Ski Trails Set

A track is being set on the whole ski trail today. Great weather. Great snow.

No More Slush

New snow

Fresh snowshoe tracks all the way to Mist Lake and back

Decent track on the ski trails

Snow Report

• There are fresh tracks on all of the snowshoe trails except for the Mist Lake loop. Lakes are safe, but slushy.
• The Bumpy Bog is going to stay bumpy until we get a lot more snow. Bike trail KK will get you around it unless you want to do some hopping on snowshoes.
• Ski trails were packed earlier, and someone skied in some tracks a few days ago. The Underdown is a super classic skiing area, but we need a little more snow and some cold.

Snowshoe Time

I just put the signs out on the snowshoe trails. We don't have a lot of snow, but it's coming. The lakes are frozen hard. The group hike is January 23rd at 10am.

Lessons from a 12 Solo

Check out the movie made from Greg and Kate's helmet cams on our November group ride. The link is on the right.

1992 Thunderdown Results

The starting line you see is east on Copper Lake Road a little. The finish line is the east end of the parking lot. The water hole was on Horn Lake Road, but has since been filled in. Scott Hebel is the guy in the pink Diamond Back jersey.

1991 Thunderdown Results

Back when double track was all we had and we loved it.

1989 and 1990 results are still missing.

July 3rd, 2010

Warmer weather ahead for next year's Thunderdown. Watch for list of special events.

Here's a peek at what the Underdown looked like on November 6th : leafy, but warm. See the WHOLE VIDEO with the link on the right.

Snowy, Slippery, Leafy, Pretty

I just took a pleasant, but cautious ride at the Underdown. Bike trails are open basicaly until there is enough snow to ski and snowshoe. Right now there is no mud to worry about, but there are a few trees that have blown down.

The only time the trails are closed is during April, though I wouldn't ride in daylight during deer season. Trails open for the spring on May 1st. By then most of the leaves and logs should be off the trail.

I'll probably sign the snowshoe trails on December 23rd. In the mean time I'll be getting ready for Tuscobia.

A Tip of my Hat to . . .

• all of you racers who braved the cold, the wet, and the hills.
• Scott Cole for bringing the thunder to the Thunderdown.
• Tim Ek for getting back out there after yet another catastophic mechanical and showing us what WEMS is really about.
• Steve Engel for marshalling half the day on Horn Lake Road and still getting back to win the 3 hour race.
• my entire immediate family for keeping all of you company on Loop Road.
• Ted and Kaye for holding down the fort at the finish while I was galavanting around the course.
• Red Eye and little paper Heed cups.
• prize sponsors Bikes N Boards, Rib Mountain, Builers, and Hammer.
• 11 Hodags in the race.

CHANCE OF SUN! WE'RE GONNA RUN!

It still looks like only the 4th wettest WEMS race this year.

Last Race Updates

Weather: Be prepared for a little cold and rain during your ride. We will be racing Saturday unless there is an extreme amount of rain. Underdown trails can take moisture and we have run successful races after a downpour the night before. Rain that is sustained for many hours could cause the race to be shortened, but all the weather report really means is that we'll have to cut more fire wood.

Fastest Lap: The fastest male lap in the 12 hour race and the fastest female in the longest race entered by females receive a new jersey from the Red Eye.

Class winners get the growlers. Pints to 2nd and 3rd.

6 Hour Course: The 6 hour course will use the shorter trail F instead of V. One of you guys had better finish 6 laps now.

Marking: Remote areas of the course are flagged already. Road areas will be signed Thursday and Friday. Leaves will be blown off Friday too.

Group Ride Sunday: 9AM on some of the trails the race doesn't touch like LL, V, and M.

1:09:32

I went out at race pace to see how long the course would take. This should give some kind of estimate to anyone who's been in a race with me lately. -- Schotz

12 hour course : 1:09:32
6 hour course : 1:02
3 hour course : about 43 minutes

12 Hour Race Course

Trails Z, B, C, D, then a fast double track short cut from ths start of trail E to Horn Lake Road. A fast run down Horn Lake Road leads to trails T, TT,U, Y, shortcut to F, G, H, I, J, K, KK, A.

