A Postcard from the Moss: December 2024

First ski of the season

I love sending postcards when I travel, so once a month I share photos with a postcard-length blurb about a place I’ve recently visited.

It’s finally cross country ski season in southeastern Wisconsin!¹ At least it is at Lapham Peak, where the snowmaking machines have been hard at work providing coverage on the Nordic trails. One benefit to being a pretty mediocre skier is that the quality of the snow doesn’t bother me, so while others may wish for natural flakes, I’m content so long as the classic tracks are set!

Soon to be groomed snow

On Thanksgiving Day, before there was any snow on the ground, I took a hike with my dad on the trail that I hope to successfully ski by the end of this winter.² Last year, I skied almost exclusively on the Green Loop at Lapham Peak—rated easy and supplemented with manmade snow—but this year I have grander plans! My sights are set on the Blue Loop, a 5.8 mile route (rated intermediate) that shares its start with Green before veering off to take advantage of the kettles and hummocks left by the glaciers.³

As we hiked, I paused at the top of each hill to imagine the speed I would pick up going down and I surveyed the surrounding trees for the ones most likely to break my fall (and my nose), should I become a runaway train. On the uphills, I felt a sudden urge to recommit to my treadmill routine at the gym, a vision flashing across my mind in which I haltingly herringbone my way up while someone twice my age sprints past without breaking a sweat. I also noted all the places where the loop could be shortened, because I am nothing if not realistic about my abilities.

The trailhead at a relatively quiet moment

A week later, I woke up plagued by malaise and a stubborn crick in my neck. Experience has taught me that those ills are best remedied by time in nature and increased physical activity, respectively, so I loaded up my car for an impromptu ski day.

The trailhead was hopping late on a Friday morning. With limited trails open—the first batch of snowmaking only covered about 1.4 km—the typical directional rules did not apply and anywhere skiable was a two-way street. A bit nerve-wracking, but at least I stretched out my neck by constantly looking over my shoulder!

Not even five minutes after stepping into my skis, I found myself at the top of a hill I hadn’t expected to go down. Last year, the first batch of snow covered the 0.7 km Field Loop—flat and reminiscent of a running track—which was fantastic for getting my sea legs⁴. However, the snowmakers decided to make things more interesting for the early season skiers this year and instead groomed a loop with multiple hills and dead-end offshoots.

A rough map of the ski trails that were open on December 6, 2024

The classic tracks led directly from the trailhead to a hill and after clambering to the top, I discovered that the snow ran out and my only option was to go right back down again. I managed to stay upright on the downhill, but it was a humbling experience and seriously called into question my ability to ever get good enough to ski the Blue Loop. Downhills require confidence and my supply is short.

For the next ninety minutes, I practiced on a flat section I dubbed the boomerang loop⁵ and eavesdropped on conversations when I paused for water⁶. Since I was being left in the dust (or in the flurries?) by everyone around me, I figured I should take tips wherever I could glean them. During one of my breaks, a man bade farewell to his friends with this bit of wisdom: “I’m done for now. I just started feeling good, so that’s the sign I should call it. I can always come back later, but I don’t want to hurt myself this early into the season.”

When I felt moderately pleased with myself at the end of a loop, I decided to take his advice. I cooled down with one final lap and then headed back to my car to eat a partially frozen PB&J sandwich. Not a climactic end to the day, but hopefully a solid start to a winter full of cross country skiing.

I love the interesting shapes of the snow-covered plants on the side of the trail!

How to visit:

The Lapham Peak Unit of the Kettle Moraine State Forest is easily accessible from I-94, about a mile south of downtown Delafield, WI. Once inside the park, take the first right and follow signs to the Evergreen Lodge for the best access to the Nordic trails.

There are snowmaking capabilities (completely supported by volunteers and donations) on about 1.5 miles, as well as a 2.5 mile lighted loop for evening skiing.⁷ Bathrooms with running water are available at the Evergreen Lodge and a new ski lodge is currently under construction. Equipment rentals are also available on site.

Any vehicle entering the park must have either an annual or daily Vehicle Admission Pass and skiers (as well as bikers and horse riders) must have an annual or daily State Trail Pass.⁸ Hikers, runners, and snowshoers are exempted from the State Trail Pass.

1. And by extension, Chicago. Last winter, Chicago got exactly one weekend of skiable snow, so heading north is pretty much mandatory for snow sports. Luckily, it’s less than two hours door-to-door from my northside neighborhood of Lincoln Square to the Evergreen Lodge at Lapham Peak

2. I was inspired by

Jenn Woltjen

’s recent post about scouting out local ski trails before the snow falls. Thanksgiving was the perfect time to do so because the holiday always falls during Wisconsin’s 9-day gun deer season and—unlike most other parts of the Kettle Moraine State Forest—Lapham Peak doesn’t allow hunting.

3. The Blue Loop also intersects the Ice Age Trail just a few dozen feet from a stone staircase I helped build in 2022, so I got to check in to see how the steps are holding up!

4. Snow legs? Ski legs?

5. An annotated map of my first ski of the season:

6. Sometimes I do actually learn from my past mistakes:

7. The DNR claim 17 miles of ski trails, however, that number appears to double count mileage where the loops overlap, so the unique trail miles will be lower.

8. Even with the out-of-state-resident surcharge, these two annual passes combined only total $63 and give me access to every Wisconsin state park, forest, and recreation area—I more than get my money’s worth each year!