uman Powered Trails, Inc. is a non-profit organization whose mission is:  “To develop and maintain first class sustainable and environmentally correct, human-powered, shared use trails for the La Crosse, WI region."

We Need Your Help... PDF Print E-mail
Some say you can judge the heart and soul of a community by how well they invest in recreational facilities for future generations. Human Powered Trails, Inc. has taken the lead role in bringing professional trail design and trail building experience to La Crosse. We need your financial help to continue to grow shared use trails in the La Crosse outdoors.

Human Powered Trails, Inc. in concert with the city of La Crosse and other organizations have been asked to design and build shared-use trails atop the bluffs over looking our city. Studies have shown that shared use trails have a positive economic impact on cities like La Crosse by attracting new residents and visitors to an active outdoor lifestyle. People, businesses and tourists are drawn to areas that provide shared use trails for a wide range of healthy, physical, outdoor activity including hiking, bird watching, running, mountain biking and a host of other outdoor activities.

Much of the work that needs to be done involves redesigning and reshaping the existing quarry on top of Granddad bluff. Human Powered Trails is skillful in designing trails that lead hikers and curiosity seekers away from environmentally sensitive areas and guides them on trails that are designed and built with the natural flow of the land to minimize the impact of man on the environment.

You may have read the article about the structural quality of the trails we have built that appeared in the La Crosse Tribune after the August flooding:

“They are 130 acres of nature-laced recreational heaven surrounding the National Weather Service station atop Grandad Bluff. Wide grass trails roll through meadows, narrow dirt trails snake up and down thickly forested hillsides. It’s a place with no cars, no annoying noises, just a big sky above and a great view all around. And they’re truly human-powered, built and maintained entirely by volunteers, with no taxpayer funds.

In a week in which so much beautiful and meaningful was lost, it was nice to know at least one place held strong despite the deluge."

--La Crosse Tribune, August 25, 2007


The expert trail design and building was noted several years earlier by trail building author, Mark Schmidt, when the noted National Parks trail builder said, “Human Powered Trails are some of the best built trails in the Midwest. “

Now our all-volunteer group needs your help. We have built a superb trail system with nothing more then hand tools, the strong backs of our volunteers and unbridled determination. The task ahead of us is larger and longer and calls your financial help. From day one our mission has been to build the highest quality trails and your help would assure we continue to maintain our high trail building standards.

Please send your 100% tax-deductible contribution to Human Powered Trails, Inc. You can be assured that your generous gift will help outdoor enthusiasts continue to enjoy breath taking views and out of the way places in ways that other cities can only dream about.

Donate Online Today!

Download a Donation Form HERE
 
Wish List PDF Print E-mail
If you are able to donate or fund any of the following items, please contact us by filling out this FORM or send an email to info at humanpoweredtrails.com. Or you can drop them off at our regular trailwork days.  Your generous donations keep our mission moving forward.
In-kind donations may provide you with tax benefits; for more information, contact your financial or legal advisor's.

ALWAYS NEED MORE OF THESE
  1. Bug/Mosquito Spray
  2. Kwik Trip Gift Cards - Beverages/Food - for Volunteers during Trailwork ($40/week)
  3. Kwik Trip Gift Cards - gas for power equipment
  4. Volunteer Raffle Items - ($10-$20/week) - each week we have a raffle at the end of trailwork to thank those that come out and build these great trails for the community. (i.e. Coffee Cups, Pint Glasses, Shirts, Tools, Bike Socks, Hats, Gloves, Gift Certificates, etc, etc.)

TOOLS/EQUIPMENT
NOTE: Most of these items are available locally or online.  Links are provided for reference or to purchase.

  1. Loppers - (5 @ $20)
  2. Pruners - (5 @ $21)
  3. Saws - (4 @ $27/ea)
  4. Clinometer - (1 @ $125)
  5. Rogue Hoe (2 @ $25)
  6. Flagging Tape Dispenser -(2 @ $12/ea) Coaxsher
  7. Makita Cordless Drill and extra batteries ($250)
  8. Staple Gun - ($16)
  9. Fuel Bottles 33oz - (3 @ $20/ea) avail at 3 Rivers Outdoors, Main St. La Crosse
  10. Small Generator (for events & sharpening tools)
  11. Leaf Blower - Stihl BR600 ($500) Avail @ Holmen Saw
  12. ATV (4wheeler)
  13. Use of tracked Skid Loader to build Dirt Park - Thanks Fowler Hammer!
ELECTRONICS / SOFTWARE
  1. Windows Laptop for presentations - Thanks Three Rivers Technologies!
  2. Projector for presentations - Thanks 360 Real Estate Solutions
  3. Color Laser Printer
  4. Delorme PN40 GPS w/software - ($500)
  5. Delorme XMap 6 GIS Editor - ($800)

TRAIL CONSTRUCTION

  1. Fill for Dirt Park - +/-5 Dump Truck Loads - Thanks St. Joseph Construction & Three Sixty Real Estate Solutions!
  2. Trailhead Building - ($70k)
  3. Lumber/Hardware for Bridges/Dirt Park - ($1500)

OTHER

  1. All Terrain Cooler ($75)
  2. Printing - (Flyer's, Meeting Agendas, Business cards, etc) - Thanks Engelhart Printing!
  3. Pop up tent
  4. Steel for trailhead kiosk & maps at trail intersections
  5. HPT Banners, stickers (available at La Crosse Sign or Noffke Sign in Holmen)
  6. Volunteer Shirts - Thanks Mt. Borah
  7. HPT Brochures - ($300-600/year)