Trail Builders Charlie Silverson and Elaine Elnes
Visit every park
Behind every successful park or trail effort you will find a Trail Builder, an individual that shepherded the dream into reality, giving time, money or both in pursuit of the goal. The following is a Question & Answer feature with a dynamic pair of Trail Builders – Elaine Elnes and Charlie Silverson.
Why did you become active in the Parks & Trails Council?
Our friends Eleanor and Fred Winston introduced us to the Parks & Trails Council about six years ago. We joined and attended the 50th Anniversary celebration at Lake Itasca State Park. We were impressed by the friendliness and dedication of the members and staff. We decided our first contribution would be to visit as many of the 72 state park and recreation areas as possible.
What park projects have been the most important to you?
All of the Parks & Trails Council’s ongoing efforts to help acquire, preserve and protect valuable lands for our state park system are important to us. Whether it is acquiring land for a state park like Afton or purchasing key parcels of land to add to existing parks, it is all very important. One example of an important Parks & Trails Council project was helping to acquire a beautiful tree-covered ridge line overlooking the visitor center at Whitewater State Park. Without its help, a row of condominiums might be there now.
What things have you done to become more aware of Minnesota’s parks?
We visited them – all 72. We grabbed a state park permit, a great bargain at $25 annually, a Minnesota State Parks Guide with a map, directions and a description of each park, a DNR State Park Passport to get stamped at each park, and an official Minnesota State Highway map. Then we explored.
The first state park we visited was Charles A. Lindbergh on the way to Itasca for the Parks & Trails Council’s 50th Anniversary celebration weekend. Fort Snelling and William O’Brien near the Twin Cities and several along Lake Superior’s North Shore were next. The next thing we knew we had visited eight parks earning ourselves a loon patch – nothing like a little extra motivation.
As we drove in and out of Minnesota for other excursions we made sure we worked visits to one or two parks into each of our trips. Once on a trip to New Ulm to investigate our family history, we first drove to Ortonville and then southeast along the Minnesota River visiting six parks along the way – seeing birds at Lac qui Parle, learning history at Fort Ridgely, hiking at Flandrau and seeing the waterfalls at Minneopa.
Over the next two years we added more parks and state park passport club patches, hiked more miles and had more fun. Upon our arrival at each park we would talk to the ranger or park staff to get advice before taking a hike or having a picnic.
This past June we toured northwestern Minnesota for a week with our traveling friends Eleanor and Fred. The plan was to visit our last 10 state parks and recreation areas, including the hard-to-reach Garden Island, 18 miles into the middle of Lake of the Woods.
And we started to learn names of flowers by bringing along a flower book. Now we can identify Clintonia, Labrador tea, Stemless Lady’s Slipper, Pink Pyrola and more.
We now have our Lady’s Slipper Patch, 72 stamps in our passports and our mission is accomplished. We are much more aware of the physical variety, history and beauty of our state parks. Now we want to do it all over again.
What have you learned about Minnesota’s State Parks?
Minnesota is an incredible state. From the prairies of the southwest at Blue Mounds State Park to the rocky coast of Lake Superior in the northeast. From Fort Snelling in St. Paul to the remoteness of Garden Island on the Northwest Angle. We learned each park is unique. History came to life at Forestville/Mystery Cave. The mining industry was explained at Soudan Underground Mine and Hill Annex Mine. We hiked on an esker at Scenic State Park. We picnicked on the sandy shores of McCarthy Beach. We found peace and solitude as we walked around Lake Bensen at George H. Crosby Manitou State Park. We saw the pitcher plant, flarks and tamaracks by walking along the one-mile boardwalk into the nation’s largest peat bog at the Big Bog State Recreation Area. There is something for everyone in Minnesota’s state parks, but they need to be protected and maintained. Adequate funding is necessary to keep the buildings in good repair, the trails open, the campgrounds updated, naturalists on staff and visitor centers open.
What can others do to help state parks?
- Visit the parks. One is located within easy reach of nearly everyone in the state.
- Buy an annual park sticker for your car.
- Become a member of the State Park Passport Club so you can collect your stamps and patches while exploring Minnesota.
- Talk to your legislator about providing adequate funding for our state parks and trails.
- Join the Parks & Trails Council of Minnesota ($25 annually) and help preserve our natural wonders for future generations.
*For more on the adventures of Elaine Elnes and Charlie Silverson follow the link to a Hibbing Daily Tribune feature on the duo titled Passport to Adventure. Also read Elaine and Charlie's excellent park adventure.