BeigeJournal

On January 5 and 6 we got enough snow in Southeastern Wisconsin for good skiing. I went to Lapham Peak State Park after work on Thursday and Friday, and to the Nordic Trail in the Kettle Moraine State Forest Southern Unit on Saturday.

I have a ski photo set on Flickr with more photos.

As of Monday night Lapham Peak was a bit icy, with a very few bare spots, but generally quite skiable. It appears likely that the snow will still be reasonably good Tuesday night, but conditions will probably deteriorate rapidly later in the week.

Lapham Peak State Park is still completely snow covered, with good ski conditions. Current weather forecasts indicate that this may not remain the case by the end of next week. So go ski. This may not be the end, of course. Last year’s first good snow was early March, with another skiable snowfall (for a day or two) in early April.

Lapham Peak State Park is still completely snow covered. The classic tracks are a bit icy in spots, which isn’t all bad, at least downhill. The skate lanes were being groomed while I was there.

The snow was very nice at Lapham Peak State Park on Tuesday night. It is hard-packed and a bit icy, and the classic tracks are rather worn on the sides in spots. I didn’t see any bare spots, which I thought there might be given the relatively warm weather we’ve been having.

The snow continues to be excellent at Lapham Peak State Park and on the Nordic Trail at the Kettle Moraine State Forest Southern Unit.

I hadn’t been to the Nordic Trail in quite a few years. I have been trying to remember where exactly I had seen certain things on a ski trail, and it turns out the Nordic Trail was it. It is a nice ski area with some very nice scenic views from the higher points.

At Lapham I just went down Big Slide (and up Gut Buster) twice. I think that is the probably one of the best overall downhill runs on a Nordic trail in this area. It is loads of fun if you have enough skill for it.

The snow continues to be excellent at Lapham Peak State Park. More snow is expected tomorrow night. This has certainly been a much better winter for skiers than the last two years.

I saw a few serious diagonal-striders this evening. I generally feel like the only fit classic skier left. Usually I am endlessly passed by fast skaters with brightly colored equipment, brightly colored aerodynamic clothing, and aerodynamic bodies and I pass the occasional person in cotton pants and a big puffy coat shuffling along at a painfully slow pace. Apparently there was a classic-technique race planned and the serious skiers were out. It is good to see what proper technique looks like, which I rarely get to see. Clearly, I need skate skis.

As of Saturday, 2004-01-31, Wisconsin’s Pike Lake Unit of the Kettle Moraine State Forest also features excellent skiing conditions. There are also an amazing number of ice fishing shelters out on the lake. It looks like a whole city out there when viewed from the observation tower on Powder Hill.

Wisconsin’s Lapham Peak State Park now has excellent skiing conditions. The trails are 100% covered with snow and a classic track has been set throughout the park. Go out there and ski. Everyone else is doing it—the parking lot was nearly full.

Ski condition hotline phone numbers:

• Lapham Peak: 262-646-4421
• Southern Kettle Moraine: 262-594-6202
• Northern Kettle Moraine: 920-467-2099

I went to Wisconsin’s Lapham Peak State Park on Saturday to try to ski. It is (was) possible to get around on skis but conditions were bad. I made it around the longer lighted loop, which is think is designated “Blue”. The snow was thin everywhere, with sections that were more wood from tree bits than snow. Unfortunately, the very worst snow was on the lower parts of the downhill sections, where you would normally be going fastest. We’ll need more snow before it is worth trying again.