Brule XC Ski.com

3/2/2009
President Cordell Manz reports: The River View Loppet had approximately 150 skiers participate under perfect conditions at the Afterhours Ski Trail in Brule, WI on Saturday. With a strong field of skiers, Bruce Bauer won the men's 24 k freestyle and Jan Guenther won the women's title. Other winners were Nick Power and Katherine Himes in the 12 k Classic race and Scott Johanik and Andrea Carroll in the 12 k freestyle event.
Thanks to all the volunteers, long time race director Greg St. Onge, all the sponsors, Brule Forestry and Brule Lions Club!
See the Results link on the left side of this webpage.

1/9/2008
There will be a "Learn to Ski' event this Saturday (January 10, 2008). See our Event Schedule for details.

The club is working on adding snowshoe trails to the forest. Please see our newsletter for info

1/7/2008
Skiing has been excellent this year at the After Hours ski trail. There will be a "Learn to Ski' event this Saturday (January 12, 2008). See our Event Schedule for details.

We have reduced the youth entry fee for our popular Riverview Loppet and added a free 4km event for youths 13 years old or younger. Any youth under 18 can also enter the full distance races for only $15. Please check out our Event Schedule for more details and an entry form.

3/17/2007
Candle Light Ski at After Hours, Brule, Saturday night.

A bit of snow yesterday and we again have excellent conditions at the After Hours Ski Trail in Brule. To celebrate, the Brule River State Forest staff is hosting an impromptu Candle Light Ski beginning at dark, about 7 p.m., on Saturday, March 17. Come join in the fun.

And PLEASE HELP SPREAD THE WORD by forwarding this e-mail and placing calls to area skiers.
Thank you,
Susie Isaksen, Secretary
Brule Valley Ski Club

3/2/2007
March 2nd update: River Loppet is delayed one hour and start time is now 11:00am. The DNR has been pounding the trail with the Tucker Sno Cat and will continue to do so tonight and tomorrow morning. The classic track will also be skied in.

2/27/2007
Suddenly there is plenty of snow and the DNR has been working the trail for several days. As there is more snow predicted before Saturday, further course work will be done with our Tucker Snow Cat. Hopefully this will reduce the chances for a soft skate deck. This race is a long running event for youths and adults in both skate and classic styles. It is sponsored jointly by the Brule Valley Ski Club, the Brule River State Forest, and the Brule Lions Club. New addition: There will be a free admittance 4 km race for youth 14-18 years of age. - Borg Isaksen, race organization

1/31/2007
Greg St. Onge filed this report today:
"After about 4 inches of new snow overnight and a great job of grooming by the Brule Forest team, we have good or very good skating conditions and classical skiing that is overall good with some thin spots under the pines and spruces. I skied tonight after dark and it was really great. The moon with a huge corona, hard tracks and fast snow made it a wonderful experience. I've really been waiting for this."

1/22/2007
While snow is minimal, there is enough for the "Learn to Ski" and "Winter Ecology Hike" this Sunday, January 28th"

1/19/2007
Susie Isaksen wrote up a nice description of what the Brule Ski Club does and perhaps will convince you to join our club or contribute. Help is greatly needed to keep our programs going.

What the Brule Valley Ski Club Does
* We buy the gas for grooming at the After Hours Ski Trail in the Brule River State Forest.
* We help pay for grooming equipment and repairs.
* We helped fund and build the warming hut, the storage shed, and, this year, a new bridge on the trail.
* We provide heat for the warming hut.
* We provide free ski lessons on learn-to-ski afternoons.
* We raise funds for our work by organizing the annual River View Loppet and by soliciting grants and donations.
* We carry out all our activities in cooperation with the Brule River State Forest.

