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.