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AUTUMN WOODS CLASSIC RUN WALK OCT. 12
AT ELM CREEK PARK RESERVE, MAPLE GROVE
Minnesota From hardcore distance runners to casual walkers and kids
with energy to burn, the Oct. 12 Autumn Woods Classic offers something for everyone! Winding through the picturesque 4,900 acre Elm Creek Park Reserve in Maple Grove, the 12th annual event features a
10K run, 5K run walk and 1K kids' fun run.
As always, the Three Rivers Park District event will include numerous activities for spectators and racers alike, including kids' games, an
obstacle course, SNAG golf, crafts, face painting and music. 1K runners will take home a pumpkin to carve (first 600 participants), a commemorative ribbon and a short sleeved T shirt; 10K and 5K
participants will receive a long sleeved T shirt and a runner's packet.
The event also will feature a Wellness Tent featuring ongoing yoga, tai
chi, creative movement, aerobics, nutrition activities, demonstrations and giveaways.
Event highlights:
Register in advance at www.hennepinparks.org
Race day registration begins at 7 a.m. and ends one half hour before each race.
10K starts at 9:30 a.m. Entry fee: Park Patron rate $15 in advance, regular rate $17 in advance; day of event registration $20.
5K Run/Walk starts at 8:30 a.m. Entry fee: Park Patron rate $15 in advance, regular rate $17 in advance; day of event registration $20.
Kids 1K Fun Run starts at 10:45 a.m. Entry fee: Park Patron rate $6 in
advance, regular rate $6 in advance; day of event registration $8.
Parking is free during the event.
Operated by Three Rivers Park District (formerly Hennepin Parks), Elm
Creek Park Reserve is located in the cities of Maple Grove, Dayton and Champlin. The Autumn Woods Classic will take place in the park reserve's recreation area. From Highway 169, take County Road 81
northwest from Osseo to Territorial Road, turn right and follow to the park. From Interstate 94, take County Road 30 east, turn north onto County Road 121, then turn right onto Territorial Road and follow to the
park.
NEW WORLD CUP TRAIL LINK READIED AT TELEMARK RESORT
Wisconsin Among the winter preparations underway at Telemark Resort near Cable, Wis., is a new section for their famous World Cup Trail.
Designed in the mid '70s by U.S. Olympic Cross Country coach Marty Hall, the 5, 10 and 15 kilometer loop system was used in 1978 for the first ever official FIS (Federation International Ski) World Cup race.
Recently the trails have become popular for collegiate J.O.Q. and high school races.
Building on a successful 2001/2002 winter season, when Telemark
hosted seven more cross country ski races than originally scheduled, the resort management and staff felt the need to have complete separation of racing and recreational trails.
"All skiers had to use the same trails for the first third of a kilometer," said Phil Van Valkenberg, Telemark director of sales and marketing. "For the
most part, the trails were wide enough to accommodate both racers and touring skiers, but there was one narrow pinch point and that came right near the entrance to our recreation center. Further out, the World Cup
loops are almost completely separate from the other trails. It just made a lot of sense to separate them in our highest traffic area."
For information on Telemark Resort and ski trails visit www.telemarkresort.com or call 877/798 4718, 715/798 3999, ext.
503.
NEW WOMEN'S XC SKI CLINIC ESTABLISHED BY BIRKIE FOUNDATION
Wisconsin The statistics show it: Women love to stay fit and enjoy the
camaraderie of like minded female athletes. That's why the American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation, in conjunction with Outdoor Ventures in Hayward and the Telemark Lodge in Cable, is offering a Women's Cross
Country Ski Clinic from Friday, October 11, through Sunday, October 13, at Telemark Lodge.
The weekend training camp is targeted to beginner and intermediate
female skiers looking to improve their year round training skills for better cross country ski results. Topics include dryland training, roller ski
training, strength training, and a discussion of goal setting, workouts to fit a busy lifestyle, nutrition, proper fit and correct equipment. Mixed in will
be a whole lot of fun and opportunities to network and socialize with the knowledgeable female and male coaches from the region, as well as kindred spirits who have a passion for a healthy lifestyle.
