This will be the Last Entry on this Website
This will be the last entry on
this website but I am leaving the content posted as a
history of the first 5 years of snowmaking at Lapham. These
were the Ed Muzik years and as most of you know, Ed has
moved on to a new position in the Apostle Islands. Ed will
be sorely missed but as the following article from Silent
Sports states, Lapham has been left in good hands.
http://www.silentsports.net/crosscountryskiing/119059334.html
Got Snow? Lapham Peak Snowmaking Report 2010
-Ed Muzik, Lapham Peak property manager 11/3/10
The overriding goal of the
snowmaking project has been to make Lapham Peak a premier
Nordic skiing center. The park already has most of the
attributes: challenging terrain, lighted ski trails, and
dedicated grooming. With our up and down winters,
snowmaking provides a means to offer a consistent and
reliable skiing opportunity. Last season we were able to
make snow on a 1.5 kilometer course. So far, the Friends of
Lapham Peak have raised $205,000 in private donations. Each
year we try to make further improvements to the system.
This fall, we added 1300' of pipe for snowmaking and a
buried pipe connection between the well and the pond. This
improvement should serve to speed up snowmaking and reduce
the amount of labor. We have also done extensive repair to
the ski trails following this past summer's heavy rains. We
should now have enough critical mass to continue to grow
the project. Current infrastructure:
∑ 1 million gal pond.
∑ 100 gpm well
∑ 8 snow guns
∑ 3600' of buried pipe
∑ 18 electrical 480-volt pedestals and water hydrants
The park has experienced a dramatic and somewhat unexpected
growth in organized skiing activities--Peak Nordic Kids
program, Peak Nordic Ski Team for high school and middle
kids, Peak Nordic Seniors, Free Tuesday Night ski lessons,
the Wed. Night Ski races, and the Lapham Ladies. Some of
this is due to the big winters we have the past two years,
but snowmaking is also responsible for adding a new dynamic
to the mix and giving people the confidence to put energy
into these activities, since the park is now able to offer
a reliable and consistent skiing opportunity.
Future needs include a bigger and more powerful
distribution pump (our piping system is designed for 600
gpm at 300 psi; the present pump provides 300 gpm at 200
psi), newer snow guns, and a newer more dependable snow
cat. Future expansion would also likely add at least
another kilometer of snowmaking capability. This would grow
the snowmaking capability to the same level as Elm Creek
Park near Minneapolis, and Kincaid Park in Anchorage.
A project request was also submitted last spring to double
the size of the Evergreen Shelter, the main warming hut at
Lapham, since we've outgrown it during the ski season. Last
year, Lapham Peak had revenues of over $370,000 making it
one of the few parks to bring in more revenue than its
operating costs, and making it one of the top ten busiest
parks in the WI State Park System. During winter, based on
revenue, it is the busiest state park.
Saturday, October 2,
2010
22nd ANNUAL
LAPHAM
PEAK COLORAMA RUN/WALK
&
SMOKEY BEAR FUN RUN
plus Bike
Tour
EXPERIENCE a beautiful fall run at Lapham
Peak State Forest. Run on wide, well-groomed, ski/hiking trails. Walk on the 2.5K
paved accessible trail suitable for wheelchairs or
strollers, or the 10K/5k route. The 5K course will tour the
middle level of the park. The 10K course follows the outer
perimeter trail. The Smokey Bear Fun Run [10 & under]
will encircle Homestead Hollow. Bring your bikes for a
guided tour of the new paved trail, Glacial Drumlin, and
Kettle Moraine roads after awards; free entry to all
Colorama participants. More information to follow: email
jmaki4@wi.rr.com if interested.
REGISTER at Homestead Hollow Ed Trecker
Lodge beginning at 8:00 a.m.; Smokey Bear Run participants
may register up to the start of the fun run. Register
ONLINE www.active.com event #1876862 until September
30th. Participants
will receive a long-sleeved custom-designed t-shirt,
refreshments, chance for the free drawings and
custom-designed Lapham Peak awards for age category
winners. Smokey Bear participants will receive a short
sleeved youth t-shirt and Smokey item.
FREE DRAWINGS will be announced at 9:45
[you must be registered by 9:40]; Pick up your prizes after
your run/walk.
October 2,
2010. Click here for Colorama Run/Walk entry
form.
The Friends of Lapham Peak
Bike Swap, a fundraiser for snowmaking, is scheduled for
Sat., March 20 at Cushing School in Delafield. If you have
a bike you would like to donate to the cause, you can drop
it off at the park office. There will also be a bike corral
at the event where you may sell your bike for a small
fee. Click here for full
brochure. Click here Vendor Registration
Form.
Chad Tolbert having fantastic season.
Chad has added the
Noque and Badger State Games championships to his magical
season. Click here to read Tom
Held’s excellent blog on Chad’s journey from
being 40 pounds overweight, only able to run 13 minute
miles, to dominating this year’s racing
season.
Chad Tolbert takes Lapham Double
Wins
Colorama and Loppet in same season.
