Minocqua (not just) Winter Park

BY BRUCE STEINBERG

In arranging an interview with Christie Terkelson, I found out

quickly she is a busy woman. In her office inside the Minocqua Winter Park

Chalet, located in central Wisconsin, she’s on her phone, interrupted by a

worker or volunteer with a question or report, putting on hold a caller to take

another call she then has to put on hold. Later on, talking with Christie on

the phone, I hear the chatter of hurried voices, an “Excuse me” to take a call,

to answer a staffer’s question, then back to me.

That’s how it goes for Christie, Executive Director of Winter

Park, now in her fifth year on staff (the first as the Events Director), and

co-owner of the popular Bitters + Bull Restaurant, in downtown Lake Tomahawk.

One title would be work enough for any mortal. But for Christie, her broad

smile framed by flowing dark curls, and her warm demeanor, reveal an important

truth: She truly enjoys it all. And there is so much in the word “all” when it

comes to Winter Park  ̶ all year long.

The interview was to be about summertime activities in Winter

Park, and there is plenty to that. However, a winter story Christie told me

best exemplified her dedication to silent-sporters and Winter Park. “In 2017,

the Birkie was cancelled due to very poor conditions,” Christie said with

concern in her voice even in 2020. “We felt so bad for all the racers who had

trained and looked forward to the race. So, we decided to have a half-off trail

pass offer to all those who showed up to ski at Winter Park with a 2017 Birkie

race bib.”

Although located a 90-minute drive south of the Hayward area,

Minocqua Winter Park had great ski conditions. “At least 300 skiers showed up

with their Birkie bibs throughout the weekend,” Christie said happily. “So many

with Birkie bibs said we were the best kept secret, and ‘Why haven’t I heard of

Winter Park before, it’s even closer to where I live than the Birkie trail?!’”

That’s a bewildering question, I immediately thought. In Illinois,

since the early 90s, my group of cross-country skiers looked at Winter Park as

the dream mecca for skating and striding. I mean, just look at the facts:

Winter Park, set on over 6,500 acres, has more than 100 groomed kilometers of

cross-country skiing, 80K groomed for classic and skating, and another 20 or

more known as the Wilderness Trails, which offer narrow, personal-feeling ski

trails with incredible views. The 80K, wide enough but narrower than the Birkie

trail, also offer personal-feeling trails with great views, challenging runs

like Nutcracker and VO2 Max, and cruisers like Wolf Tracks and Nepco’s Cruise,

and over another 20, individual, interconnected and meandering trails through

mature pine and wetland vistas. The land, a combination of private and nature

conservancies, is managed by the not-for-profit Lakeland Ski Touring

Foundation.

In its fortieth year, Minocqua Winter Park has a sizeable,

inviting and heated chalet with bathrooms, and a well-stocked café and retail

sports store and rental shop, expansive shelving for gear, benches and tables

in a gathering area, large-screen TV displaying great ski races, ski lessons

taught by Dan Clausen and staff, all accredited by the Professional Ski

Instructor Association, and  ̶ take a deep breath for this continuing

list: Snow-shoeing over extensive snow-shoe-only trails, hiking, snow-tubing

down the 600-foot-elevation Squirrel Hill with lift and enjoyable run-out, CXC

adaptive center to enable the handicapped to enjoy winter sports, skijoring,

free Wi-Fi, and the unique Chip Wulff Memorial ice-skating pond that is a rink

and an adventure, waxing room with three benches, irons, and ventilation, and

all sorts of kids programs. And I’m sure I’ve missed something!

“We just don’t have a large budget for promotion,” Christie

explained, and rather than sound upset at that, she talked about the

off-season, which begins anywhere from mid-March to early April, to brag on her

staff and volunteers. “We all do what we can”, Christie said. “But it’s all

about the help from our Board, supportive area businesses, and the people here

donating their time, talent, and energy.”

For example:

“We hold the Muggy Buggy Race on the Saturday usually closest to

July 4^th,” Christie said. “It’s a 2.5K mud run and a 5K trail run.