The cost of the clinic is $300 and includes Friday and Saturday night lodging at Telemark, meals, tax, gratuities, and seminar fees. A $225 fee, which excludes lodging, is also available.
The idea for a ski clinic for women has been bantered around by the American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation for some time. When graduate student Suzannah Mork completed a thesis focusing on female cross
country skiers at the American Birkebeiner, the hunch that there would be interest in a women's training camp was confirmed.
Mork surveyed 241 women enrolled in the 2002 Birkie with the goal of
ascertaining information relating to time management, demographics, family issues, crossover sports, and suggestions to increase female participation in the 51K race. Additional questions addressed an
individual's commitment, skill level, and level of specialization. A total of 138 women, or 57.3 percent, returned the survey prior to race day.
Additional data was gathered through informal interviews with women the weekend of the race.
The mean age of female participants in the Birkie is 39.4 years, and the
mean age of survey respondents was 39.4 years. Mork said the sample of women surveyed is fairly representative of most women who participate in the 51K American Birkebeiner. She found that:
100 percent of respondents felt welcome at the Birkie and 99 percent planned to participate in future Birkies.
82 percent agreed that the Birkie is geared toward both males and females.
93 percent said the Birkie met their expectations and needs.
39 percent said their single most reason for Birkie participation was for a sense of accomplishment, while only 1 percent of the women surveyed
skied for the desire of competition.
64 percent of respondents do not have children.
59 percent had difficulty finding time to train for the 51K race.
67 percent said their family situation did not affect their ability to train.
Female Birkie skiers also participate in a number of different sports: 26
percent bike, 22 percent run, 17 percent inline skate or roller ski, 15 percent kayak or canoe, and 11 percent swim.
A conclusion of Mork's research was that females appear to be more
interested in physical fitness, stress management and camaraderie. While men may be more focused on competition, survey results showed that women are more interested in the social aspects and sense of accomplishment.
"The information gathered in this research is quite helpful in determining where to help fill the gaps with our women participants," said Shirley
Riedmann, executive director of the American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation. "One suggestion was to offer more assistance to women learning to ski or to those wanting to improve their technique. We are
listening to that feedback and establishing the first annual women's clinic in October. We want women to come and join in the fun while building skills in a relaxed, recreational atmosphere."
Space is limited and reservations are required for the Women's Cross Country Ski Clinic. For more information, contact Deb at 877/798 4718, ext. 547, or e mail agm@cheqnet.net.
Birkie 2003 30th anniversary festivities take place from Feb. 20 22, 2003. For more information or to register for the Johnson Bank American Birkebeiner, Kortelopet, Century Tel Junior Birkie,
Chequamegon Communications 10K, or the Sons of Norway/Swiss Miss Barnebirkie, call 715/634 5025, e mail birkie@birkie.com, or log on to www.birkie.com.
Birkie 2003 is sponsored by Johnson Bank, Subaru, Murphy McGinnis Media and other businesses throughout the region and country.
Leslie Hamp
BIRKIE TO CELEBRATE ITS 30TH ANNIVERSARY
Wisconsin When the cannon sounds for the American Birkebeiner cross
country ski race on Saturday, February 22, 2003, history will be made 30 years of history. What better time, say organizers of the event, to celebrate the vision of Tony Wise, the founder of the race, and the spirit
of the skiers who make the Birkie an international event for both elite and recreational skiers?
The American Birkebeiner is North America's largest and most
prestigious cross country ski marathon. Spanning 51 kilometers from Cable to Hayward, it's one of 14 races that are part of the esteemed Worldloppet international circuit, part of the International Ski Federation
(FIS) Marathon Cup series and part of the American Ski Marathon series. The event draws thousands of cross country skiers, including Olympians, to northern Wisconsin each year.
The Birkie was launched in 1973 as a small race calling on skiers to challenge themselves against the Wisconsin northwoods. The race was patterned after the Birkebeiner Rennet in Lillehammer, Norway, an event
which commemorates an historic event in that nation. During a civil war in the 13th century, an invading force was about to capture an infant prince
and heir to the throne. Two Viking warriors, called "Birkebeiners" for the birch bark leggings they wore, took the child and skied 55 kilometers to
safety. The baby went on to become a great Norwegian king, Hakon Hakonsson, and two Birkebeiner ski races were established in his honor.