03/06/2006
A red jacket was found after the Riverview Loppet.
Please contact:
Steve Petersen, Superintendent
Brule River State Forest
6250 S. Ranger Rd.
Brule, WI 54820

715-372-5678 (voice)
715-372-4836 (fax)
steven.petersen@dnr.state.wi.us

02/18/2006
The Race Director feels the race will be held, despite cold wind chill predictions. There may be a 1-2 hour delay, see cold weather policy below. To combat wind chill, racers are advised to dress warm and keep in mind that a 16 km option is offered, in addition to the 32 km race. DNR staff and volunteers are currently grooming, setting up the race course, and preparing the traditional soup luncheon. Warm shelter is provided in the event of a delay.
Borg Isaksen
Brule Valley Ski Club Volunteer

Feb 15 update:
Conditions at the Afterhours Trail on the Brule River State Forest are the best they’ve been this season and they are ready to host the 2006 Timber Cruise. There will be 16 K classic and 16 and 32 K freestyle races in seven age divisions for skiers ages 14 through 70 and over. Registration on race day is from 7:30 until 9:00 a.m. at the Brule Town Hall, which is two blocks north of Highway 2 on Maple St.
If start temperatures are below -4 degrees F the race will be delayed one hour at a time, up to two hours. After a two hour delay, the race will be run unless temperatures are below -13 degrees F. The race may also be delayed or cancelled if a combination of below zero temperatures and wind combine for unbearably cold conditions.
Most of the warming house will be available and a heated tent will be on-site. The awards will be presented following a soup lunch back at the Brule Town Hall.
- Steve Peterson, race organization

12/12/2005
Ski trail news from the State Forest, by Steve Peterson.

Several noteworthy improvements to the operation of the Afterhours trail have been made that impact skiers and state forest staff.

Over the summer state forest employees Chris Sutherland and Kurt Janko painted and stained the exterior of the ski hut. In October several club volunteers started varnishing the interior and that project was completed by Kurt Janko later in the fall. The floor inside the ski hut has been leveled and a dark green "Dri-Dek" floor installed. This plastic flooring material lets snow melt through and the floor stays pretty dry.

Several people have asked about availability of the ski hut for personal use. The building is kept open during the ski season and here are some guidelines for its use:
* Let someone from the state forest know you'll be using it, especially if it will be late at night. By letting the staff know your plans they may be able to help you avoid a conflict with another group and will override the thermostat program to keep you warm.
* The building won't be "reserved" for your exclusive use. It's a public building and it's important to keep it available. This isn't usually a problem during the evening.
* Clean it up when you are finished.
* Turn off all the lights when you leave.
* Contact the state forest if you'd like to use it at other times of the year.

Late in the summer a masterplan variance was completed to permit an archery course of 29 targets to be installed along the trail. Archery practice will be permitted on the course from May through October. You may see the excelsior bales to which the targets are pinned but there will be no archery during the ski season.

The entry point for the classic trail was re-worked to make it more obvious and easier to get to. Other trail work was done to remove dead trees, overhanging branches, and brush.

Brule River State Forest staff are eager to start grooming this season on a pair of new snowmobiles from Brule Sports. The new Arctic Cat Bearcats are 4-stroke and liquid cooled so they will be quieter and less polluting. The old Ski Doo Skandiks were traded in and the DNR paid the balance, $13,500 for the pair.

The Tucker is running ok for now. A minor repair to the clutch actuator is needed but no other known issues remain. Special thanks go to Bob Cragin and Cragin Machine for repairing the gas tank. Other significant repairs made to the Tucker last season included replacing the engine and clutch, replacing a drive hub, and replacing the drive pulley for the hydraulic pump.

During the fall the state forest staff finished putting the trim on the new equipment shed and graded around the shed to improve drainage. They also installed electricity and lights to make it easier to work in there.

Overall the Afterhours Trails should be in good shape heading into the winter and the state forest staff looks forward to a successful ski season

1/5/2005
Nat Brown, owner of Nordic UltraTune Systems has graciously signed on as a sponsor of our two races. He has donated two coupons for a stone grind, worth up to $133 each. One coupon will be raffled off at each of our two races. You must be present at the awards to be eligible to win. Click here for more info on Nordic UltraTune Systems. Thanks Nat!

2/12/2004
Information and printable entry forms for the "Brule Timber Cruise" and the "River View Loppet" is now available under our event schedule. Click here.

2/3/2004
The Friends of Valhalla Ski Trails is having a fund raising dinner on Friday, March 5, 6-9 PM @ the "Northern Great Lakes Visitor Center". The Center is located just west of Ashland.
R.S.V.P only, $25 a plate.
Catered by Renee of Good Thyme Catering.
Fantastic food, great wine, good times to be had by all.
Reserve your place at the table by sending a check by March 3 to:
Friends of Valhalla
P.O. 364
Washburn, WI.
54891

The minutes of the fall club meetings are now on-line: For the 9-28-2003 meeting, click here.
For the 11-2-2003 meeting, click here.

