Change in Management at the ABR Trails! Planning for the Future / Pandemic Forces ABR, SISU to Adapt
Photo courtesy of ABR.
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By Mike Ivey
Editor’s Note: Mike Ivey is a freelance writer from Madison and part time Ironwood resident. He co-owns The Snow Palace, a renovated downtown home two blocks from Miner’s Memorial Heritage Park.
ABR started as a backwoods trail so a group of Ironwood area families could enjoy cross-country skiing. Over the past two decades, it has grown into one of the nation’s top cross-country skiing destinations, offering 90 kilometers of skiing and snowshoe trails on 1,100 acres along the Montreal River, marking the border between northern Wisconsin and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.
Husband/Wife co-owners Eric Anderson and Angela Santini.
ABR, or “Active Backwoods Retreat,” has earned a reputation for outstanding grooming and friendly service from husband/wife co-owners Eric Anderson and Angela Santini. Added on-site amenities include rustic ski-in cabins, a luxury hilltop house, full-service ski shop, and spaces for large groups of high school athletes.
In 2019, USA Today named ABR Trails the 4th best cross-country ski resort in the nation, alongside places like Devil’s Thumb Ranch in Colorado, Silver Star Resort in British Columbia, and Great Glen Trails in New Hampshire. That’s pretty fast company for a U.P. ski trail that once featured a wood stove cabin and out-houses in back.
Average snowfalls of 14 feet, coming early and often, off nearby Lake Superior help set ABR apart, providing the closest lake-effect snow for both locals and those from Minneapolis and Madison, only a four-hour drive away. “I don’t think you can overstate the impact ABR has had on the Midwest ski community, not to mention the city of Ironwood,” said Jackie Powers, director of Ironwood’s SISU Ski Festival. “Every year, they’ve made changes and things just keep getting better.”
The challenge now is ensuring that ABR continues to operate into the future. Last summer, Anderson and Santini established the Anderson Bluff & River Trail Foundation as a non-profit 501(c) (3) organization. Its mission: “To “sustain the organizational foundation to ensure a lasting legacy for Nordic skiing in the Ironwood area.”
The creates a tax-empty entity to ensure ABR can continue to operate even as Anderson and Santini step back from the business. Anderson has overcome some past health challenges while Santini looks to reduce her long hours running the ski shop. “The pulse is still pretty strong in both of us,” the 58-year-old Anderson said, “but we didn’t want people to worry about what was going to happen when we retire.” Anderson, an engineer by training, launched ABR with his father, Dave, in 1995 as a way to open their family trails to the general public.
ABR is known for its outstanding trail conditions and daily grooming, one reason USA Today in 2019 named ABR as the 4th best cross country ski resort in North America. Photo courtesy of ABR.
Anderson emphasized that ABR skiers will enjoy “a seamless transition in the future.” Currently, he’s conducting interviews for a general manager to take over day-to-day operations and run the ski shop, although COVID-19 has thrown in a curve. “Things are still happening but in phases,” he said. Anderson predicts a big year for cross-country skiing as people seek ways to recreate safely during the pandemic. ABR will open this season once the snow flies, but with reduced indoor operations.
A 90-acre parcel adjacent to the Montreal River was donated to the Anderson Bluff & River Trail Foundation last summer, with more land donations in the works. Anderson and Santini plan to donate a significant portion of their land to the Foundation between now and 2030.
Also underway: Plans to complete a public trail link between the ABR system and the Miners Memorial Heritage Trail in downtown Ironwood. The trail link will follow the route of the SISU race course which, in the past, has only been groomed during the week preceding the event. In 2021, the SISU event will go forward in a virtual format. The Foundation’s long-range goals include connecting the ABR trail system to Ironwood’s extensive trail community, including the Miners Memorial Heritage Park, the new Iron Belle Trail, and the Wolverine Nordic Trails located northeast of Ironwood.