The mud run takes the runners through natural hazards such as ponds, creeks,

and other obstacles, including a run up and down Squirrel Hill. But the course

is adjustable according to conditions. It was super-dry two summers ago with no

mud to speak of. So, we worked with Bob from the Rynders Company here in

Minocqua, and they were, and are, great. They actually donated dirt (for a

soft, 12-foot dirt hill runners had to tackle) as well as the use of two

culverts, which Rynders also provided and installed, that the runners had to

run through, with a rush of soapy water we supplied from the Chalet. After the

race, Rynders donated the dirt which we used to fill ruts along the Red Pine

Trail, thank you very much!”

With awe and appreciation, Christie describes groups and

individuals who give so much of their time and materials to keep Winter Park in

mecca-shape. “There are so many hours involved in cutting fallen trees, taking

away branches, removing encroaching brush, people just don’t know the hours and

effort involved. Throughout the year, crews are out there to keep the trails

clear and the grass trimmed so we can open with minimal snow, and avoid pop-up

weeds and grass as spring encroaches. These folks fill in ruts and holes with

dirt, and spread seed that will sprout to hold the dirt in place. They widen

where needed, and level trails to avoid washout.”

Christie names more names of the incredibly helpful, and their

tasks.

“Our head groomer is Eric Twito. He splits his time between

ensuring our unique trail system is impeccable and making sure our fleet of

machinery stays in operation. He’s also a skier but he’s our groomer whose

favorite trail to groom is River Run. He’s fantastic and I cannot say enough

good things about him. Volunteers Pete Entringer and his wife Sandy walk the

trails in summer to clear brush and branches. In winter, Pete skis with small

loppers in a pack, to trim trails as he skis, and will go out with a chain saw

in summer for bigger jobs.”

There are storms throughout the year that bring challenges, where

one storm can easily knock down fifty trees throughout the trail system. “One

storm in particular, on December 31, 2019,” Christie said, “we had ice and

heavy snow, and it took fifteen hours to clear Wolf Tracks alone.” Wolf Tracks

is an 8.7-kilometer trail that is the namesake trail of the Wolf Tracks

Rendezvous Classic and Skate Ski Race, 24K and 42K, held the first Saturday in

February. “Only after that fifteen hours of work could the groomer pass through

Wolf Tracks. With every grooming machine, we stock a chain saw just in case,

especially since the groomer can be miles away where a downed tree is

discovered. It was Dave Paton that day, the groomer, who worked fifteen hours

straight to clear Wolf Tracks after the storm. Dave’s wife even had to bring

him a change of clothing and dry boots mid-day as he was out in deep snow

cutting the trees.”

Retired board member Bill Horton stepped into a massive project

this season to evaluate the status of grooming operations in the attempt to

define an efficient grooming plan for the next generation to follow. “Traditionally,

grooming is one of the most time-consuming and costly facets of this

organization,” Christie said. “In an effort to create efficiencies, Bill spends

more than fifty hours per week volunteering to schedule, groom, organize trail

improvements, and explore grooming options to make our 100K trail system the

best it can be. Our flexible team of groomers (Eric, Brian, Nate, Dennis, Barb,

Frank, Dave, Bob, Jon, and Andy) truly appreciate Bill’s assistance to maximize

their efforts.” 

It’s at this point that I admit to being among the masses of the

ignorant, people who enjoy the trails unaware of the real extent of the work

that goes into making 100 kilometers appear so consistently pristine.

“There’s another family,” Christie said, “Barb and Dennis Blow,

and their daughter Erin. They volunteer in the off-season to do a lot of work

on our snow-shoe trails and also groom in the winter. Area high school and

middle school ski teams come out and show their pride in the trails to volunteer

in spreading seed, trim brush, and every sort of trail maintenance there is.

They definitely show their pride in the park and we’re so grateful.”

Along the trails, there are benches set, shelters, and fire pits.