The first American Birkebeiner attracted 35 individuals 34 men and one
woman. Eighteen skiers also participated in the shorter 22K women's and junior's race. During the past 30 years nearly 100,000 skiers have experienced their own victory in finishing a race which welcomes skiers
from all walks of life and all ages and abilities. Skiers from all 50 states and 20 foreign countries gather every February to celebrate and ski the
race which has become the most revered tradition in the cross country ski world. For some, it's the competition that grips their souls; for others,
it's the physical and mental challenge of a race on hilly and challenging terrain; for all, it's the adventure and sense of accomplishment that goes with completing a personal ski odyssey.
Birkie 2003 30th anniversary festivities begin on Thursday, February 20, and continue through Saturday, February 22. Highlights include elite and
citizen sprint competitions, the Century Tel Junior Birkie, Chequamegon Communications 10K, and the Sons of Norway/Swiss Miss Barnebirkie race, the largest children's cross country skiing event in the nation.
Anniversary events culminate with the 51K Johnson Bank American Birkebeiner and 23K Kortelopet.
In addition to ski events for all ages and fitness levels, a candlelight ski
reenactment of the escape of the two Birkebeiners with "Baby Hakon" will highlight festivities. A 30th anniversary slide show, hot air balloons,
American Indian programs and dancers, opening and closing ceremonies and post race music by Big Top Chautauqua's Blue Canvas Orchestra, sponsored by Lienenkugel's Brewing Company, are among the many
activities planned.
"We have many exciting and fun activities planned for the 30th anniversary between the Hayward and Cable communities," says
Executive Director Shirley Riedmann. "It's a celebration of the thousands of skiers from around the world who will participate in the 2003 race, as
well as the thousands who have skied the Birkie or Kortelopet in the past. Spectators and skiers of all abilities are invited to join us for this year's anniversary celebration."
The American Birkebeiner, the largest cross country ski race in North America, is part of the Worldloppet circuit of 14 international ski marathons held in Japan, Switzerland, Sweden, Norway, France,
Estonia, Germany, Austria, Finland, Italy, Canada, Australia, Czech Republic and the United States. Worldloppet races attract a cadre of international skiers to participate in the Birkie.
The Birkie is also part of an FIS Marathon Cup series of eight races held in Canada, Czech Republic, Estonia, Germany, Italy, Sweden, Switzerland and the United States. Created in 1999 through a
partnership with the Worldloppet League and the Cross Country Committee of the FIS, the series encourages higher level competition similar to that found in World Cup events. Organizers say the addition of
an FIS Marathon Cup improves the status of long distance competitions by attracting more long distance racers.
For more information or to register for the Johnson Bank American
Birkebeiner, Kortelopet, Century Tel Junior Birkie, Chequamegon Communications 10K, or the Sons of Norway/Swiss Miss Barnebirkie, call 715 634 5025, e mail birkie@birkie.com, or log on to www.birkie.com.
Birkie 2003 is sponsored by Johnson Bank, Subaru, Murphy McGinnis Media and other businesses throughout the region and country.
By Leslie Hamp
EPIC BIKE CELEBRATION AT LEVIS TROW COUNTY
PARK
Wisconsin The Saturday of Labor Day weekend, and I'm in a long line of people with pickaxlike tools, digging through the sandy soil of Clark
County, Wisconsin. No, I've not been arrested and sentenced to a chain gang. I was actually attending a party.
The International Mountain Bike Association's Epic program highlights
six world class off road biking trails each year, hosting an event at the trail that includes trail maintenance, movies, door prizes and, of course,
bicycle riding. This year's itinerary unearthed a gem in our own back yard, the Levis Trow Mounds County Park, near Neillsville.
