Riding Lakes.wmv

Try some frozen lakes until the snow flies. Harrison is in great shape for riding with or without studs. Those are Nokian tires.

Snowshoes and Fat Bikes

Sometime around Christmas the trails will be knocked in and signed. Of course, keep bikes and snowshoes off of the ski trails.

The Ice Age Trail snowshoe hike is scheduled for January 14th. January 21st is tentatively scheduled as a fat bike group ride if conditions cooperate.

Hogsback Cross Attack Photos

Right here.

It was a fun time!

This Looks Fun!

Ghost Ride

5PM Saturday October 29th

• Spooks
• Capture the flag or something
• Night Polo
• Poker Run

Poker Run prizes so far:

• Red Eye gift card
• Cross Attack entry
• Photos from seenbyjordan
• 1 fat tire
• Anything you want to give away

Trail Updates Done

Beth and Paul came out to help finish the new cutoff from trail U to T. Time to ride it. All that is left is to clear off the leaves. All trails should be clean by next weekend.

Oktoberfest Open

Beth, Paul, Brian, Steve, Kurt, Ben, and Andrea came out to rebuild Oktoberfest better than ever. Beth, Paul, and Steve were back today to extend the Homestead trail while Kurt, Ben, and Andrea were out riding in the leaves. Head out and ride the new stuff.

Next Saturday morning I'll be back out to finish the new U to T cutoff that is about half done now.

Phil Schaefer Memorial Dedication

The Northwoods Chapter of the Ice Age Trail Alliance is honoring Phil Schaefer for his tirelss efforts in the development of the miles of cross county ski trails in the Underdown Recreation Area in Lincoln County and for his volunteer work on the Ice Age Trail. The Aldo Leopold style bench has been placed along the Ice Age Trail overlooking beautiful Mist Lake. The dedication will take place on Saturday, October 22, 2011 at 10:00 a.m at the bench site. The Schaefer family will be presented a commorative plaque honoring Phil. The dedication site is one half mile from the Mist Lake Access parking lot and will require a half hour hike on a fairly level logging road. Plan to be at the parking lot at 9:30 a.m.. The Mist Lake access road leaves Horn Lake road. For detailed directions contact Tom Goltz at 715-675-6743 or Chris Schotz at 715-873-4113. The public is invited to share in the memories of Phil's contributions.

Tomahawk CycloCross November 12th

Hogsback Cross Attack

November 12, 2011

Bradley Park - Tomahawk

Registration starting at 8am with racing at 10am

Register with form attached to this email or link at the website

www.hogsbackcx.blogspot.com

Trail Building Season

•Come on out and help with some fun projects.

•October 8th:

•

• Octoberfest clean-up with some sweet new switchbacks
• Re-route trail T connector from U with some cool rollers
• Berm up trail U in the clear cut

•Drive to Underdown Lake in the morning: From 17 take Heineman Road west to Horn Lake Road (not marked unfortunately) and then the Underdown Lake access road. We'll be there early and all morning. Bring rakes and your favorite McLeod\mattock type tool.

•

•October 9th:

•

• Extend trail J past the Homestead with about 10 more turns & berms.

•Take the east end of Loop Road from Copper Lake Road. Bring rakes and your favorite McLeod\Mattock type tool.

•

•October 29th 5PM:

•

• Ghost Ride
• Rhinelander vs. Wausau Capture the Flag or something like that
• Night Polo
• Spooks

Work Together

The Underdown Horse Club recently opened a difficult trail for themselves near White Lightning (Trail I) and a trail they call the Moonshine Trail near the homestead (Trail J). With my cooperation they pulled up signs and moved the Moonshine Trail to a new route off of the bike trail. I actually helped build horse trail today, but it is a lot easier that re-building bike trail and I felt that both groups should have a chance to pass the historic Underdown homestead.

99% of horse riders respect the bike trails and are embarrassed when a horse does damage to a bike trail. I am equally embarrassed when bikers don't use their heads. Because both user groups have separate trail systems so it is rare that you will see a horse out in the woods, but make sure that you slow way down and greet them when you see a horse on a road. I don't want to hear any more about bikers blowing by little girls on ponies in the parking lot.

On October 8th we'll still be cleaning and berming on Oktoberfest starting at Underdown Lake in the morning whenever you can get there, but on October 9th there will be work to do by the homestead. On that morning you will have the opportunity to extend the Homestead Trail another hundred yards or so to a safer exit, plus we'll be doing erosion prevention between White Lightning and the Homestead.