This route will only be used this year to take a little time off of the lap using 3 big shortcuts around trail U. This is the only course that climbs the 110' Oktoberfest hill or trail Y.

It just took me about an hour and a half to ride this course in the dark at a pretty good pace with some stops to pick up sticks. With improvements and shortcuts, I'd guess that this course will be about 15 minutes quicker than last year's course. Last year's fastest lap was a 1:28:51 by Ryan Roeser. I'll ride a lap full out in daylight this week to compare courses.

6 Hour Race Course

Trails Z, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, KK, & A

About 9 miles - the only course this year to use the squeeze trees on trail E.

3 Hour Race Course

Trail Z, B, & C, then trail X (the tight twisted cutoff trail)

Merge at Trail G,then trails H, I, J, K, KK & A

5 or 6 miles - a great test of skills on technical, tight turns and hills 50 to 70 vertical feet.

Trail V Uncovered

I just mowed trail V and other trails in the area where last year's log job let in the sun. 6 hour racers should check out trail V.

3 hour racers should be ready for the twists of trail X, and 12 hour racers will be climbing Oktoberfest on trail T. All races will start on trails Z, B, and C, and all will end on trails H, I, J, K, KK, and A, but each distance will have its own unique middle single track.

Group ride Sunday, September 20th at 10AM.

Map to the Underdown

Trail KK is Open

With the help of Steve, Roger, and Randy, trail KK is finished. Give it a ride.

Redeye Brewery hits the trail !!

We’re excited to announce that Kevin Eichelberger of Redeye Brewery in Wausau has agreed to sponsor our race and provide the beer for those who are lucky enough to win one of the first place growler trophies.

Redeye Brewery is located in downtown Wausau and serves some mighty fine brew and excellent food including some fantastic pizzas baked in a wood-fired oven. Kevin is an avid biker and has worked hard to promote more biking opportunities in the area. He has also made up a couple of really sharp jerseys which might make their way to the race for prizes.

You can check out more information at www.redeyebrewing.com Kevin is also going to be at the Lincoln Lagerfest going on the same day, so if you are able to slip over there between laps, make sure to stop by the Redeye booth and say hi.

Now, if we can get him to bring that wood-fired oven over to the race….

The "Last" Map

Trail KK in the works

Trail KK is a new trail that will start at the end of the current trail K, run around the big bumpy bog, and come out at the little parking lot where trails A and B come together at Loop Road. This will eliminate the short double track between trail K and the little parking lot. It will have some nice rolling terrain, a short bridge, a lot of bench cut, and tight switchbacks on a somewhat sizeable hill.

The entire trail is brushed out, mowed, and signed. Roger and I plowed through a nasty clearcut section, and Steve has made a lot of progress on the tread on the hill. Yesterday the bridge was put in place, but I'll either have to straighten the bridge or put a turn in the trail to line it up.

HELP There are a few hand tool out there, you can come out and polish the tread any time you want. On Sunday the 23rd is would be great to see a big group out there to finish this new trail.

This year's race

October 3rd, 2009
12 hour 8AM
6 hour 1PM
3 hour 3PM

As usual, there will be something new in this year's race course. All races will start from the new west end of the parking lot using the new singletrack (trail Z) instead of the horse trail lead out. Racers will then hit trail B and C as usual. 3 hour racers will get the twisty trail X cutoff as they did last year. 12 hour racers will be taking a quick double track shortcut from trail D to the Oktoberfest hill area. After Underdown Lake the 12 hour racers will see two more shortcuts on trail U, but still climb the Yin Yang Yalcano (trail Y). The goal for the 12 hour course was to take 10 to 20 minutes away so that teams will have time to give their 4th rider a second lap.

Trail LL is finished and ridden in, but won't be in the race this year. Trail KK is almost finished and could find its way into this years race course.

This year's course may be slightly shorter, but rest assured, this is just a step to get us ready for next summer when the plan is to put all trails together into a loop near 25 miles long that will include at least 20 miles of single track - the Hundred Down in the Underdown.