Chad Tolbert
at start of his ski racing career in the 1980s.
Like Scott Oberbreckling (below),
Chad honed his early racing skills under the LIghts of
Lapham, except then they were on the trails of Heritage
Ridge. Again, when the Heritage trails became a Walmart,
Bob Sandless donated the lights to Lapham for our lighted
loop. Between Chad and Scott, they have combined to win the
last 5 Lapham Loppets. Chad went on to become an
All-American at UW-Green Bay, now lives in the area, and
certainly has made skiing a lifetime sport.
There was a very good
turnout for this years Lapham Loppet Ski Race with 140
adult racers and 90 middle and high school racers. Thanks
to Kris Maki, the race director, and to Ben Lund and Sean
Becker for running the middle school and high school race.
Also, thanks to all of the other volunteers for making it
such a great event. Click here for complete Loppet
results. Click here for Colorama
Results. Click here for more details on last
fall’s Colorama run.
Lapham Snowmaking on You Tube
Here is a excellent short
video, "Lapham Peak Snowmaking 101" by Lapham Peak
Snowmaking Committee member and volunteer Sean Becker
detailing the snowmaking operation at the park, This
project has been largely funded by private donations from
skiers.The project started in early 2006 and has made big
strides in a short time. There is still a great need for
donations to enlarge and improve the snowmaking
capability. Click
here to view video (Ed Muzik)
Be
a Sport--Click here to donate to Lapham Peak Friends
Snowmaking
Loppet
Elite to have wave.
This year’s Loppet will feature an elite wave
consisting of the top 20 finishers from last year’s
Loppet. If you qualify, contact Kris Maki by
clicking
here.
Ski the
LAPHAM LOPPET
Jan 23rd First race at 10:30
Who is this past Loppet winner?
(See below)
This year the Loppet will be a fundraiser
for Snowmaking. When you race the long hills of the
11K
course, you will
experience why the Lapham Peak Ski trails have won an award
for best-groomed trails. The 4.5K Meet at the
Peak ski race for Junior High and
High school students will be held on the lighted
loop. A 1K Lad and
Lassie Loppet, with two course options by ability, and a
kid's free fun ski event will be held after the race
awards. Click here for more info and mail-in
registration forms.
Grainy 1980’s photo above is
of Scott Oberbreckling, past winner of the Lapham
Loppet. Scott honed his early racing skills under the
LIghts of Lapham, except then they were on the trails of
Heritage Ridge. When Heritage trails became a Walmart,
Bob Sandless donated the lights to Lapham for our
lighted loop. As a collegian, Scott was an All-American
at the University of Alaska and achieved a 9th place
finish in the Birkie. Now in his mid-40s, Scott lives in
Colorado but came back to visit and take first in the
2007 Lapham Loppet. Click here for link to that web-page; then
scroll down for race info.
Wed Nite League Starts Jan 6th
All
ages welcome
Race times: Grade School 6:45; High
School 7:00pm; Adults 7:40p.m. Series will run JANUARY
6-FEBRUARY 17, 2010. Cost per night is $5. Junior
racers click here for entry forms and race information.
Adults click here. To
access Wednesday nite league results, click on Wed Nite
Results on sidebar menu.
Mandli and Bike Doc donate $1350 to Snowmaking
Total
donations now surpass $190,000
[Mike racing at Parkside
(1/3/07) Photo by John Wrycza]
Thanks to the
BicycleDoctor/Mike Mandli Nordic Ski School for an amazing
$1350 donation; this brings their total donations,
including previous years, to $2690. Lapham Snowmaking
donations have now surpassed the $190,000 mark.
Click here to make a
donation.
The Snow Guns are Firing
Click here to read about Lapham’s
upgrade to 7 snowguns from 2.
Click here for latest trail reports for
Lapham and Other SE Wisconsin Ski Trails
Snow making at Lapham Peak
got off to a good start last night. We started up the
first gun at 7 pm and had seven guns total running by 11
pm. We ran them until 10 am when we had to shut down
due to warm temps. plan is to make more tonight,
starting around 7 pm, though it's iffy for Sunday night as
temps might not get low enough. We need low temps and
humidity, under 20 degrees with humidity around 80% or
lower. (Ed Muzik December 5,
2009)
Click here to visit Lapham on
Facebook
Maria Stuber (National Silver Medalist)
to
give 2 clinics at Lapham
Lapham’s own Maria Stuber,
fresh from a second place finish at this year’s cross
country ski Nationals, will be back in the area to give two
skating clinics on roller skis. The first (June 23, 2009, 6
P.M.) is for ladies only; note this is the correct date -
the date on the following flyer is incorrect.
Lapham
Women's Clinic Flyer 2009 The second clinic, Thursday
(June 25th, 6P.M.) is open to all. Lapham Clinic Flyer
2009 Maria was
also named the May Athlete of the Month by Silent
Sports. Click here for more thorough update on
Maria’s accomplishments.