12/10/2003
There will be a Learn to Ski day this Saturday (December 13, 2003) starting at noon.

11/28/2003
The power is back on! The heat is back on! Let there be light!
Hopefully we will get a little more snow that we can groom before Monday(December 1st), our official opening day. All the trails except the town road have been rolled. Some *&^%$@ drove his truck down the trail from the ski hut to the south. Our new ginzu goomers will arrive early next week. The snowmobiles are all running well. It looks like we're off to a pretty good start.

Steve Petersen, Superintendent
Brule River State Forest
6250 S. Ranger Rd.
Brule, WI 54820
phone 715-372-5678

10/28/3
Next event of 2003-04 season
Sunday, November 2, 2003
Afterhours Ski Trail/Brule Ranger Station

1:00 PM: Work party at Afterhours
4:00 PM: Meet at Ranger Station-bring dish to pass
4:30 PM: Club meeting

For more information call Cordell Manz at 715-375-3002

9/13/3
First event of 2003-04 season Sunday, Sept 28th Afterhours Ski Trail

2:00pm: Work party
4:00pm: Bring food to grill and/or a dish
5:00pm: Official club meeting

Note: The Packer game is not until 8pm.
Questions? Call Cordell Manz at 715-375-3002
See you there!

3/15/3
The Brule River State Forest will hold its annual meeting on Wednesday March 19, at 7:00 PM at the Brule Town Hall to discuss management practices planned for the forest. At this meeting staff will review accomplishments from the last year as well as present planned management activities which will occur over the next 12 months. Included will be forest management practices, law enforcement priorities, wildlife management practices, and recreational development activities. The 2002 annual report will be made available. The report will also be available on-line at the Wisconsin DNR web site (www.dnr.state.wi.us) following the meeting. The purposes of the meeting are to inform the public as well as to receive feedback from the users of the property. The 42,000-acre Brule River State Forest, established in 1907, spans the length of the Bois Brule River, from the headwaters north of Solon Springs to its mouth at Lake Superior.

For more information call either Steve Petersen or Dave Schulz at 715-372-5678, or e-mail steven.petersen@dnr.state.wi.us

3/14/3
I was on the trail at 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM today and was surprised at the condition of the trail. I found no bare spots in the skate lane, and only two spots where the classic track was down to dirt. I was on entry, exit, and river trails. I spoke to three skiers that had been on White Pine, Oak, and Maple. They said that the snow was sticky but the trails were in "great" shape. It is 57 degrees with sunny skies. I'm giving the trail a fair to good rating for today. I expect worse conditions tomorrow, but the trail should be skiable.

Ranger Kevin Feind

3/7/3
The Brule River State Forest staff were out bright and early on March 4th to groom the 4 inches of new fluffy snow that fell on March 3rd and also the two inches that fell on the night of March 1st. Kevin had groomed about half the trail on the 2nd.
These new inches of snow really improved the skiing conditions. A few dirt bumps can still be found on Aspen and the northern part of Maple, but the rest of the trail is in good condition. Track was set on all trails for the first time this winter. Currently the conditions are about the best of the whole winter.
Enjoy!
Kevin Feind
Ranger
Brule River State Forest

2/24/3
I took a look at the Afterhours Ski Trail this morning and pulled a Ginzu groomer on River, Oak, Entry, and Exit trails. Was pleased to find the trail was in surprisingly good condition. About an inch of snow fell Friday night and was skied into the classic track over the weekend. Very few bare spots were found. Overall, the trail is in fair to good condition. We still haven't set track on Aspen and the north end of Maple trail. The Riverview Loppet Ski Race will take place this Saturday, March 1st. The trail will be closed to non-racers from 10 AM to 2 PM on race-day.