High and Dry

New bridge on trail C.

Ghost Ride

October 29th @ 5PM

Oktoberfest Work Day

Saturday October 8th AM

Meet at Underdown Lake to clean up the log job on Oktoberfest (really not that bad) and possibly build some berms on trail U.

In the mean time, mowing and tree clearing is ongoing. Trail M & MM around the Hollow were mowed to night.

Post a comment with the location of any downed trees you've come across. I know a bunch went down during the Wausau24 storm.

Try Trail V

A few of the trails that weren't on the race course have been mowed recently. All this rain continues to make the brush grow fast. Go out and try something new, and save next Saturday for the Washburn race by Rhinelander. Great stuff.

Fun Trails: I Can't Wait

Raspberry Weekend

I unfortunately won't be there, but the trails and roads are open if you want to come out for some dirt road riding at 10AM Saturday or some Sunday raspberry picking on Trail C.

Logging Oktoberfest

Logging on the Oktoberfest and Underdown Lake area is underway. It looks like the loggers are being rather gentle with the trail so we'll have to clean up instead of rebuild. If logging machines are running, don't try to sneak past them. It might be best to avoid the area for a few weeks. Remember that the loggers are working and you are playing.

Eki's Tail

Click here if you haven't seen it.

Rhinelander Wins Thunderdown Cup

In a momentous group effort the crew from Rhinelander took the 2011 Thunderdown Cup home to reside at Bikes N Boards. 14 hodags logged a total of 295 miles on a beautifully hot day. Wausau riders accumulated a total of 116 miles and were left shaking their heads in awe at the tenacity of hodags on tough trails.
A new Cup will be commissioned for 2012. Word has it that the Duluth boys will roster up next year as long as Eki can convince Charlie that conditions aren't too perfect in the Underdown. Those boys love a good, long fight in foul weather, and they don't mind a little hamburger butt either.

A couple things I learned this year regarding next year:
1. This course is long enough! I think I've found the sweet spot with this year's format. Though there is a nice symmetry to a 25 mile lap, I'm starting to think that adding 9 miles that didn't make the cut this year might be the end. On a course that long I may never see you again.
2. People like cold water on course. Expect more bottles on ice next year.

Photos are here!

Results are here!

2011 Thunderdown in the Underdown

This Way

The sign is a little different this year. At the top of the X to C hill, the 9 mile course goes down the double track to the trail X cutoff. The 16 mile course stays on single track C to Dog Lake and beyond.

Trail Tour

July 2nd
10 Hour Start 10AM
6 Hour Start 1PM
3 Hour Start 3PM
An Underdown Tour

Group Ride Saturday 10AM

By then the bridges will be done and the tick habitat will be cut down.

Black Water Bridge.wmv

Race Course Map

"16 mile" course (10 solo, 10 duo, 6 solo): Marked in Green. Much like last year minus Mist Lake and trail V.

"9 mile" course (10 team, 6 duo, 3 hour, high school): Uses Red trail X cutoff. Much like last year, but with an earlier cut off on top of the X&C hill.

Over 150' of new bridge since the last Thunderdown.

Free Camping and Entry

We're in need of a team to camp at Underdown Lake and run an aid station in exchange for one free individual entry. Post a comment here if you are interested.

Dog Lake Surprise

Pay a visit to Dog Lake. Paul and I finished some bridges around there, but be prepared so you don't shoot off the trail like I did. It is faster.

Tuesday looks like a good day to get trail L ready. Wednesday is a day for digging. Trail U Thursday.

Trail Work Update

Saturday the 11th we'll be out putting in bridges by Dog Lake and a switchback on trail X. 9AM wouldn't be too early. Usual digging tools are all we'll need.

Clean up continues. Oktoberfest is ready for race day. Enjoy it while it still has all the trees. Logging will start right after the race.

A long bridge on trail U is still in the works this month.

RACE ANSWERS:

1. Camping is available on site for a reasonable fee.
2. Underdown has about 100 feet of climbing per mile.
3. The nearest sandy beach is Tug Lake.
4. Group pre-ride June 25th @ 10AM.
5. Getting to Underdown
6. Turn in Thunderdown Cup rosters before 4PM race day. Hodags sign-up with Al. Wausau still needs a captain who won't be at a music festival on race day.

Bill Underdown is Calling You Out

This is a list of guys who haven't done the Thunderdown yet, but should have. If you see one of them, let him know we're looking for him.

