and an online gathering. The current limits on outdoor social gatherings is set to expire on Friday, December 18--but do keep an eye out for updates in case there is an extension.

This is an all-weather event and we spend time off trail. Please bring appropriate footwear and dress for several hours outdoors in whatever weather we may have that day.

We will gather at 9:00 in outside the Visitor Center. We will head out on the trail about 9:20 and return to the visitor center by 1:00pm. If you need to reach us the day of the outing, please call Jon's cell phone at 612-388-4700.

Important Notes

COVID cases are rising dramatically in Minnesota. Please wear a mask and plan to maintain a distance of roughly one-and-a-half turkey wingspans (or one large turkey vulture) from those outside of your household.

Road construction on Highway 5 complicates travel to Ft. Snelling. We strongly recommend checking current highway and ramp closures.

You need a State Park pass to drive to the Visitor Center. The parking lot at the Historic Fort is closed for construction.

You can also avoid both of these issues by coming by bicycle (if you have good snow tires!).

RSVPs are encouraged so we can keep you up-to-date if there is an extension to the executive order..

• • E-mail Jonathan <poppele@umn.edu>

  • Use our online Contact Form

Click Here for Directions--which should account for the road construction: