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TOFTE TOPS FOR MINNESOTA XC SKI PASS SALES
DNR reminds skiers to buy and carry their passes
Minnesota A gas station in Tofte, Minnesota, sold the most cross-country ski passes in the state last season, according to statistics recently released by Tom Danger, program manager for trails and waterways of the
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.
The Holiday station store in Tofte sold 746 cross-country ski passes. The DNR Web site was the No. 2 seller.
Coming in third in total ski pass sales in the state was the Clearview store in Lutsen with 395 total sales. Buck's Hardware in Grand Marais came in fifth and Cascade Lodge followed closely behind in sixth.
"This is a testimonial to the outstanding cross-country ski trails in Cook County, Minnesota," said Greg
Fangel, president of the Sugarbush Trail Association (STA) in Tofte. The 65K Sugarbush Trail system is located between Tofte and Lutsen in northeastern Minnesota.
STA has spent hundreds of man-hours and thousands of dollars getting the ski trails ready for the snow this
winter. Jeff Lynch, trail maintenance supervisor of the Sugarbush Trail network said, "I spent 40 hours on a
mechanized brushing machine, getting these trails ready for skiing. The trails look the best that I've seen."
Members of the STA, the North Star Ski Touring Club and local residents have spent several days working on the trails, clearing brush and "face slappers." Lynch said he was particularly appreciative of the
cooperation of the U.S. Forest Service in Tofte.
Access to the Sugarbush Trails is possible from three trailheads: Moosefence, six miles north of U.S.
Highway 61 on the Sawbill Trail; Britton Peak, two miles up the Sawbill Trail from U.S. 61; and the Oberg Trailhead, three miles from U.S. 61 on Forest Road 336 between Tofte and Lutsen.
This season a donation box was installed at the Oberg Trailhead to encourage skiers and supporters of the trail system to help with costs.
"Trail maintenance and grooming costs for the Sugarbush system are approximately $385 per kilometer,"
said Joe Stasney, treasurer of the trail association, a nonprofit, publicly supported organization. "Most people don't realize how much time, effort and money go into making the trails great."
More information on the Sugarbush Trail system can be found at www.sugarbushtrail.org.
XC ski passes required
All cross-country skiers, age 16 and older, must have a ski pass to use Minnesota DNR-sponsored
cross-country trails across the state.
DNR chief conservation officer Mike Hamm said, "Skiers must sign their ski pass and carry it with them
when skiing. The ski pass fee helps support Minnesota's nearly 1,600-mile designated cross-country ski trail system."
According to Jeff Thielen of the DNR enforcement division, conservation officers will continue checking skiers for ski passes this season.
For a detailed listing of pubic ski trails, snow conditions and ski pass purchase options, click on the DNR Web site at www.dnr.state.mn.us/skiing or call the DNR information center at 888/MINNDNR (646-6367).
The ski pass, established by the Minnesota Legislature in 1983, not only provides funds for the grooming of
public ski trails, but also pays for ski trail development and fall ski trail preparations. A daily ski pass costs $3. The yearly individual ski pass costs $10.
Signs have been place on designated trail systems where a ski pass is required. Violators can be fined up to $300.
CHICAGOLAND BICYCLE FEDERATION ANNOUNCES TOP 10 INITIATIVES FOR 2005
Chicago, Illinois The Chicagoland Bicycle Federation (CBF) recently announced a list of 10 initiatives that will promote bicycling throughout the metropolitan area during its 20th year. Expanding upon its mission of
promoting bicycling, the 2005 "Top 10 Initiatives" also addresses pedestrian and public transportation plans that aim for accessible and safe travel for everyone.
This is the second year CBF has released a list of initiatives to communicate its most important efforts for
the upcoming year. The 2005 list covers areas such as healthy lifestyles and increasing the level of bicycling
for women and people of diverse ethnicities to promoting a "Complete Streets" campaign where all streets would accommodate travel by all modes of transportation including bicycling and walking.
CBF's new "Complete Streets" campaign is designed to ensure that all streets provide comfortable and safe
transportation choices to the people who live, work and travel on them. A network of complete streets would improve the safety, convenience, efficiency and accessibility of the transportation system for all users.
"We invite all Chicagoland residents to join us in promoting active and healthy living regardless of their
choice to bike, walk, or take public transportation or all of the above," said CBF Executive Director Rob Sadowsky.
2005 Top Ten Initiatives:
1) Position bicycling/walking as key prescriptions for an active and healthy Chicagoland;
2) Promote a policy for "Complete Streets" where all streets routinely accommodate travel by all modes of
transportation, including walking, bicycling and public transit;
3) Combat dangerous driving through motorist education and safety campaigns such as Share the Road;
4) Establish regular service for passengers with bicycles on Metra commuter trains*;
5) Pilot an individualized marketing campaign, based on the TravelSmart model pioneered in Europe and
Australia, which seeks people willing to make voluntary changes in their travel behavior, and provides them with the personalized information and motivation they need to drive less and bicycle more;
6) Increase the level of bicycling and participation in the CBF among women;
7) Increase the level of bicycling and participation in the CBF among people of diverse ethnicities;
8) Ensure that bicycles and pedestrian projects are included in the reauthorization of the nation's transportation bill (TEA3)*;
9) Introduce more Chicagoans to bicycling with Sunday Parkways, a new event featuring car-free bicycling on city streets;
10) Reverse the 1998 "Boub" decision, which discourages towns adding bike facilities, and restore liability protection for on-road cyclists.*
The CBF was founded in 1985 to improve the bicycling environment in the seven-county Chicago region. The organization promotes bicycle safety, education and facilities and encourages the use of the bicycle as
an energy-efficient, economical and nonpolluting form of transportation and as a healthful and enjoyable form of recreation. For more information, please visit www.biketraffic.org.
* Initiative carried over from last year's list.
WINTER BIKE TO WORK DAY, JANUARY 20
Challenge the cold, wind and snow! On Thursday, January 20, the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation's Winter
Bike to Work Day celebrates the 20th anniversary of Chicago's coldest day.
In 1985, the official temperature was negative 27 degrees with wind chills as low as negative 93 degrees.
If you work in downtown Chicago, stop by the CBF tent for warm drinks and a chance to win prizes between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m. at Daley Plaza, Dearborn and Washington.
If you work elsewhere and ride to work, e-mail your experience to wintercycling@biketraffic.org and the best stories will be posted online.
HEALTHY STREETS CONFERENCE REGISTRATION OPENS JANUARY 21
2nd annual Chicago event to be held April 1-2
Online registration begins January 21 for the second annual Healthy Streets Conference, scheduled for April 1-2 in downtown Chicago.
The Chicagoland Bicycle Federation will present workshops, educational sessions, round-table discussions and keynote addresses on ways to create safe places to walk and ride.
Healthy Streets offers an ideal networking opportunity for government leaders, public officials, consultants and advocates to absorb technical information that encourages walking and bicycling.
Featured in the program, the Pedal Power Awards will recognize individuals and organizations that have helped make Chicagoland a better place to walk and bicycle. For more information, visit www.biketraffic.org.
WILLOW RIVER STATE PARK TO HOST SKI FEST, CANDLELIGHT SKI
Ski fest
Willow River State Park near Hudson, Wisconsin, will host a ski fest on Saturday January 15 from 9 a.m.
to 4 p.m. This fun family event will include classical and skate ski lessons, a waxing clinic, kid's obstacle course and snacks.
There also will be a ski tour, during which participants will ski to stops around the park and deposit their passport coupons to enter a drawing for prizes.
Limited ski equipment available at no charge. Register at the nature center between 9 a.m. and 11a.m. Registration is $8 for children under 13 and $16 for anyone 13 and older. The cost includes a winter hat
and all of the above.
The funds raised from this event will go towards ski trail maintenance equipment, training of volunteers and
interpretive programs at the park, located on the Wisconsin side of the border with Minnesota not far from the Twin Cities. A park sticker is required.
Candlelight ski and hike
On Friday January 28, 6 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., the state park hill hold it's annual candlelight ski and hike. Meet at the nature center to enjoy two miles of ski trails and/or a half mile of hiking trail lit by candles.
Refreshments, provided by Art Doyle's Spokes and Pedals, will be available. There will also be a hot air balloon "moon glow" and a bonfire along the trail.
For more information about either of these events, call the park office at 715/386-5931.
BACKCOUNTRY SKILLS WORKSHOP OFFERED
Minnesota The Backcountry Trail Patrol Association (BTPA) and the Minnesota Backcountry Trails Alliance (MBTA) will present a Backcountry Winter Workshop on February 26 at the Trail Center at Lake
Maria State Park in Monticello, Minnesota.
The session will start at 10 a.m. and will include an optional opportunity to camp overnight in the park. The
series of lectures at the workshop will cover important skills required for safe, fun travel in the winter backcountry including:
hypothermia and weather awareness
skills, technique and equipment
winter medical emergencies
camping, cooking skills, techniques
where to go in the backcountry, logistical info on fees, where to park, etc.
The $10 fee for the workshop will cover handouts and materials and one-year memberships in the MBTA. Call the park office after January 1 to reserve a camp site. For further information, contact Hans Erdman,
WEMT patrol director and senior instructor for the Backcountry Trail Patrol Association, at www.trailpatrol.org or erdman@trailpatrol.org.
WENONAH'S NEW RIVERBED KAYAK FACILITY NOW IN PRODUCTION
Wenonah Canoe's new Current Designs kayak facility in Winona, Minnesota, is now fully operational.
As of the first week in December, kayak production was completely moved from the Bundy Boulevard
location to the new 45,000-square-foot plant located in the Riverbend Industrial Park.
Current Designs' three kayak construction methods rotomolded, thermoformed and composite are now
being manufactured at one location.
Now that the building has been completed, the company plans to steadily increase production to fill pre-season orders and build inventory for spring shipping.
There are currently 45 employees working in the new building and more new hires will be added as production is ramped up to fill existing orders.
Composite and Royalex canoes are still being manufactured at the Bundy Boulevard location, and the tooling and performance boat departments have been moved into the space that was occupied by kayak
manufacturing prior to the addition of the new building.
This completes the company's move from Victoria, British Columbia to Winona.
ADOPT 'LIGHTEN UP WISCONSIN' AS YOUR WELLNESS PROGRAM STARTING JANUARY
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The obesity rate among Wisconsin adults increased by 91 percent from 1990 to 2002. Businesses, companies and organizations can help combat this epidemic and save health care dollars by enrolling their
employees in Lighten Up Wisconsin.
Lighten Up Wisconsin is a five-month team competition that encourages participants to make healthy
changes in their daily diet and exercise routine. Since it began as a statewide program in 2003, 1,700 Wisconsinites lost over 12,000 pounds.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, overweight and obesity may soon surpass tobacco as the leading cause of death in the United States.
There also are significant financial costs associated with overweight and obesity. According to a study of national costs attributed to both overweight (body mass index 25-29.9) and obesity (BMI greater than 30),
medical expenses accounted for 9.1 percent of total U.S. medical expenditures in 1998 and may have reached as high as $78.5 billion ($92.6 billion in 2002 dollars). Approximately half of these costs were paid
by Medicaid and Medicare.
The Wisconsin Sports Development Corporation encourages employers to adopt Lighten Up in their
wellness program. This year participants may enter one or both competitions for total weight lost or total miles logged.
The start date for the 2005 program is Monday, January 10. Entry information is available immediately. To learn more about Lighten Up and to register, visit www.lightenupwisconsin.com or call 608/226-4780.
Lighten Up Wisconsin is presented by Ministry Health Care and supported by Hydrite Chemical Company, Ho-chunk Nation, Wisconsin Beef Council, Charter Communications, Dasani and Clear Channel.
The Wisconsin Sports Development Corporation is a nonprofit sports management organization that helps develop sports tourism in Wisconsin and promotes positive lifestyles and physical fitness through amateur
athletic events and health education programs.
WSDC properties include Lighten Up Wisconsin, Shape Up Wisconsin Kids, the Fit Kids Challenge, the
Badger State Games and the Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame. WSDC is also the local host of Ironman Wisconsin.
REGISTER NOW FOR BADGER STATE WINTER GAMES
Wisconsin Registration is now open for the 2005 Badger State Winter Games. The Games will feature 14 different sports for all skill levels and ages including freestyle skiing, Nordic skiing, snowshoe racing and
speedskating.
The Games will be held in Wausau and throughout Wisconsin. Competitions will take place on two weekends, January 28-30 and February 4-6. The opening ceremony activities are scheduled for Friday,
February 4, in Wausau.
To learn more about Badger State Games and to register, visit www.sportsinwisconsin.com or call 608/226-4780.
Wisconsin Sports Development Corp. is a nonprofit sports management organization that owns the Badger State Games, the Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame, Shape Up Wisconsin Kids, Lighten Up Wisconsin and
the Fit Kids Challenge. WSDC is also the local host of Ironman Wisconsin.
GET TRAIL CONDITIONS FOR NW WISCONSIN VIA E-MAIL
Weekly reports on the condition of ski trails in the northwoods can be had via e-mail. Ron Bergin, editor of Cross-Country Ski Northwest Wisconsin: A Guide to Cross-Country Skiing and Snowshoeing, says the
reports will be a result of a "revamping our trail reporting system."
The skiing opportunities are plentiful in northwestern Wisconsin with more than a million of acres of public
land, including the Chequamegon National Forest.
If you would like to receive reports about cross-country ski trail conditions in the region, go to
www.norwiski.com/mail _list.html and enter the e-mail address to which you'd like the report sent.
You will only have to do this once, and reports will be sent weekly or more frequently as conditions change.
MOUNTAIN, WI, SKI TRAIL GROOMERS RE-EQUIPPED
The cross-country ski trail at Mountain, Wisconsin, should be back to normal this winter, according to
Mountain Ski Club President Michael Shores. Mountain is located about 60 miles north of Green Bay on State Highway 32.
"Early last season our venerable Ski-Doo Alpine gave up the ghost," Shores said. "We recently located and
purchased a 1989 Ski-Doo Alpine II, so will be able to perform our own grooming as in past."
The Mountain trailhead is located about five miles southwest of Mountain. The 20K-trail system is an
intimate singl- track, striding-only venue.
"We often have sufficient snow before Green Bay and the Fox Cities," he said. For snow conditions, call 715/276-7709.
WISCONSIN IRONWOMAN OFFERS TRAINING CAMP IN ITALY
Heather Gollnick, one of the nation's top triathletes, will lead a 12-day triathlon training camp on the Italian Adriatic in Riccione near Bologna, Italy, April 29 through May 9, 2005.
Gollnick, 35, of Hartford, Wisconsin, won the Ironman Wisconsin in 2002 and 2003 and the Ironman Coeur d'Alene 2003. Most recently, she was the ttop U.S. woman in the Kona, Hawaii, Ironman World Championship.
Her training camp in Italy will offer athletes of all abilities personalized and group coaching in swimming,
biking and running as well as instruction maintaining motivation, proper nutrition and balancing one's lifestyle.
Gollnick's camp will also provide opportunities to compete in an Italian Olympic distance triathlon, English-speaking Italian cycling guides, personalized video analysis on swim techniques, Italian culture and
cuisine, and a chance to tour area art museums and castles. Meals, lodging, airport transfer, bicycles and guides are included.
Gollnick is limiting the triathlon camp to the first 20 registrants to ensure a quality coaching and training experience. For a complete itinerary and to register, visit www.Extri.com, www.cyclecvi.com or contact
Brenda Hilbilenk at 920/889-9616, e-mail info@cyclecvi.com
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