Members of the UW-La Crosse Men’s and Women’s Cross Country team are participating in a cleanup effort on the Hixon Forest trails.

The 7 Rivers Region Outdoor Recreation Alliance of La Crosse are constantly working to maintain and upkeep the trails. One of UW-L’s professors, Dr. Scott Cooper, is heavily involved in the Hixon cleanup efforts through the 7 Rivers Alliance.

Derek Stanley, the head coach of the Men’s and Women’s Cross Country Team, found out about the trail cleanup efforts through Cooper’s involvement.

“Hixon is used by many people, and it experiences frequent use by our team. There is a responsibility to take care of the trails. The trails in Hixon vary in surface terrain and need regular work, especially after heavy rain or rapid spring melt,” said Stanley.

So what exactly the cross-country team is doing in order to help clean up these trails? Stanley explained that in their most recent work session, the team was split into multiple groups in order to prep the trails for a bike race taking place that weekend.

“Two groups were filling ruts on the newly constructed road, another one was clearing overgrown areas of the trails, and another group was clearing rock from a steep hill on the bike route,” explained Stanley.

The cross-country team participates in this community service project annually. Because the team utilizes the Hixon trails so frequently for their practices, the team, especially Stanley, felt that they owe something back to the trails of Hixon Forest.

“We are committed to community service, but in particular to this project because our program owes it to Hixon. The trails do a great job of comforting us, caring for us and nurturing our development as runners, and our athletes want to pay Hixon back,” he said.

The 7 Rivers Region Outdoor Recreation Alliance is committed to providing “world-class” recreational activities and opportunities for everyone in the coulee region, whether that may be cycling, kayaking, mountain biking, cross-country skiing, hiking, bird-watching, sailing and or anything else.

ORA wants as many people as possible to be able to take advantage of these wonderful opportunities provided to us by the area’s glorious water bodies, expansive bluffs and marvelous terrain. Together, these elements place a charming natural world upon La Crosse that is difficult to find elsewhere.

Since 1999, the ORA has provided the framework for the creation of new multi-use trails in the coulee region. These trails are found in a variety of areas, including municipalities, counties, townships, river authorities, state parks and many more.

If you would like to get involved with helping to clean up and restore the trails of Hixon Forest, contact the 7 Rivers Region Outdoor Recreation Alliance at http://www.naturesplacetoplay.com/ for more information.