Scott Golomski

Charly Tri

Butch Welke

Ben Welnak

Mark Burkholz

Bridge Building

It's been a rainy spring so it's time to build bridges. I could use some help around Dog Lake on Saturday, June 11th. We'll install a few bridges and possibly move to trail X for a new switchback.

The rain has made the weeds grow so trails will get mowed in the mean time. A new GPS map of the system is in the works in early June, and a monster bridge should be built on trail U toward the end of the month.

Official Trail Opening

The state-funded Harrison Hills summer ATV trail system located in Lincoln County will open at 8 a.m. on Saturday, May 14, 2011. The Underdown Recreational trails will be open for use at 8 a.m. on Saturday May 21, 2011. Trails are still in early season condition and caution is advised.

For up to date Lincoln County trail information, log on to: www.co.lincoln.wi.us or call the Forestry, Land and Parks Dept. at 715-539-1034 or our trail hotline at

715-539-1033.

Not Open Yet

Due to wet conditions, the Lincoln County Harrison Hills state-funded summer

ATV trail system and the Underdown recreational trails will not be open for use on May 1, 2011. These trails will open at a later date as conditions improve.

For up to date Lincoln County trail information, log on to: www.co.lincoln.wi.us or call the Forestry, Land and Parks Dept. at 715-539-1034 or our trail hotline at

715-539-1033.

Give it Some Time

Underdown trails open officially on May 1st, but even that might be too early. I took the cross bike down Horn Lake Road today and was still hitting patches of snow. It was warm enough for shorts, but that snow is cold when you get launched into it while riding downhill on ice.

Kelly did some scouting and found minimal tornado damage on the trails.

• Leaves off in May.
• New bridges in June.
• Racing in July.

Getting Lucky During Our Tornado

As far as I can tell the tornado missed the bike trails, but who knows? We might need help.

Thunderdown 2011

Blizzard

All Underdown ski trails have been groomed since the blizzard. It looks like we'll be skiing until April. The snowshoe trails have some tracks, but not all the way to Mist Lake. Apparently I pulled the signs out a little early, but two weeks ago it sure looked like spring was here.

GPS of the Snowshoe Trails

Topographic

Aerial

Spring is Coming

I had to take the snowshoe trail signs out tonight because I don't know if I'll have another chance. The snow is still nice, and the ski trails were groomed today. There should be plenty of good crust hiking left.

Plenty of Snow

Ski trails are really fast but still have a little grip.

New Snow

After a bike ride on the ice to Mist Lake last weekend, a good storm has left a nice layer of powder. The ski trails have all been groomed and the snowshoe trails have tracks.

Remember Wayne

Wayne Fish

Biker, Skier, Tough Guy, Teacher

When I became a teen-ager, Wayne was the ski stud who was winning all the races. Once he skied the snowmobile trails from his house to Eagle River on the way to a marathon race they had over at the golf course. It was a huge day for me when mountain bikes came along and I was able to beat the great Wayne Fish at a little race they had in Tomahawk in 1987. That didn't stop him from dropping me going up the hills out of Rosie's Field at the Birkie in 1989. I was 18 and doing the Kortellopet. He was 40 and doing the Birkie. It was always hard to get Wayne out on the bike past Labor Day because he'd insist on training on those miserable roller skis.

One year at the 24-9, even though Wayne was the best mechanic on the team, he was the one to break a chain or something and have to run to Redbud Road. No one there had a tool for him so he ran the entire loop on the other side of the road before finding a tool when he got to the road again. He still turned in a good time, and I don't know if we even lost the lead.

I don't know how many times I came across him at Smokin' Spoke trimming branches with the weed-wacker or blowing leaves. Just before last year's race I found him carrying 5 gallon pails of road gravel out to the trail to fill in a rut even though the doctor told him not to even drive because of some injury.

I wish I'd seen him more toward the end. I guess I just expected to see him out on the trail. I will still be looking.

(1948-2011)

Great Snow

Perfect ski and snowshoe conditions. The ski trails are groomed and tracked.

2011 Snowshoe Hike

47 came out in the cool weather.

Fresh Snow

The ski trails have been groomed with a great track recently except for the blue trail which is skied in anyway. Loop Road has a nice base for skating.

Snowshoe trails have tracks out to Mist Lake. Come on out Saturday at 10:30.

And the moon . . .Nice. No headlamp required.

New Year's in the Underdown.wmv

A good day for boot hiking

Snowshoe trails are rock solid. Ski trails have snow, but it is icy.