Three countries, seven states and two dogs were represented at this
event. The coffee was from Alterra in Milwaukee, the beer was from Pioneer in Black River Falls, and the camping was surrounding a new chalet that was still in the process of being built by the local bike and ski
group, delightfully named the Neillsville Area Single Track Inhabitants (NASTI), a chapter of the Wisconsin Off Road Bicycling Association. Seventy five people carried tools out into the woods to build some new
trails on this already 20 plus mile system, directed by the IMBA/Subaru Trail Care Crew. Even though we were digging, hauling rocks, crushing stone to sand, and removing stumps, everyone seemed to be enjoying
themselves.
After about four hours of trail work, the group shifted back to camp, and out to swim at a local beach, where the tannin from the pine trees stained
the water to the color of tea and, true to Wisconsin form, the visitors from out of state could see a green and gold pontoon boat, with oversized green G's along the sides, motor past the shore. You'd think
that all these biking enthusiasts would have sun bronzed skin, but a good deal of the joking around was regarding one guy's blinding whiteness and everyone's funny bike shorts tan lines.
Back at camp, the Optimist's Club prepared a fine dinner with homemade spaghetti sauce, and the IMBA representatives gave a presentation, which included a trivia contest and throwing hats, T shirts
and socks to the winners.
I found out that most of the singletrack trails at this system were cut with a push lawn mower, that IMBA's Web site, www.imba.com, can be
read in Italian, and that the pickaxlike tool was named for a firefighter named Pulaski.
We also saw what it was like to live 10 months of the year out of a car,
which is what Mark Schmidt and Lora Woolner, the Trail Care Crew, does for a living, traveling around teaching volunteers like us how to build multiuse, sustainable trails.
You'd think that after a night drinking beverages from our sponsors would have made for late risers, but camp was bustling at 7:30 a.m. when another bike club, CORP, out of Madison, was fixing everyone
pancakes over a propane griddle. No more work gloves; everyone was decked out in their helmets and riding shorts. Steve Muerrett from NASTI had routed the course so that the groups would ride over as
much of the network without riding the same piece of trail twice, and sent us out in five groups, divided by probable speed.
A road rollout, followed by an ATV track, and then onto the more
narrow trails with interesting names like Goat Dance and Upper Hermosa. Yellow jacket was named for a trail builder who got stung, and Dead Turkey after a coyote kill found during construction. These trails
are narrow bikes have to ride in a single file and turn a lot. You can't put your head down and pedal, or you'll ride right off into the trees.
Several boardwalks and bridges allow the trail to cross marshy areas, and one gets used to riding over rock slabs rather quickly. Big climbs are
rewarded with big views of the surrounding countryside, which must look like a patchwork quilt when the trees put on their fall colors. A lady from
North Dakota in my group could climb up anything, but didn't like heights and was not happy with the overlook stops, which she endured while holding to a twisted pine.
And finally, we rolled down from the bluff top along the new half mile of trail we'd built on Saturday. On a downhill, a half mile doesn't take long,
but everyone was talking about how this feature turned out, or who was helping shape this section of tread, or how many stumps were pulled from that corner. It's amazing how much detail you notice while biking
when you built the trail yourself.
Back at the chalet, as the groups came in they were exchanging hugs and addresses before going to pack up their gear. This celebration sprouted a
bunch of new friendships, as do all the IMBA Epics.
IMBA has one more Epic this season, in Bull Mountain, Georgia, on September 28 29. Local bike groups at previous Epic locations report an
increase of visitors after these celebrations, as IMBA is outlining where the top trails of a region are. Midwestern Epics include, at this point, Berryman in Potasi, Mo., Maah Daah Hey in Medura, N.D., and Levis
Trow in Neillsville, Wis. For information on these and other Epic trails, visit IMBA's Web site at www.imba.com. For more information on NASTI or mountain biking in Wisconsin, go to the Wisconsin Off Road
Bicycling Association's Web site at www.worba.org.
By Rita Nygren
THE OZAUKEE INTERURBAN TRAIL: CONNECTING THE PAST,
PRESENT & FUTURE OF OZAUKEE COUNTY'S
COMMUNITIES
Wisconsin In 2002, the state of Wisconsin's "Year of the Trail," Ozaukee County, in partnership with eight local communities, is celebrating the
grand opening of its new Ozaukee Interurban Trail.