“Many of these have been placed by our volunteers, who get so caught up in the

vistas, that they figure there has to be a resting area at these locations for

skiers and others to enjoy, to better appreciate the view. Then we have Eagle

Scout Aiden Jones who (along with the help of his father), for his volunteer

project, built a ski shelter along the Yukon trail. That’s the sort of great

volunteer we just seem to get.”

Lakeland Ski Touring Foundation board members (active and retired)

also volunteer in a big way. “There’s Jon Hollander,” Christie said, “a retired

board member who provides many pieces of heavy equipment for trail improvements

including: leveling, grinding stumps, and moving boulders. Jon picks the worst

sections to level and widen, and, before you know it, the worst become the best.

Then, in return, they become the easiest areas to groom in the winter. He’s

amazing!

“And there’s John Wrobel, a current board member who also

organizes work crews to make sure the mechanics are in place for the tubing

hill. Also, Ted Ashby, who does all the maintenance for the pond we use for the

ice-skating, often working forty hours per week, all volunteer, to keep that

unique pond in ice-skating shape. Former board member and President Bill

Kopanda serves as a park Ambassador and is a true whenever-and-wherever-you-need-me

kind of guy.

“We’re also fortunate enough to have the help of a work crew from

McNaughton Correctional Center in Lake Tomahawk. Workers help brush trails,

chip downed trees, and put up and take down snow fencing for tubing operations.

In 2019, they built the new ski racks you see outside the Chalet.”

With importance, Christie emphasized the rescue aspect at Winter

Park. “With our expansive trail system and varied levels of terrain, we always

have to be on our toes to assist with skier rescues, as well as partnering with

both Oneida County and regional rescue teams.”

It took some time and effort, but I finally got Christie to talk

about herself. “So much work goes into the off season, and my being in the

service industry with Bitters + Bull has trained me to keep on my toes. If

someone doesn’t show up, I’m there to fill in, whether at the ticket window or

elsewhere. I’m always campaigning for the park and, as Executive Director, I

find every day is different. I’m the only full-time Chalet person, and Eric

Twito is the only full-time trails person. I use my experience and

relationships to barter, to trade, for material and services, even

sponsorships.  For example, every year we need banners, updated trail

maps, trail tickets, and race event registration. As the head of the

non-profit, I’m always trying to leverage relationships to trade services, to

do what needs to get done while staying within my budget. Ticket sales all go

into trail maintenance; what we bring in from daily ticket sales oftentimes begs

to be supplemented with generous donations from varied friends of Minocqua

Winter Park.”

With deserved pride, Christie described one other, non-ski event

that occurs in October. “We have an event that offers hayrides (tractor-pulled),

bluegrass music, and incredible food. We use four to five tractors and

different trails depending on conditions. This is for everyone but it is

especially gratifying to see people who used to hike, snowshoe, or ski the

trails but who, for one reason or another, can no longer do so. This event puts

them back on the trails again, at a time when the fall colors are peaking and

amazing, so they can appreciate all of it again. Especially when the hayride

goes to the top of Squirrel Hill. With its 600-foot elevation, the view of the

fall colors at Winter Park is breathtaking! And then, the food and music!”

It’s impossible for me to understand why Minocqua Winter Park is

not as widely known as it should be. With its 100 kilometers of trails, plus

snowshoeing, hiking, and, and . . . so many more can come and use the trails

and the kilometers would still be well-accommodating. “We’re not just a Nordic

Center,” Christie said, and she leaves me with a quotation from skier and Illinois

resident Rebecca DiDomenico that sums things up on the Mecca that is Minocqua

Winter Park: “My husband is Nordic and we come to support him,

but we’re not Nordic. Still, we love Winter Park because we can ice skate,

snow-tube, hike to the nature center, and be here as a family and enjoy Winter

Park as a family.”

Another call comes in, some more chatter requesting Christie’s

attention, and she has to go. “Thank you,” I of course say before the interview

ends. And I hope she fully knows “thank you” is for our conversation, and so much

more.  

Check out the MWP web site: www.Minocquawinterpark.org

Questions? Email Christie at: events@minocquawinterpark.org