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NOVEMBER 2009 | VOLUME 29, ISSUE 2 WWW.CROSSCOUNTRYSKIER.COMNOVEMBER 2009 | VOLUME 29, ISSUE 2 WWW.CROSSCOUNTRYSKIER.COM

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By Phillip Edwards

While you might first think of Colorado when hearing a reference to Winter Park, Minocqua Winter Park is one of Wisconsin’s most venerable Nordic centers. In a state in which most cross country skier trails areas are located on federal, state and county land, Minocqua is among a handful of fee-based Nordic centers.

Located in the broader community of Minocqua-Arbor Vitae-Woodruff in Price County, Minocqua is to north-central Wisconsin what Hayward is to northwest Wisconsin. Known for numerous lakes, classic northwoods ambiance, muskiest and more than its share of tourist-based enterprises, the region has long been one of the upper Midwest’s preeminent tourist destinations drawing heavily from Chicago, Milwaukee and Madison, as well as Minneapolis/St. Paul.

While it is a fee-based trail center, Minocqua Winter Park is organized as a non-profit and operates under the auspices of the Lakeland Ski Touring Foundation. It has been a mainstay of the Midwest’s Nordic skiing scene since 1981. Originally, the site briefly operated as a club trail system, but as it became more and more popular, it became necessary to organize as a non-profit. A separate charitable organization, the Minocqua Winter Park Trail Fund, has been created to accept tax-deductible donations on behalf of the trails and the operation of the center.

Minocqua Winter Park evolved out of what was originally Squirrel Hill Ski Area, a small downhill ski area that operated in the late 1950s. While it had a good 10-year run, the ski hill faded as bigger areas came on the scene around the region. Remnants of the ski hill remain, and today are used for “aerobic” telemark skiing.

Minocqua Winter Park enjoys

several healthy partnerships with private landowners and adjacent industrial forests. Covering an area of approximately 6,000 acres, annual land use agreements authorize its 75 kilometers of trails. The MWP chalet building is actually owned by town of Minocqua and operated under a long-term lease. The town also owns about 40 acres of land surrounding the chalet.

MWP has earned a reputation as a popular family Nordic skiing destination and favorite escape. Much of that reputation derives from the confidence that skiers will find top-notch grooming when they arrive.

MWP manager Keith Smith explained, “It’s not only having good equipment, but the consistency of the grooming has been key.”

With a staff of two full-timers and some part-timers, the core trails are groomed almost daily, and about one-third of the rest of the 75 km are “freshened up” every night. All-night grooming ensues following all major snow events.

With several low-snowfall years in the early part of this decade, MWP struggled and its future was, at times, uncertain. The winter of 2003-2004, in particular, is remembered as “the winter without snow,” though it finally did snow in February. During these tough times, the local Nordic ski community rallied, coming together for fund raisers to help the ski area meet its greatest financial obligation: the annual payment on its Pisten Bully groomer.

With improved winters the past couple of years attendance has rebounded. This, coupled with a slight increase in trail fees (from $10 to $12), has contributed to a much-improved financial picture at the park. And skiers continue to be

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supportive and offer such comments as, “Where else can a family get this quality of a day out? It’s cheaper than going to the movies.” Despite the current downturn in the economy, Smith reports that donations to the MWP Trail Fund have actually been up, further contributing to a positive position.

Of course the heart of any Nordic center is its trails and Minocqua has plenty from which to choose. The emphasis on intermediate and easy trails makes MWP a family favorite. About 18 percent of the trails fall into the “difficult” or “most difficult” category.

With 6,000 acres in which to work, the trails cover just about every available terrain and forest option: open fields, ridge lines, pine plantations, aspen thickets, hardwood and birch, abundant glacial features, and numerous wetlands. Sited partially in an industrial forest, lands near the trails often see regular forest management. One trail was hit by a tornado in 1997 and today bears the name Tornado Alley (though this is hardly a common occurrence).

Cruising is the norm in Minocqua Winter Park, with trails like River Run and Lake Marie offering long, steady opportunities to meander and while away the day. Short but exhilarating romps through the woods can be had on VO2 Max and Beaver Pond. Closer in, a friendly labyrinth of wide, easily flowing interconnected loops

Youth Skiing iS Big at Minocqua Winter ParkWell known for children’s ski programming, Minocqua Winter Park seeks to inspire learning, encourage improvement and build confidence through activities-based, on-snow training often camouflaged in games, group interactions and other initiatives. MWP’s signature programs and special youth events include:

MinWinPA-Land: An On-Snow Playground — Designed for kids 8 and under, the on-snow play area is within comfortable view from inside the heated chalet including a ski-ter totter, Nordic tee-pee, ski-through hoops and an igloo.