The Ozaukee Interurban Trail is a 30 mile, paved, mostly off road multiuse transportation and recreation trail that crosses the county from
north to south, passing through eight of Ozaukee County's 16 communities. The trail not only accommodates all season, non motor vehicle recreational uses such as hiking, walking, running, biking, inline
skating, wildlife viewing and skiing, it's also an integral feature in connecting Ozaukee County's commuters to places of employment, business, industry, historic places and commerce. In fact, the Ozaukee
Interurban Trail is a key element in Ozaukee County's overall transportation plan for the county.
Actually, the route of the Ozaukee Interurban Trail is not new at all. As
the name suggests, the right of way the trail uses is primarily that of the historic interurban railway that connected Ozaukee's communities with Milwaukee. In 1922, the right of way was acquired by The Milwaukee
Electric Railway and Light Company (TMER & L) for development of an improved rapid transit service from Milwaukee to Sheboygan. The Northern Route, the interurban electric railway from Milwaukee to
Sheboygan since 1908, had stops in the mostly rural communities of Brown Deer, Thiensville, Cedarburg, Grafton, Port Washington, Belgium, Cedar Grove, Oostburg and Sheboygan.
The rapid transit was an electric railway system linking Milwaukee and many of the surrounding communities to the north, west and south from its inception in 1905, to the end of all operations in 1951. During its
operation, the Northern Route of the interurban line was also made famous for transporting African American blues musicians to the main recording studio for Paramount Records recording label in Port
Washington and ultimately in Grafton, Wis. The idea of African American artists from the rural South traveling to Grafton, Wis., in the late 1920s
and early 1930s by taking the "electric train" seems fantastic.
After the TMER & L acquired the right of way lands in 1922, it began an
ambitious improvements project for many of the lines, including the Northern Route that ran through Ozaukee County to Sheboygan. Much of the improvements and realignments that were to be realized happened by 1934.
In 1938, the TMER & L reorganized into The Milwaukee Electric Railway and Transit Company (TMER & T); however, the rapid transit
system was increasingly losing ridership to the automobile. The economic situation and World War II only temporarily halted this decline. Ridership
on the interurban railway lines actually increased during World War II, only to realize significant decreases following the war. These decreases lead to the abandonment of the Northern Route north of Port
Washington in 1940. In 1946, the remaining Port Washington interurban line was sold by TMER & T to the Kenosha Motor Coach Lines. Between 1940 and 1948, the Port Washington interurban line serviced
Ozaukee County, but on March 29, 1948, the Port Washington line was terminated, which brought an end to the former Northern Route to Sheboygan.
With the completion of the paved 30 mile Ozaukee Interurban Trail, trail users will be able to retrace connections from the past coming from southern Milwaukee County (e.g. Oak Leaf Trail) or from as far west as
the Mississippi River on a combination of state (e.g. Hank Aaron State Trail) and county trail systems. Eventually, the Ozaukee Interurban Trail will connect to the city of Sheboygan to the north, on the interurban
historic right of way, and with the Old Plank Road Trail in Sheboygan County heading west. Hopefully, one day the Ozaukee Interurban Trail will be a part of a continuous trail route from Green Bay to Chicago using
these old railway right of ways.
The concept for the Ozaukee Interurban Trail has been around for a number of years. The county and some municipalities established the
initial segments of the trail (six miles in the cities of Mequon, Cedarburg and Port Washington, to be followed by an additional segment in the
village of Grafton) along this right of way in 1975; however, the concept for the entire trail became a reality thanks to several determined individuals who got behind the idea and pushed for its development.
After several years in the conceptual stage, a county study committee was formed in 1997 to develop the feasibility of a countywide trail. Soon after the committee was established, an agreement with WE Energies, the
current landowner of the right of way, the award of a 1998 Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WDOT) Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program (CMAQ) grant, and the continued
intergovernmental cooperation of all the communities made the concept a reality. In 1998, Ozaukee County, as well as each of the incorporated municipalities in the county, received separate WDOT CMAQ grants to
complete the Ozaukee Interurban Trail. As part of intergovernmental cooperation, these individual grants were rolled together to establish a single grant for the uniform guidance of a countywide trail.
