Freezin' in Wisconsin Weekend

“Well Lorax, It's important that she's staying active, I guess.

Hey, the forecast is starting to suggest rain for Saturday, so don't forget your rubbers, folks!

If you don't have rubbers, just see Mata. She always brings a bunch. I know, because every outing I've been on with her (even when there is zero rain in the 10 day forecast ) she never fails to ask me, while sitting around the fire, "iSolo, did you bring rubbers?" I'd reply, "No, I didn't think I'd be needing them." She'd then say, "Don't worry, I brought plenty."

Thank God for Mata, she's always prepared!”

“AH-ha! now I know why my ears were ringing...talking about me behind my back, again...luckily, Bill doesn't read over my shoulder...”

“Mata, if this rain stays in the forecast for Saturday, it looks like you'll have plenty of company in camp. I know I'll be staying there drinking hot coffee and listening to your entertaining stories. Hmmm, I better bring an insulated backpacking chair, I guess.

... just kidding, Bill!”

“Fri
Jan 4 Partly Cloudy 32°/28°
chance of precip 10%

Sat
Jan 5 Rain / Snow Showers 38°/27° chance of precip 40%

Sun
Jan 6 Rain / Snow Showers 35°/28° chance of precip 60%

This is depressing...we want to play in the snow! not slide on sleet...”

“This is GOOD news MataHariHiker. According to your posted forecast, there is a 60% chance of NO precipitation on Saturday.”

“Yep, you're right, Pros...trouble is, I've been watching this unwanted heatwave...a few days ago, we were find, then Monday was iffy, then Sunday, now it's sneaking into Saturday...it won't stop most of us but you know what a drag rain could make skiing...not to mention trying to snowshoe through wet, sticky snow...think I'll throw the hammock in the car along with my backpack...”

“i personally am so stoked about skiing that i would go even if the snow had melted and i had to slide on mud and rocks.

i was up on lake winnebago this weekend... it was way frozen over and i could see trucks out where people were fishing. i wish i had my new boots for my skis! i had a lot of work to do, however... but next time i am going to have a hell of a day.”

“I was close to Winnebago (I think)this weekend, I was down in the Wapun area.”

“Waupun is like 30-40 mins SW of the lake on 151.”

“that's what I thought. Have a great new years Jimmysan!”

“You guys are gonna freeze yer asses off!!”

“Oh yeah, sure we are...with a January thaw predicted with temps in the high 20's

latest forcast:
Fri
Jan 4
Partly Cloudy / Wind
29°/25°

Sat
Jan 5
Cloudy / Wind
38°/32°

Sun
Jan 6
Showers
44°/27°

It's actually gonna be a bit TOO warm, IMHO...of course, there will be wind because I HATE WIND!

By the way, I am not putting out $$ to stay in a Holiday Inn...I found a nice little motel that has a microwave and fridge in the room for around $40...I'll be there Wednesday night...it's called the Falls Motel and is on the East end of Black River Falls...I believe it's on hwy 12...
last edited: 12/31/07 9:31:36 AM”

“Well you will be nice and warm in your down thingy but every one else will freeze LOL”

“Yes, I will definitely be toasty warm in my Montbell Inner Downpants! hee hee hee....”

“I'm green with envy about those pants.”

“I want those pants!!!”

“Heeheehee jimmy wants in yo pants!”

“my new (used) boots got here today. they are in good shape, fit me, and fit the bindings well. thanks pros for helping be id those bindings so i could get the right boot. per your suggestion i found a pair on ebay and bought them... turns out there was a pair for sale (not auction) in an ebay store for $24... so under $35 with shipping. i should be good to go this weekend and if it keeps snowing here i may get to go out and practice a little before the trip. it's a shame i didn't have them for this last weekend when i was out at the lake...”

“went out and used the skis/boots at a local soccer fied for 2 hours. man am i whipped! i started to get the feel for it at some point but my lower legs started to get really tired. it got a lot easier after i cut a large loop of track and then made a second pass to pack it down good. i may have to cut down my plans for the weekend but then again i have all day and my original plan was not THAT many miles.”

“JimmySans, are your skis waxable or waxless?”

“Ya waxing poetic, Jimmysan?”