The Cookie Trail Loop encourages children to ski five km, stop at five mailbox stations, punch their card and redeem a fully punched card in the chalet for a cookie.

New Year’s Eve Party — Adult-supervised skiing under the lights, ice-skating and fun games.

Fourth Grade Ski Passport Program — Fourth graders from area schools receive a free season trail pass.

Nordic Kids — Six-week program for kids ages 5 – 13 of on-snow play and skills development through ski touring and games that combine on-snow time, peer interactions and natural progression.

Ski-4-Ks — After each Minocqua Winter Park trail experience, skiers up to age 18 log their number of kilometers skied on chart in the chalet with a prize drawing at the end of ski season.

Youth Ski Festival — A festival of fun ski games and activities celebrating ways that kids can move on a pair of skis: radar gun speed skiing, ski-ter totter, obstacle course, barrel sprints and lots more.

MinWhippersnapper Time Trials — A short, just-for-fun, timed, one-lap course for kids in stadium view of the chalet. Kids “race” one at a time and win a Gold Chocolate Medal for participating.

Base-Loop Initiative — Kids ages 5 and under are encouraged to ski the 2.2 km MWP Base Loop independently without direct assistance for the very first time and receive a special certificate in a ceremony at the chalet.

Flying Squirrels Ski Club — For kids kindergarten through second grade, simple lessons, equipment orientation, ski games, short trail tours, aprés ski hot cocoa and snacks.

Minocqua Winter Park Ski School — MWP PSIA-certified instructors tailor lessons to the needs of each student with beginner, special, private and semi-private lessons.

Junior MinWinPA Skier — Like a Junior Ranger program only for young skiers who complete activities in a special booklet. Upon completion of the booklet the skier receives a special award.

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are within reach of most beginner and intermediate skiers. For the more hardcore, Nutcracker and Windy Ridge offer steep climbs and descents with plenty of twists and turns.

Minocqua Winter Park also offers three km of snowshoe trails, two km of lit trail and about six km of trails open to ski-joring every day except Saturday.

Minocqua Winter Park also has an inviting chalet. Not modern by contemporary standards, its A-frame construction is open and roomy, with plenty of sitting areas, a wood stove, modern bathrooms and a full service snack bar. The chalet is a carry-over from the downhill ski days, though it has been modernized and expanded several times — adding a kitchen and ski shop and making other structural improvements. The ski shop carries all the top brands of equipment, clothing and wax, and offers top-level instruction. Both the ski shop and the food concession are operated by outside vendors.

A number of people have contributed to MWP’s reputation; principal among them are Dan and Llona Clausen, who for years operated the center, ski shop and instructional programs. Dan continues to run the MWP ski shop and instructional programs. He is respected as one of an elite corps of Nordic ski instructors, holding the highest-level PSIA certification and having been selected several times to the National Demo Team. In addition to Clausen, the shop may provide up to six instructors during the busiest times of the season.

The Minocqua area, like many cross country ski communities, is anchored by numerous skiing families and individuals who have made significant contributions to the area and the sport including: Wes Doak, known as the “godfather of local skiing,” who helped introduce cross country skiing to the area; Dave Sconzer, one of original founders of MWP still works as head groomer; and Ken and Pam Schoville, long-time coaches for Lakeland Nordic Ski Team, a perennial state championship contender, to name but a few.

A seven-member board of directors runs the Lakeland Ski Touring Foundation. Keith Smith will be entering his fourth year as MWP’s full-time manager. Smith, a former park ranger in Baxter State Park in Maine, worked in the Maine public schools, where he helped establish Nordic ski programs and collaborated with the Maine Winter Sports Center and its Healthy Hometown programs. His previous experience made him a good fit for MWP.

With an annual budget of $120,000, close to half of which is grooming-related, the operation of Minocqua Winter Park is no small undertaking for the non-profit Lakeland Ski Touring Foundation. In an effort to replace aging grooming equipment and ensure the organization’s continued stability, the foundation recently launched a capital campaign. Dubbed “On Track,” the campaign has an ambitious goal of $200,000. Within a week of its kick-off party, the campaign had already raised close to $52,000.

With that kind of community passion and support, it’s easy to see and understand why Minocqua Winter Park is one of Wisconsin’s favorite Nordic centers.For more information:

Minocqua Winter Park 12375 Scotchman Lake Road | Minocqua, WI 54548 715/356-3309 | www.minocquawinterpark.org