“ABR has been huge for the area and has certainly brought a lot of people from out of town,” said Scott Erickson, Ironwood City Manager, who also serves on the Foundation Board. “The plan they’ve put together is excellent and will ensure that ABR is here for generations to come.”
Groomers smooth out the SISU race course prior to last January's race. The Anderson Foundation and Ironwood city officials are working to create a permanent connection between ABR and the Miner's Memorial Heritage Park near downtown. Photo courtesy of ABR.
Anderson counts some three dozen cross-country skiers who have purchased property in the Ironwood area over the past 20 years. This includes SISU race director Powers, self-proclaimed ski bum Ken Hazel, and, most recently, a couple from Kentucky who are building a new home on 90 acres near the south end of the ABR system. Elite skier Chris Halverson and his wife, Susan, from Madison bought an older house in downtown Ironwood 10 year ago and have made it a second home. Halverson also serves on the Foundation board.
“It’s been great to see the evolution of the area with ABR and now the Miners and the Iron Belle,” Halverson said. “I think the Foundation model is a way to get even more people in the ski community involved.”
Organizers in snowy Ironwood are already taking steps to ensure things go smoothly during the pandemic. ABR Trails intends to keep all skiing and snowshoe ski trails open and groomed as usual. However, the heated warming house, bathrooms, lunchroom, and waxing area will remain closed.
“With so many unknowns, we are going to err on the conservative side,” co-owner Eric Anderson said. “We’re going to plan for the worst and hope for the best.” ABR plans to sell trail passes from a ticket booth in the driveway during busy days, and will have a walk-up window on the ski chalet for skiers to buy tickets without entering the building. Skiers are encouraged to purchase season passes and ABR will continue to offer pre-season rates.
With average winter snowfalls of over 160 inches due to its proximity to Lake Superior, ABR needs to use heavy equipment to keep up. Photo courtesy of ABR.
The ski shop will open with limited capacity, while enforcing social distancing and mandatory face mask rules. Also open, the retail ski area for sales and rentals; but the ski chalet’s back room, with concessions and indoor restroom, will not open. However, six porta-potties will be available in the unheated shipping barn, along with places to sit and change into boots. Three warming cabins along the trail will also stay open for emergency use.
Trailside houses and rustic cabins will be rented as usual, with the cancellation policy revised for COVID. Anderson reports early calls for rentals have been strong as people look for ways to recreate safely outdoors. He added, “You won’t have a warm area to eat lunch or hang out, no concessions, no duffel bag storage, and no heated indoor wax area. But you will have the entire ski and snowshoe trail system to enjoy.”
Meanwhile, organizers of the annual SISU Ski Festival, which traditionally starts at ABR and finishes in downtown Ironwood, are planning a virtual event complete with age-and- course-adjusted timing, along with prizes for winners. “We really wanted to keep it going, even in a virtual format,” race director Jackie Powers said. “All the planning, preparation, and work come back to us through appreciative athletes, satisfied volunteers, a prideful community, and a quality event.”
Skiers can select from the 30K SISU, 15K Heikki Lunta, and 5K Hauska Hiihto, and ski their own race any time between January 4 through 17, 2021. Skiers can upload their results to be eligible for awards. All skiers who post their time will be part of a random drawing for swag. All registrants will get 2021 neck buffs.
Launched in 2010, the SISU has grown into one of the most popular early-season events on the Midwest racing calendar. A record 754 skiers registered in 2020.
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Husband/Wife co-owners Eric Anderson and Angela Santini.
ABR is known for its outstanding trail conditions and daily grooming, one reason USA Today in 2019 named ABR as the 4th best cross country ski resort in North America. Photo courtesy of ABR.
Groomers smooth out the SISU race course prior to last January's race. The Anderson Foundation and Ironwood city officials are working to create a permanent connection between ABR and the Miner's Memorial Heritage Park near downtown. Photo courtesy of ABR.
With average winter snowfalls of over 160 inches due to its proximity to Lake Superior, ABR needs to use heavy equipment to keep up. Photo courtesy of ABR.
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