“This may or may not have been addressed in earlier posts but I will admit that I have not paid much mind to the thread :) What is the deal for water at the sites? Any water sources either natural or otherwise>??”

“Nope...bring it with you...I wouldn't count on trying to get water from the small lake near the Pigeon Creek and I'm not sure if the creek will be open...melting snow is the usual winter water source but it may be doing that for us come Sunday with it's 45F predicted highs...

Wax, I need to get some wax for the sled...thanks, Pros, for reminding me....”

“There might be some water falling from the sky.”

“skis are waxless

there is a hand pump at the camp site and a pump at the parking lot of the ski trails. that is where i would usually get water but i don't know about winter. there is NO WATER on the ski trails. you will have to melt show if you don't bring your own water.”

“i will say that the hardest part of skiing was just keeping the skis flat. they kept twisting to one side or the other until i got the tracks cut. the wider and more even the track the easier i moved. near the end i got a few sections where i was really cruising and it felt great. note i have NO CLUE what i am doing... just doing what i saw in web sites.”

“Waxless skis do have a tendency to slide sidewise outside of groomed trails. The wax on waxable skis grips the snow when standing on them, reducing the amount of slippage. As one develops experience and strengthens their leg and ankle muscles through repetitions, you will experience much less sideways sliding.

In my winter camping experience, people who ski in with a backpack can average 3 miles per hour versus people who hike in or pull a sled who do 2 miles per hour. But if one is bushwacking through the trail in the deep snow, the advantage goes to those who snowshoe. But with a high of 47 degrees forecast for Sunday, we might find out how well the skis do waterskiing. JimmySans may want to change the name of the trip from "Freezin" in Wisconsin to something more appropriate.

http://travel.webshots.com/album/119180868PUYArT?start=0”

“"Sloshin' In Wisconsin?"”

“I remember the first time I went cross country skiing in high school LOL

Boy were my legs tired the next day. We spent a whole weekend in the mountians skiing....it was fun, specially when falling :D”

“I just finished talking to Ranger at Black River SF (Jamie is still on vacation) to get permit for Sat. nite. He said no state park parking sticker/fee is required for parking in the Wildcat Trails parking lot. Only for parking at the camp ground parking lot. The trail fees are only for XC skiing so if you are snowshoeing and park at Wildcat Trails lot there are no fees required for the weekend!”

“Could somebody repost the contact information required for the permits? I can't seem to find it.

What time are people getting there on Friday?”

“a parking permit would be required for those camping at pigeon creek on friday night.”

“simer190: call the park.

For camping and recreation related questions:
715-284-4103
Jamie Dahl, Ranger

For other questions:
715-284-1406
Peter Bakken, Superintendent

You need a backpack camping permit if you are going to camp with the group on Saturday night. It is free. They sent me mine in the mail but you may not have time. Ask them if they will FAX it to you. Jamie is on vacation so don't email her.

They will want to know your name, the make/model of your car, license plate number, your mailing address, camp location and dates. For camp location tell then the Red Oak ski shelter.

for friday night pigeon creek you will need a state parking pass and also to pay for a camp site. you self-register for these at pigeon creek.

for saturday night you need a backpack camp permit and it's free.

if you plan to ski you need a trail pass. you self-register for these at the trailhead for the ski trails.”

“I would rather have -10* than that nasty wet, cold 35-42* stuff. I'll have to refigure my gear for the temps and not snowcaving it.

I should get there, hopefuly around 5pm on Friday.
last edited: 1/02/08 7:47:38 AM”

“I know, Lorax...I'm with you...I would rather it be cold than above freezing...gr-r-r-r-r...still, I do have the hammock...getting time to leave soon...whee-ee-ee!”

“Well, It looks like I'll be working Friday night, for sure.

This leaves me with a long road trip for a sloppy Saturday
one nighter? This bites! Hopefully the temps will drop.”

“I'm going to ski the trails from 1:00 p.m. Friday to about 4:00 p.m., then set up camp at Pigeon Crek Campgrounds.”

“I'll be at Pigeon Creek late Friday night, I am guessing between 9 and 10pm. I don't get off of work until 5pm but if I get an early start I can leave early as well.”