Sincerely,
Ranger Kevin Feind

2/10/3
Skiing Conditions on the Afterhour Ski Trail - Brule River State Forest

Greetings,
The skiing conditions on all but Aspen and Maple Trails are fair to good for both classic and skate skiing.
No track will be set on the north end of Maple and all of Aspen because of roughness. Skating on these two trails are poor to fair, except the section of Maple trail from Oak Trail north to the old grade is in good condition. This same section of Maple trail is in fair to good condition for classic skiing.
Enforcement of the required trail pass has started. $3 for a daily and $10 for an annual.
Submitted by,
Kevin L. Feind
Ranger

2/4/3
The Brule River State Forest's Afterhours Ski Trail was groomed today after receiving almost 4 inches of moderately dense snow. This greatly improved the skiing conditions on the Afterhours Ski Trail system. Aspen and Maple Trails remain closed because of roughness. Skate skiing on the remaining 17 KM is fair to good. There still are some stretches that have some leaves in the snow, but the base is now 1.5 - 5 inches thick. Classical users will find a set track on Oak, White Pine, Loop, Spruce, Little Joe, and part of the old Main Grade. Some bad spots will be found in the track. 99% of the set track is full depth. Classical conditions are fair.

Kevin Feind
Ranger BRSF

1/13/3
The Brule River State Forest is still planning on holding a candlelight ski at the Afterhours Ski Trail on January 18th, from 5 - 9 PM. We received about 3 inches of snow yesterday, January 9th, and rolled the trail and set some track. Though the trail conditions are poor, it is skiable. We plan on having about 2 miles of trail lit with candles. There would be a bonfire by the warming shelter, hot chocolate and cider in the warming shelter, and a grills to cook on. This has always been a fun social event in Brule. Interested persons should call the Brule River State Forest office for last minute updates. If the trail conditions worsen, we'll cancel the event.
I don't expect that we'll loose any snow in the mean time, and there is a good possibility that we may receive additional lake affect. For instance, last night we received about a quarter inch. Any additional snow will improve the skiing conditions.
If you have any questions, please call us at (715) 372-5678

1/4/3
Still no snow, so the trails are not open yet.

9/25/2
From President Greg St. Onge comes this announcement: "On Sunday September 29th at 1 PM, the Brule Valley Ski Club is hosting a preview of our new trails at the Afterhours SKI Area near Brule. Following the get acquainted tour on mountain bike or hiking boot, Bob Cragin will be presenting one of his famous roast turkeys for your enjoyment at 3:30 PM. During or after dinner we'll squeeze in our annual club meeting. Bring a dish to pass around and enjoy the beautiful fall colors and a preview of this winters fun."
Please note that the previously announcement meeting for 6:30 at the River House will be instead be incorporated in the 3:30 meeting noted above.
See our Events section.

Borg Isaksen has written a summary of the meeting, which is located here

7/24/2
Our Cyber presence is established! The BruleXCSki website is on-line! It might not be much, but Microsoft started with not much too. Look where they are now. Our ambitions are slightly lower.

6/26/2
From Brule DNR Manager Steve Petersen comes word that the trail system is being expanded to a full 25km. Jim Rau is busy surveying the addition and laying out the new trails. The bulldozers will be starting soon and we're looking forward to the expansion.

5/1/2
Somehow we got the money to purchase a new (used) Tucker sno-cat! It's at Bob Cragin's shop for some fix-up and he put us in touch with the paint shop. We've got new mufflers and glass work scheduled and it will get decaled at Superior Auto Trim and Design. It should give us a nice polished look this winter. And the Giant Ginzu will arrive in late July. Check it out under the photo section.

4/24/2
Work begins on the Brule web page! How did I ever get talked into doing this?

3/2/2
The 6th Annual XC Ski race was a smashing success! We had a total of 67 in the 25km skate race , 29 racers in the 12km skate race, 26 in 12k classic and 5 in the 5km Youth field. Thanks to the Brule Lions Club and all the volunteers who so graciously gave up their Saturday morning to help out. The rice soup at the town hall was outstanding and disappeared as fast as the racers skied. See all the results under our Event Results link or here.

2/??/?
It was a cold February night for our 2nd annual "Candle light Ski", but everyone had smiles on their face. Hot apple cider and cookies finished off a wonderful winter's night in Northern Wisconsin.

1/??/??
Our 2nd Annual "Learn to Ski" was a success, thanks to the instructors and eager students.