Upon receipt of the grant funding, Ozaukee County established an Ozaukee Interurban Trail Advisory Council, approximately 35 members, to assist in the planning and implementation of the trail. The advisory
council's mission is to promote the safe public use of the Ozaukee Interurban Trail for transportation, recreation, health, education, economic development and enjoyment of Ozaukee County's unique
cultural, historical and natural resources. The advisory council is a diverse representation of all areas of the community including chamber of commerce representatives, business owners, elected officials,
governmental staff, bike club representatives, concerned citizens, sheriff's department representatives, park commission members, University of Extension representatives, bird club members and landowners.
The advisory council has also established several committees to serve as working groups to assist in the implementation of the trail. Among many of the accomplishments of the advisory council was its work to get the
Ozaukee Interurban Trail designated as one of the first "Great Wisconsin Birding Trails" in the state of Wisconsin, and the development of a
uniform logo for the trail. As a Great Wisconsin Birding Trail, the Ozaukee Interurban Trail Advisory Council will be working with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Bureau of Endangered
Resources and its partners to identify quality habitat and "birding hotspots" for wildlife viewing along the trail.
The official opening ceremony of the Ozaukee Interurban Trail was Sept.
28, with a formal dedication at at the Ozaukee County Justice Center in Port Washington along the trail.
For more information on the Ozaukee Interurban Trail, visit the Web site at http://www.co.ozaukee.wi.us/InterurbanTrail/Index.htm or contact the Ozaukee County Parks Department at 262/238 8257.
KAYAKER RETURNS FROM CIRCLING LAKE SUPERIOR
Michigan After 72 days kayaking the shores of Lake Superior, Nancy
Uschold is back home in Marquette. She landed at Middle Bay near the west side of Presque Isle Park one day ahead of schedule.
"I was hoping someone would be here to take me home," she joked to
friends gathered to welcome her. The 38 year old physical therapist began the 1,200 mile solo journey on June 1. She had been dreaming and planning the adventure for six years.
"The trip started with cold and rainy weather," says Uschold. "But the last month has been so sunny I've had to wear long sleeves to protect my
arms." Out of the two and a half months of paddling, Uschold was only off the water one day because of weather.
Uschold now ranks as the second woman from Michigan to complete the
journey by kayak. Star Swift, a professor at Grand Valley State University near Grand Rapids, circled the lake alone in 2000. Fellow Marquette kayaker, Stewart Joseph, also accomplished the quest in 1993.
What's next? Uschold and friend Mary Connor of Marquette have talked about biking around Lake Superior. Yesterday, as Uschold was unloading her boat on the beach, she teased Connor about beginning that
journey right away, "you've got the food ready, don't you?"
By Frida Waara
ROMP IN THE SWAMP FAMILY FUN WALK
Wisconsin The 9th annual "Romp in the Swamp" Family Fun Walk sponsored by The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America, Verlo
Mattress Factory, Kwik Trip Inc., US Bancorp Piper Jaffray Fox Valley and The Business Bank of the Fox River Valley will provide an afternoon of excitement for young and old alike, on Saturday, October 19, 2002,
from 12:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., at the Gordon Bubolz Nature Preserve in Appleton, Wis. Romp in the Swamp is one of three fund raisers held by the preserve throughout the year which helps support the environmental
educational programs.
Experience an afternoon filled with activities for young and old. Participate in scavenger hunts and listen to folk music performed by local
musicians. Enjoy strolling through the preserve's beautiful trail system while taking advantage of rest stops along the way serving delicious
treats. Preregister by Oct. 1, and you will receive a free "Romp In the Swamp" T shirt specially designed for this year's event. Cost: family, $25; adult, $8; children 12 and under, $7.
Registration forms can be obtained at the Bubolz Preserve in Appleton or by calling 920/731 6041 or e mailing the preserve at bubolz@dataex.com.
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