“For the out-of-context thread, LOL:

"This leaves me with a long road trip for a sloppy Saturday one nighter?..."

iSolo

:-P”

“Friday
Partly cloudy in the evening then becoming mostly cloudy. Areas of fog after midnight. Lows in the lower 20s. South winds 10 to 15 mph.

Saturday
Mostly cloudy. Slight chance of freezing drizzle in the morning...then slight chance of drizzle in the afternoon. Areas of fog through the day. Highs in the mid 30s. Chance of measurable precipitation 20 percent

Saturday Night
Mostly cloudy with a slight chance of drizzle. Areas of fog through the night. Slight chance of freezing drizzle after midnight. Lows in the lower 30s. Chance of measurable precipitation 20 percent.

Sunday
Mostly cloudy with a slight chance of drizzle. Areas of fog. Highs around 40. Chance of measurable precipitation 20 percent.

For Friday night and Sat...both the GFS and NAM hint at bringing some weak 500 mb shortwave energy across the region. It brings some upper level saturation with it...but forecast soundings continue to keep a dry middle layer 650:850 mb across the region. This dry layer would be too deep to support any seeder/feeder process...leaving the low saturation and thermodynamics to fuel any precipitation chances. And again...that would mean drizzle or freezing drizzle. The GFS produces some very light quantitative precipitation forecast on Sat into Sat night...which matches its ensemble run. The NAM does not...with the sref seeming to favor the NAM. Believe the GFS is just picking up on what would be drizzle chances rather than rain...or the freezing variety of the two...surface temperature depending. Eitherway...the precipitation would be light. With the on going forecast having small probability of precipitation for Sat/Sat night...will continue the trend...but for drizzle/freezing drizzle. If the saturation should deepen...then a rain/freezing rain threat would increase.
last edited: 1/02/08 4:31:51 PM”

“Thank you, Jimmy... and now for Sports:





last edited: 1/02/08 9:42:39 PM”

“A little more hair on the chest and I'd swear that was my ex wife.”

“due to unforeseen developments, as well as slushy weather, i am taking a by on this one. sorry.

have a good weekend, everyone. i'd suggest synthetic bags and extra wool socks.
last edited: 1/03/08 7:08:18 AM”

“peepers!”

“AHH! There goes the Irish Whiskey!!!

SnowTiger, you'll pay for your crimes!!!”

“http://www.wunderground.com/cgi-bin/findweather/getForecast?query=54615&hourly=1&yday=4&weekday=Saturday

This is actually not that bad of a forecast. Friday night and Saturday night will be fairly warm and the chance of "measurable rain" is very small.
Friday and Saturday night will have good camping temps and a low chance of "measurable rain". Keeping warm and dry should not represent a significant challenge.

Saturday will be only slightly warmer than Friday but the temps won't get above freezing until mid day.

Saturday night's camp is at the Red Oak ski shelter... think three walls and a roof, metal fire ring with grill, etc. It will be a relatively comfortable way to pass the time at camp. Consider bringing good food to cook/grill over the campfire Saturday night.

Frankly, even a bad weekend in the backcountry beats the heck out of a good weekend hanging out in the chicagoland suburbs... and this looks like it is going to be FAR from a bad weekend. I am totally stoked!”

“gonna head to some bare rock if i get free. maybe hogsback by marquette. maybe dells of the wolf.

truly sorry i won't see lor, mhh, isolo, mrunner, griz and other nice folks. you're a fine host, jimmy, thanx. another time p'haps.
last edited: 1/03/08 7:47:48 AM”

“And I looked forward to meeting the illustrious SnowTiger. I look at this trip as much about hanging with people as about the recreation... And it's gonna be a classic!

You're gonna be missing the great tales that will be retold, ST.

:-(

Anyhoo... I am trying to get some good info on the snow conditions there by contacting geocachers in that area... will see how that goes.”

“QUOTE:"And I looked forward to meeting the illustrious SnowTiger. I look at this trip as much about hanging with people as about the recreation"
____

lizs,

some hikers believe i'm eminently worth hanging with. others would leave off the 'with'.* ;)

there's no doubt our paths will cross eventually. and meeting will be MY privilege. much more than yours, i am sure.


*as a general rule, i avoid the latter folk, because trips should be FUN. lol
last edited: 1/03/08 9:55:11 AM”

“take care snowtiger and have a great weekend.”